DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Priority
2. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Interpretation
3. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
4. The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
5. This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: “a first generation unit”, “a second generation unit” in claims 1, 10; “a transmission unit” in claim 19.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
A review of the specification shows that the following appears to be the corresponding structure described in the specification for the 35 U.S.C. 112(f) limitations: CPU or ASIC (see Specification, paragraphs 0069, 0093, 162, 163). It is noted that that the functions performed or controlled by CPU are disclosed in a manner that transforms the general CPU or the like to a special purpose CPU or the like programmed to perform the disclosed functions. That is, the various "unit" functions claimed are described in the specification in the form of prose and flow charts in a manner that provides sufficient structure.
If applicant wishes to provide further explanation or dispute the examiner's interpretation of the corresponding structure, applicant must identify the corresponding structure with reference to the specification by page and line number, and to the drawing, if any, by reference characters in response to this Office action.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
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 (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.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
8. Claims 1-2, 5-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by TAKAHASHI et al. US Patent Application No. (US 2009/0096825) (hereinafter TAKAHASHI).
Regarding claim 1, TAKAHASHI discloses an information processing apparatus (Computer 90 functioning as a print controller, Figure 1) configured to generate print data for an image forming apparatus (Print data generation module 100 generates print data to be transmitted to the color printer 20 from the halftone data; paragraph 67) including an inkjet head configured to eject ink from a plurality of nozzles (An ejection head structured to have a nozzle array including multiple nozzles aligned in a specific direction crossing a scanning direction; paragraph 9), the information processing apparatus comprising:
a first generation unit (In printer drive 96, Figure 1) configured to divide the plurality of nozzles into a plurality of pixel groups, and generate, from image data as an image formation target, halftone data causing frequency characteristics of ink dots ejected from a plurality of nozzles corresponding to each of the plurality of pixel groups (A grouping process is performed and the grouping process divides the dither matrix M into two divisional matrices M1 and M2. The divisional matrix M1 corresponds to the first pixel group (having the pixel value `1` in Figure 16), and the divisional matrix M2 corresponds to the second pixel group (having the pixel value `2` in Figure 16); paragraphs 99, 122, Figures 16, 23), to be frequency characteristics suppressing a spectrum in a frequency domain(frequency domain; paragraph 116-117, Figure 20) in which sensitivity of a visual transfer function has a convex shape and a spectrum in a frequency domain corresponding to a tolerance for landing deviation of ink arising between the plurality of pixel groups (A spatial frequency characteristic VTF (visual transfer function) of vision as the human visual sensitivity characteristic to the spatial frequency. The human visual sensitivity is simulated by utilizing the spatial frequency characteristic VTF of vision; paragraphs 118-120, Figure 21 and paragraph 153 indicating that calculating a standard deviation and paragraph 116: A potential variation in hue caused by having frequency domain); and
a second generation unit (In printer drive 96, Figure 1) configured to generate the print data based on the halftone data (Grouping process divides the dither matrix M into two divisional matrices M1 and M2. The divisional matrix M2 corresponds to the second pixel group (having the pixel value `2`); paragraph 122, Figures 16, 23).
Regarding claim 2, TAKAHASHI discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the first generation unit (In printer drive 96, Figure 1) is configured to generate the halftone data from the image data using a dither matrix (Halftone module 99 uses a dither matrix for color subtraction to convert input tone values into output tone values expressible by dot creation as halftone data; paragraph 67), and
in each division matrix into which the dither matrix is divided corresponding to one of the plurality of pixel groups, ink dots corresponding to arranged thresholds have the frequency characteristics (Two divisional matrices M1 and M2 obtained by dividing a dither matrix M; paragraphs 43, 67, 104-106, 109, Figures 16, 23).
Regarding claim 5, TAKAHASHI discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the inkjet head includes a first single head and a second single head (a combination of two print heads 10A and 10B; paragraph 15, Figure 2), and
a first pixel group corresponding to a nozzle group of the first single head and a second pixel group corresponding to a nozzle group of the second single head are included as the plurality of pixel groups (A dot position allocation matrix AL and a dot number allocation table Dn. The dot position allocation matrix AL has a first pixel group with a pixel value equal to `1` and a second pixel value with a pixel value equal to `2`; paragraphs 104-111, Figure 16).
