CTNF 18/942,779 CTNF 70819 Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Priority This application claims priority to JP 2023-194532 (filed 11/15/23). 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Claims 1-4 are pending. Drawings The Drawings filed 11/11/24 are approved by the examiner. Information Disclosure Statement The IDS statement filed 11/11/24 has been considered. An initialed copy accompanies this action. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-23-aia AIA 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. 07-20-02-aia AIA 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. Claim Construction The preamble terminology “…mixture for a sodium ion battery ” in independent claim 1 is considered a statement of intended utility. If the body of a claim fully and intrinsically sets forth all of the limitations of the claimed invention, and the preamble merely states, for example, the purpose or intended use of the invention, rather than any distinct definition of any of the claimed invention’s limitations, then the preamble is not considered a limitation and is of no significance to claim construction. Shoes by Firebug LLC v. Stride Rite Children’s Grp., LLC, 962 F.3d 1362, 2020 USPQ2d 10701 (Fed. Cir. 2020). Additionally, applicant’s definition of the claim terminology “hard carbon” at para 0039 of instant PGPUB 2025/0158064 is noted. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 108878805A . CN 108878805A discloses a hard carbon negative electrode material (Abstract). The material comprises hard carbon coated with an oxide layer which may be zirconium oxide having a layer thickness of 0.1-2nm (pages 3-4 of English language translation). With respect to dependent claims 2-4, the reference teaches utility in both lithium ion and sodium ion batteries (page 2 of translation). Although the reference does not specify the claimed ratio of hard carbon to ZrO2 in terms of the claimed mass5, the reference teaches that the ratio may be varies in order to tailor the layer thickness, and accordingly the examiner submits that the skilled artisan would have to utilize only routine testing or order to arrive at the claimed amounts of such components which result in suitable properties of the electrode material. "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). In view of the foregoing, the above claims have failed to patentably distinguish over the applied art. The remaining references listed on forms 892 and 1449 have been reviewed by the examiner and are considered to be cumulative to or less material than the prior art references relied upon in the rejection above. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARK T KOPEC whose telephone number is (571)272-1319. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00a-5:00p EST. 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, Robert Jones can be reached at 5712707733. 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. /MARK KOPEC/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1762 MK May 23, 2026 Application/Control Number: 18/942,779 Page 2 Art Unit: 1762 Application/Control Number: 18/942,779 Page 3 Art Unit: 1762 Application/Control Number: 18/942,779 Page 4 Art Unit: 1762 Application/Control Number: 18/942,779 Page 5 Art Unit: 1762
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