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 Amendment
The preliminary amendment filed on 01/09/2025 is entered and acknowledged by the Examiner. Claims 9 and 10 have been amended. Claims 1-11 are currently pending in the instant application.
Priority
This application is a 371 of PCT/JP2023/028175 (filed on 08/01/2023). Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Germany on 08/02/2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) filed on 01/09/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and has been considered by the examiner. An initialed copy accompanies this Office Action.
Drawings
The drawings filed on 05/27/2024 have been considered.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 1-6 and 9 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, 7, 8, 12 and 15 of U.S. Patent No. 10,982,120 B2 (hereinafter US’120). Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because US’120 discloses a thermocurable electroconductive adhesive composition comprising (A) a curable resin including glycidyamine type resin and bisphenol F type epoxy resin, (B) a thermal curing agent, (C) an organometallic complex including organoaluminum complex such as aluminumacetyl acetonate, and (D) electroconductive particles including nickel powder. US’120 anticipates the instant claimed invention.
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.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2007/0256857 A1 (hereinafter Kamikoriyama).
Initially, it should be noted that the Kamikoriyama reference is also published as JP 2006080013 that is cited in the IDS filed on 01/09/2025 and as an “X” reference in the international search report filed on 01/09/2025.
Regarding claims 1-7 and 9, Kamikoriyama discloses a conductive paste (See [0015]) comprises an epoxy resin including bisphenol A type epoxy resin, bisphenol F type epoxy resin and glycidyl amine-type multifunctional epoxy resin (See [0024]); additives including a curing agent and oxidation inhibitor (See [0030], claimed antioxidant); a conductive powder including nickel powder (See [0019]); an aluminum compound (claimed organoaluminum complex) including aluminum alkylacetate diisopropylate (See [0017] and [0026]). Applicant described the claimed epoxy resin having three or more glycidyl groups in one molecule and an epoxy resin having two glycidyl groups in one molecule and having amine structure including bisphenol A type and bisphenol F type (See [0030] of the present Specification).
Regarding claims 8 and 10, Kamikoriyama discloses that the composition is heat cured (See [0004] and [0027]).
Regarding claim 11, Kamikoriyama discloses that the composition has a resistivity of 5.781x10-4 ohm-cm (See [0041]).
The reference specifically or inherently meets each of the claimed limitations in their broadest interpretations. The reference is anticipatory.
In view of the foregoing, the above claims have failed to patentably distinguish over the applied art.
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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KHANH TUAN NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-8082. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM 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, Angela Brown-Pettigrew can be reached at (571) 272-2817. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KHANH T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1761
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