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. Detail Action Claims 1- 10 remain for examination, wherein claim 1 is an independent claim. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d): (d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers. The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph: Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers. Claims 2-3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. In the instant case, claims 2-3 depends on independent claim 1 . Independent Claim 1 indicates “ X+Y+Z+M+N = 100”, which exclud es additional element to the Fe-Co-Ni-Si-Al alloy. Therefore, the additional six element (cl.2-3) should not be included in the alloy. Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements. 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 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. Claims 1- 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al (CN 112542285 A, with on-line translation, thereafter CN’285). Regarding claim s 1 -3 , CN’285 teaches a high-entropy soft magnetic material of self-oxidation generating core-shell structure and preparation method thereof, using soft magnetic nano iron cobalt nickel main element high-entropy alloy as core ( Abstract, examples, and claims of CN’285) , which reads on the high-entropy soft magnetic alloy as claimed in the instant claims . The comparison between the claimed alloy composition ranges and those disclosed by CN’285 is listed in the following table. All of the essential alloy composition ranges disclosed by CN’285 overlap the claimed alloy composition ranges, which creates a prima facie case of obviousness. MPEP 2144 05 I. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to optimize the alloy composition ranges including Fe, Co, Ni, Al, and Si as claimed from the disclosure of CN’285 since CN’285 teaches the same high-entropy soft magnetic material as claimed throughout whole disclosing range. Regarding the Si/Al ratio as claimed in the instant clam 2, it is recognized as a general equation fully depended on the alloy composition ranges. Still regarding claim 2, the claimed Si/Al ratio is recognized as general formula fully depended on the steel composition ranges of Si and Al in the alloy. It is well settled that there is no invention in the discovery of a general formula if it covers a composition and dimension described in the prior art. In re Cooper and Foley 1943 C.D.357, 553 O.G.177; 57 USPQ 117, Taklatwalla v. Marburg. 620 O.G.685, 1949 C.D.77, and In re Pilling, 403 O.G.513, 44 F(2) 878, 1931 C.D.75. In the instant case, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, the selection of the proportions of Si and Al from CN’285 in order to meet the claimed equation would appear to require no more than routine investigation by those ordinary skilled in the art. In re Austin, et al., 149 USPQ 685, 688. Element From instant Claim 1 ( at% ) From CN’285 ( at %) Overlapping range ( at %) Fe 40-80 Fe + Co +Ni ≥ 80 40-80 Co 20-60 Fe + Co +Ni ≥ 80 20-60 Ni 0-30 Fe + Co +Ni ≥ 80 0-30 Si 0-20 Optional 0-20 0-20 Al 0-20 Optional 0-20 0-20 X+Y+Z+M+N 100 100 100 From claim 2-3 6 th element 0-5 (cl.2) One of Nb, V, Ti, Mn, Ga (cl.3) Mn: 0-20 Mn: 0-5 Si/Al 0.5-3 Optional Si: 0-20 ; Al: 0-20 Overlapping Regarding claims 4-5, CN’285 teaches a soft magnetic nano - met er iron-cobalt-nickel main element high-entropy alloy with generate core-shell structure (Abstract, examples, and claims of CN’285) with 80-150 nm and CeO 2 shell layer 3-8 nm (cl.3 of CN’285), which is close or overlaps the claimed coherent phase scale as claimed in the instant claim. MPEP 2144 05 I. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to optimize phase dimension as claimed from the disclosure of CN’285 since CN’285 teaches the same high-entropy soft magnetic material as claimed throughout whole disclosing range. Regarding claims 6-10, the claimed performance index of the high-entropy soft magnetic alloy with 900 K high-temperature resistance are recognized as material properties fully depended on the alloy composition and microstructures. CN’285 teaches the similar Fe-Co-Ni-Si-Al alloy with the similar coherent structure for the same high-entropy soft magnetic alloy application. the claimed performance index of the high-entropy soft magnetic alloy with 900 K high-temperature resistance would be highly expected in the steel sheet of CN’285 . MPEP 2112 01 and 2145 II. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FILLIN "Examiner name" \* MERGEFORMAT JIE YANG whose telephone number is FILLIN "Phone number" \* MERGEFORMAT (571) 270-1884 . The examiner can normally be reached on FILLIN "Work Schedule?" \* MERGEFORMAT IFP . 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, FILLIN "SPE Name?" \* MERGEFORMAT Jonathan J Johnson can be reached on FILLIN "SPE Phone?" \* MERGEFORMAT 571-272-1177 . The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /JIE YANG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1734