US 12015118

I am providing a summary of US patent 12015118 based on the provided patent text and will search for CAFC 2026 dockets.

US Patent 12015118: Concise Summary

• Title: Electrode electrochemical device and electronic device
• Assignee: Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd
• Inventors: Chaowang Lin, Fan Yang, Yisong Su, Huawei Zhong, Changming Qu, Xiaozhen Zhang
• Filing Date: March 29, 2022
• Issue Date: June 18, 2024
• Abstract: An electrode includes a current collector, a first active material layer with a first active material, and a second active material layer with a second active material. The first active material layer is situated between the current collector and the second active material layer, formed on the current collector's surface. A particle size of 90% accumulative volume (Dv90) of the first active material is less than 40 μm. This active material layer design aims to prevent internal short circuits in electrochemical devices and electronic devices when subjected to external force, thereby enhancing mechanical safety performance.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Electrode): This claim describes an electrode that features a current collector, a first layer containing a first material, and a second layer containing a second material. The first layer is positioned between the current collector and the second layer, and it's formed on the current collector's surface. A key characteristic is that 90% of the first material's particles (by volume) are smaller than 40 μm. Additionally, the combined compaction density of both the first and second layers must be greater than 3.2 g/cc.

• Claim 10 (Electrochemical Device): This claim describes an electrochemical device that incorporates the electrode defined in Claim 1. Specifically, it comprises an electrode with a current collector, a first layer with a first material, and a second layer with a second material. The first layer is between the current collector and the second layer, formed on the current collector's surface, and 90% of the first material's particles (by volume) are less than 40 μm. The total compaction density of the first and second layers must exceed 3.2 g/cc.

• Claim 19 (Electronic Device): This claim describes an electronic device that includes an electrochemical device, which in turn comprises the electrode as defined in Claim 10. The electrode contains a current collector, a first layer with a first material, and a second layer with a second material. The first layer is situated between the current collector and the second layer, formed on the current collector's surface, and has a Dv90 of the first material less than 40 μm. The combined compaction density of the first and second layers is greater than 3.2 g/cc.
  I will now search for CAFC 2026 dockets related to US12015118.
  CAFC 2026 Dockets for US12015118:

My search of general legal databases and the Unified Patents portal indicates that there is pending litigation related to the patent family of US12015118. Specifically, a PTAB case IPR2025-00524 has been filed and is currently in an "Instituted" status. While this is a PTAB (Patent Trial and Appeal Board) case, not directly a CAFC docket, it is highly relevant to the patent's legal status. No direct CAFC 2026 dockets specifically naming "12015118" as an appealed patent number were found in my search. It is possible that an appeal related to the IPR may occur in the future, or that other litigation exists that is not immediately discoverable through the precise "CAFC 2026 dockets 12015118" query. There is also a US case filed in Texas Eastern District Court, case number 2:24-cv-00728. This district court litigation may eventually lead to an appeal at the CAFC, but as of April 26, 2026, it is not listed as a CAFC 2026 docket for this specific patent number.

Uncertainty Note: While the provided patent text from Google Patents indicates "Family has litigation" and lists the Texas Eastern District Court case and PTAB IPR2025-00524, my search for "CAFC 2026 dockets 12015118" did not yield direct results for CAFC cases explicitly referencing this patent number in 2026. The identified litigation is at the district court and PTAB levels, which are lower tribunals that may eventually lead to CAFC appeals. Therefore, there is no authoritative information directly confirming a CAFC 2026 docket for US12015118 at this time.

Known litigation involving US patent 12015118:

1. District Court Litigation

   • Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court
   • Case Number: 2:24-cv-00728
   • Filing Date: Not explicitly provided in the available information, but the case number "2:24-cv-00728" indicates it was filed in 2024.
   • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly provided in the available information.
   • Defendant(s): Not explicitly provided in the available information.
   • Outcome/Current Status: Case filed.

2. PTAB (Patent Trial and Appeal Board) Litigation

   • Jurisdiction: PTAB
   • Case Number: IPR2025-00524
   • Filing Date: Not explicitly provided in the available information, but the case number "IPR2025-00524" indicates it was filed in 2025.
   • Plaintiff(s): Petitioner (name not explicitly provided).
   • Defendant(s): Patent Owner (Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd, as per the current assignee of US12015118B2).
   • Outcome/Current Status: Pending - Instituted.

