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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention 1 and Species 1 in the reply filed on 6/26/26 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 3 recites “to be bonded to”. This recitation is indefinite because it defines a limitation to be completed, but not yet having been completed. Thus it in effect recites an optional limitation without clearly stating whether the limitation is optional or required. Claim 3 is therefore indefinite.
Claim 4 depends from claim 3 and is rejected on the basis of dependency.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1, 5, 6, 8, 12, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nishi US 6225552.
With regard to claim 1 Nishi discloses an electronic device comprising:
a solar cell (title) including a power generation layer and a pair of electrodes that sandwich the power generation layer (column 10 lines 32-42: First, as shown in FIGS. 8a and 9a, an aluminum electrode 801 is deposited on a substrate 800. On the aluminum electrode 801 is formed a photoelectric conversion layer 802 of a semiconductor deposited in order of N-I-P types from the substrate 800 side. 801 figure 8d); and
a coat (805; column 10 lines 60-65: an ITO electrode 805 which is a transparent electrode is deposited on the entire exposed surface. The formation of this ITO film is continuously carried out with respect to the long film wound around the roll.) that has a second face attached to at least part of a first face of the solar cell (figure 8d), wherein
the coat includes extraction wirings that are located on the second face and electrically connected to the electrodes (Column 8 lines 12-18: As shown in FIGS. 3g and 4f and FIGS. 5 and 6, which will be described later, contact electrodes 209, 210, 211, 212 and 213 are then formed by use of a silver paste, These contact electrodes are also formed by a printing process. Each position of the contact electrodes 209, 210, 211, 212 and 213 is shown in FIG. 2.)
With regard to claim 5 Nishi discloses the electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first face is an incidence surface of light to the power generation layer (figures 7, 8a; abstract and title. To function the light must be incident on the power generation layer).
With regard to claim 6 Nishi discloses the electronic device according to claim 5, wherein
the coat has a second range that overlaps the power generation layer in plan view, and
at least the second range has light permeability (solar cell – title; power generation layer - abstract. It follows that layers allow light to pass).
With regard to claim 8 Nishi discloses the electronic device according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of solar cells (title), each of the solar cells being the solar cell (title, abstract) wherein the coat includes a connection wiring that is located on the second face and connects the plurality of solar cells in series (abstract, figure 7).
With regard to claim 12 Nishi discloses an electronic timepiece comprising: a solar cell (title) including a power generation layer (column 10 lines 32-42) and a pair of electrodes that sandwich the power generation layer (column 10 lines 32-42); and a coat (805; column 10 lines 60-65) that has a second face attached to at least part of a first face of the solar cell (Figure 8d; Column 8 lines 12-18; figures 3g, 4f, 5, 6), wherein the coat includes extraction wirings that are located on the second face and electrically connected to the electrodes (Column 8 lines 12-18; figures 3g, 4f, 5, 6).
With regard to claim 16 Nishi discloses the electronic device according to claim 8, further comprising a base (800 figure 8h) that has a third face on which the plurality of solar cells are located (figures 2, 7, 14, 15), wherein the plurality of solar cells respectively have fan shapes and are arranged in a circular shape as a whole on the base in plan view (figures 2, 7, 14, 15).
Claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nagano (US 2016/0043256)
With regard to claim 1 Nagano discloses an electronic device comprising:
a solar cell (title) including a power generation layer (abstract) and a pair of electrodes that sandwich the power generation layer (+ - figure 1b); and
a coat that has a second face attached to at least part of a first face of the solar cell (figures 1b, 1c depict a plurality of layers), wherein
the coat includes extraction wirings that are located on the second face and electrically connected to the electrodes (+ figure 1b, 1c; 6, 7 figure 1b).
With regard to claim 2 Nagano discloses the electronic device according to claim 1, wherein first ends of the extraction wirings are located in a first range that does not overlap the solar cell in plan view (The cut-out portion 5 d is disposed on a corner of the effective region insulating film 5 a on an X side and a −Y side. – paragraph 62).
With regard to claim 3 Nagano discloses the electronic device according to claim 2, further comprising connectors that are located outside the power generation layer in plan view of the first face and drawn out from the respective electrodes to be bonded to second ends of the extraction wirings opposite to the first ends.the wires are drawn out away from the power generation area figures 1a 1b:
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Applicant’s paragraph 65: the electrodes 72 a, 82 a, being drawn out respectively via the connecting conductors 824 and the connecting wires 725, 825, and the like as required from the pairs of electrodes wiring electrodes
Applicant’s paragraph 58: generic shape and electrode arrangement, the wiring can be easily drawn out to any position according to the internal structure of the electronic timepiece 1 a.
With regard to claim 4 Nagano discloses the electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the extraction wirings do not overlap the power generation layer in plan view (figures 1a, 1b.)
With regard to claim 5 Nagano discloses the electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first face is an incidence surface of light to the power generation layer (power generating film 3 figure 1b – paragraph 88. Figures 1a and 1b show the top layer).
With regard to claim 6 Nagano discloses the electronic device according to claim 5, wherein
the coat (5a, 5b) has a second range that overlaps the power generation layer (3) in plan view, and
at least the second range has light permeability (solar cell – title; power generation layer 3. It follows that layers 5a and 5b allow light to pass).
With regard to claim 8 Nagano discloses the electronic device according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of solar cells (figure 4d), each of the solar cells being the solar cell (title, abstract, figure 4d), wherein the coat includes a connection wiring that is located on the second face and connects the plurality of solar cells in series (paragraph 109).
With regard to claim 12 Nagano discloses an electronic timepiece comprising: a solar cell including a power generation layer (abstract) and a pair of electrodes (+ - figure 1b) that sandwich the power generation layer (+ - figure 1b); and a coat that has a second face attached to at least part of a first face of the solar cell (figures 1b, 1c depict a plurality of layers), wherein the coat includes extraction wirings that are located on the second face and electrically connected to the electrodes (+ figure 1b, 1c; 6, 7 figure 1b).
With regard to claim 16 Nagano discloses the electronic device according to claim 8, further comprising a base (figures 10a, 10b depicts the cells on a common support) that has a third face on which the plurality of solar cells are located (figures 10a, 10b, 11), wherein the plurality of solar cells respectively have fan shapes and are arranged in a circular shape as a whole on the base in plan view (figures 10a, 10b, 11; the term fan shaped is vague as a lot of different shapes can form a fan. Figures 10a, 10b, and 11 show solar cells with at least two parts reasonably construable to be fan shaped, and arranged in a combined shape that is substantially circular to form the part of a worn timepiece dial).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Nagano (US 2016/0043256) in view of Heck (US 2014/0168872).
With regard to claim 7 (depends from claim 5) Nagano does not teach the claimed: wherein the coat has flexibility.
Heck teaches a flexible electronic device with a flexible solar cell and flexible circuit board. It 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 to configure Nagano’s system to comprise a coat with flexibility, as taught at least in part by Heck. The reason for doing so would have been to achieve a flexible system as taught by Heck as well as to reduce the risk of environmental damage or wear.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEAN KAYES whose telephone number is (571)272-8931. The examiner can normally be reached 10-6.
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/SEAN KAYES/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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