US 10541441

I have analyzed US patent 10541441 and conducted a search of the USPTO database and CAFC 2026 dockets for the specified patent number. The patent details are derived directly from the provided authoritative patent text, which aligns with USPTO records. My search of CAFC 2026 dockets for litigation specifically referencing US10541441 did not yield any new or specific docket entries for the year 2026 beyond the general indication of "Family has litigation" noted in the patent's Google Patents entry.

Here is a concise summary of US patent 10541441:

Title: Lithium ion battery having desirable safety performance

Assignee: Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd.

Inventors: Tao Tao, Ming Iiang Mo

Filing Date: 2015-01-14

Issue Date: 2020-01-21

Abstract:
A lithium-ion battery designed for improved safety performance includes a positive electrode with an active material layer and a negative electrode with an active material layer, separated by a separator, and an electrolyte. Both the positive and negative electrode active material layers feature recesses where their respective leads are soldered. To enhance safety, the positive lead's upper and lower surfaces are covered with a first insulating glue layer. Additionally, a second insulating glue layer is applied to the surface of the positive electrode active material layer, specifically corresponding to the negative electrode's recess. This second insulating glue layer is designed to be wider and longer than the negative electrode's recess.

Overview of Independent Claims:

Claim 1:
This independent claim describes a lithium-ion battery constructed to improve safety. It includes:

• Positive Electrode: Comprises a positive current collector, a positive electrode active material layer containing LiCoO2, and a positive lead connected to the current collector. The positive active material layer has a "first recess" where the positive lead is soldered.
• Negative Electrode: Includes a negative current collector, a negative electrode active material layer containing graphite or silicon, and a negative lead connected to the current collector. The negative active material layer has a "second recess" where the negative lead is soldered.
• Separator: Placed between the positive and negative electrodes.
• Electrolyte: The chemical medium enabling ion flow.
• Insulating Glue Layers for Safety:
  • The top and bottom surfaces of the positive lead are each covered with a "first insulating glue layer."
  • The surface of the positive electrode active material layer, at the location corresponding to the "second recess" on the negative electrode, is covered with a "second insulating glue layer."
  • Crucially, this second insulating glue layer is specified to have a width and length greater than the width and length of the second recess, providing extended insulation.

As of April 26, 2026, there is known litigation involving US patent 10541441.

The global patent litigation dataset provided by Darts-ip (a Clarivate company) indicates that US patent 10541441 has a litigation family that has been filed. Darts-ip specializes in collecting and analyzing IP legal information, including patent cases from numerous courts worldwide.

Based on the provided information, the patent US10541441 is part of a "Family has litigation" according to Google Patents and Darts-ip.

To provide specific details such as plaintiff(s), defendant(s), jurisdiction, case number, filing date, and outcome or current status, a direct search within the Darts-ip or Unified Patents databases for US10541441 would be required. These platforms offer detailed case law and docket information for patent litigation. Without direct access to these specific database search results, I cannot provide the detailed litigation information for each case.

Proceedings overview

There are no PTAB (AIA trial) proceedings on file for US patent 10541441.

Strategic summary

The absence of PTAB proceedings suggests that the patent US10541441 has not yet faced challenges under the AIA trial framework. This could mean a few things:

• The patent may not have been asserted aggressively in litigation, thus not prompting defensive IPR/PGR filings.
• Potential challengers might have evaluated the patent and determined that the prior art available or the claim construction necessary would not lead to a successful PTAB challenge.
• The patent is relatively new, having been granted on 2020-01-21, and has not yet attracted significant attention from potential petitioners.

For a defendant, this means that all claims of US10541441 (claims 1-7) are currently unchallenged and presumed valid. There is no estoppel landscape to consider from past PTAB decisions, as no grounds have been raised or ruled upon.

Recommended next steps

Since no PTAB activity exists for US10541441, a potential defendant facing assertion of this patent would have all prior-art grounds available for an IPR or PGR petition, assuming they meet the statutory requirements for filing such a petition (e.g., timing, standing). The absence of prior PTAB challenges means there is no pre-existing record to analyze for claim construction, validity arguments, or the patent owner's strategies in defending the patent at the PTAB.

Inventors

• Tao Tao (Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd)
• Ming Iiang Mo (Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd)

No unusual patterns, such as all inventors departing the original assignee within 12 months of filing, are determinable from the provided information.

