DETAILED ACTION
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 with traverse of Species 1 (claims 1-8) in the reply filed on 3/5/26 is acknowledged. The applicants have cancelled non-elected claims 9-20 (Species 2 and 3), and has introduced claims 21-32. New claims 21-32 correspond to Species 1, and are thereby being fully examined for patentability.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 2, 4-8, and 24-26 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, --,-- should be added after “Y-direction” in the last line.
In claim 4, --a-- should be added after “using” in line 2.
In claim 24, --a-- should be added after “using” in line 2.
In claim 25, --and-- should be added after “sample;” in line 7.
In claim 26, “laser” should be changed to --layer-- in line 2.
Claims 2 and 5-8 are objected to for being dependent on an objected base claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3, 22, 23, 30, and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claim 3, it is not which thermal measurement process recited in lines 4-5, 12, 15, and 18 of base claim 1 is being referred to by “the thermal measurement process” recited in line 5.
In claim 22, it is not clear if the claimed steps are performed in addition to all of the steps recited in base claim 21, or if they are further describing the step recited in lines 3-7 of base claim 21.
In claim 30, there is lack of antecedent basis in the claim for “the sample stage” in line 2.
In claim 31, it is not clear how the step recited in lines 4-6 is used with the steps of base claim 29 to generate the thermal image recited in the last three lines of base claim 29.
Claim 23 is rejected for being dependent on a rejected base claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 21, 27, 28, 29, and 32 are allowed.
Claims 1-8, 22-26, 30, and 31 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, and the objections set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record does not disclose or suggest the following in combination with the remaining limitations of the claims:
A thermal property measurement method, comprising generating a three-dimensional thermal image of the sample by mapping the temperature change and the thermal conductivity of the sample obtained at the various spots along the X-direction, the Y-direction and the Z-direction (claim 1).
A thermal property measurement method, comprising repeating the thermal measurement process to obtain the temperature change and the thermal conductivity of the sample at various spots of the sample; and generating a three-dimensional thermal image of the sample by mapping the temperature change and the thermal conductivity of the sample obtained at the various spots (claim 21).
A thermal property measurement method, comprising repeating the thermal measurement process to obtain the temperature change and the thermal conductivity of the sample at various spots of the sample; and generating a three-dimensional thermal image of the sample by mapping the temperature change and the thermal conductivity of the sample obtained at the various spots (claim 29).
Conclusion
The references made of record and not relied upon by the examiner (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2015/0110150 to Schmidt being the closest art) are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure by disclosing a thermal property measuring method, but do not disclose the allowable subject matter stated above.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MIRELLYS JAGAN whose telephone number is (571)272-2247. The examiner can normally be reached Tuesday-Friday 8-6.
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/MIRELLYS JAGAN/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2855
4/2/26
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