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 .
Status of claims
The amendment to claims filed on 12/01/2025 is acknowledged. Claims 1-5 are amended. Claims 6-8 are newly added. Currently, claims 1-8 are pending in the application.
Previous 112 rejections are withdrawn in view of the above amendment.
Previous prior art rejection is withdrawn in view of the above amendment.
Claims 1-8 are rejected on a new ground of rejection. See the rejection.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-2 and 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kapur et al. (US 2015/0171240) in view of Mann et al. (US Patent 3,094,439).
Regarding claim 1, Kapur et al. discloses solar cell module (Figs. 12A-B and Fig. 5E) comprising:
a plurality of solar cells (see isles I11 through I55) arranged in a first direction (or vertical direction) and in a second direction (or horizontal direction – or extending direction of M2 series connection) orthogonal to the first direction, each of solar cells (or each isle I) having a plurality of electrodes (see n+ - or doped base contact and p+ - or doped emitter contact shown in fig. 5E which corresponds to base fingers 174 and emitter fingers 176 in figs. 12A-B and ) on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (or the body/semiconductor substrate shown in fig. 5E of solar cells I11-I55 being formed from semiconductor substrate 30, figs. 3A-B and 5E, [0111-0112]); and
wiring members (see M2 series connection, figs. 12A-B) electrically connecting the plurality of solar cells (I11-I55) to each other;
wherein each of the wiring members (M2 series connections) including a connection part (170) extending in the second direction is shared by solar cells of the plurality of solar cells (I11…I55) which are arranged in the second direction (or horizontal direction – or extending direction of the M2 series connection);
wherein the connection part (170) of each of the wiring member (M2 series connection) is disposed between solar cells adjacent to each other in the first direction (or vertical direction, see figs. 12A-B),
wherein the plurality of electrodes (emitter contact and base contact in fig. 5E corresponding to emitter fingers 176 and base fingers 174) of each of the plurality of solar cells (I11-I55) comprises first conductivity cell electrodes (see emitter contact in fig. 5E corresponding to emitter fingers 176 in figs. 12A-B) and second conductivity cell electrodes (see base contact in fig. 5E corresponding to base fingers 174 in figs. 12A-B).
Kapur et al. shows the wiring members (M2) connecting the solar cells in all-series in figs. 12A-B.
Kapur et al. teaches using wiring members (or patterned M2) to connect the solar cells (or isles) in hybrid parallel-series ([0163], [0167], [0180], [0189-0191], [0216], [0246], [0253]), wherein the solar cells are connected in series in first direction and parallel in second direction orthogonal to the first direction (see figs. 18B, 19B, 21) and the parallel connection is made by connecting the emitter bars (or base bars) of two adjacent solar cells (see figs. 18B and 19B, also see figs. 26-27).
Kapur et al. does not explicitly show the hybrid parallel-series connection by using one of the plurality of wiring members to connect solar cells in the first direction in series and solar cells in the second direction in parallel as claimed, or “the first conductivity cell electrodes of one solar cell, among the plurality of solar cells, and the second conductivity cell electrodes of another solar cell, among the plurality of solar cells, which is adjacent to the one solar cell in the first direction, are connected by one of the plurality of wiring members, and the first conductivity cell electrodes of solar cells, among the plurality of solar cells, that are arranged in the second direction are connected by the one of the plurality of wiring members such that the one of the plurality of wiring members connects in series the solar cells that are adjacent to each other in the first direction, and in parallel the solar cells that are arranged in the second direction and the other solar cells that are arranged in the second direction.
Mann et al. shows a hybrid parallel-series connection by using one of the plurality of wiring members (or flexible strip 12, figs. 1-2) to connect adjacent solar cells (11 – or a cell in one row to a cell in adjacent row) in first direction (e.g. horizontal direction of right to left or left to right direction) in series and solar cells (11 – or cells in a row) in the second direction (e.g. vertical direction, or up and down direction) in parallel (see figs. 1-2; col. 2, lines 21-26; col. 4, lines 16-21) as claimed. In other words, Mann et al. teaches the hybrid parallel-series connection (or the parallel-series matrix) including the first conductivity cell electrodes of one solar cell, e.g. the solar cell in row R1, and the second conductivity cell electrodes of another solar cell adjacent to the one solar cell, e.g. the adjacent solar cell in row R2, are connected by one wiring member (12) between the rows R1 and R2 in first direction such that the adjacent solar cells (11) in first direction (or horizontal direction) are connected in series by the one wiring member (12 between rows R1 and R2); and the first conductivity cell electrodes of solar cells arranged in the second direction are connected by the one wiring member (12 between rows R1 and R2) and the second conductivity cells electrodes of other solar cells arranged in the second direction are connected by the one wiring member (12 between rows R1 and R2) such that the solar cells in the second direction (e.g. vertical direction, up and down direction) are arranged in parallel.