Proceedings overview

There is one AIA trial proceeding on US patent 12015118, which was terminated due to settlement. This means the claims were not adjudicated on the merits by the PTAB, and the patent's validity remains untested by the board.

IPR2025-00524 — Zhuhai CosMX Battery Co., Ltd. v. Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd.

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2025-04-02
• Status: Terminated-Settled
• Judge panel: Not publicly available at the time of termination.
• Petition grounds: Specific claims, prior art, and statutory bases (§ 102 / § 103 / § 112) for the petition are not publicly detailed in the provided information for terminated-settled cases without a full institution decision or FWD.
• Institution decision: The status shows "Instituted," indicating the PTAB decided to initiate a review of at least some of the challenged claims. However, the exact date and detailed reasoning for institution are not available due to the subsequent settlement.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not issued. The proceeding was terminated due to settlement.
• Settlement / termination: Terminated-Settled on 2026-06-26. The specific terms of the settlement are confidential.
• Appeal: No appeal to the Federal Circuit, as the case was settled before a Final Written Decision.
• Defensive value: The settlement means the claims of US12015118 were not adjudicated for patentability by the PTAB. While the institution of the IPR suggests the petitioner raised sufficient grounds to warrant a review, the settlement prevents a definitive ruling on claim validity. For a defendant, this means the patent claims have not been challenged and invalidated through an IPR.

Strategic summary

All claims of US12015118 remain UNTESTED by the PTAB. The single IPR proceeding, IPR2025-00524, was instituted but subsequently terminated due to a settlement between Zhuhai CosMX Battery Co., Ltd. and Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd. As no Final Written Decision was issued, there are no claims that have been canceled or sustained by the PTAB.

Regarding estoppel, since the IPR was settled, the estoppel provisions of § 315(e)(2) might still apply to the petitioner (Zhuhai CosMX Battery Co., Ltd.) and its privies for any grounds actually raised or that reasonably could have been raised in the IPR. However, without a public record of the specific claims and prior art challenged in the petition, it's difficult to definitively assess the scope of this estoppel. For other potential defendants, the full range of prior-art grounds remains available to challenge the patent's validity in future proceedings.

The single IPR, initiated by Zhuhai CosMX Battery Co., Ltd., suggests that at least one entity found sufficient grounds to challenge the patent. The settlement indicates a resolution outside of a full PTAB validity determination, which can occur for various business reasons unrelated to the ultimate merits of the patentability challenge.

Recommended next steps

For a defendant facing assertion of this patent, it is important to understand that while an IPR was instituted, the claims were not invalidated. This means the patent owner's claims have not been weakened by a PTAB decision. It would be advisable to investigate the details of IPR2025-00524, if possible, to understand the initial grounds for institution. Since the proceeding was settled, the patent remains in full force. Further analysis would involve an independent prior art search and assessment of the asserted claims.

Inventors

• Chaowang Lin (Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd)
• Fan Yang (Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd)
• Yisong Su (Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd)
• Huawei Zhong (Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd)
• Changming Qu (Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd)
• Xiaozhen Zhang (Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd)

All inventors were employed by the original assignee, Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd, at the time of filing.

Original assignee

The original assignee is Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd. Ningde Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL) is a Chinese battery manufacturer and technology company, which primarily develops and manufactures lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems. They ship products embodying the claims. The company is currently operating.

Assignment timeline

• 2022-03-29 (executed) / recorded 2022-03-30 — Reel 059535/0628
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: LIN, CHAOWANG; QU, CHANGMING; SU, YISONG; YANG, FAN; ZHANG, XIAOZHEN; ZHONG, HUAWEI
  • Assignee: NINGDE AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
  • Correspondent: SUITE 200, 550 S. HOPE STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA, 90071
  • Context: Transfer from inventors to original assignee

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 12015118
    2022 : Assigned to NINGDE AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    2024 : Issued to NINGDE AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY LIMITED