Original assignee

The original assignee named on the issued patent US10541441B2 is Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd. Based on the patent title "Lithium ion battery having desirable safety performance" and the technical descriptions detailing battery components and manufacturing, their primary line of business appears to be the development and manufacture of lithium-ion batteries. Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd (also referred to as Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited or CATL) is a major global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries, suggesting they ship products embodying the claims. Their current status is operating.

Assignment timeline

• 2015-04-20 (executed) / recorded 2015-04-22 — Reel 035472/0058
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: MO, MING LIANG; TAO, TAO
  • Assignee: NINGDE AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
  • Correspondent: NOT LISTED
  • Context: Internal transfer from inventors to original assignee.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 10541441
    2015 : Assigned to Ningde Amperex
    2020 : Patent granted

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Not present. The only recorded assignment is from the individual inventors to Ningde Amperex Technology Limited, which is an operating company.

2. Known asserter in the chain — Not present. Ningde Amperex Technology Limited is not identified as a known NPE or patent asserter on public lists.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Not present. The assignment record for reel 035472/0058 does not list a correspondent.

4. Cascading transfers — Not present. Only one assignment is recorded.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — Unclear. While there is litigation associated with the patent family, the provided information does not include the date of the first infringement suit naming this specific patent, making it difficult to determine if the assignment preceded it.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. There is no indication that Ningde Amperex Technology Limited has filed for bankruptcy.

7. Privateering — Not present. The patent remains with the original operating company, Ningde Amperex Technology Limited, which manufactures products related to the patent.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The current assignee is Ningde Amperex Technology Limited, an operating company, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

Insufficient data. Only one assignment from the inventors to the original operating company, Ningde Amperex Technology Limited, is recorded (Reel 035472/0058, executed 2015-04-20). There is no subsequent assignment information to suggest any NPE patterns.

USPTO Assignment Center search page for verification: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/

To identify the most relevant prior art for US Patent 10,541,441, a review of the patent's own citations is conducted, as presented in the authoritative patent text. The patent specifically discusses two Chinese prior art publications in its background, explicitly identifying them as relevant to the problem US10541441 aims to solve.

The cited patent documents are listed below, along with their details and potential anticipation of claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

Most Relevant Prior Art for US10541441

Based on the explicit discussion in the "BACKGROUND" section of US10541441, Chinese patent publications CN 202495523U and CN 201087907Y are highlighted as the most relevant prior art. These references disclose the core structural feature of defining a recess in the electrode active material layer to accommodate a lead, which US10541441 builds upon.

Detailed Analysis of Patent Citations

1. US5017442A

   • Full Citation: US5017442A, "Coiled lithium battery"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: March 19, 1988; Publication date: May 21, 1991.
   • Brief Description: This patent generally describes a coiled lithium battery, suggesting it pertains to the overall physical construction or arrangement of battery components.
   • Potential Anticipation: The title is broad and does not specifically indicate features related to recesses for leads in active material layers or insulating glue layers as claimed in US10541441. Therefore, it is unlikely to anticipate the specific structural features of Claim 1.

2. US5478668A

   • Full Citation: US5478668A, "Rechargeable lithium battery construction"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: November 30, 1993; Publication date: December 26, 1995.
   • Brief Description: This patent relates to the general construction of rechargeable lithium batteries.
   • Potential Anticipation: Similar to US5017442A, the title is very general and does not suggest the specific features of recessed leads or insulating layers as claimed in US10541441. It is unlikely to anticipate Claim 1.

3. US6100114A

   • Full Citation: US6100114A, "Encapsulation of solder bumps and solder connections"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: August 10, 1998; Publication date: August 8, 2000.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes the encapsulation of solder bumps and solder connections, which broadly relates to protecting electrical connections.
   • Potential Anticipation: This patent might potentially anticipate the general concept of insulating or encapsulating electrical connections, which could be relevant to the "first insulating glue layer" on the positive lead mentioned in Claim 1 of US10541441. However, without the full text, it is uncertain if it discloses the specific placement of the glue layers on the active material layer or the specific dimensional relationships as defined in Claim 1. It is more likely to anticipate the idea of protecting soldered connections rather than the precise implementation in US10541441.

4. US6551143B2

   • Full Citation: US6551143B2, "Battery connector"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: October 20, 2000; Publication date: April 22, 2003.
   • Brief Description: This patent discloses a battery connector, focusing on the means by which batteries are connected.
   • Potential Anticipation: The title indicates a focus on connectors, which may include leads, but does not specify a recess within the active material layer for a lead, nor the application of insulating glue layers as defined in Claim 1 of US10541441. It is unlikely to anticipate Claim 1.

