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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsuchida et al. (“Tsuchida”, JP 2012099323A; citations taken from machine translation provided by Applicant) in view of Fujinoki (US 2024/0055598 A1).
Regarding claims 1-3, Tsuchida teaches that in the field of all-solid-state batteries, attempts have been made to improve the performance of all-solid-state batteries by focusing on the interface between a positive electrode active material and a solid electrolyte material ([0004]).
For example, it is known that the interface between the positive electrode active material and the solid electrolyte material can be reduced by coating the surface of the positive electrode active material with LiNbO3 ([0004]).
Tsuchida also teaches positive electrode active material whose surface is coated with Li3PO4, which suppresses the oxidative decomposition of the solid polymer electrolyte, increasing the output and capacity of the battery ([0004]).
Further regarding claim 1, Tsuchida teaches the materials of the first layer (LiNbO3) and the second layer (Li3PO4) but does not teach sequential first and second layers.
Fujinoki teaches a first and second coating layer in sequence ([0021]-[0026]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to combine two coating layers on a positive electrode active material as a second coating material can appropriately work to inhibit the formation of a resistive layer at an interface between the positive electrode active material and the coating layer ([0070]).
As to claims 4 and 5, sulfide solid electrolytes are well known (see [0002] and [0003] of Fujinoki). Also, the structure of an all-solid-state battery including a positive electrode, negative electrode, and separator is well known.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL H. LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-2548. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:00.
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DANIEL H. LEE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1746
/DANIEL H LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1746
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