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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`17/449,729
`
`10/01/2021
`
`DodgieReigh M.Calpito
`
`0210-152001
`
`2647
`
`08/30/2023
`7590
`53666
`BRAKE HUGHES BELLERMANN LLP
`Mark Bellermann
`P.O. Box 1077
`Middletown, MD 21769
`
`EXAMINER
`
`AKRAM, IMRAN
`
`ART UNIT
`1725
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`08/30/2023
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`Thetime period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`
`docketing @ brakehughes.com
`uspto @brakehughes.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-22 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) 14-22 is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`[) Claim(s)__ is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-13 is/are rejected.
`S)
`) © Claim(s)____is/are objected to.
`C] Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`S)
`“If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)() The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)M The drawing(s) filed on 21 October 2021 is/are: a) accepted or b)C) objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)0) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`c)() None ofthe:
`b)( Some**
`a)C) All
`1.2 Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have beenreceived in Application No.
`3.2.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 10/1/21,3/3/23.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3)
`
`(LJ Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) (J Other:
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20230825
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`17/449 ,729
`Calpito et al.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`IMRAN AKRAM
`1725
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s)filed on 31 July 2023.
`C) A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)() This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)02 An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4)\0) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/449,729
`Art Unit: 1725
`
`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
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`1.
`
`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined
`
`under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`Election/Restrictions
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`2.
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`Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-13 in the reply filed on
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`7/31/23 is acknowledged.
`
`3.
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`Claims 14-22 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR
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`1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected method, there being no allowable generic or
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`linking claim.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`4.
`
`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
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`correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AlA) for the rejection will
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`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.
`
`5.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all
`
`obviousnessrejections setforth 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.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/449,729
`Art Unit: 1725
`
`Page 3
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`6.
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`The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness
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`under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized asfollows:
`
`1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
`
`2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
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`3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
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`4. Considering objective evidence presentin the application indicating
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`obviousness or nonobviousness.
`
`7.
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`This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the
`
`claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was
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`commonly ownedasof the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any
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`evidenceto the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to
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`point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly
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`ownedasofthe effectivefiling date of the later invention in order for the examiner to
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`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.
`
`8.
`
`Claims 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuboki
`
`(WO 2020/255876 A1) in view of Delepierre (US 2014/0178743 A1). Corresponding US
`
`Application 2022/0328925 A1 is used for translation and citation purposes of Kuboki.
`
`
`
`9. Regarding claims 1 and 4, Kuboki discloses an apparatus comprising:afirst
`
`electrical contact surface 21; a second electrical contact surface 30; a ribbon wire 50
`
`extending along a longitudinal X-axis, the ribbon wire 50 includingafirst portion 54
`
`coupledto the first surface 21 via a circular weld (paragraph 57), a second portion 51
`
`coupled to the second surface 30 via soldering (paragraph 58), and a third portion 52
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/449,729
`Art Unit: 1725
`
`Page 4
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`extending between first portion 54 and second portion 51 (paragraph 59); wherein the
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`width of the first portion 54 is greater than the width of the third portion 52 (see Figure
`
`4). Kuboki discloses that the weld is circular (see Figure 4) and that the ribbon wire is
`
`metallic (paragraphs 54 & 55) but not that the connections are wedge bonds.
`
`Delepierre—in an invention for a battery with welding conductive pads—discloses
`
`ultrasonic wedge bonding techniques for connections because they can be performed at
`
`ambient temperature (paragraph 48) which enables the formation of intermetallic
`
`compounds which have low electrical resistances (paragraph 49). It would have been
`
`obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to utilize wedge
`
`bonding for the connections of Kuboki so that they can be performed at ambient
`
`temperature and possessintermetallics with low resistance as suggested by Delepierre.
`
`10.
`
`Regarding claim 2, Kuboki discloses that the second portion 51 and third portion
`
`52 have the same width (see Figure 4).
`
`11.
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`Regarding claims 3 and 5, Kuboki discloses that modifying the connection of
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`second portion 51 to have a wedge bond would produce the same size connection as
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`first portion 54 as shownin Figure 4.
`
`12.
`
`Regarding claims 6 and 7, Kuboki discloses thatfirst electrical contact surface 21
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`is a busbar (paragraphs 44-46).
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`13.
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`Regarding claim 8, Kuboki discloses that ribbon wire 50 is copper (paragraph
`
`54).
`
`14.
`
`Regarding claim 9, Kuboki discloses an apparatus comprising: an electrical
`
`contact surface 21; and a ribbon wire 50, the ribbon wire 50 includingafirst portion 54
`
`coupled to the first surface 21 via a circular weld (paragraph 57). Kuboki discloses that
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/449,729
`Art Unit: 1725
`
`Page 5
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`the weld is circular (see Figure 4) and that the ribbon wire is metallic (paragraphs 54 &
`
`55) but not that the connections are wedge bonds. Delepierre—in an invention for a
`
`battery with welding conductive pads—discloses ultrasonic wedge bonding techniques
`
`for connections because they can be performed at ambient temperature (paragraph 48)
`
`which enables the formation of intermetallic compounds which havelow electrical
`
`resistances (paragraph 49). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in
`
`the art at the time of invention to utilize wedge bonding for the connections of Kuboki so
`
`that they can be performed at ambient temperature and possessintermetallics with low
`
`resistance as suggested by Delepierre.
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`15.
`
`Regarding claim 10, Kuboki discloses that the ribbon wire 50 extends along a
`
`longitudinal X-axis and includes a second portion 51 (paragraph 58), wherein the width
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`of the first portion 54 is greater than the width of the second portion 51 (see Figure 4).
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`Kubokidiscloses that the ribbon wire’s portions form an electrically continuous loop
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`(paragraph 70).
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`16.
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`Regarding claims 11 and 12, Kuboki discloses thatfirst electrical contact surface
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`21 is a busbar (paragraphs 44-46).
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`17.
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`Regarding claim 13, Kuboki discloses that ribbon wire 50 is copper (paragraph
`
`5A).
`
`Conclusion
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`18.=Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to IMRAN AKRAM whosetelephone number is (571)270-
`
`3241. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8a-6p.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/449,729
`Art Unit: 1725
`
`Page 6
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`
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`
`/[IMRAN AKRAM/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
`
`