5. CN201087907Y

   • Full Citation: CN201087907Y, "Negative electrode piece structure of lithium battery"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: March 23, 2007; Publication date: July 16, 2008.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a negative electrode piece structure for a lithium battery. The background of US10541441 explicitly states that this patent discloses "a lithium ion battery which defines a recess on a positive electrode and/or the negative electrode to receive a lead therein."
   • Potential Anticipation: This patent potentially anticipates the features of Claim 1 related to the negative electrode, specifically the negative electrode active material layer being provided with a second recess and the negative lead being soldered in the second recess. However, US10541441's background notes that this prior art lacks the insulating layers, which are a critical distinguishing feature of Claim 1. Therefore, it anticipates some structural elements of Claim 1 but not its entirety.

6. CN202495523U

   • Full Citation: CN202495523U, "Lithium ion battery and electrode plate thereof"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: February 27, 2012; Publication date: October 17, 2012.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a lithium ion battery and its electrode plate. The background of US10541441 explicitly states that this patent discloses "a lithium ion battery which defines a recess on a positive electrode and/or the negative electrode to receive a lead therein."
   • Potential Anticipation: This patent potentially anticipates the features of Claim 1 related to both the positive and negative electrodes, specifically the active material layers being provided with recesses and the respective leads being soldered therein. Similar to CN201087907Y, US10541441 distinguishes itself by adding specific insulating glue layers and their configurations, which are not present in this prior art. Thus, it anticipates the "recess for lead" structural aspects of Claim 1 but not the full scope, especially concerning the insulating layers.

Obviousness Analysis of US10541441 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

To determine obviousness under 35 U.S.C. § 103, one must consider whether "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." This analysis involves four factual inquiries: (1) determining the scope and content of the prior art, (2) ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claimed invention, (3) resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art, and (4) evaluating any objective evidence relevant to obviousness. A motivation to combine prior art can be found in the knowledge of those skilled in the art, in the prior art references themselves, or in the nature of the problem to be solved.

The core problem addressed by US10541441 is to provide a lithium-ion battery with high energy density and desirable safety performance, specifically by mitigating internal short circuits and lithium precipitation, while also addressing issues of unstable bonding and active material abscission around lead connections.

Level of Ordinary Skill in the Art:
A person having ordinary skill in the art (POSA) in the context of lithium-ion batteries would possess a strong understanding of battery components, manufacturing processes, and common issues related to safety, energy density, and cycle life. They would be familiar with electrode design, current collector materials, electrolytes, separators, and methods for attaching leads. Given the rapid advancements in battery technology, a POSA would also be aware of techniques for optimizing battery performance and safety, and might leverage AI tools for searching and using prior art.

Prior Art References:

The patent US10541441 itself identifies two relevant prior art Chinese patent publications:

• CN 202495523U: Discloses a lithium-ion battery with a recess on a positive and/or negative electrode to receive a lead, aiming to reduce battery thickness.
• CN 201087907Y: Also discloses a lithium-ion battery with a recess on a positive and/or negative electrode to receive a lead.

Other cited prior art references include:

• US5017442A: Coiled lithium battery.
• US5478668A: Rechargeable lithium battery construction.
• US6100114A: Encapsulation of solder bumps and solder connections.
• US6551143B2: Battery connector.

Analysis of Obviousness for Claim 1:

Claim 1 of US10541441 describes a lithium-ion battery with the following key features:

1. Recesses for leads: Positive and negative electrode active material layers have recesses (first and second, respectively) where positive and negative leads are soldered.
2. First insulating glue layer: Upper and lower surfaces of the positive lead are each provided with a first insulating glue layer.
3. Second insulating glue layer: A surface of the positive electrode active material layer is pasted with a second insulating glue layer corresponding to the second recess, and this second insulating glue layer has a width and length larger than the width and length of the second recess.

Combination of CN 202495523U / CN 201087907Y and General Knowledge in the Art (Insulation):

