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 Objections
Claims 1 and 2 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 5, the examiner suggests the applicant to change “CI” to -- Confidence Index (CI) --.
Claim 2, line 2, the examiner suggests the applicant to change “IQ” to -- Image Quality (IQ) --.
Appropriate correction is required.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper content of an abstract of the disclosure.
A patent abstract is a concise statement of the technical disclosure of the patent and should include that which is new in the art to which the invention pertains. The abstract should not refer to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention and should not compare the invention with the prior art.
If the patent is of a basic nature, the entire technical disclosure may be new in the art, and the abstract should be directed to the entire disclosure. If the patent is in the nature of an improvement in an old apparatus, process, product, or composition, the abstract should include the technical disclosure of the improvement. The abstract should also mention by way of example any preferred modifications or alternatives.
Where applicable, the abstract should include the following: (1) if a machine or apparatus, its organization and operation; (2) if an article, its method of making; (3) if a chemical compound, its identity and use; (4) if a mixture, its ingredients; (5) if a process, the steps.
Extensive mechanical and design details of an apparatus should not be included in the abstract. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph within the range of 50 to 150 words in length.
See MPEP § 608.01(b) for guidelines for the preparation of patent abstracts.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the present abstract has less than 50 words in length. Also, the examiner suggests the applicant to change “CI” to -- Confidence Index (CI) --. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Paragraph [0007], line 4, the first-time occurring abbreviation “CI” should be written with a full terminology with the abbreviation enclosed within a parenthesis. Therefore, the examiner suggests the applicant to change “CI” to -- Confidence Index (CI) --.
Paragraph [0007], line 8, the first-time occurring abbreviation “IQ” should be written with a full terminology with the abbreviation enclosed within a parenthesis. Therefore, the examiner suggests the applicant to change “IQ” to -- Image Quality (IQ) --.
Paragraph [0023], line 3, the first-time occurring abbreviation “EBSD” should be written with a full terminology with the abbreviation enclosed within a parenthesis.
Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1, 3-10, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Inoue et al (JP-2020105551 A).
Inoue discloses an electrical contact material 1 comprising: (claim 1) an electroconductive substrate 2, a silver-containing layer 4 including silver provided to at least part of a surface of the electroconductive substrate 2 and (claims 6 and 20) an intermediate layer 3 consisting of nickel or nickel alloy between the electroconductive substrate 2 and the silver-containing layer 4; wherein an average CI value of the silver-containing layer is between 10% and 40% or between 0.05 and 5 (see the abstract), which are within 0.6 or more in a cross section of the electrical contact material; (claim 3) wherein the silver-containing layer includes at least one element Sb; (claims 4 and 18) wherein the silver-containing layer includes a total of less than 15.0 at% of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Sb; (claims 5 and 19) wherein an average thickness of the silver-containing layer is between 0.1 µm and 2.0 µm (see the abstract), which is within 0.5 µm or more and 5.0 µm or less; and (claim 7) wherein an average thickness of the intermediate layer is 0.3 µm or more and 2.00 µm, which is within 0.01 µm or more and 3.00 µm or less
Regarding claims 8-10, Inoue’s invention is a terminal material for connectors. The terminal is or can be a contact. Therefore, Inoue clearly discloses and teaches a contact, a terminal and a connector being made using the electrical contact material according to claim l.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 11-17 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HAE MOON HYEON whose telephone number is (571) 272-2093. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9:30 am - 6:00 pm.
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, Abdullah A Riyami can be reached at 571-270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/hmh/
/Hae Moon Hyeon/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831