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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-7, page 6 of the remarks filed 5/20/2026, have been considered but are not persuasive.
In response to arguments, page 6; Applicant contends, essentially, that:
PNG
media_image1.png
89
760
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Examiner disagrees, please note that the rejection to independent claim 1 has been revised (using the same prior art – Yamada) to clarify or expand on citations in the previous Office action, particular clarification about what constitutes the ferromagnetic layer and the non-magnetic conductive metal layer, for example.
A visual illustration where the Description of Yamada discloses the layers as structurally claimed has been included below to improve clarity. Examiner believes each and every element as claimed are in fact taught by Yamada, including wherein the layers are laminated together. As it stands, the current recitation of the features Applicant argues as not being taught, has not gone far enough to overcome Yamada under its broadest reasonable interpretation.
Examiner suggests including a more positive recitation that further limit the structure of the different layers relative to one another, in such a way that is firmly distinct from Yamada – if so intended.
Additionally, Examiner appreciates the production of Drawings to facilitate examination. The Drawing objection presented in previous Action is hereby withdrawn.
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.
(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) 1-4 and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamada JP-2010206182 (English translation attached).
Regarding claim 1, Yamada discloses an electromagnetic wave shielding material (see annotated Description (1) below) having a structure (structure as shown in Fig 1, for example) in which at least one ferromagnetic layer (layer 2, Fig 1) and at least one non-magnetic conductive metal layer (layer 1, Fig 1) are laminated together (see annotated Description (2) below), wherein the electromagnetic wave shielding material further comprises a treated film (such as laminated film, see annotated Description (3) below) containing an alloy comprising copper (see annotated Description (4) below) and nickel (see annotated Description (5) below) on at least one surface of the non-magnetic conductive metal layer (see annotated Description (4), (5) below).
(1)
PNG
media_image2.png
122
778
media_image2.png
Greyscale
(2)
PNG
media_image3.png
341
807
media_image3.png
Greyscale
(3)
PNG
media_image4.png
75
958
media_image4.png
Greyscale
(4)
PNG
media_image5.png
92
841
media_image5.png
Greyscale
(5)
PNG
media_image6.png
179
796
media_image6.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 2, Yamada discloses the electromagnetic wave shielding material according to claim 1, wherein the structure has ferromagnetic layers laminated via at least two non-magnetic conductive metal layers (see Fig 1 where ferromagnetic layer-2 is laminated by conductive layer-1 on top and bottom).
Regarding claim 3, Yamada discloses the electromagnetic wave shielding material according to claim 1, wherein at least one outermost layer is the non-magnetic conductive metal layer (as depicted in Fig 1).
Regarding claim 4, Yamada discloses the electromagnetic wave shielding material according to claim 1, wherein the alloy contained in the treated layer further comprises cobalt (see annotated Description (5) above).
Regarding claim 6, Yamada discloses a covering material or an exterior
material for electrical and electronic apparatuses (see annotated Description (6) below), the covering material or the exterior material comprising the electromagnetic wave shielding material according to claim 1 (see Figs 1-3).
(6)
PNG
media_image7.png
178
773
media_image7.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 7, Yamada discloses an electrical and electronic apparatus comprising the covering material or the exterior material according to claim 6 (see annotated Description (6) above; Figs 1-3).
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(s) 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamada JP-2010206182 (English translation attached).
Regarding claim 5, Yamada discloses the electromagnetic wave shielding
material according to claim 4, except wherein a mass ratio of cobalt in each
treated film is 1.50 to 4.50 assuming that a mass ratio of nickel in each treated
layer is 1.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art
before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the mass ratio
of cobalt relative to nickel as claimed, in order to achieve a certain thickness/dimension as desired or to optimize weight distribution or noise sensitivity of the electromagnetic film for particular circuit layout, thereby improving functionality, and, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: see PTO 892.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RASHEN E MORRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-8852. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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, Imani Hayman can be reached at 571-270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/RASHEN E MORRISON/Examiner, Art Unit 2841 /IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
Prosecution Insights