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(s) (IDS) submitted on 03/18/2024 have been considered by the Examiner.
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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 and 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by NAKAI et al. (US 20130250670; hereinafter NAKAI).
Regarding claim 1, NAKAI discloses in figure(s) 1-42 a magnetism detection device including:
a magnetoresistive element (10, MC*, BK*; figs. 1, 27,39-40); and
a detection unit (S/A; figs. 27, 40) that detects an external magnetic field on a basis of a resistance value of the magnetoresistive element (para. 236 - sense amplifier S/A detects the resistance value when the read current flows to the magnetoresistive element 10 inside the memory cell MC1 to determine the data value stored therein),
wherein the magnetoresistive element (10; fig. 1) includes:
a fixed layer (fixed layer 11) having a fixed magnetization direction;
a nonmagnetic layer (non-magnetic layer 12) disposed on the fixed layer; and
a free layer (free layer 13) disposed on the nonmagnetic layer, the free layer having a magnetization direction varying with time (para. 95 - recording layer 13 can magnetically reset at the same time by passing a current in a predetermined direction between A and B of the magnetoresistive element 10; figs. 3-5), and
a magnetic anisotropy axis of the free layer is parallel to the magnetization direction of the fixed layer (11 and 13 are stacked parallel; para. 105 - the value of an anisotropic magnetic field Han of the recording layer 13 increases, which makes it easier to set the value of saturation magnetization Ms of the recording layer 13 to 600 emu/cc or more; figs. 1-4,11).
Regarding claim 10, NAKAI discloses in figure(s) 1-42 the magnetism detection device according to claim 1, further including: an element assembly including a plurality of the magnetoresistive elements connected in parallel and/or in series (MC*, BK* matrix in figs. 27,40), wherein the detection unit detects an external magnetic field on a basis of a resistance value of the element assembly (para. 65 - magnetization proportional to an external magnetic field is observed).
Regarding claim 11, NAKAI discloses in figure(s) 1-42 the magnetism detection device according to claim 10 wherein the element assembly is integrated on a single semiconductor chip or a plurality of semiconductor chips (61 fig. 41; para. 276 - a probe is created on a semiconductor chip based on MEMS technology).
Regarding claim 12, NAKAI discloses in figure(s) 1-42 the magnetism detection device according to claim 1, further including: a plurality of the magnetoresistive elements arrayed in a two-dimensional lattice pattern; and a drive circuit that drives the plurality of magnetoresistive elements row by row or column by column (MC*, BK* matrix in figs. 27,40).
Regarding claim 13, NAKAI discloses in figure(s) 1-42 the magnetism detection device according to claim 1, further including:
a plurality of the magnetoresistive elements; and a plurality of charge-coupled elements that sequentially transfers and aggregates charges having flowed through the respective magnetoresistive elements (charge storage and accumulation layer 15; figs. 1,3, 10).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 2-9 and 14-20 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:
Regarding claim 2, the prior arts of record do not fairly teach or suggest “wherein the magnetoresistive element outputs at least one of information related to first staying time, during which a state in which the magnetization direction of the free layer is parallel to the magnetization direction of the fixed layer is maintained, or information related to second staying time, during which a state in which the magnetization direction of the free layer is antiparallel to the magnetization direction of the fixed layer is maintained, and the detection unit detects the external magnetic field on a basis of a difference between the first staying time and the second staying time specified from at least one of the information related to the first staying time and the information related to the second staying time.” including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 14, the prior arts of record do not fairly teach or suggest “further including: a plurality of the magnetoresistive elements, wherein each of the magnetoresistive elements has a likely axis to which the magnetization direction of the free layer is more likely to be oriented than to other directions and an unlikely axis to which the magnetization direction of the free layer is less likely to be oriented than to other directions, and a direction of the likely axis of at least one of the plurality of magnetoresistive elements is different from a direction of the likely axis of another magnetoresistive element” including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim(s) 3-9 and 15-20 are objected for dependent upon the base claim(s) 2 and 14.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Cadugan et al. (US 20190219643) discloses "Magnetic Field Sensor Having Magnetoresistance Elements With Opposite Bias Directions".
KIKITSU et al. (US 20170212188) discloses "magneto-resistive layer 11A measures the magnetic field intensity utilizing a so-called magneto-resistance effect (Anisotropic Magneto-Resistive (AMR)), or, a Current In Plane-Giant Magneto-Resistance effect (CIP-GMR) phenomenon".
Morise et al. (US 20080197431) discloses "Magnetic Memory Element And Magnetic Memory Apparatus".
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AKM ZAKARIA whose telephone number is (571)270-0664. The examiner can normally be reached on 8-5 PM (PST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Judy Nguyen can be reached on (571) 272-2258. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AKM ZAKARIA/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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