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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's response submitted May 8, 2026, has been received. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection, provided in the IDS of June 9, 2026, does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-11 and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Pub. 2023/0349987 (“O’Donnell”).
Claim 1
O’Donnell discloses an array, comprising: a plurality of enclosures (enclosures 262); a plurality of phase change materials each disposed in a corresponding enclosure of the plurality of enclosures (paragraph [0199]), wherein at least a first phase transition temperature of a first phase change material of the plurality of phase change materials is different than a second phase transition temperature of a second phase change material of the plurality of phase change materials (paragraph [0198-0199]); a plurality of particles disposed in the plurality of enclosures (particles 14); and a sensor substrate having a plurality of sensors electrically coupled with the sensor substrate (system 260), where each of the plurality of sensors is configured to measure a corresponding set of particles in a corresponding enclosure (paragraphs [0197-0199]) and detect: a first response associated with the corresponding set of particles in a first location within the corresponding enclosure (paragraph [0198], first sensitivity), and a second response associated with the corresponding set of particles in a second location within the corresponding enclosure (paragraph [0198], second sensitivity), wherein the first location and the second location are different (Fig. 26, different compartments).
Claim 2
O’Donnell discloses the array of claim 1, wherein the plurality of particles are conductive particles or magnetic particles (paragraph [0198], magnetic).
Claim 3
O’Donnell discloses the array of claim 1, further comprises a magnet configured to attract or repel the plurality of particles (paragraph [0205], magnetic structure used).
Claim 4
O’Donnell discloses the array of claim 1, wherein each sensor is further configured to detect magnetic responses associated with at least a portion of the plurality of particles (paragraphs [0198-0199]).
Claim 5
O’Donnell discloses the array of claim 1, further comprises one or more of heating elements or cooling elements (paragraph [0140], heating element included).
Claim 6
O’Donnell discloses the array of claim 1, further comprises a passivation layer covering the plurality of enclosures (paragraph [0140], passivation included).
Claim 7
O’Donnell discloses the array of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors are disposed at the bottom of the plurality of enclosures (Fig. 27A, top).
Claim 8
O’Donnell discloses the array of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of enclosures includes a phase change material that is different than remaining phase change materials of the plurality of phase change materials (paragraphs [0216-0217]).
Claim 9
O’Donnell discloses the array of claim 1, further comprises a plurality of electrical contacts in the plurality of enclosures, wherein each sensor is further configured to detect a conductance associated with at least a portion of the plurality of particles (paragraph [0205], conductive paths).
Claim 10
O’Donnell discloses the array of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensors include a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) element (paragraph [0174]).
Claim 11
O’Donnell discloses the array of claim 1, further comprises a reference sensor configured to measure a reference resistor (paragraph [0152], baseline).
Claim 13
O’Donnell discloses the array of claim 1, further comprises a support substrate having thermal conduction pathways configured to provide thermal conduction between the array and an object (paragraph [0205], conductive paths).
Claim 14
O’Donnell discloses an array, comprising: a support substrate having thermal conduction pathways configured to provide thermal conduction between the array and an object (system 260); a plurality of enclosures (enclosures 262); a plurality of phase change materials each disposed in a corresponding enclosure of the plurality of enclosures (paragraph [0199]), wherein each of the plurality of enclosures includes a phase change material having a phase transition temperature that is different than remaining phase transition temperatures of remaining phase change materials of the plurality of phase change materials (paragraph [0198-0199]); a plurality of magnetic particles disposed in the plurality of enclosures (paragraph [0198], particles 14 are magnetic); and a sensor substrate having a plurality of sensors electrically coupled with the sensor substrate (system 260), where each of the plurality of sensors is configured to measure a corresponding set of magnetic particles in a corresponding enclosure (paragraphs [0197-0199]) and detect: a first magnetic response associated with the corresponding set of magnetic particles in a first location within the corresponding enclosure (paragraph [0198], first sensitivity), and a second magnetic response associated with the corresponding set of magnetic particles in a second location within the corresponding enclosure (paragraph [0198], second sensitivity), wherein the first location and the second location are different (Fig. 26, different compartments).
Claim 15
O’Donnell discloses the array of claim 14, further comprises a magnet configured to attract or repel the plurality of magnetic particles (paragraph [0205], magnetic structure used).
Claim 16
O’Donnell discloses the array of claim 14, further comprises one or more of heating elements or cooling elements (paragraph [0140], heating element included).
Claim 17
O’Donnell discloses the array of claim 14, further comprises a passivation layer covering the plurality of enclosures (paragraph [0140], passivation included).
Claim 18
O’Donnell discloses the array of claim 14, w herein the plurality of sensors are disposed at the bottom of the plurality of enclosures (paragraph [0099], top or bottom film forming).
Claim 19
O’Donnell discloses the array of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensors include a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) element (paragraph [0174]).
Claim 20
O’Donnell discloses a temperature tracking system, comprising: a plurality of arrays removably attached to a plurality of objects (paragraph [0003]), each array of the plurality of arrays includes: a support substrate having thermal conduction pathways configured to provide thermal conduction between the array and a corresponding object of the plurality of objects (system 260); a plurality of enclosures (enclosures 262); a plurality of phase change materials each disposed in a corresponding enclosure of the plurality of enclosures (paragraph [0199]), wherein each of the plurality of enclosures includes a phase change material having a phase transition temperature that is different than remaining phase transition temperatures of remaining phase change materials of the plurality of phase change materials (paragraph [0198-0199]); a plurality of magnetic particles disposed in the plurality of enclosures (paragraph [0198], particles 14 are magnetic); and a sensor substrate having a plurality of sensors electrically coupled with the sensor substrate (system 260), where each of the plurality of sensors is configured to measure a corresponding set of magnetic particles in a corresponding enclosure (paragraphs [0197-0199]) and detect: a first magnetic response associated with the corresponding set of magnetic particles in a first location within the corresponding enclosure (paragraph [0198], first sensitivity), and a second magnetic response associated with the corresponding set of magnetic particles in a second location within the corresponding enclosure (paragraph [0198], second sensitivity), wherein the first location and the second location are different (Fig. 26, different compartments); a magnet configured to attract or repel the plurality of magnetic particles (paragraph [0205], magnetic structure used); and a controller configured to determine a temperature or a temperature range reached by each of the plurality of objects based on measurements by each corresponding plurality of sensors (paragraph [0234]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Pub. 2023/0349987 (“O’Donnell”) in view of U.S. Patent Pub. 2015/0133827 (“Seo”).
Claim 12
O’Donnell discloses the array of claim 1.
O’Donnell does not appear to explicitly disclose further comprises adhesive pads configured to removably attach the array to an object.
Seo discloses incorporated removably attached adhesive pads (paragraph [0036]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated further comprises adhesive pads configured to removably attach the array to an object as disclosed by Seo, into the device of O’Donnell, for the purpose of providing secure contact between measurement and apparatus (Seo, paragraph [0036]).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERICA S Y LIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7911. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4, TW M,W.
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, Douglas X Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ERICA S LIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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