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 .
Prelim. Amdt./Amendment
Receipt is acknowledged of the Preliminary Amendment filed on January 29, 2024.
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.
Claim(s) 13-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fink et al. (US 10509186).
Re claim 13: Fink teaches a textile comprising (i) at least one multi-material fiber (10) comprising a fiber body (12) serving as a cladding material; an electrically-connectable device (14) disposed within the cladding material; and a first electrical conductor (18) disposed within the cladding material and in electrical communication with the electrically-connectable device; (ii) a plurality of additional fibers interlaced with the multi-material fiber (col. 18, lines 38-60), wherein the electrically-connectable device (14) and at least a portion of the first electrical conductor (18) are disposed in a pocket (54) filled with a fiber body material serving as a filling material to protect the electrically- connectable device (14)(i.e., the fiber body material encapsulates the electrical conductor and the device contact pad, col. 2, line 67- col. 3, line 3)(see figs. 1-5G; col. 4, lines 6-49; col. 10, line 41-col. 13, line 56).
Re claim 14: Wherein the multi-material fiber further comprises a second electrical conductor (18) disposed within the cladding material and in electrical communication with the electrically-connectable device.
Re claim 15: Wherein the filling material comprises one or more of an encapsulant (col. 2, line 67- col. 3, line 3)
Re claim 16: Wherein the electrically-connectable device is selected from the group consisting of a photodetector and a photodiode (col. 4, lines 6-20).
Re claim 17: Wherein a first electrode of the electrically-connectable device is bonded to the first electrical conductor via a contact pad (16) serving as a bonding material.
Re claim 18: Wherein the cladding material is selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic material, a thermoplastic elastomer, polyetherimide (PEI), and glass (col. 5, lines 37-61).
Re claim 19: Wherein the first electrical conductor is selected from the group consisting of a copper wire, a copper wire comprising a silver coating, a tungsten wire, a high tension wire, and an extra high tension wire (claim 34).
Re claim 20: Wherein the first electrical conductor is located substantially along a neutral axis of the multi-material fiber (fig. 1B).
Re claim 21: Wherein the multi-material fiber has an aspect ratio between about 1.1:1 and about 2.7:1 (Fig. 1B).
Re claims 22, 23: Wherein the multi-material fiber comprises an overcoating such as a thermoplastic elastomer material (col. 5, lines 37-61).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 24-30 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:
None of prior art teaches the multi-material fiber comprises an overwrap, a support wire to provide mechanical stability to the electrically-connectable device, and at least one outer wire as set forth in the claims.
Conclusion
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/SEUNG H LEE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876