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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3/29/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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, 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.
Claim(s) 1-5 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsumoto (US 2020/0086641 A1) in view of Imai et al. (US 5821954).
Regarding claim 1:
Matsumoto disclose a liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
a first control circuit (control circuit 100) configured to output a reference drive signal (dA) and a first discharge control signal (e.g. SI1: paragraphs 91, 93);
a second control circuit (diagnosis circuit 240) configured to output a second discharge control signal (e.g. cSCK: paragraph 101);
a drive circuit (50) configured to output a drive signal (COM) in accordance with the reference drive signal (paragraph 94 & Fig. 2);
a first discharge section (discharge section 600 corresponding to driving circuit 200-1) configured to discharge liquid onto a medium in accordance with the drive signal and the first discharge control signal (Fig. 2);
a second discharge section (discharge section 600 corresponding to driving circuit 200-n) configured to discharge liquid onto a medium in accordance with the drive signal and the second discharge control signal (Fig. 2);
a first timing signal output circuit (encoder 90) configured to output a first timing signal in accordance with a relative positional relationship between the medium and the first discharge section (paragraph 90).
Matsumoto does not expressly disclose a second timing signal output circuit.
However, Imai discloses a liquid discharge apparatus that enables auxiliary ejection to be carried out without providing a special circuit for determining timing of the auxiliary ejection (col. 8, lines 48-57) by providing an apparatus that comprises:
a first timing signal output circuit (photo-interrupter 32) configured to output a first timing signal (first print clock signal 39 from encoder) in accordance with a relative positional relationship between a medium and a discharge section (col. 4, lines 33-52 & Fig. 8); and
a second timing signal output circuit (86) configured to output a second timing signal (second print clock signal 83: col. 6, lines 13-18),
wherein, in a first mode (“print mode”: col. 5, line 66 – col. 6, line 5), in which the relative positional relationship between the medium and the discharge section changes, control circuits (driver 50) are operated in accordance with the first timing signal (col. 6, lines 55-58),
whereas, in a second mode (“auxiliary mode”: col. 5, line 66 – col. 6, line 5), in which the relative position relationship between the medium and the discharge section does not change, the control circuits are operated in accordance with the second timing signal (col. 6, lines 58-60).
Therefore, at the time of filing, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Matsumoto’s apparatus to include a second timing signal output circuit and respective controls for enabling auxiliary ejection.
Regarding claim 2:
Matsumoto’s modified apparatus comprises all the limitations of claim 1, and Imai et al. also disclose that the second timing signal output circuit outputs in the second mode the second timing signal that simulates the first timing signal output by the first timing signal output circuit in the first mode (col. 6, lines 55-60 & Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 3:
Matsumoto’s modified apparatus comprises all the limitations of claim 2, and Imai et al. also disclose that the second timing signal output circuit outputs the second timing signal that simulates an output of the first timing signal output circuit in accordance with a clock signal output by the first control signal (col. 6, lines 6-8 & Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 4:
Matsumoto’s modified apparatus comprises all the limitations of claim 1, and Imai et al. also disclose a selector (selection section 45) that switches whether to supply the first timing signal to the control circuits or to supply the second timing signal to the control circuits (col. 6, lines 45-63 & Figs. 8-9).
Regarding claim 5:
Matsumoto’s modified apparatus comprises all the limitations of claim 4, and Imai et al. also disclose that, in accordance with a selector control signal (select signal 82) output by a first control circuit (of CPU 86), the selector switches whether to supply the first timing signal to the control circuits or to supply the second timing signal to the control circuits (Figs. 8-9).
Regarding claim 7:
Matsumoto’s modified apparatus comprises all the limitations of claim 1, and Imai et al. also disclose that the discharge section performs a flushing operation (“auxiliary ejection”) in the second mode (col. 8, lines 6-22).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsumoto as modified by Imai et al., as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Takano et al. (US 2012/0249638 A1).
Regarding claim 6:
Matsumoto et al.’s modified apparatus comprises all the limitations of claim 1, and Matsumoto also disclose that the first discharge section includes a piezoelectric element (60) driven by being supplied with a drive signal (paragraph 105), and Imai et al. also disclose driving a piezoelectric element in the second mode (col. 5, line 66 – col. 6, line 5).
Matsumoto et al.’s modified apparatus does not expressly disclose that the first control circuit obtains residual vibration that occurs after the piezoelectric element is driven in the second mode.
However, Takano et al. disclose a liquid discharge apparatus that enables a driving signal to be corrected more appropriately (paragraph 60) by obtaining residual vibration that occurs after a piezoelectric element (45) is driven in a second mode (in an adjustment period RFL: paragraphs 55-58 & Figs. 10, 12).
Therefore, at the time of filing, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to obtain residual vibration with the first control circuit in Matsumoto et al.’s modified apparatus, as taught by Takano et al., so as to enable more appropriate driving signal correction.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Komada et al. (US 2015/0174898 A1) disclose a liquid discharge apparatus having a first timing signal output circuit (4) that generates a first timing signal (“print timing signal”) and a second timing signal output circuit (326) that generates a second timing signal (“oscillation timing signal”: Fig. 7).
Sato et al. (US 2008/0150978 A1) disclose a liquid discharge apparatus having a first timing signal output circuit (232A) that generates a first timing signal (LAT1) and a second timing signal output circuit (232B) that generates a second timing signal (LAT2: Fig. 15).
Communication with the USPTO
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Shelby L Fidler whose telephone number is (571)272-8455. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30am - 5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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SHELBY L. FIDLER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2853
/SHELBY L FIDLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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