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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: Sensing Device For Identifying Volatile Organic Compounds.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 14-16 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al US20210190744 (hereinafter “Lin”) in view of Giedd et al US10352726 (hereinafter “Giedd”).
Regarding claim 1, Lin discloses a sensing device (gas sensing device-200), comprising: a substrate (dielectric layer-20); a first unit (sensing portion-30) disposed on the substrate; a second unit (sensing portion-40) disposed on the substrate and connected in series with the first unit; a third unit (sensing portion-50) disposed on the substrate; and a fourth unit (sensing portion-60) disposed on the substrate and connected in series with the third unit, wherein of the first unit, the second unit, the third unit, and the fourth unit, two are reference resistors (reference sensing portions 30 and 50), and the other two are a first sensing unit and a second sensing unit (target sensing portions-40 and 60) configured to capture volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (Paragraphs 0058-0070).
However, Lin fails to disclose wherein at least one of the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit has different capture degrees for polar gas and nonpolar gas of the volatile organic compounds. Giedd discloses wherein at least one of the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit has different capture degrees for polar gas and nonpolar gas of the volatile organic compounds. (Col 11 line 25-37, Col 18 line 60- Col 19 line 17)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to include the design of Giedd into Lin for the purpose of increasing detection accuracy. The modification would allow for improved environmental monitoring and accurate detection in complex mixtures.
Regarding claim 2, Lin discloses the first sensing unit (sensing portion-40) comprises a first sensing layer (sensing layer-401), and the second sensing unit (sensing portion-60) comprises a second sensing layer (sensing layer-601). a gas selective layer (sensing layers include conductive layers 403 and 603 ) disposed on the second sensing layer, wherein the gas selective layer has different capture degrees for polar gas and nonpolar gas of the volatile organic compounds. (Paragraph 0035-0036, 0064-0065)
However, Lin fails to disclose the gas is specifically a polar gas. Giedd discloses the gas is specifically a polar gas. (Col 11 line 25-37, Col 18 line 60- Col 19 line 17)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to include the design of Giedd into Lin for the purpose of increasing detection accuracy. The modification would allow for improved environmental monitoring and accurate detection in complex mixtures.
Regarding claim 3, Lin discloses a capture degree of the first sensing unit (sensing portion-40) for gas is greater than a capture degree of the second sensing unit (sensing portion-60) for gas. (Paragraph 0035-0036, 0064-0065)
However, Lin fails to disclose the gas is specifically a nonpolar gas. Giedd discloses the gas is specifically a nonpolar gas. (Col 11 line 25-37, Col 18 line 60- Col 19 line 17)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to include the design of Giedd into Lin for the purpose of increasing detection accuracy. The modification would allow for improved environmental monitoring and accurate detection in complex mixtures.
Regarding claim 14, Lin in view of Giedd discloses the sensing device according to claim 1.
Furthermore, Lin discloses the second unit and the fourth unit are reference resistors (portions 30 and 50 are reference resistors and can be referred to as any numeric reference), and the first unit and the third unit (portions 40 and 60 are sensing portions and can be referred to as any numeric reference) respectively are the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit. (Paragraphs 0058-0070).
Regarding claim 15, Lin in view of Giedd discloses the sensing device according to claim 1.
Furthermore, Lin discloses the second unit and the third unit are reference resistors (portions 30 and 50 are reference resistors and can be referred to as any numeric reference), and the first unit and the fourth unit respectively are the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit (portions 40 and 60 are sensing portions and can be referred to as any numeric reference). (Paragraphs 0058-0070).
Regarding claim 16, Lin in view of Giedd discloses the sensing device according to claim 1.
Furthermore, Lin discloses the first unit and the second unit are reference resistors (portions 30 and 50 are reference resistors and can be referred to as any numeric reference),, and the third unit and the fourth unit respectively are the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit (portions 40 and 60 are sensing portions and can be referred to as any numeric reference). (Paragraphs 0058-0070).
