DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the amendment filed June 01, 2026.
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 .
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.
Claims 1, and 2-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tang et al. (Tang) (Patent/Publication Number US 2021/0310387).
Regarding claims 1, 8-10, and 12, Tang discloses a dinitrogen oxide ( e.g. N2O, NOx) purification system (220) (e.g. See Paragraphs [0567]) from an exhaust gas path leading from the engine (210) (e.g. See Paragraphs [0545] In an embodiment of the present invention, the exhaust ozone purification system includes a reaction field for mixing and reacting an ozone stream with an exhaust stream. For example, the exhaust ozone purification system can be used to treat exhaust of an automobile exhaust emission equipment 210, using the water in the exhaust and an exhaust pipe 220 to generate an oxidation reaction and oxidize organic volatiles in the exhaust to carbon dioxide and water. Sulfur, nitrates, and the like are collected in a harmless way. The exhaust ozone purification system may further include an external ozone generator 230 which provides ozone to the exhaust pipe 220 through an ozone delivery pipe 240. The arrow in FIG. 1 indicates the flow direction of exhaust.) (e.g. See Paragraphs [0545]), comprising: an intake section (220) that takes in dinitrogen oxide in the presence of coexisting O2 and/or H2O (e.g. See Paragraphs [0547]), and a purification section (250, 3052) that decomposes or reduces the dinitrogen oxide taken into the intake section (e.g. See Paragraphs [0568] In an embodiment of the present invention, the electrode includes a high-voltage electrode or a high-voltage electrode having a barrier dielectric layer. When the electrode includes a high-voltage electrode, the oxidation catalytic bond cracking selective catalyst layer 250 is provided on a surface of the high-voltage electrode 260 (as shown in FIG. 2). When the electrode includes a high-voltage electrode 260 provided with a barrier dielectric layer 270, the oxidation catalytic bond cracking selective catalyst layer 250 is provided on a surface of the barrier dielectric layer 270 (as shown in FIG. 3).) (e.g. See Paragraphs [0568, 0617, 1015]); wherein the purification section has: a catalyst (250, 3052) that decomposes or reduces the dinitrogen oxide (e.g. See Paragraphs [1015] As shown in FIG. 40, the present embodiment provides an exhaust treatment system including the above-described electrocoagulation device 30100, a venturi plate 3051, a NOx oxidation catalyzing device 3052, and an ozone digestion device 3053. In the present embodiment, the electrocoagulation device 30100 and the venturi plate 3051 are located between the NOx oxidation catalyzing device 3052 and the ozone digestion device 3053. There is a NOx oxidation catalyst in the NOx oxidation catalyzing device 3052, and an ozone digestion catalyst is present in the ozone digestion device 3053.) (e.g. See Paragraphs [0568, 1015]); and an electrode (260) that applies an electric field to the catalyst (e.g. See Paragraphs [0567-0572, 1015]).
Regarding claim 3, Tang further discloses a power supply that applies a voltage to the electrode (e.g. See Paragraphs [0176] 155. Example 155 of the present invention includes the features of Example 154, wherein the electrode includes a high-voltage electrode or a high-voltage electrode having a barrier dielectric layer, when the electrode includes a high-voltage electrode, the oxidation catalytic bond cracking selective catalyst layer is provided on a surface of the high-voltage electrode, and when the electrode includes a high-voltage electrode having a barrier dielectric layer, the oxidation catalytic bond cracking selective catalyst layer is provided on a surface of the barrier dielectric layer.) (e.g. See Paragraphs [0176, 0423, 0568-0570]).
Regarding claim 4, Tang further discloses a control section (2091, 2092) that changes a purification rate of the dinitrogen oxide in the purification section by changing at least one of a temperature of the catalyst, a value of electric current flowing through the catalyst, an amount of a reducing agent, and a space velocity (e.g. See Paragraphs [0776-0783, 0139-0140]).
Regarding claim 5, Tang further discloses wherein the control section changes the purification rate by changing at least the value of electric current so that the higher the value of electric current is, the higher the purification rate is (e.g. See Paragraphs [1040] In the present embodiment, the electricity generating unit 3073 may further include a generator adjusting and controlling component. The generator adjusting and controlling component is configured to adjust the electric torque of the generator, generate an exhaust negative pressure so as to change the magnitude of a forced braking force of the exhaust emission equipment, and generate an exhaust backpressure so as to improve the conversion efficiency of waste heat. Specifically, the generator adjusting and controlling component can change the electricity generation power output by adjusting the generated excitation or generated current, thereby adjusting the exhaust emission resistance of the automobile, realizing a balance among work application, exhaust backpressure, and exhaust negative pressure of the exhaust emission equipment and improving the efficiency of the generator.) (e.g. See Paragraphs [0064-0065, 0079, 0079, 0088]).
Regarding claim 6, Tang further discloses a heating section that heats the catalyst, wherein in the heating section, a temperature of the catalyst is set to be within a range between 50°C and 600°C (e.g. See Paragraphs [0034-0036, 0445, 0743, 0899]).
Regarding claim 7, Tang further discloses wherein the catalyst has an active metal and a catalyst carrier, the active metal is at least one of Rh, Pd, Pt, Fe, Cu, Ni, Co, W, and V, and the catalyst carrier contains any of Ce, Zr, Y, La, Nd, and Pr (e.g. See Paragraphs [0183] the coating layer is at least one material selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, cerium oxide, zirconium oxide, manganese oxide, a metal composite oxide, a porous material, and a layered material, and the metal composite oxide includes a composite oxide of one or more metals selected from aluminum, cerium, zirconium, and manganese.) (e.g. See Paragraphs [0576-0582, 0655-0657]).
Regarding claim 11, Tang further discloses wherein at least ammonia is used as a fuel for the engine (e.g. See Paragraphs [0710, 0950]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed June 01, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not completely persuasive. Claims 1-12 are pending.
Applicant’s cooperation in explaining the claims subject matter more specific to overcome the claim rejection is appreciated.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-22 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection as discussed above.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and consists of one patents: Cho et al. (Pat./Pub. No. US 2006/0062709), all discloses an exhaust gas purification for use with an internal combustion engine.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Primary Examiner Binh Tran whose telephone number is (571) 272-4865. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisors, Mark Laurenzi, can be reach on (571) 270-7878. The fax phone numbers for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned are (571) 273-8300 for regular communications and for After Final communications.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
Binh Q. Tran
/BINH Q TRAN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3748
August 22, 2026
Prosecution Insights