DETAILED ACTION
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 .
2. This office action is responsive to the application Nº 18/420,513 filed on January 23rd, 2024 in which claims 1-20 are pending and ready for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. Acknowledgment is made of Applicant’s Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) form PTO-1449. These IDS have been considered.
Priority
4. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Drawings
5. The examiner contends that the drawings submitted on 01/23/2024 are acceptable for examination proceedings.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
6. 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 correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will 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.
7. 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.
8. Claims 1-4 and 6-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Verheijen et al. (US Pub. Nº 2019/0023003).
9. Regarding independent claim 1: Verheijen et al. disclosed an apparatus ([0041], line 1; also see Fig. 1, reference 10) for processing a substrate ([0043], line 1; also see Fig. 2, reference W) comprising:
a process processing unit including a stage ([0043], line 1; also see Fig. 1, reference 14) supporting a substrate (Fig. 2, reference W) and configured to move the substrate on the stage ([0046], lines 1-3; also see Fig. 1, reference 18);
an inkjet head unit configured to discharge a substrate processing liquid onto the substrate ([0045], lines 1-3; also see Fig. 1, reference 16);
a gantry unit configured to move the inkjet head unit ([0046], lines 4-5; also see Fig. 1, reference 21); and
a jetting driver configured to control discharge of the substrate processing liquid ([0047], lines 1-2; also see Fig. 1, reference 22),
wherein a first signal controlling a position of the substrate ([0047], lines 7-8; also see Fig. 1; the control signal from the control unit of printing motion assembly 18 of stage 14) and a second signal controlling a position of the inkjet head unit ([0047], lines 7-8; also see Fig. 1; the control signal from the control unit of printing motion assembly 20 of printing head 16) are synchronized ([0047], lines 8-10; the drive signal from the drive unit for the positioning of the stage 14 and the drive signal from the drive unit for the positioning of the head unit 16 are coordinated (synchronized) by the master controller 24).
10. Regarding claim 2: Verheijen et al. disclosed the apparatus of claim 1 further comprises, a first control unit configured to recognize and control a position of the substrate ([0047], lines 7-8; the control unit of printing motion assembly 18 of stage 14 (not shown)); and a second control unit configured to control the jetting driver ([0047], lines 1-2; also see Fig. 1, reference 22).
11. Regarding claim 3: Verheijen et al. disclosed the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first control unit or the second control unit recognizes and controls a position of the inkjet head unit ([0047], lines 1-3).
12. Regarding claim 4: Verheijen et al. disclosed the apparatus of claim 2, wherein a transmission signal between the first control unit and the second control unit is a digital signal ([0047], lines 8-10; communication between controllers of an inkjet apparatus is based on a digital signal. Also see [0002], lines 2-4).
13. Regarding claim 6: Verheijen et al. disclosed the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first control unit and the second control unit perform signal synchronization ([0047], lines 8-10).
14. Regarding claim 7: Verheijen et al. disclosed the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the jetting driver operates when signals are synchronized ([0047], lines 1-4 and 8-10).
15. Regarding claim 8: Verheijen et al. disclosed the apparatus of claim 1, wherein a position of each discharge point on the substrate and a position of each nozzle within the inkjet head unit are synchronized in real time ([0047], lines 1-4 and 8-10).
16. Regarding claim 9: Verheijen et al. disclosed the apparatus of claim 1, wherein a third signal controlling the jetting driver is synchronized with the first signal and/or the second signal ([0047], lines 1-4 and 8-10).
17. Regarding claim 10: Verheijen et al. disclosed the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first control unit recognizes a position of the substrate using a first camera sensor or a plurality of sensors disposed on one or both sides of the stage ([0055], lines 1-4; also see Fig. 1, references 26).
18. Regarding claim 11: Verheijen et al. disclosed the apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first camera sensor is disposed above the substrate (Fig. 1, cameras 26 are disposed above the substrate W placed on the stage 14 (see Fig. 2 for further clarifications)).
19. Regarding claim 12: Verheijen et al. disclosed the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first control unit calculates a position of each discharge point on the substrate based on information about a size of the substrate and information about a vertex of the substrate ([0019] – [0023]).
20. Regarding claim 13: Verheijen et al. disclosed the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second control unit recognizes a position of the inkjet head unit using a second camera sensor or a plurality of sensors disposed on a side surface of the gantry unit ([0066], lines 1-2; also see Fig. 1, reference 30).
21. Regarding claim 14: Verheijen et al. disclosed the apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second camera sensor is disposed lower than the inkjet head unit ([0066], lines 1-2; also see Fig. 1, camera 30 is disposed lower than the inkjet head unit 16).
22. Regarding claim 15: Verheijen et al. disclosed the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second control unit calculates a position of each nozzle in the inkjet head unit based on information about a size of the inkjet head unit and information about a vertex of the inkjet head unit ([0019] – [0023]).
