DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
In light of the prior art as disclosed below, the restriction requirement mailed on 11/26/2025 has been withdrawn.
In view of the withdrawal of the restriction requirement, applicant(s) are advised that if any claim presented in a divisional application is anticipated by, or includes all the limitations of, a claim that is allowable in the present application, such claim may be subject to provisional statutory and/or nonstatutory double patenting rejections over the claims of the instant application. Once the restriction requirement is withdrawn, the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 121 are no longer applicable. See In re Ziegler, 443 F.2d 1211, 1215, 170 USPQ 129, 131-32 (CCPA 1971). See also MPEP § 804.01.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kwon (PGPub 2021/0296691).
Considering Claim 1, Kwon discloses an electroactive material (cathode active material [0086]) for an electrode of an electrochemical cell (cathode 10 [0084] for an all-solid secondary battery 1 [0084]), the electroactive material comprising:
a plurality of electroactive material (cathode active material has a particle shape [0092] with a plurality of particles for a powder [0142]), at least a portion of the plurality of electroactive material particles having a coating (coating 114 disposed on each particle surface as a shell [0065, Figure 1]) comprising a conductive oxygen storage material (oxides such as lithium cerium oxide [0067, claim 2]) having a lithium diffusion coefficient greater than or equal to about 10-15 cm2·s (lithium film is a lithium ion conductor [0065], material choice may be lithium cerium oxide [0067, claim 2], and the thickness may be about 10 nm to about 50 nm [0066], this material choice and thickness matches that of the claimed invention [0074, 0008 PGPub version], so it appears that Kwon inherently discloses a lithium diffusion coefficient greater than or equal to about 10-15 cm2·s).
Considering Claim 2, Kwon discloses that the electrode comprises greater than 0 wt% to less than or equal to about 10 wt% of the oxygen storage material (content of lithium ion conductor may be about 0.1 parts by weight to about 5 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the total weight of the cathode active material [0071]).
Considering Claim 3, Kwon discloses that the oxygen storage material is selected from lithium cerium oxide (lithium cerium oxide [0067, claim 2]).
Considering Claim 4, Kwon discloses that the electroactive material particles comprise a nickel rich electroactive material (both core 112 (first transition metal-based active material) and shell 113 (second transition metal-based active material) are nickel-rich with formulas that read on the claimed formula [0036, 0037, 0048, 0051, 0054, 0061]).
Considering Claim 5, Kwon discloses that the conductive layer is a continuous layer covering greater than or equal to about 85% of a total surface area of the respective surfaces of the electroactive material layer (all of the particle surface is covered by the uniform coating film [Figure 1, 0035] for purposes of Co, P, and/or S diffusion suppression [0066] via spray coating or dipping [0088]).
Considering Claim 6, Kwon discloses that the conductive layer has an average thickness greater than 2 nanometers to less than or equal to about 200 nanometers (thickness may be about 10 nm to about 50 nm [0066]).
Considering Claim 7, Kwon discloses an electrode (cathode 10 [0084]) for an electrochemical cell (all-solid secondary battery 1 [0084]), the electrode comprising:
an electroactive material layer (cathode active material layer 12 [0084]) comprising a plurality of electroactive material (cathode active material has a particle shape [0092] with a plurality of particles for a powder [0142]); and
a conductive layer (coating film 114 [0065, Figure 1]) comprising an oxygen storage material (oxides such as lithium cerium oxide [0067, claim 2]) and having a lithium diffusion coefficient greater than or equal to about 10-15 cm2·s (lithium film is a lithium ion conductor [0065], material choice may be lithium cerium oxide [0067, claim 2], and the thickness may be about 10 nm to about 50 nm [0066], this material choice and thickness matches that of the claimed invention [0074, 0008 PGPub version], so it appears that Kwon inherently discloses a lithium diffusion coefficient greater than or equal to about 10-15 cm2·s) disposed on one or more surfaces of the electroactive material layer (disposed on each particle surface as a shell [0065, Figure 1]).
Considering Claim 8, Kwon discloses that the electrode comprises greater than 0 wt% to less than or equal to about 10 wt% of the oxygen storage material (content of lithium ion conductor may be about 0.1 parts by weight to about 5 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the total weight of the cathode active material [0071]).
Considering Claim 9, Kwon discloses that the oxygen storage material is selected from lithium cerium oxide (lithium cerium oxide [0067, claim 2]).
Considering Claim 10, Kwon discloses that the electroactive material particles comprise a nickel rich electroactive material (both core 112 (first transition metal-based active material) and shell 113 (second transition metal-based active material) are nickel-rich with formulas that read on the claimed formula [0036, 0037, 0048, 0051, 0054, 0061]).