Regarding claim 6, TAKAHASHI discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the inkjet head includes a first single head and a second single head, and
pixel groups each corresponding to one of a plurality of nozzle arrays included in one of the first single head and the second single head are included as the plurality of pixel groups (grouping process divides dither matrix M into two divisional matrices M1 and M2. The divisional matrix M1 corresponds to the first pixel group, and the divisional matrix M2 corresponds to the second pixel group; paragraph 122, Figure 23).
Regarding claim 7, TAKAHASHI discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pixel groups include pixel groups into which division is made by a plurality of methods (grouping process divides dither matrix M into two divisional matrices M1 and M2 (see Figure 23). The divisional matrix M1 corresponds to the first pixel group (having the pixel value `1` in Figure 16), and the divisional matrix M2 corresponds to the second pixel group; paragraphs 104-122, Figure 30).
Regarding claim 8, TAKAHASHI discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first generation unit is configured to generate the halftone data causing frequency characteristics of ink dots ejected from all of the plurality of nozzles of the inkjet head, to be blue noise characteristics or green noise characteristics (A spatial frequency characteristic of threshold values set at respective pixel positions in a blue noise dither matrix having a blue noise characteristic as a simple example of adjustment of a dither matrix; paragraphs 39, 116-117, Figure 20).
Regarding claim 9, TAKAHASHI discloses a data generation method of a dither matrix used for generating print data (a processing routine of dither matrix generation, Figure 22) for an image forming apparatus (Print data generation module 100 generates print data to be transmitted to the color printer 20 from the halftone data; paragraph 67) including an inkjet head configured to eject ink from a plurality of nozzles (An ejection head structured to have a nozzle array including multiple nozzles aligned in a specific direction crossing a scanning direction; paragraph 9), the method comprising:
dividing the dither matrix into division matrices each corresponding to one of a plurality of pixel groups obtained by dividing the plurality of nozzles (Two divisional matrices M1 and M2 obtained by dividing a dither matrix M; paragraph 42, Figure 23); and
generating the dither matrix causing frequency characteristics of an arrangement of thresholds set in each of the division matrices (A spatial frequency characteristic of threshold values set at respective pixel positions as an adjustment of the dither matrix; paragraph 116, Figure 20), to be frequency characteristics suppressing a spectrum in a frequency domain in which sensitivity of a visual transfer function has a convex shape (A spatial frequency characteristic VTF (visual transfer function) of vision as the human visual sensitivity characteristic to the spatial frequency; paragraph 118, Figure 21) and a spectrum in a frequency domain corresponding to a tolerance for landing deviation of ink arising between the plurality of pixel groups (A dot pattern expected by application of the dither matrix to the respective input tone values gives a power spectrum; paragraph 119).
Regarding claim 10, TAKAHASHI discloses an image forming system comprising: an image forming apparatus (Color printer 20; Figure 1) including an inkjet head configured to eject ink from a plurality of nozzles (An ejection head structured to have a nozzle array including multiple nozzles aligned in a specific direction crossing a scanning direction; paragraph 9); and
an information processing apparatus configured to generate print data for the image forming apparatus (Print data generation module 100 generates print data to be transmitted to the color printer 20 from the halftone data; paragraph 67), wherein
the information processing apparatus comprises:
a first generation unit configured to divide the plurality of nozzles into a plurality of pixel groups, and generate, from image data as an image formation target, halftone data causing frequency characteristics of ink dots ejected from a plurality of nozzles corresponding to each of the plurality of pixel groups (Grouping process divides the dither matrix M into two divisional matrices M1 and M2. The divisional matrix M1 corresponds to the first pixel group (having the pixel value `1`); paragraphs 99, 122, Figures 16, 23), to be frequency characteristics suppressing a spectrum in a frequency domain in which sensitivity of a visual transfer function has a convex shape and a spectrum (A spatial frequency characteristic VTF (visual transfer function) of vision as the human visual sensitivity characteristic to the spatial frequency; paragraph 118, Figure 21) in a frequency domain corresponding to a tolerance for landing deviation of ink arising between the plurality of pixel groups (frequency component in a frequency domain; paragraphs 116-117); and
a second generation unit configured to generate the print data based on the halftone data (Grouping process divides the dither matrix M into two divisional matrices M1 and M2. The divisional matrix M2 corresponds to the second pixel group (having the pixel value `2`); paragraph 122, Figures 16, 23); and
a transmission unit configured to transmit the print data generated by the second generation unit to the image forming apparatus, and the image forming apparatus is configured to receive the print data transmitted from the transmission unit and form an image based on the print data (Print data generation module 100 generates print data to be transmitted to the color printer 20 from the halftone data; paragraph 67).
