DETAILED ACTION
Notice to Applicant
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. Claims 1-5 are pending.
Priority
3. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
4. 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.
5. Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Per claim 5, the limitation “the polarization charge (Cp) in line 2 lacks sufficient antecedent basis. Said limitation is recited in claim 2, but claim 5 depends on claims 1. Appropriate correction is required.
Per claim 5, the limitation “the imaginary component (Zim)” in lines 2-3 lacks sufficient antecedent basis. Said limitation is recited in claim 2, but claim 5 depends on claim 1.
Per claim 5, the limitation “the real number component (Zre)” in line 4 lacks sufficient antecedent basis. Said limitation is recited in claim 3, but claim 5 depends on claim 1.
Claim 5 states that the quality of coating condition is evaluated based on one or both of the polarization charge (Cp) derived from the imaginary component (Zim) of the alternating current impedance obtained at identified different frequencies, and the real number component (Zre) of the alternating current impedance. Claim 1, from which claim 5 depends, describes evaluating the quality of the coating condition of the solid electrolyte on the cathode active material based on an imaginary axis parameter of the alternating current impedance and a real axis parameter of the alternating current impedance. Therefore, it is unclear if the limitation “the quality of coating condition” recited in claim 5, which is evaluated based on one or both of a value derived from an imaginary component and a real number component, refers to the limitation “quality of coating condition” recited in claim 1, which is evaluated based on an imaginary axis parameter and a real axis parameter. Appropriate correction is required.
Allowable Subject Matter
6. Claims 1-4 are deemed allowable. In particular, the following feature of claim 1, which is inherited by dependent claims 2-4, is not believed to be taught or suggested by the prior art of record: evaluating quality of coating condition of the solid electrolyte on the cathode
active material, based on an imaginary axis parameter of the alternating current
impedance in the identified frequency range and a real axis parameter of the alternating
current impedance in the identified frequency range, wherein the alternating current impedance is measured with respect to a cathode slurry for an all-solid-state battery, in which a cathode active material, a solid electrolyte, a conductive agent and a binder are kneaded and dispersed.
Pertinent Prior Art
7. Kawamuro et al. – US 2022/0042897
This document discloses a state determination apparatus 1 including a pair of electrodes 2 configured to apply an AC signal to a slurry Xc, which may be used for a positive electrode of a lithium ion battery, comprising an active material Xb, a binder resin B, and a conductive auxiliary agent C. A measurement unit 31 is configured to measure an impedance of the mixture for every frequency of the AC signal based on a response signal flowing through the slurry Xc when the AC signal is applied. Based on a generated complex impedance plot, parameters of an equivalent circuit are determined and used to derive an index for specifying the state of the slurry Xc (Abstract; Fig. 1; ¶34-41 and 73-81).
However, this document is silent on, in particular, the slurry Xc comprising a solid electrolyte wherein the quality of a coating condition of the solid electrolyte on the cathode active material is evaluated, as required by claim 1 of the present application.
Conclusion
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAS A. SANGHERA whose telephone number is (571)272-4787. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th, alt. Fri, 8-5 EST.
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/JAS A SANGHERA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852