Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
2. A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 2/3/2026 has been entered.
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.
3. Claims 1, 4 and 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0189330 (Saito et al.) (hereinafter “Saito”).
Regarding claim 1, Figs. 1-17 show an image forming apparatus (1) comprising:
a plurality of sheet holders (110a, 110b, 110c, 120);
a printer (150);
a detection sensor (115) located on a conveyance path (feed path starting at holder);
one or more memories (ROM 6 in Fig. 2) storing instructions; and
one or more processors (including 130 and 140) executing the instructions to function as:
a receiving unit (130) configured to receive a setting for specifying, using the detection sensor (115), a sheet type of a sheet fed from a predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a) among the plurality of sheet holders (including 110a, 110b, 110c and 120); and
a selection unit (140) configured to select, from the plurality of sheet holders (including 110a, 110b, 110c and 120), a sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120) as the sheet holder to be used for a print job (request to form an image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]), wherein a sheet size coinciding with a sheet size designated by the print job (request to form an image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]) is set in the sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120),
wherein, in a case where a sheet type (e.g., A3 LONGITUDINAL in Fig. 4) is not specified (no detected sheet in empty paper sheet cassette in numbered paragraph [0041]) using the detection sensor (115) after the receiving unit (130) receives the setting and the sheet size coinciding with the sheet size (e.g., A3 LONGITUDINAL ) designated by the print job (request to form an image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]) is set in the predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120), the selection unit (140) does not select, from the plurality of sheet holders (including 110a, 110b, 110c and 120), the predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120) as the sheet holder to be used for the print job (request to form an image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]), and
wherein, in a case where the sheet type (e.g., A3 LONGITUDINAL) is specified (detected sheet in paper sheet cassette) using the detection sensor (115) after the receiving unit (130) receives the setting and the sheet size coinciding with the sheet size (A3 LONGITUDINAL) designated by the print job (request to form image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]) is set in the predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120), the selection unit (140) can select, from the plurality of sheet holders (110a, 110b, 110c, 120), the predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120) as the sheet holder to be used for the print job (request to form image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]).
Regarding claim 4, as best understood, Figs. 1-17 show that, in a case where the predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120) is designated by the print job (request for printing in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]), the selection unit (140) selects the predetermined sheet holder (110a or 120) as the sheet holder to be used for the print job (request for printing in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]) regardless of whether the sheet type is specified using the detection sensor (115) after the receiving unit (130) receives the setting.
Regarding claim 7, Figs. 1-17 show that the predetermined sheet holder (120) is a manual tray, and wherein the detection sensor (115) detects a feature (e.g., width) of a sheet fed from the manual tray (120).
Regarding claim 8, Figs. 1-17 show that the receiving unit (130) receives another setting (e.g., PLAIN SHEET in Fig. 4) for setting whether, in a case where the sheet type is not specified (not detected) using the detection sensor (115) after the receiving unit (130) receives the setting (e.g., A3 LONGITUDINAL in Fig. 4) and the sheet size coinciding with the sheet size designated by the print job (request for printing in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]) is set in the predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120), the selection unit (140) selects the predetermined sheet holder (110a or 120) as the sheet holder to be used for the print job (request for printing in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]).
Regarding claim 9, Figs. 1-17 disclose a control method for controlling an image forming apparatus (1) including a plurality of sheet holders (110a, 110b, 110c, 120), a printer (150) and a detection sensor (115) located on a conveyance path (feed path starting at holder), the control method comprising:
receiving a setting (e.g., A3 LONGITUDINAL in Fig. 4) for specifying, using the detection sensor (115), a sheet type of a sheet fed from a predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120) among the plurality of sheet holders (110a, 110b, 110c, 120); and
selecting, from the plurality of sheet holders (110a, 110b, 110c, 120), a sheet holder (110a or 120) as the sheet holder to be used for a print job (request to form image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]), wherein a sheet size (e.g., A3) coinciding with a sheet size designated by the print job (request to form image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]) is set in the sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120),
wherein, in a case where a sheet type is not specified (no detected sheet in empty paper sheet cassette in numbered paragraph [0041]) using the detection sensor (115) after the setting (e.g., A3 LONGITUDINAL in Fig. 4) is received and the sheet size coinciding with the sheet size designated by the print job (request to form image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]) is set in the predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120), the predetermined sheet holder (110a or 120) is not selected from the plurality of sheet holders (110a, 110b, 110c, 120) as the sheet holder to be used for the print job (request to form image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]), and
wherein, in a case where the sheet type (e.g., A3 LONGITUDINAL in Fig. 4) is specified using the detection sensor (115) after the setting is received and the sheet size coinciding with the sheet size designated by the print job (request to form image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]) is set in the predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120), the predetermined sheet holder (110a or 120) is selectable from the plurality of sheet holders (110a, 110b, 110c, 120) as the sheet holder to be used for the print job (request to form image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]).
