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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Claim(s) 1-8 & 10-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yonekubo Shuji et al. (JP 2001-121687).
Yonekubo Shuji et al. disclose the following claimed limitations:
* Re clms 1,12 & 13, method for adjusting an inkjet printer that performs adjustment for the inkjet printer & a printing system that performs printing with an inkjet method, the method (Abst., see for all clms figs 6-19, 34 & 37);
* a pattern printing stage (paras 0053-0055) of causing the inkjet printer to print a predetermined test pattern on a medium;
* a pattern reading stage (paras 0053-0055) of generating a pattern image that is an image indicating the test pattern by reading, with a scanner, the medium on which the test pattern is printed in the pattern printing stage;
* an analyzing stage (para 0053) of performing analysis on the pattern image by a computer;
* a setting value updating stage (para 0017, memory is updated) of updating a control setting value stored in a setting value storage that stores the control setting value that is a setting value for controlling an operation of the inkjet printer, the setting value updating stage of updating at least a part of the control setting value based on a result of analysis in the analyzing stage;
* wherein the inkjet printer (paras 0032-0036, 0039, fig 6) includes a plurality of inkjet heads/cartridges each having a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged with positions in a predetermined nozzle row direction misaligned from one another;
* a main scan driving unit/carriage 30/ (para 0053) that causes the plurality of inkjet heads to perform a main scan of ejecting ink while relatively moving with respect to the medium in a main scanning direction set in advance;
* the main scan driving unit causes the plurality of inkjet heads to perform the main scan based on the control setting value stored in the setting value storage (paras 0053-0055);
* in the pattern printing stage, causing the inkjet printer to print the test pattern including a pattern for ejecting ink from a plurality of the nozzle rows with respect to a same position in the main scanning direction (paras 0053-0055);
* the analyzing stage includes a misalignment amount detecting stage (paras 0054-0056) of detecting, by image processing executed by the computer based on the pattern image, a dot position misalignment amount that is, regarding a position of a dot of ink formed on the medium by ejecting ink from the nozzle included in each of a plurality of the nozzle rows in the plurality of inkjet heads;
* a misalignment amount of a position of the dot occurring in each of the nozzle rows (paras 0053-0056, 0062, 0069);
* a correction value calculating stage (paras 0054-0058) of calculating, by calculation executed the computer, a dot position correction value that is a correction value corresponding to the dot position misalignment amount detected in the misalignment amount detecting stage;
* in the setting value updating stage, by causing the setting value storage to store, as at least a part of the control setting value, the dot position correction value calculated in the correction value calculating stage, at least a part of the control setting value is updated based on a result of analysis in the analyzing stage (paras 0054-0068).
* Re clm 2, wherein each of the plurality of inkjet heads includes a plurality of the nozzle rows, in the pattern printing stage, any one of the nozzle rows in any one of the inkjet heads is selected as a reference nozzle row (paras 0032-0036, 0065, 0070-0073);
* as a pattern for ejecting ink from a plurality of the nozzle rows to a same position in the main scanning direction, the inkjet printer is caused to print, for each of the nozzle rows other than the reference nozzle row, a pattern for ejecting ink from two nozzle rows including each of the reference nozzle row and a nozzle row other than the reference nozzle row to a same position in the main scanning direction (paras 0032-0036, 0065, 0070-0073).
* Re clm 3, wherein a pattern of ejecting ink from a plurality of the nozzle rows to a same position in the main scanning direction is a pattern of a multiple line in which a plurality of lines are drawn at a same position in design in the main scanning direction by drawing, with ink ejected from each of the nozzle rows, a line extending in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction (figs 6-19, 34 & 37);
* the inkjet head can change, in a plurality of stages, a volume of ink ejected from each of the nozzles (para 0134, fig 34);
* in the pattern printing stage, for each of the nozzle rows other than the reference nozzle row, the inkjet printer is caused to draw the multiple line for each volume of ink of the plurality of stages (para 0134, fig 34).
* Re clm 4, wherein the multiple line drawn for each volume of ink of the plurality of stages corresponding to the respective nozzle rows other than the reference nozzle row includes a reference nozzle line that is a line drawn with the reference nozzle row, and an adjustment nozzle line that is a line drawn by the nozzle row other than the reference nozzle row, and in the pattern printing stage, as the multiple line corresponding to each volume of ink (paras 0150-0154);
* the inkjet printer is caused to draw the reference nozzle line in which ink dots of a plurality of types of sizes corresponding to respective volumes of ink of the plurality of stages are lined, and the adjustment nozzle line in which only ink dots of a size corresponding to a volume of one type of ink are lined (paras 0150-0154).
