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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 8/05/2024 has considered by the examiner.
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 1 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chiang (US 2005/0272214 A1) in view of Yu (US Patent Publication Number 2023/0165110 A1).
Chiang teaches, as claimed in claim 1, a dimming structure (Fig. 2B, ¶0007 “electrochromic display”), comprising a positive current collector layer (20) configured to be connected with a first positive pole1 (27) of a power supply (V), a positive pole (27) arranged on a side of the positive current collector layer (20), an electrolyte layer (28) arranged on a side of the positive pole (27) away from the positive current collector layer (20), and a negative current collector layer (21) arranged on a side of the electrolyte layer (28) away from the positive current collector layer (20), wherein the positive current collector layer and the negative current collector layer are conductors2 (¶0050 “electrophoresis is used to deposit a first electrochemically active material, and optionally additives, at a first electrode, current collector, or terminal of a device”) and the positive current collector layer (¶0055 “the active material at the positive electrode...LiMnO2”), the electrolyte layer (¶0062 “a polymer that is the basis for a solid polymer electrolyte, such as polyethylene oxide”), and the negative current collector layer (¶0055 “the active material at the negative electrode …indium tin oxide are all light transmissive layers”) are all light transmissive layers3. Chaing fails to explicitly teach a first negative pole of the power supply. In another embodiment, Chiang teaches a dimming structure (Fig. 2a), negative current collector layer (21) arranged on a side of the electrolyte layer (25) away from the positive current collector layer (20), and configured to be connected with a first negative pole (22) of the power supply4.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill of art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the dimming structure, as taught by Chiang, with the negative pole, as taught in another embodiment, as taught by Chiang, for the purpose of providing eating an attractive force between the first electroactive material and the first terminal (¶0018).
Chiang fails to teach the positive pole is a light transmissive material. In a related art, Yu teaches the positive pole is a light transmissive material (¶0095 “material of the cathode film 27 includes a magnesium-silver alloy. First of all, the magnesium-silver alloy may transmit visible light”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill of art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the dimming structure, as taught by modified Chiang, with the positive pole being a light transmissive material, as taught by Yu, for the purpose of providing a way so transmittance of the cathode to visible light is greater than a transmittance of the cathode to infrared light (¶0006).
Chiang teaches, as claimed in claim 18, a dimming structure (Fig. 2B, ¶0007 “electrochromic display”), comprising a positive current collector layer (20) configured to be connected with a first positive pole (27) of a power supply (V), a positive pole (27) arranged on a side of the positive current collector layer (20), an electrolyte layer (28) arranged on a side of the positive pole (27) away from the positive current collector layer (20), and a negative current collector layer (21) arranged on a side of the electrolyte layer (28) away from the positive current collector layer (20), wherein the positive current collector layer and the negative current collector layer are conductors (¶0050 “electrophoresis is used to deposit a first electrochemically active material, and optionally additives, at a first electrode, current collector, or terminal of a device”) and the positive current collector layer (¶0055 “the active material at the positive electrode...LiMnO2 ”) , the electrolyte layer (¶0062 “a polymer that is the basis for a solid polymer electrolyte, such as polyethylene oxide”), and the negative current collector layer (¶0055 “the active material at the negative electrode …indium tin oxide are all light transmissive layers”) are all light transmissive layers . Chaing fails to explicitly teach a first negative pole of the power supply. In another embodiment, Chiang teaches a dimming structure (Fig. 2a), a negative current collector layer (21) arranged on a side of the electrolyte layer (28) away from the positive current collector layer (20), and configured to be connected with a first negative pole (22) of the power supply , a power supply (V) electrically connected to the dimming structure, and electric equipment electrically connected to the dimming structure (¶0005 “batteries, and particularly rechargeable batteries, are widely used in a variety of devices such as cellular telephones, laptop computers, personal digital assistants”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill of art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the dimming structure, as taught by Chiang, with the negative pole, as taught in another embodiment, as taught by Chiang, for the purpose of providing eating an attractive force between the first electroactive material and the first terminal (¶0018).
Chiang fails to teach the positive pole is a light transmissive material. In a related art, Yu teaches the positive pole is a light transmissive material (¶0095 “material of the cathode film 27 includes a magnesium-silver alloy. First of all, the magnesium-silver alloy may transmit visible light”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill of art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the dimming structure, as taught by modified Chiang, with the positive pole being a light transmissive material, as taught by Yu, for the purpose of providing a way so transmittance of the cathode to visible light is greater than a transmittance of the cathode to infrared light (¶0006).
