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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claims 1 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hoshino et al. US 2023/0064405 A1 (hereinafter “Hoshino”).
Regarding claim 1, Hoshino discloses an image forming system (FIG. 1) comprising:
a transport device including a loop member (52) that turns and that includes a plurality of grip units (53), the transport device transporting a medium that is gripped by the plurality of grip units as the loop member turns;
a formation device (12) that forms an image on the medium that is transported by the transport device; and
a processor (16) configured to:
cause the formation device to start image formation on a medium that is gripped by a specific grip unit of the plurality of grip units in an association mode.
Regarding claim 14, Hoshino discloses image forming system (FIG. 1) comprising:
means for transporting a medium (42) that is gripped by a plurality of grip units (53, [0034]) as a loop member turns;
means for forming an image (12) on the medium that is transported by the means for transporting; and
means for causing (16) the means for forming to start image formation on a medium that is gripped by a specific grip unit of the plurality of grip units in an association mode.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUIS A GONZALEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-3094. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5:30pm.
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/LUIS A GONZALEZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653