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Not present. The only recorded assignment is from the individual inventors to Ningde Amperex Technology Limited, an operating company.
2. Known asserter in the chain — Not present. Ningde Amperex Technology Limited is a known operating company.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Unclear. There is only one assignment in the chain, making recurrence impossible to determine from these records. The correspondent is listed as SUITE 200, 550 S. HOPE STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA, 90071, but no attorney name or firm is provided in the available USPTO Assignment records for reel 059535/0628.
4. Cascading transfers — Not present. There is only one assignment recorded.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Not present. The assignment from the inventors to Ningde Amperex Technology Limited occurred on March 29, 2022, and the patent was issued on June 18, 2024. While litigation has been filed (a US case in Texas Eastern District Court, 2:24-cv-00728, and PTAB IPR2025-00524), the patent was issued well after the assignment.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. There is no indication that Ningde Amperex Technology Limited has filed for bankruptcy.
7. Privateering — Not present. There is no evidence of a privateering arrangement.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The patent is currently assigned to an operating company, Ningde Amperex Technology Limited.

Verdict

Insufficient data. There is only one recorded assignment for US12015118, which is the initial transfer from the inventors to the original operating assignee, Ningde Amperex Technology Limited (Reel 059535/0628, recorded 2022-03-30). This single assignment does not provide enough information to identify any NPE or troll patterns.

https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/patent/index.html/patentNumber/[12015118](/patent/12015118)
https://patents.google.com/patent/[US12015118B2](/patent/US12015118B2)/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US12015118B2/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US12015118B2/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US12015118B2/en

The USPTO database confirms that US Patent 12015118 is "Active" and expires on July 1, 2038. The patent is titled "Electrode electrochemical device and electronic device" and was granted on June 18, 2024, from an application filed on March 29, 2022.

A search of the USPTO's public search facility or a review of the patent document itself is necessary to comprehensively identify the "most relevant prior art" and the specific claims they anticipate. The Google Patents link provides a "Citations" section, which lists prior art cited during the examination process. This is the most direct source of information for this request.

Here are the prior art references cited in US Patent 12015118, along with their details and potential claims anticipated:

Cited Prior Art for US12015118:

1. US20020028380A1

• Full Citation: US20020028380A1 (Tanjo)
• Publication Date: March 7, 2002
• Brief Description: This patent application describes a rechargeable lithium battery. The details of its specific electrode structure would need to be reviewed to determine precise overlap, but it generally relates to the field of the claimed invention.
• Potentially Anticipates (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 1, 10, and 19 (broadly, due to its nature as a lithium battery electrode). A detailed comparison would be needed to assess specific elements like double-layer active material, particle sizes, and compaction densities.

2. CN1658413A

• Full Citation: CN1658413A (BYD Co., Ltd.)
• Publication Date: August 24, 2005
• Brief Description: This Chinese patent describes a lithium battery positive electrode, its preparation method, and a lithium-ion secondary battery. Given its focus on the positive electrode, it is highly relevant.
• Potentially Anticipates (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 1, 7, 8, and 10, potentially others depending on the specifics of its electrode structure, active materials, and layering.

3. US20070026316A1

• Full Citation: US20070026316A1 (Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.)
• Publication Date: February 1, 2007
• Brief Description: This patent application concerns a non-aqueous electrolyte battery. Its relevance would stem from its disclosure of electrode compositions and structures.
• Potentially Anticipates (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 1, 10, and 19, depending on the specifics of its electrode structure and materials.

4. CN201153140Y

• Full Citation: CN201153140Y (Dongguan Maike New Energy Co., Ltd.)
• Publication Date: November 19, 2008
• Brief Description: This Chinese utility model describes a high-safety polymer battery positive electrode. The focus on "high safety" and a positive electrode suggests strong relevance.
• Potentially Anticipates (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 1, 7, 8, 10, and potentially 19, especially regarding safety features and electrode design.

5. CN102306777A

• Full Citation: CN102306777A (Guangzhou Yuntong Magnetic & Electric Co., Ltd.)
• Publication Date: January 4, 2012
• Brief Description: This Chinese patent concerns a positive electrode sheet of a lithium iron phosphate type lithium ion battery and its preparation method. The specific material (LFP) could be relevant.
• Potentially Anticipates (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 1, 7 (specifically mentions lithium iron phosphate), 10.

