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.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by Llosa et al. (WO 2019/022772) or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Llosa et al. (WO 2019/022772) in view of Ishikawa et al. (US 2019/0030926).
Regarding claim 1, Llosa et al teaches a printing device (fig.3), comprising:
a paper roll carrying base (web media holder 302 fig.3;102 fig.1) comprising a paper roll accommodation space (space accommodating paper roll 306) and two paper clamping arms (not shown in the fig.3, but the core hub 330 and the paper roll 306 are rotatable, paragraphs 0032,0042, which inherently necessitate the core 330 of the roll to be supported by two structures/arms on opposite sides of the roll), wherein the two paper clamping arms are opposed to each other and installed in the paper roll accommodation space, and a paper roll (306 fig.3) is clamped by the two paper clamping arms (fig.3); and
a distance sensor (sensor 304 fig.3;104 fig.1) disposed on a bottom surface of the paper roll accommodation space (space accommodating paper roll 306 fig.3), wherein the distance sensor faces the paper roll (306 fig.3),
wherein a paper roll distance between the paper roll (306) and the distance sensor (304) is detected by the distance sensor (304 fig.3;104 fig.1), and a remaining amount of the paper roll is estimated according to the paper roll distance (Paragraphs 009,0014,0015,0045-0047; step 510 in fig.5; step 616 in fig.6. Teaches determining/estimating the remaining amount of the paper roll using the systems/modules in figs.1-4 see paragraphs 0025,0039).
In case applicant argued that Llosa et al does not explicitly teaches two paper clamping arms, wherein the two paper clamping arms are opposed to each other and installed in the paper roll accommodation space, and the paper roll is clamped by the two paper clamping arms.
In the alternative, Ishikawa et al teaches similar printing device including: a paper roll carrying base (3 figs.5,6) comprising a paper roll accommodation space (space accommodating roll 10) and two paper clamping arms (the two vertical portions/walls of 3 supporting core/shaft 14 of roll 10), wherein the two paper clamping arms (the two vertical portions/walls of 3) are opposed to each other and installed in the paper roll accommodation space, and the paper roll (10) is clamped by the two paper clamping arms (the two vertical portions/walls of 3).
Therefore, in the alternative, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use such paper roll carrying base including two paper clamping arms in the printing device of Llosa et al in view of Ishikawa et al to provide paper roll carrying base capable of accommodating bigger, heavier, and/or delicate paper roll to improve quality and efficiency of printing.
Regarding claim 2, Llosa et al as alternatively modified by Ishikawa et al further teaches wherein the printing device further comprises a control module (110 fig.1,310 fig.3 of Llosa et al), wherein when a paper roll remaining amount detection program (figs.5,6) is executed by the control module, a paper roll remaining amount detection process is performed (figs.5,6), wherein the paper roll remaining amount detection process comprises steps of:
(a) reading a paper core information about the paper roll, and loading a preset threshold value corresponding to the paper roll (602,604 in fig.6; 502 fig.5; paragraphs 0013,0015,0041,0046,0047);
(b) detecting the paper roll distance (608 in fig.6; 506 fig.5; paragraphs 0043,0046);
(c) judging whether the paper roll distance is larger than or equal to the preset threshold value, wherein if the paper roll distance is larger than or equal to the preset threshold value, an insufficient remaining amount message is generated, wherein if the paper roll distance is smaller than the preset threshold value, a step (d) is performed (616 in fig.6; 510 fig.5; paragraphs 0045, 0046,0047);
(d) performing a printing standby process, and then performing a printing operation (printing performed 624 in fig.6, paragraph 0050-0052); and
(e) performing the step (b) again after the printing operation is completed (performing subsequent printing in multiple print job, paragraphs 0052-0054).
Regarding claim 3, Llosa et al as alternatively modified by Ishikawa et al further teaches wherein the printing device further comprises an input interface (paragraph 0049 of Llosa et al), wherein the paper core information about the paper roll is inputted by a user through the input interface (618 fig.6; paragraphs 0007,0022,0049,0050,0052 of Llosa et al).
Regarding claim 4, Llosa et al as alternatively modified by Ishikawa et al further teaches wherein the printing device further comprises a prompting module, wherein the prompting module generates a prompt signal according to the insufficient remaining amount message (618 fig.6; paragraphs 0049,0052 of Llosa et al).
Regarding claim 5, Llosa et al as alternatively modified by Ishikawa et al further teaches wherein the distance sensor is a proximity sensor or a laser distance-measuring module (304 fig.3,104 fig.1, paragraph 0011 of Llosa et al;12 figs.2-5, 15 figs.6 of Ishikawa et al).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HENOK D LEGESSE whose telephone number is (571)270-1615. The examiner can normally be reached General Schedule 9:00 am- 5:00 pm, IFP.
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/HENOK D LEGESSE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853