Regarding claim 10, Figs. 1-17 show a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing an image forming apparatus (1) including a plurality of sheet holders (110a, 110b, 110c, 120), a printer (150) and a detection sensor (115) located on a conveyance path (feed path starting at holder) to execute a control method for controlling the image forming apparatus (1), the control method comprising:
receiving a setting (e.g., A3 LONGITUDINAL in Fig. 4) for specifying, using the detection sensor (115), a sheet type of a sheet fed from a predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120) among the plurality of sheet holders (110a, 110b, 110c, 120); and
selecting, from the plurality of sheet holders (110a, 110b, 110c, 120), a sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120) as the sheet holder to be used for a print job (request to form image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]), wherein a sheet size (e.g., A3 LONGITUDINAL) coinciding with a sheet size designated by the print job (request to form image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]) is set in the sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120),
wherein, in a case where a sheet type (e.g., A3 LONGITUDINAL) is not specified (no detected sheet in empty paper sheet cassette in numbered paragraph [0041]) using the detection sensor (115) after the setting (e.g., A3 LONGITUDINAL in Fig. 4) is received and the sheet size coinciding with the sheet size designated by the print job (request to form image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]) is set in the predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120), the predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120) is not selected from the plurality of sheet holders (110a, 110b, 110c, 120) as the sheet holder to be used for the print job (request to form image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]), and
wherein, in a case where the sheet type (e.g., A3 LONGITUDINAL) is specified (detected) using the detection sensor (115) after the setting (e.g., A3 LONGITUDINAL in Fig. 4) is received and the sheet size coinciding with the sheet size designated by the print job (request to form image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]) is set in the predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120), the predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120) is selectable from the plurality of sheet holders (110a, 110b, 110c, 120) as the sheet holder to be used for the print job (request to form image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]).
Response to Arguments
4. Applicant's arguments filed 2/3/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues
However, SAITO does not disclose the configuration described in the presently amended claims. In particular, no detection sensor located on a conveyance path is described/illustrated in SAITO. Furthermore, there is no description/illustration or suggestion at all of switching whether or not a predetermined sheet holder is selected as a sheet holder to be used for a print job based on whether a sheet type has been detected after performing a setting that the sheet type is identified using a detection sensor.
The examiner disagrees with this argument. Saito teaches a detection sensor (115) located on a conveyance path (feed path starting at holder). See, e.g., numbered paragraphs [0037] and [0038] of Saito explaining sensor location in holder and feeding sheets out of holder. Also, Saito teaches that, in a case where a sheet type (e.g., A3 LONGITUDINAL in Fig. 4) is not specified (no detected sheet in empty paper sheet cassette in numbered paragraph [0041]) using the detection sensor (115) after the receiving unit (130) receives the setting and the sheet size coinciding with the sheet size (e.g., A3 LONGITUDINAL ) designated by the print job (request to form an image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]) is set in the predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120), the selection unit (140) does not select, from the plurality of sheet holders (including 110a, 110b, 110c and 120), the predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120) as the sheet holder to be used for the print job (request to form an image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]), and
wherein, in a case where the sheet type (e.g., A3 LONGITUDINAL in Fig. 4) is specified (detected sheet in paper sheet cassette) using the detection sensor (115) after the receiving unit (130) receives the setting and the sheet size coinciding with the sheet size (A4 Longitudinal) designated by the print job (request to form image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]) is set in the predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120), the selection unit (140) can select, from the plurality of sheet holders (110a, 110b, 110c, 120), the predetermined sheet holder (e.g., 110a or 120) as the sheet holder to be used for the print job (request to form image in numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0039]).
The rejections of dependent claims 4 and 7-8 are also outlined above.
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 2 and 5 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
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS A MORRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-7221. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am - 5pm.
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/THOMAS A MORRISON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653