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the solar cell module shown in figs. 12A-B of Kapur et al. by using one of the plurality of wiring members to connect solar cells in the first direction in series and solar cells in the second direction in parallel to form a hybrid parallel-series connection (or parallel-series matrix) as taught by Mann et al.; because Kapur et al. explicitly suggests connecting the solar cells in parallel-series connection, and Mann et al. teaches such connection would provide reliable and economical interconnections (Mann et al.: col. 1, lines 62-63) and improved solar cell unit designed as to optimize the withdrawal of current with minimization of eclipsing of active surface area of the cell to the end that the overall efficiency of any one unit cell is greatly increased (Mann et al.: col. 2, lines 11-16).
Regarding claim 2, modified Kapur et al. discloses a solar cell module as in claim 1 above, wherein Kapur et al. discloses a first collector electrodes (see patterned M1 for emitter contact, fig. 5E) on a first part of the semiconductor substrate in the first direction such that the first collector electrode (patterned M1 for emitter contact) is connected to the first conductivity cell electrodes (e.g. emitter contact, see fig. 5E), and a second collector electrode (see patterned M1 for base contact, fig. 5E) provided on a second part of the semiconductor substrate in the first direction such that the second collector electrode (or patterned M1 for base contact) is connected to the second conductivity cell electrodes (e.g. base contact, see fig. 5E), wherein each of the plurality of wiring members (Patterned M2, figs. 5E and 12A-B) includes the connection part having (170) a strip shape elongated in the second direction (or horizontal direction in figs. 12A-B), and a plurality of tabs (see emitter fingers 176 in darker shade and base fingers 174 in lighter shade in figs. 12A-B) extending from the connection part (170) in the first direction (or vertical direction, see figs. 12A-B) and each of the plurality of tabs (176 and 174) is connected to either the first collector electrode or the second collector electrode (or patterned M1, see fig. 5E).
Regarding claim 4, modified Kapur et al. discloses a solar cell module as in claim 1 above, wherein Kapur et al. discloses a wiring sheet (see patterned M2 and backplane layer in fig. 5E, or patterned M2 of metallization layers 162 and continuous back plane 177/178 shown in figs. 12A-B) is provided by disposing the plurality of wiring members (patterned M2) on an insulating base material (backplane layer, [0096]), each of the plurality of wiring members (M2) disposed between the solar cells (I11-I55) that are adjacent to each other in the first direction includes a plurality of first wirings (see emitter fingers 176, figs. 5E and 12A-B) to be connected to the first conductivity cell electrodes (or emitter contact, fig. 5E) of each other solar cells (I11-I55) that are arranged in the second direction (or horizontal direction, see figs. 12A-B), and a plurality of second wirings (see base fingers 174, figs. 5E and 12A-B) to be connected to the second conductivity cell electrodes (e.g. base contact, see fig. 5E), and the plurality of solar cells (I11-I55) is installed on the wiring sheet (see figs. 5E and 12A-B).
Regarding claim 5, modified Kapur et al. discloses a solar cell module as in claim 4 above, wherein Kapur et al. discloses the first conductivity cell electrodes (e.g. emitter contact) and the second conductivity cell electrodes (e.g. base contact) of each solar cell are disposed alternatively in a one-by one manner and parallel to each other (see figs. 5E and 12A-B), a first connection part and a second connection part (170 in figs. 12A-B), each having a strip shape and extending in the second direction (e.g. horizontal direction), are provided as the connection part (170); and the plurality of first wirings (emitter fingers 176) extending from the first connection part (170) in the first direction (or vertical direction) and a plurality of second wiring (174) extending from the second connection part (170) in the first direction (or vertical direction) are disposed alternately in a one-by-one manner and parallel to each other (see figs. 12A-B).
Claim 3 and 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over modified Kapur et al. (US 2015/0171240) as applied to claims 2 and 1 above, in view of Aschenbrenner et al. (US 2005/0268959).
Regarding claims 3 and 6-8, modified Kapur et al. discloses a solar cell module as in claims 1-2 above.
Modified Kapur et al. does not teach each of the plurality of wiring members has a plurality of slits in the connection part, and the plurality of slits elongated in the second direction (e.g. extending direction of the connection part) as claimed in claim 3; each of the plurality of wiring members has at least one slit in the connection part that is bridged between the solar cells that are adjacent to each other in the second direction, wherein the at least one slit comprises a plurality of slits in the connection part, and each of the plurality of slits is located in a part of the connection part that is between tabs that are adjacent to each other in the second direction as claimed in claims 6-7, and the at least one slit is elongated in the second direction as claimed in claim 8 .
Aschenbrenner et al. discloses a plurality of slits (302, figs. 2a, 3a, 4) in the connection part located between the tabs (301, figs. 2a, 3a, 4), and each slit (302) is elongated in the extending direction of the connection part (see figs. 2a, 3a, 4) as claimed in claims 3 and 6-8.
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the solar cell module of Kapur et al. by including a plurality of slits in a connection part located between the tabs as taught by Ascenbrenner et al.; because Ascenbrenner et al. teaches including slits would provide strain relief (see [0026] of Ascenbrenner et al.).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-8 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant argues Kapur does not teach the solar cell module as claimed. However, Applicant’s arguments are moot in view of the new ground rejection. See the rejection above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 THANH-TRUC TRINH whose telephone number is (571)272-6594. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am - 6:00pm.
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THANH-TRUC TRINH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1726
/THANH TRUC TRINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1726