NON-FINAL OFFICE ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 3/6/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's Remarks filed 3/6/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Remarks argues that Kamiya does not disclose wherein the processor is to perform booting in a service mode by using the power provided from the external apparatus while leaving driving units of the image forming apparatus in a non-operating status, the driving units being units that are warmed up during a normal booting process, as recited in the amended claims. However, Kamiya discloses, as a result of a failure from the low voltage power supply unit, operating in a limitation mode, wherein two of the fixing heaters are powered off (paras. [0118]-[0121]). Therefore, Kamiya fully discloses booting the processor while leaving driving units in a non-operating status, as recited in the claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2018/0335821 to Kamiya et al. (hereinafter Kamiya).
Kamiya discloses:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a main board including a processor (para. [0145] and Fig. 2, control device 200);
a power unit to provide driving power to the main board when the power unit is in an operating status (para. [0146] and Fig. 2, low-voltage power supply unit 211);
a wired interface to connect with an external apparatus through a wired connection to provide driving power to the main board when the power unit is in a non-operating status (paras. [0051], [0078], [0163], [0190] and Fig. 2, power cord 117 to DC power supply distribution circuit 112 to low-voltage power supply unit 111);
a detection circuit to detect a status of the power unit (paras. [0152] and Fig. 2, failure detector 211c); and
a display (Fig. 2, operation panel 70),
wherein the processor, is provided with power from the external apparatus through the wired interface in response to the detection circuit indicating the non-operating status of the power unit in response to a turn-on instruction, and controls the display to display a status of the power unit (paras. [0126], [0163], [0190], [0197]), and wherein the processor is to perform booting in a service mode by using the power provided from the external apparatus while leaving driving units of the image forming apparatus in a non-operating status, the driving units being units that are warmed up during a normal booting process (paras. [0118]-[0121]).
2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is to:
based on the power unit operating by the turn-on instruction and providing the driving power, perform normal booting by using the driving power and warm up units of the image forming apparatus (paras. [0107], [0116], [0117]), and
based on the power unit not operating, boot in the service mode by using the power provided from the external apparatus through the wired interface, wherein the service mode is a mode wherein the status of the power unit is displayed by driving the main board while leaving the units of the image forming apparatus in a non-warmed-up status (paras. [0068], [0121]).
5. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power unit comprises:
a first power unit to provide driving power to the main board (para. [0146] and Fig. 2, low-voltage power supply unit 211); and
a second power unit to provide power to a driving unit included in the image forming apparatus (para. [0043] and Fig. 2, low-voltage power supply unit 111),
wherein the processor is to, based on being in a status wherein power is provided to the driving unit from the second power unit, but power is not provided to the main board from the first power unit, perform booting by using the power provided from the external apparatus (paras. [0163], [0190]), and
wherein the processor is to, based on the booting being completed, control the display to display a status of the first power unit (paras. [0136], [0197]).
6. The image forming apparatus of claim 5,
wherein the processor is to, based on being in a status wherein the driving power is provided from the first power unit, but power is not provided to the driving unit from the second power unit, perform booting by using the power provided from the first power unit (para. [0107]), and
wherein the processor is to, based on the booting being completed, control the display to display a status of the second power unit (para. [0127]).
Claims 8, 9, 12, and 13 are a method identical to the steps performed by the image forming apparatus of claims 1, 2, 5, and 6, and are rejected under the same rationale.
Claim 15 is a non-transitory recording medium storing program codes for performing steps identical to the steps performed by the image forming apparatus of claim 1, and is rejected under the same rationale.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4, 7, 10, 11, and 14 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.
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ishikawa et al. - IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM STORING PROGRAM, AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM.
Conclusion
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/PHILIP GUYTON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2113
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