Allowable Subject Matter
9. Claims 3-4 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.
Information Disclosure Statement
10. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/09/2024 was filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Cited Art
11. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
HIOKI et al. (US 2021/0291512) discloses a liquid ejecting device that ejects a liquid through an inkjet method, and the liquid ejecting device comprising: an inkjet head including a plurality of nozzles arranged with positions shifted from each other in a nozzle row direction that is predetermined; a scanning driver that causes the inkjet head to perform a main scan of ejecting the liquid while relatively moving in a main scanning direction intersecting the nozzle row direction with respect to a liquid ejecting target; and a controller that controls operation of the inkjet head and the scanning driver, wherein when an abnormal nozzle which is a nozzle having an abnormal ejection characteristic is present, the controller causes another nozzle in a vicinity of the abnormal nozzle to eject the liquid of a larger amount than that in a normal time when the abnormal nozzle is not present to a part of an ejecting position where the liquid is ejectable by the other nozzle in the main scan based on a mask prepared in advance, so that an amount of the liquid to be ejected at a time of the main scan by the other nozzle becomes larger than that in the normal time, and the mask being data specifying the ejecting position for increasing an ejection amount of the liquid and an ejection amount to be increased at the ejecting position, wherein the liquid ejecting device is a printing apparatus that uses a cloth medium as the liquid ejecting target, the liquid is an ink used for printing, and in the main scan, the inkjet head ejects ink from each of the nozzles, so that ink dots formed on the cloth medium by inks ejected from the nozzles adjacent in the nozzle row direction have a size of coming into contact on the cloth medium.
SHIBATA (US 2017/0282535) discloses an image forming apparatus comprising: an inkjet head having a plurality of nozzles each ejecting a droplet; an image abnormality detecting device configured to detect abnormality of an image caused by abnormality of a nozzle of the plurality of nozzles from the image recorded on a recording medium by the inkjet head; and a correcting device configured to perform correction of lowering visibility of a missing portion by making a part of the plurality of nozzles non-ejectable and by compensating for the missing portion in the recorded image caused by the non-ejection by recording from another nozzle based on a detection result by the image abnormality detecting device, wherein: the correcting device includes: a plural non-ejection correcting device configured to perform correction by making two or more of the nozzles non-ejectable with respect to one abnormal nozzle; and a single non-ejection correcting device configured to perform correction by making one abnormal nozzle non-ejectable with respect to the one abnormal nozzle, and after a plural non-ejection correction is performed that carries out correction by making a nozzle group belonging to a nozzle range corresponding to a region including the abnormality detected by the image abnormality detecting device and including the abnormal nozzle non-ejectable by the plural non-ejection correcting device, a single non-ejection correction is performed which carries out correction by making the abnormal nozzle non-ejectable by the single non-ejection correcting device, wherein assuming that a nozzle alignment direction in the inkjet head crossing a first direction that is a relative movement direction of the inkjet head and the recording medium when the image is to be recorded on the recording medium by the inkjet head is a second direction, the plural non-ejection correcting device performs correction by making a plurality of nozzles that are in an alignment order in the second direction of the nozzles non-ejectable and by lowering the visibility of the missing portion by using remaining nozzles other than the nozzles made non-ejectable.
12. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALLEN H NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1229. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7 am-4 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ABDERRAHIM MEROUAN can be reached at (571) 270-5254. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALLEN H NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2683