Regarding claim 19, Lin discloses a sensing method (gas sensing device-200 implements the method), comprising: providing a sensing device (See Fig 6-7), wherein the sensing device comprises a substrate (layer-20), a first sensing unit (sensing portion-40), a second sensing unit (sensing portion-60), and two reference resistors (reference sensing portions-30 and 50), wherein the first sensing unit, the second sensing unit, and the two reference resistors are disposed on the substrate (See figs 6-7), wherein of the first sensing unit, the second sensing unit, and the two reference resistors, two are connected in series, and the other two are connected in series (See figs 6-7); capturing compounds using the first sensing unit (sensing portion-40), wherein the first sensing unit has different capture degrees for gas of the compounds (Paragraph 0058-0070), capturing the compounds using the second sensing unit (sensing portion-60); and determining index of gas compound (Indexgas) of the compounds using voltage change of the sensing device. (Paragraph 0058-0070)
However, Lin fails to disclose capturing volatile organic compounds, wherein the first sensing unit has different capture degrees for polar gas and nonpolar gas of the volatile organic compounds, determining index of gas compound (Indexgas) of the volatile organic compounds using voltage change of the sensing device. Giedd discloses capturing volatile organic compounds, wherein the first sensing unit has different capture degrees for polar gas and nonpolar gas of the volatile organic compounds, determining index of gas compound (Indexgas) of the volatile organic compounds using voltage change of the sensing device. (Col 11 line 25-37, Col 18 line 60- Col 19 line 17)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to include the design of Giedd into Lin for the purpose of increasing detection accuracy. The modification would allow for improved environmental monitoring and accurate detection in complex mixtures.
Regarding claim 20, Lin discloses the first sensing unit (sensing portion-40) is connected in series with one of the two reference resistors (portions-30 and 50), the second sensing unit (sensing portion-60) is connected in series with the other of the two reference resistors (portions-30 and 50), and the sensing method further comprises: determining gas type of the compounds using voltage change of the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit (sensing portions-40 and 60 include sensing and conductive layers-401/403 and 601/603 respectively).
However, Lin fails to disclose volatile organic compounds. Giedd discloses volatile organic compounds. (Col 11 line 25-37, Col 18 line 60- Col 19 line 17)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to include the design of Giedd into Lin for the purpose of increasing detection accuracy. The modification would allow for improved environmental monitoring and accurate detection in complex mixtures.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-13 and 17-18 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: Prior arts such as the first sensing unit comprises a first sensing layer and a polar gas selective layer disposed on the first sensing layer, and the second sensing unit comprises a second sensing layer, the polar gas selective layer disposed on the second sensing layer, and a protic gas selective layer disposed on the polar gas selective layer, wherein the polar gas selective layers have different capture degrees for polar gas and nonpolar gas of the volatile organic compounds, and the protic gas selective layer has different capture degrees for protic gas and aprotic gas of the volatile organic compounds as recited in claim 11, the first sensing unit has different capture degrees for polar gas and nonpolar gas of the volatile organic compounds, and the first sensing unit has a material having an acetyloxy group (−OAc) and a material having a hydroxyl (−OH), wherein a molar ratio of acetyloxy group (−OAc):hydroxyl (−OH) is 100~10:0~90 as disclosed in claim 17 or the first sensing unit has different capture degrees for protic gas and aprotic gas of the volatile organic compounds, and the first sensing unit has a material having an acetyloxy group (−OAc) and a material having a hydroxyl (−OH), wherein a molar ratio of acetyloxy group (−OAc):hydroxyl (−OH) is 0~20:100~80 as disclosed in claim 18.
Conclusion
The prior art as cited on the PTO-892 is made of record and not relied upon but considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NIGEL H PLUMB whose telephone number is (571)272-8886. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7am-5pm.
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/NIGEL H PLUMB/
Examiner, Art Unit 2855
/Eric S. McCall/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855