Claims 2 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chiang (US 2005/0272214 A1) in view of Yu (US Patent Publication Number 2023/0165110 A1) and in further view of Li (CN Patent Number 207488658 U).
Chiang teaches, as claimed in claim 2, wherein the positive current collector layer is provided with a patterned structure (¶0015 “one of the terminals is patterned to include a serpentine, spiral, or comb-like region”), Chiang and Yu fail to teach and the dimming structure further comprises a first base substrate arranged on a side of the positive current collector layer away from the positive pole. In a related art, Li teaches he dimming structure further comprises a first base substrate (1) arranged on a side of the positive current collector layer (3) away from the positive pole (Page 4, bridging first paragraph “working electrode 3 is connected with the cathode of the power source 10”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill of art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the dimming structure, as taught by modified Chiang and Yu, with the base substrate, as taught by Li, for the purpose of providing adjust light transmittance of both photochromic and electrochromic functions (Page 2, paragraph 3).
Chiang and Yu fail to teach, as claimed in claim 12, a second base substrate arranged on a side of the negative current collector layer away from the electrolyte layer. In a related art, Li teaches a second base substrate (6) arranged on a side of the negative current collector layer (4, Page 4, bridging first paragraph “electrode 4 connected to the negative power supply 10”) away from the electrolyte layer (9).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill of art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the dimming structure, as taught by modified Chiang and Yu, with the second base, as taught by Li, for the purpose of providing adjust light transmittance of both photochromic and electrochromic functions (Page 2, paragraph 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-11, 13 and 19-25 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 prior art fails to teach all of the limitations of claim 3 which includes wherein multiple first via holes are arranged in the positive current collector layer, and a portion of the positive pole is located inside the first via holes.
The prior art fails to teach all of the limitations of claim 4 which includes further comprising a first conductive enhancement layer arranged adjacent to the positive current collector layer, wherein the first conductive enhancement layer is a light transmissive layer.
Regarding claims 4-11 has dependency on claim 3.
The prior art fails to teach all of the limitations of claim 13 which includes further comprising a first encapsulation layer, wherein the first encapsulation layer wraps the positive current collector layer, the positive pole, the electrolyte layer, and the negative current collector layer, and the first encapsulation layer is a light transmissive layer.
The prior art fails to teach all of the limitations of claim 19 which includes wherein the power supply comprises a solar cell, and the solar cell comprises a solar cell having a positive electrode and a negative electrode, wherein the positive electrode is electrically connected to the positive current collector layer and the negative electrode is electrically connected to the negative current collector layer; and a hole transport layer, a photoelectric conversion layer, and an electron transport layer arranged in stacked manner in sequence, wherein the hole transport layer is connected to the positive electrode, and the electron transport layer is connected to the negative electrode.
Regarding claims 21-25 has dependency on claim 19.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Doi (US Patent Number 8,338,036 B2) teaches a structure comprising a positive current collector layer configured to be connected with a first positive pole of a power supply an electrolyte layer arranged on a side of the positive pole.
Andersson (US Patent Publication Number 2014/0307302-A1) teaches a structure comprising a positive current collector layer configured to be connected with a first positive pole of a power supply an electrolyte layer arranged on a side of the positive pole.
Zhang (US Patent Publication Number 2015/0286091 A1) teaches a structure comprising a positive current collector layer configured to be connected with a first positive pole of a power supply an electrolyte layer arranged on a side of the positive pole.
Frey (US Patent Publication Number 2013/0201545-A1) teaches a structure comprising a positive current collector layer configured to be connected with a first positive pole of a power supply an electrolyte layer arranged on a side of the positive pole.
Demiryont (US Patent Number 4,940,315 A) teaches a structure comprising a positive current collector layer configured to be connected with a first positive pole of a power supply an electrolyte layer arranged on a side of the positive pole.
Hamada (US Patent Number 4,505,021-A) teaches a structure comprising a positive current collector layer configured to be connected with a first positive pole of a power supply an electrolyte layer arranged on a side of the positive pole.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOURNEY F SUMLAR whose telephone number is (571)270-0656. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4pm.
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JOURNEY F. SUMLAR
Examiner
Art Unit 2872
01 April 2026
/RICKY L MACK/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872
1 ¶0053 teaches a cathode film which is considered a positive pole.
2 ¶0050 shows that electrodes and current collectors are used as functional equivalents in which both are inherently conductive
3 LiMnO2 polyethylene oxide and indium tin oxide are all considered light transmissive materials.
4 ¶0053 teaches carbon anode 22 which is considered a negative pole.
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