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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-9 and Species Formula f) in the reply filed on 5/27/26 is acknowledged.
Claims 10 and 11 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected method of manufacture, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
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 and 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sugiura (US 2016/0028074 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 6, Sugiura discloses a composition comprising: LMNO as a core particle that encompasses LixMn2-y-zNiyMzO4-d where 1≤x≤1.4; 0<y≤0.6; z=0 and d=0 (paragraphs 46 & 47) coated with the compound of formula f) Lix-aM′aTiy-bM″bO4-c-dFc in which 0<x≤3; 0≤a≤1; 1≤y≤2.5; 0≤b≤1; 0≤c≤2 and −2.5≤d<2.5; a and c not being simultaneously zero; M′ is one or more elements chosen from the group consisting of Na, Mg and K; M″ is one or more elements chosen from the group consisting of B, Mo, Mn, Ce, Sn, Zr, Si, W, V, Ta, Sb, Nb, Ru, Ag, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Al, Cr, La, Pr, Bi, Sc, Sm, Gd, Y and Eu (paragraphs 52 & 53).
Regarding claim 7, Sugiura discloses a binder dispersible in water (paragraph 92).
Regarding claims 8 and 9, Sugiura discloses a cathode current collector of a battery (paragraph 75).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the compound of claim 2 is not taught in the prior art of record.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited references are the result of a STIC search performed on 7/7/26. They include numerous references pertaining to LMNO coated with the compound of formula f). However, none of the results include the formula of claim 2.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IMRAN AKRAM whose telephone number is (571)270-3241. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9a-5p.
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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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/IMRAN AKRAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
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