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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited on a Form PTO 1449 have been considered.
Specification
The specification has been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. However, the applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections
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 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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamada (US Pub. 2022/0317941) in view of Sugahara (US 2007/0285447) and further in view of Kusunori (US Pub. 2007/0211091).
Yamada discloses in Figures 1-3 and 7A-7C an information processing apparatus comprising:
Regarding a part of claim 1, a reading unit (61) configured to read cartridge information (42 or 621) from a storage unit (42) of the cartridge (4) (Figure 3, paragraphs 0064-0066); and
Regarding claim 2, wherein the cartridge information (42 or 621) includes at least one of an ink type, physical properties of ink, manufacturing date, manufacturing lot of the ink, cartridge capacity, and mounting information in a main body of the cartridge (4) (Figure 3, paragraph 0066).
However, Yamada does not disclose a determination unit configured to determine an electric potential difference between electric potential of the first electrode and electric potential of the second electrode according to the cartridge information; and wherein the physical properties of ink include at least one of electric conductance or permittivity, an average particle diameter of pigment, ink viscosity, and zeta electric potential.
Nevertheless, regarding a part of claim 1, Sugahara discloses in Figures 1-4 an ink-jet printer (100) comprising a determination unit (25) configured to determine an electric potential difference between electric potential of the first electrode (22) and electric potential of the second electrode (23) according to the cartridge information (paragraphs 0008-0009).
Furthemore, Kusunori discloses in Figure 1 an inkjet recording apparatus comprising:
Regarding claim 3, wherein the physical properties of ink include at least one of electric conductance or permittivity, an average particle diameter of pigment, ink viscosity, and zeta electric potential (paragraphs 0036-0037).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Sugahara and Kusunori in the Yamada’s information processing apparatus for the purpose of creating a high quality ink and
image.
Claims 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US Pub. 2007/0081057) in view of Sugahara (US 2007/0285447).
Kim et al. disclose in Figures 1-2 an ink-jet printer comprising:
Regarding a part of claim 7, a measurement unit (202) configured to measure physical properties of the liquid (ink) (paragraphs 0003 and 0026).
Regarding claim 8, wherein the physical properties of the liquid (ink) are electric conductance or permittivity of ink. (paragraphs 0003 and 0025).
Regarding claim 9, wherein the measurement unit measures the electric conductance of the ink by applying an alternating voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode (Figure 1, paragraphs 0025-0026).
However, Kim et al. do not disclose a determination unit configured to determine an electric potential difference between electric potential of the first electrode and electric potential of the second electrode according to the cartridge information.
Nevertheless, Regarding a part of claim 7, Sugahara discloses in Figures 1-4 an ink-jet printer (100) comprising a determination unit (25) configured to determine an electric potential difference between electric potential of the first electrode (22) and electric potential of the second electrode (23) according to the cartridge information (paragraphs 0008-0009).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Sugahara in the Kim et al’s ink-jet printer for the purpose of creating a high quality ink and image.
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. These prior art references (US Pub. 2023/0314997) cited in the PTO 892 form show an ink jet printer which is deemed to be relevant to the present invention. These references should be reviewed.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 would be allowable if rewritten to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. This claim would be allowable because the prior art references of record fail to teach or suggest a liquid ejection apparatus that includes a cartridge containing liquid and a heat resistor generating heat to eject the liquid and that forms an electric field by a first electrode, which is a part of a protective layer protecting a surface of the heat resistor, and a second electrode corresponding to the first electrode with the liquid interposed therebetween, comprising a mounting information in a main body of the cartridge that includes a mounting time obtained by subtracting mounting date and time of the cartridge from current date and time at which applying of the electric field ends in the combination as claimed.
Claims 5-6 would be allowable. These claims would be allowable because the prior art references of record fail to teach or suggest a liquid ejection apparatus that includes a cartridge containing liquid and a heat resistor generating heat to eject the liquid and that forms an electric field by a first electrode, which is a part of a protective layer protecting a surface of the heat resistor, and a second electrode corresponding to the first electrode with the liquid interposed therebetween, comprising a determination unit that configured to determine an electric potential difference between electric potential of the first electrode and electric potential of the second electrode according to a combined time of a distribution time obtained by subtracting a manufacturing date from a mounting date and time of the cartridge and a mounting time obtained by subtracting the mounting date and time of the cartridge from current date and time at which applying of the electric field ends in the combination as claimed.
Claim 10 would be allowable if rewritten to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. This claim would be allowable because the prior art references of record fail to teach or suggest a cartridge comprising a liquid ejection apparatus that includes a cartridge containing liquid and a heat resistor generating heat to eject the liquid and that forms an electric field by a first electrode, which is a part of a protective layer protecting a surface of the heat resistor, and a second electrode corresponding to the first electrode with the liquid interposed therebetween, comprising a measurement unit that calculates a permittivity of the ink by measuring an electrostatic capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrodein the combination as claimed.
Claim 11 would be allowable if rewritten to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. This claim would be allowable because the prior art references of record fail to teach or suggest a cartridge comprising a liquid ejection apparatus that includes a cartridge containing liquid and a heat resistor generating heat to eject the liquid and that forms an electric field by a first electrode, which is a part of a protective layer protecting a surface of the heat resistor, and a second electrode corresponding to the first electrode with the liquid interposed therebetween, comprising the heat resistor that is arranged between a supply passage to supply the liquid and a collection passage to collect the liquid, and the second electrode is arranged on a downstream side of the collection passage in the combination as claimed
Claim 12 would be allowable if rewritten to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. This claim would be allowable because the prior art references of record fail to teach or suggest a cartridge comprising a liquid ejection apparatus that includes a cartridge containing liquid and a heat resistor generating heat to eject the liquid and that forms an electric field by a first electrode, which is a part of a protective layer protecting a surface of the heat resistor, and a second electrode corresponding to the first electrode with the liquid interposed therebetween, comprising the electric field that is formed such that a charged particle in the liquid is repelled from a surface of the first electrode in the combination as claimed
CONCLUSION
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Examiner Anh Vo whose telephone number is (571) 272-2262. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 9:30 A.M.to 6:00 P.M..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner'ssupervisor, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached on (571) 431-0716. The fax phonenumber for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANH T VO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853