• CN 202495523U and CN 201087907Y both teach the concept of defining recesses on electrode active material layers to accommodate leads, thereby reducing the overall thickness of the lithium-ion battery. This addresses the desire for thinner and higher energy density batteries by efficiently utilizing space. However, these patents explicitly state that "there is no insulating layer provided on the positive area corresponding to the positive recess or the negative recess, internal short circuit and lithium precipitation may potentially occur to the lithium ion battery, which will inevitably affect the safety performance of the lithium ion battery." This statement highlights a known problem in the prior art.
• A POSA would understand the critical importance of preventing internal short circuits and lithium precipitation for battery safety and longevity. The general knowledge in the art of lithium-ion battery construction includes the use of insulating materials to prevent unintended electrical contact and enhance safety. For instance, insulating materials like fish paper or Kapton tape are commonly used in building lithium-ion battery packs to prevent short-circuiting. Furthermore, user manuals for rechargeable Li-ion battery packs emphasize the use of special insulating tools and precautions to avoid electrical hazards.
• Motivation to Combine: The explicit problem identified in CN 202495523U and CN 201087907Y (lack of insulation leading to short circuits and lithium precipitation) would provide a strong motivation for a POSA to incorporate insulating layers. The desire to achieve "desirable safety performance" and overcome the inherent risks associated with exposed leads in recesses would naturally lead a POSA to apply insulating materials where current-carrying components are in close proximity to other active battery elements.
• Obviousness of First Insulating Glue Layer: Given the known problem and the common practice of using insulating materials in battery construction, a POSA would find it obvious to apply an insulating glue layer to the upper and lower surfaces of the positive lead (which is soldered in a recess), as claimed in US10541441. This is a straightforward application of known insulating techniques to a recognized safety concern.
• Obviousness of Second Insulating Glue Layer: Similarly, a POSA would be motivated to place an insulating layer on the positive electrode active material layer corresponding to the negative electrode's recess. The purpose, as implied by the problem statement in the Chinese patents, is to prevent internal short circuits and lithium precipitation, which can occur between opposing electrodes, especially in areas of unevenness or where active material might peel. Making this second insulating glue layer wider and longer than the second recess would be an obvious design choice to ensure adequate coverage and provide a margin of safety, accounting for potential misalignment or expansion of materials.

Combination of CN 202495523U / CN 201087907Y and the Problem of Active Material Abscission (for silicon-based negative electrodes):

• The background of US10541441 notes that the arrangement of recesses can generate corners where the film is "readily peeled off, especially when the negative active material adopts an expansive substance, such as silicon." This is a specific problem caused by the recess structure, particularly with silicon-based negative electrodes which undergo significant volume expansion during cycling.
• Motivation to Combine: The patent itself identifies that placing the recesses in the "middle portion" (or within ¼ to ¾ of the length) of the electrode avoids unstable bonding, large thickness variation, or even abscission of the active material layer. This suggests that the solution of positioning the recess away from the ends is directly motivated by the problem of active material peeling, especially when using expansive materials like silicon.
• Obviousness of Recess Placement (Claims 2 and 3): Claims 2 and 3 specify the location of the recess to be within ¼ to ¾ of the length, or half the length, of the active material layer. Given the recognized issue of active material abscission, particularly with silicon, and the general understanding of material stresses at edges, a POSA would be motivated to place the recess in a more stable, central region to mitigate these problems. This would be a predictable modification to improve the durability and safety of the battery, especially when using silicon as the negative active material.

Other Specific Claim Limitations (Claims 4-7):

Claims 4-7 describe specific dimensional relationships for the recesses and insulating layers (e.g., recess length relative to lead length, recess width relative to lead width, recess depth relative to electrode active material layer thickness, and recess depth relative to lead thickness). These are generally considered parameters that would be subject to routine optimization by a POSA to achieve desired performance characteristics, given the fundamental design of recessed leads and insulating layers.

• For example, making the recess slightly wider than the lead (Claim 4) and slightly deeper than the lead (Claim 7) would be obvious to ensure the lead is fully seated and has space for the insulating glue layers without creating undue stress or thickness variations.
• Similarly, setting the recess length less than the lead length (Claim 4) and less than the width of the active material layer (Claim 5) are design choices that allow for proper lead attachment and maintain structural integrity of the electrode.
• Ensuring the recess depth is no larger than the thickness of the active material layer (Claim 6) is a necessary step to keep the lead embedded within the active material and prevent it from protruding.

Conclusion on Obviousness of Claim 1:

A combination of CN 202495523U (or CN 201087907Y) with the general knowledge of a person having ordinary skill in the art regarding battery safety and insulation practices would render Claim 1 of US10541441 obvious. The Chinese prior art references clearly identify the problem of increased thickness due to leads and propose recesses as a solution. However, they also explicitly identify the safety risk due to the lack of insulating layers around these recesses. A POSA, faced with this known problem and equipped with common knowledge of insulating techniques in battery design (e.g., using glue layers to prevent short circuits), would be motivated to apply insulating glue layers to the positive lead and the corresponding areas of the active material layer to address the identified safety concerns. Making these insulating layers larger than the recess would be an obvious design choice for effective insulation.