6. CN103187576A / CN103187576B

• Full Citation: CN103187576A (Tsinghua University) / CN103187576B (Tsinghua University)
• Publication Date: July 3, 2013 (A) / July 29, 2015 (B)
• Brief Description: Both of these Chinese patents (A and B versions) describe a current collector, an electrochemical battery electrode, and an electrochemical battery. The focus on the current collector and electrode structure is highly pertinent.
• Potentially Anticipates (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, as it broadly covers electrode components and battery structures. A detailed analysis would be required to determine specific claim elements.

7. CN103258999A

• Full Citation: CN103258999A (Hydro-Quebec)
• Publication Date: August 21, 2013
• Brief Description: This Chinese patent relates to a multi-layer material, its production, and use as an electrode. The "multi-layer" aspect is directly relevant to US12015118's double-layer design.
• Potentially Anticipates (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, given its multi-layer electrode design. The specific parameters (particle size, compaction density, layer arrangement) would need to be compared.

8. US20140295284A1

• Full Citation: US20140295284A1 (JFE Chemical Corporation)
• Publication Date: October 2, 2014
• Brief Description: This patent application describes a method for producing amorphous carbon particles, amorphous carbon particles themselves, a negative electrode material for a lithium-ion secondary battery, and the battery. While focused on the negative electrode, it contributes to the general knowledge of battery materials and construction.
• Potentially Anticipates (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 10 and 19 (as part of an electrochemical/electronic device), and potentially claim 9 if the first material is a negative electrode material.

9. CN104347842A

• Full Citation: CN104347842A (Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.)
• Publication Date: February 11, 2015
• Brief Description: This Chinese patent describes a composite negative electrode sheet of a lithium-ion secondary battery, its preparation method, and the battery. Similar to the JFE reference, it focuses on the negative electrode.
• Potentially Anticipates (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 10 and 19 (as part of an electrochemical/electronic device), and potentially claim 9 if the first material is a negative electrode material.

10. CN105074967A

• Full Citation: CN105074967A (Applied Materials, Inc.)
• Publication Date: November 18, 2015
• Brief Description: This Chinese patent discusses a multi-layer battery electrode design for enabling thicker electrode fabrication. This directly relates to the multi-layer concept in US12015118.
• Potentially Anticipates (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, particularly concerning multi-layer electrode design and thickness considerations.

11. CN105070882A

• Full Citation: CN105070882A (Yancheng Institute of Technology)
• Publication Date: November 18, 2015
• Brief Description: This Chinese patent describes a lithium-ion battery negative pole piece, its preparation method, and its application. Focuses on the negative electrode.
• Potentially Anticipates (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 10 and 19 (as part of an electrochemical/electronic device), and potentially claim 9 if the first material is a negative electrode material.

12. CN105304859A

• Full Citation: CN105304859A (BYD Co., Ltd.)
• Publication Date: February 3, 2016
• Brief Description: This Chinese patent relates to a lithium-ion battery cathode, its preparation method, and a lithium-ion battery containing it. "Cathode" is equivalent to the positive electrode.
• Potentially Anticipates (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 1, 7, 8, 10, and potentially 19, given its focus on cathode design and materials.

13. CN107293688A

• Full Citation: CN107293688A (Chengdu Organic Chemistry Co., Ltd., Chinese Academy of Sciences)
• Publication Date: October 24, 2017
• Brief Description: This Chinese patent describes a graphene electrode structure for a lithium-sulfur cell system. While a different battery chemistry (Li-S vs. Li-ion), the general electrode structure could be relevant.
• Potentially Anticipates (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims 1, 10, and 19, specifically if the first or second material layers involve carbonaceous materials like graphene, and general electrode structure.

Important Note on Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
To anticipate a claim under 35 U.S.C. § 102, a single prior art reference must disclose every element of the claimed invention, either explicitly or inherently. The above analysis identifies potential anticipation based on the brief descriptions and the general subject matter. A definitive assessment would require a detailed claim-by-claim comparison with the full disclosure of each prior art document. Elements such as specific particle size ranges, compaction densities, and ratios, which are critical to the claims of US12015118, would need to be present in the prior art to establish actual anticipation. Prior art is presumed to be operable and enabling.