Considering Claim 11, Kwon discloses that the conductive layer is a continuous layer covering greater than or equal to about 85% of a total surface area of the respective surfaces of the electroactive material layer (all of the particle surface is covered by the uniform coating film [Figure 1, 0035] for purposes of Co, P, and/or S diffusion suppression [0066] via spray coating or dipping [0088]).
Considering Claim 12, Kwon discloses that the conductive layer has an average thickness greater than 2 nanometers to less than or equal to about 200 nanometers (thickness may be about 10 nm to about 50 nm [0066]).
Considering Claim 13, Kwon discloses that the oxygen storage material is a first oxygen storage material and at least a portion of the plurality of electroactive material particles are coated with a second oxygen storage material (cathode active material has a particle shape [0092] with a plurality of particles for a powder [0142], film 114 is disposed on each particle surface as a shell [0065, Figure 1], one set of particle coatings may be a first oxygen storage material and a second set of particle coatings may be a second oxygen storage material as the claimed invention states that the first and second oxygen storage materials are the same [claim 17]).
Considering Claim 14, Kwon discloses that the conductive layer has an average thickness greater than 2 nanometers to less than or equal to about 200 nanometers (thickness may be about 10 nm to about 50 nm [0066]).
Considering Claim 15, Kwon discloses that the conductive layer is a continuous layer covering greater than or equal to about 85% of a total surface area of the respective surfaces of the electroactive material layer (all of the particle surface is covered by the uniform coating film [Figure 1, 0035] for purposes of Co, P, and/or S diffusion suppression [0066] via spray coating or dipping [0088]).
Considering Claim 16, Kwon discloses that the oxygen storage material is selected from lithium cerium oxide (lithium cerium oxide [0067, claim 2]).
Considering Claim 17, Kwon discloses that the second oxygen storage material is the same as the first oxygen storage material (cathode active material has a particle shape [0092] with a plurality of particles for a powder [0142], film 114 is disposed on each particle surface as a shell [0065, Figure 1], one set of particle coatings may be a first oxygen storage material and a second set of particle coatings may be a second oxygen storage material as the claimed invention states that the first and second oxygen storage materials are the same [claim 17]). Kwon discloses that the oxygen storage material is selected from lithium cerium oxide (lithium cerium oxide [0067, claim 2]).
Considering Claim 18, Kwon discloses an electrode (cathode 10 [0084]) for an electrochemical cell (all-solid secondary battery 1 [0084]), the electrode comprising:
an electroactive material layer (cathode active material layer 12 [0084]) comprising a plurality of electroactive material (cathode active material has a particle shape [0092] with a plurality of particles for a powder [0142]);
wherein the electroactive material particles of the plurality comprise a nickel rich electroactive material (both core 112 (first transition metal-based active material) and shell 113 (second transition metal-based active material) are nickel-rich with formulas that read on the claimed formula [0036, 0037, 0048, 0051, 0054, 0061]), and
wherein at least a portion of the plurality of electroactive material particles comprise a particle coating comprising a first conductive oxygen storage material and a conductive layer comprising a second conductive oxygen storage is disposed on one or more surfaces of the electroactive material layer (cathode active material has a particle shape [0092] with a plurality of particles for a powder [0142], film 114 is disposed on each particle surface as a shell [0065, Figure 1], one set of particle coatings may be a first oxygen storage material and a second set of particle coatings may be a second oxygen storage material as the claimed invention states that the first and second oxygen storage materials are the same [claim 17], oxides such as lithium cerium oxide [0067, claim 2]), the first and second conductive oxygen storage materials each having a lithium diffusion coefficient greater than or equal to about 10-15 cm2·s (lithium film is a lithium ion conductor [0065], material choice may be lithium cerium oxide [0067, claim 2], and the thickness may be about 10 nm to about 50 nm [0066], this material choice and thickness matches that of the claimed invention [0074, 0008 PGPub version], so it appears that Kwon inherently discloses a lithium diffusion coefficient greater than or equal to about 10-15 cm2·s).
Considering Claim 19, Kwon discloses that the oxygen storage material is selected from lithium cerium oxide (lithium cerium oxide [0067, claim 2]).
Considering Claim 20, Kwon discloses that the electrode comprises greater than 0 wt% to less than or equal to about 10 wt% of the oxygen storage material (content of lithium ion conductor may be about 0.1 parts by weight to about 5 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the total weight of the cathode active material [0071]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER P DOMONE whose telephone number is (571)270-7582. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-4:30 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Basia Ridley can be reached at (571)272-1453. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER P DOMONE/Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 1725