23. Claims 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Verheijen et al. (US Pub. Nº 2019/0023003).
24. Regarding claim 16: Verheijen et al. disclosed a method for processing a substrate ([0028], line 1) comprising:
recognizing a position of a substrate ([0074, lines 1-3 and [0075], lines 1-3);
recognizing a position of an inkjet head unit ([0078], lines 1-2) for discharging a substrate processing liquid on the substrate ([0075], lines 3-7);
synchronizing ([0047], lines 8-10; the drive signal from the drive unit for the positioning of the stage 14 and the drive signal from the drive unit for the positioning of the head unit 16 are coordinated (synchronized) by the master controller 24) a first signal controlling a position of the substrate ([0047], lines 7-8; also see Fig. 1; the control signal from the control unit of printing motion assembly 18 of stage 14) and a second signal controlling a position of the inkjet head unit ([0047], lines 7-8; also see Fig. 1; the control signal from the control unit of printing motion assembly 20 of printing head 16); and
controlling discharge of the substrate processing liquid based on synchronization of the first signal and the second signal ([0075], lines 3-7).
25. Regarding claim 17: Verheijen et al. disclosed the method of claim 16, wherein position control of the substrate and position control of the inkjet head unit are related to a first control unit ([0047], lines 8-10; also see Fig. 1, reference 24), and discharge of the substrate processing liquid is related to a second control unit ([0047], lines 6-7; also see Fig. 1, reference 22).
26. Regarding claim 18: Verheijen et al. disclosed the method of claim 17, wherein a transmission signal between the first control unit and the second control unit is a digital signal ([0047], lines 8-10; communication between controllers of an inkjet apparatus is based on a digital signal. Also see [0002], lines 2-4).
27. Regarding claim 19: Verheijen et al. disclosed the method of claim 16, wherein position control of the substrate is related to a first control unit ([0047], lines 7-8), and position control of the inkjet head unit is related to a second control unit ([0047], lines 6-7; also see Fig. 1, reference 22).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
28. 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 correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will 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.
29. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth 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 of this title, 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.
30. Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Verheijen et al. (US Pub. Nº 2019/0023003), in view of Kobayashi et al. (US Pub. Nº 2004/0130584).
31. Regarding claim 5: Verheijen et al. disclosed the apparatus of claim 2.
Verheijen et al. are silent about wherein a transmission signal between the second control unit and the jetting driver is an analog signal.
Kobayashi et al. disclosed a liquid processing apparatus for discharging a substrate processing liquid onto a substrate ([0007], lines 1-2), wherein a transmission signal between a control unit and a jetting driver is an analog signal ([0042], lines 1-3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Kobayashi et al. with those of Verheijen et al. by providing an analog transmission between the control unit and the jetting driver in order to perform optional ink refresh operation without sacrificing recording speed as disclosed by Kobayashi et al. in paragraph [0020].
32. Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Verheijen et al. (US Pub. Nº 2019/0023003), in view of Kobayashi et al. (US Pub. Nº 2004/0130584).
33. Regarding independent claim 20: Verheijen et al. disclosed an apparatus ([0041], line 1; also see Fig. 1, reference 10) for processing a substrate ([0043], line 1; also see Fig. 2, reference W) comprising:
a process processing unit including a stage ([0043], line 1; also see Fig. 1, reference 14) supporting a substrate (Fig. 2, reference W) and configured to move the substrate on the stage ([0046], lines 1-3; also see Fig. 1, reference 18);
an inkjet head unit configured to discharge a substrate processing liquid onto the substrate ([0045], lines 1-3; also see Fig. 1, reference 16);
a gantry unit configured to move the inkjet head unit ([0046], lines 4-5; also see Fig. 1, reference 21);
a jetting driver configured to control discharge of the substrate processing liquid ([0047], lines 1-2; also see Fig. 1, reference 22);
a first control unit configured to recognize and control a position of the substrate ([0047], lines 1-2 and 7-8; also see Fig. 1; the control unit of motion assembly 18 of stage 14); and
a second control unit configured to control the jetting driver ([0047], lines 1-2 and 7-8; also see Fig. 1; the control unit 22 of printing motion assembly 20 of printing head 16),
wherein a first signal controlling a position of the substrate and a second signal controlling a position of the inkjet head unit are synchronized ([0047], lines 8-10; the drive signal from the drive unit for the positioning of the stage 14 and the drive signal from the drive unit for the positioning of the head unit 16 are coordinated (synchronized) by the master controller 24),
wherein the first control unit or the second control unit recognizes and controls a position of the inkjet head unit ([0047], lines 1-2 and 7-8; also see Fig. 1; reference 22),
wherein a transmission signal between the first control unit and the second control unit is a digital signal ([0047], lines 8-10; communication between controllers of an inkjet apparatus is based on a digital signal. Also see [0002], lines 2-4).
Verheijen et al. are silent about wherein a transmission signal between the second control unit and the jetting driver is an analog signal.
Kobayashi et al. disclosed a liquid processing apparatus for discharging a substrate processing liquid onto a substrate ([0007], lines 1-2), wherein a transmission signal between a control unit and a jetting driver is an analog signal ([0042], lines 1-3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Kobayashi et al. with those of Verheijen et al. by providing an analog transmission between the control unit and the jetting driver in order to perform optional ink refresh operation without sacrificing recording speed as disclosed by Kobayashi et al. in paragraph [0020].
Conclusion
34. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YAOVI M. AMEH whose telephone number is (571)272-4578. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
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36. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, RICARDO MAGALLANES can be reached at (571)272-5960. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/YAOVI M AMEH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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