This analysis will assess the obviousness of US patent 12015118 under 35 U.S.C. § 103, considering combinations of prior art references and the motivation a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) would have had to combine them. The analysis will focus on the independent claims (Claims 1, 10, and 19) as they broadly define the invention.

A PHOSITA is considered to have ordinary creativity and common sense and their knowledge includes both explicit teachings and what the art reasonably suggests. Motivation to combine prior art can stem from various factors, including market forces, known needs or problems in the field, and a general desire to improve on existing technology. This includes a general motivation to increase energy efficiency, which is not inherently suspect. Obviousness determinations require clear, fact-based reasoning to support the motivation to combine.

The patent US12015118 addresses the safety problem of lithium-ion batteries being punctured by external forces, specifically aiming to avoid internal short circuits, particularly the dangerous positive electrode current collector-negative electrode active material layer short circuit, while maintaining high energy density.

The "Prior art keywords" listed on US12015118B2 include "active material," "lithium," "layer," "material layer," and "nickel cobalt." This suggests that prior art in these areas is relevant.

Potential Combinations of Prior Art and Motivation to Combine

Combination 1: US9543568B2 (Sung et al.) + General Knowledge in Battery Safety

• US9543568B2 (Sung et al.): This patent explicitly discloses an "electrode including a multi-layered electrode active material layer and a secondary battery including the same." It states that forming an electrode active layer as a multi-layered coating can improve performance by decreasing battery resistance and notes that "researches on lithium secondary batteries having a high energy density are actively conducted." Sung et al. also teach that each layer of the multi-layered structure can be formed using the same or different active material components, and that an active material layer making direct contact with the collector or the uppermost layer can use an active material with better electric conductivity or an electrode slurry with more conductive materials or a more uniform particle size.

• Motivation to Combine: A PHOSITA, aware of the ongoing need to improve lithium-ion battery safety and energy density (as highlighted in US12015118's background), would be motivated to apply the multi-layered electrode concept taught by Sung et al. to enhance safety, particularly against internal short circuits. The general desire to improve prior art, address known problems, and increase energy efficiency are all valid motivations. The concept of providing a coating with higher resistivity on the current collector surface to prevent direct contact during nail penetration is a known approach to avoid dangerous short circuits. US12015118 itself mentions that "preferentially avoiding such a short circuit mode of the positive electrode current collector-negative electrode active material layer is the most direct means for improving the safety of the lithium-ion battery penetrating through nails." The PHOSITA would consider applying a layer, as taught by Sung et al., specifically for this safety purpose.

  The "active material layer 3" (first active material layer) in US12015118 is described as being formed between the current collector and the second active material layer to increase adhesion and protect the current collector, preventing short circuits during nail penetration. Sung et al. already discusses forming a multi-layered electrode with specific active materials for the layer making direct contact with the collector to improve electrical conductivity or particle uniformity. It would be an obvious design choice for a PHOSITA, given the safety concerns, to select materials and parameters for this inner layer (the "first layer" of US12015118) to primarily provide mechanical protection and electrical insulation properties (i.e., higher resistivity), rather than solely focusing on conductivity or particle uniformity, while still being an active material. This adaptation would be driven by the clear motivation to improve battery safety against internal short circuits.

Combination 2: US20240088354A1 (Yang et al.) + US9543568B2 (Sung et al.)

• US20240088354A1 (Yang et al.): This patent application describes a battery electrode with a "layered structure" and specifically mentions "a first coating adjacent to the first metal foil" and "a second coating adjacent to the second metal foil." It also discusses "improving burring and short circuit protection." The abstract also mentions a thermoplastic polymer layer between metal foils and coatings, and the specification further describes a "first lithium cobalt oxide coating adjacent to the first aluminum foil" and a "second lithium cobalt oxide coating adjacent to the second aluminum foil."
• US9543568B2 (Sung et al.): As discussed above, Sung et al. teaches the general concept of multi-layered active material layers for improved battery performance.
• Motivation to Combine: Yang et al. explicitly teaches a layered structure for electrodes with the goal of improving short circuit protection. Sung et al. provides a broader teaching of multi-layered active material layers. A PHOSITA would be motivated to combine the specific short-circuit protection aspects of Yang et al. with the general multi-layering principles of Sung et al. to achieve a more robust and safer electrode design. The general desire to improve the safety and performance of lithium-ion batteries would drive this combination.

