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 .
Claims 19-27 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 7/6/26.
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 28-36 in the reply filed on 7/6/26 is acknowledged.
Claims 28-36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 28 is indefinite because a transition phrase between the preamble and the body of the claim is missing.
Claim 28 is indefinite because it is unclear what are the steps of the claimed process. Explicit steps of the claimed process are missing, e.g. introducing, subjecting, forming, operating, and harvesting.
The phrase “the pressure, temperature or gas atmosphere of the said stationary deposition chamber” (cl 28:5-6) lacks antecedent basis in the claim.
The phrase “such as for example…vanadium” (cl 32:1-4) is indefinite because the metes and bounds of the phrase are unascertainable.
The phrase “such as…cellulose fiber” (cl 35:2-3) is indefinite because the metes and bounds of the phrase are unascertainable.
Corrections are required.
Claims 28-36 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art of record including the closest prior art Lee et al (USP20170154701; teaches producing nanowires having a core and a graphene shell that is produced by a plasma CVD method) neither teaches nor renders obvious every claimed limitation including a continuous or semi-continuous process for the production of graphene comprising introducing particles comprising a core into a stationary deposition chamber and subjected to plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using a carbon-containing gas, forming solid graphene directly on the surface of said particles, wherein the process is operated at a temperature of 25-650C and whereupon harvesting the particles within the stationary deposition chamber without compromising the pressure, temperature or gas atmosphere of the stationary deposition chamber.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following USPs references teaches forming graphene on a substrate or core: 20140140917,20150252241,20130174968,20190368032, and 20170225233.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDMUND H LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1204. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 9AM-4PM.
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, Xiao (Sam) Zhao can be reached at 571-270-5343. 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.
EHL
/EDMUND H LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1744
Prosecution Insights