Looking at Patent Law: Patenting an Invention for Decarbonized Cement Blends; A Case Study…Electrochemical Cement Production

IIn this installment of the “Looking at Patent Law” series, we present a case study of the prosecution events of U.S. Patent No. 12,065,379; “Decarbonized Cement Blends.” The subject invention aligns with an important focus of The Electrochemical Society (ECS) on sustainability and the technical interests of several divisions including Energy Technology (ETD), Industrial Electrochemistry and Electrochemical Engineering (IE&EE), and Physical and Analytical Electrochemistry (PAE). Additionally, the case introduces ECS members to an emerging technology of interest to industry. The case study begins with a brief synopsis of the background of the invention followed by 1) summary of several drawings and the specification of the invention, 2) inventor assignment and power of attorney designations, 3) march-in rights for government sponsored research, 4) submission of the Invention Disclosure Statement (IDS) and associated Duty of Candor, 5) summary of the non-final office action rejecting the patent application for obviousness, and 6) applicant response and allowance of the patent application. The case study illustrates the use of adding limitations from a dependent claim to the independent claim to overcome an obviousness rejection. In addition, the case illustrates an applicant-initiated request for prioritized examination for patent applications addressing environmental issues. With this case study, we hope to de-mystify the patent prosecution process and better prepare electrochemical and solid-state scientists, engineers and technologists to interact with their patent counsel regarding their inventions.