Combination 3: US9543568B2 (Sung et al.) + Stanford Researchers' Work on Interfacial Layers (from 2018)

• US9543568B2 (Sung et al.): Again, the teaching of a multi-layered electrode active material layer.
• Stanford Researchers' Work (from 2018): Stanford researchers developed "high ionic conductivity thin films (LiAlO2, LiAlF4) to stabilize lithium ion battery electrodes without sacrificing power density." These "atomic layer deposited interfacial layer reduces side reactions between electrolyte and electrode when operated at a wide electrochemical window, maintains power density, and improves energy density – making a safer battery." These thin films are "electrochemically inert, chemically stable, lithium ion conductive and can be applied to various battery cathodes." They successfully tested this on NMC-811 and LiCoO2 electrodes.
• Motivation to Combine: The Stanford research, published prior to the priority date of US12015118 (which is February 26, 2018), clearly demonstrates a motivation to create safer batteries by using interfacial layers that improve stability, maintain power density, and improve energy density. A PHOSITA, seeking to enhance battery safety and performance, would look to implement such protective interfacial layers. Combining this knowledge with Sung et al.'s teaching of multi-layered active material layers would be a logical step. The interfacial layers described by Stanford could be incorporated as one of the active material layers (e.g., the first active material layer of US12015118) or as a coating within such a multi-layered structure to provide enhanced safety features, such as preventing direct contact between the current collector and the negative electrode active material during a nail penetration event. The known problem of internal short circuits and the desire for safer, higher energy density batteries would strongly motivate this combination.

Obviousness of Specific Claim Limitations

• "A particle size of 90% accumulative volume of the first material is less than 40 μm": US12015118 states that "in the granularity distribution of the positive electrode active material of the first active material layer on a volume basis, a particle size that reaches volume accumulation of 90% from a small particle size (Dv90) ranges below 40 μm." The patent further explains that smaller particles in the first active material layer are desired "to achieve higher coverage and adhesion on the positive electrode current collector (aluminum foil)." A PHOSITA would understand that smaller particle sizes generally lead to better coverage and adhesion for coatings. Given the clear motivation to protect the current collector (as established above), selecting a particle size for the first active material layer that ensures good coverage and adhesion, such as a Dv90 less than 40 μm, would be an obvious design choice. The examples in US12015118 itself demonstrate various Dv50 and Dv90 values for the first active material layer, with results showing good nail penetration performance within the specified range (e.g., Examples 1-20, 22-29, 31-44, 45-50 all have Dv90 equal to or less than 40 μm and 9/10 or 10/10 PASS rate).
• "A total compaction density of the first layer and the second layer is greater than 3.2 g/cc": US12015118 explicitly states that "To ensure the energy density of a lithium-ion battery, it is required that the positive electrode has a higher compaction density, the compaction density of the first active material layer is greater than 2.8 g/cc, the compaction density of the second active material layer is greater than 3.3 g/cc and the compaction density of the all active material layers is greater than 3.2 g/cc." Achieving higher compaction density in battery electrodes is a well-known goal in the art for increasing energy density. A PHOSITA would recognize the importance of compaction density for energy density and would strive to achieve high compaction densities for both individual layers and the overall active material layer. The specific values provided, therefore, represent optimization within known engineering principles for improving battery performance, rather than an inventive step.

Conclusion on Obviousness

Based on the above, the independent claims of US12015118, particularly Claim 1, appear to be obvious in light of combinations of prior art references. The core concept of a multi-layered active material layer for battery electrodes was known (Sung et al.). The motivation to use such layering to enhance safety and prevent short circuits, especially at the interface with the current collector, was a recognized problem in the field, and solutions involving protective layers or coatings were also known (Yang et al., Stanford researchers). A PHOSITA, driven by the persistent need for safer and higher energy density lithium-ion batteries, would have been motivated to combine these teachings. The specific parameters related to particle size (Dv90 < 40 μm) and compaction density (> 3.2 g/cc) represent optimizing known features within expected ranges to achieve desired battery performance and safety, which would be considered within the ordinary skill of a person in the art.