* Re clm 5, wherein in the pattern printing stage, for each of the nozzle rows other than the reference nozzle row, the inkjet printer is further caused to draw a line that is drawn with each of the nozzle rows, the line in which ink dots of a plurality of types of sizes corresponding to respective volumes of ink of the plurality of stages are lined (paras 0150-0154).
* Re clms 6 & 14-17, wherein the inkjet printer further includes a carriage that holds the plurality of inkjet heads, a pattern of ejecting ink from a plurality of the nozzle rows to a same position in the main scanning direction is a misalignment amount detection pattern for detecting the dot position misalignment amount in the misalignment amount detecting stage (para 0157);
* in the pattern printing stage, the inkjet printer is caused to print the test pattern including the misalignment amount detection pattern, and an attachment state detection pattern that is a pattern for detecting an attachment state, which is a state in which each of the inkjet heads is attached to the carriage (paras 0150-0158);
* and the analyzing stage further includes a numerical value calculating stage of calculating an attachment state numerical value, which is a numerical value indicating the attachment state, by image processing executed by the computer based on a part indicating the attachment state detection pattern in the pattern image (para 0150-0158);
* a determining stage of determining whether or not the attachment state numerical value falls within a reference numerical value range set in advance for the attachment state numerical value, and an analysis result file generating stage of generating an analysis result file, which is a file indicating a result of determination in the determining stage (paras 0150-0158).
* Re clm 7, wherein in the determining stage, whether or not the dot position misalignment amount falls within a reference numerical value range set in advance with respect to the dot position misalignment amount is further determined, and in the analysis result file generating stage, the analysis result file further showing a result of determination related to the dot position misalignment amount is generated (paras 0134-0157).
* Re clm 8, wherein the analysis result file is generated, the analysis result file indicating, in the analysis result file generating stage, identification information for identifying the inkjet printer used for printing of the test pattern, indicating, for each of the nozzle rows, a result of determination on the dot position misalignment amount in the determining stage, a reference numerical value range set in advance for the dot position misalignment amount, and the dot position misalignment amount indicating, for each of the inkjet heads, a result of determination on the attachment state numerical value in the determining stage, a reference numerical value range set in advance for the attachment state numerical value, and the attachment state numerical value (paras 0134-0157).
* Re clm 10, wherein the inkjet printer further includes a sub scan driving unit that causes the plurality of inkjet heads to perform a sub scan of relatively moving with respect to the medium in a sub scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction, in the pattern printing stage, the inkjet printer is caused to print the test pattern further including a sub scanning moving amount detection pattern, which is a pattern for detecting a sub scanning moving amount, which is a moving amount by which the plurality of inkjets relatively move with respect to the medium in the sub scan, in the misalignment amount detecting stage, a sub scanning misalignment amount, which is a misalignment amount of the sub scanning moving amount, is further detected by image processing executed by the computer based on a part indicating the sub scanning moving amount detection pattern in the pattern image, in the correction value calculating stage, a sub scanning correction value, which is a correction value corresponding to the sub scanning misalignment amount detected in the misalignment amount detecting stage, is further calculated by calculation executed by the computer, and in the setting value updating stage, the setting value storage is caused to further store, as at least a part of the control setting value, the sub scanning correction value calculated in the correction value calculating stage (paras 0053-0054, 0068).
* Re clm 11, wherein in the pattern reading stage, using the scanner having a maximum readable document size of equal to or less than an A4 size/conventional paper of an inkjet printer/, in the pattern printing stage, the inkjet printer is caused to print the test pattern within a printing range of equal to or less than an A4 size. (paras 0029, 0030, 0045, 0207).
* Re clm 12, a program for causing a computer to perform image analysis (0024), the program, wherein the computer is caused to perform analysis processing of performing analysis on a pattern image that is an image generated by reading, with a scanner, a predetermined test pattern printed on a medium by an inkjet printer (para 0053).
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claim 9 is 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.
The primary reason for allowance of claim 9 is the inclusion of a method steps of adjusting an inkjet printer that includes the inkjet printer is caused to print the test pattern ncluding a voltage detection pattern, which is a pattern for detecting a voltage of the drive signal received by each of the plurality of inkjet heads, in the numerical value calculating stage, a voltage-corresponding numerical value, which is a numerical value corresponding to a voltage of the drive signal received by each of the plurality of inkjet heads, is further calculated by image processing executed by the computer based on a part indicating the voltage detection pattern in the pattern image, in the determining stage, whether or not the voltage-corresponding numerical value falls within a reference numerical value range set in advance for the voltage- corresponding numerical value further determined, and in the analysis result file generating stage, the analysis result file further indicating a result of determination related to the voltage-corresponding numerical value is generated.. It is these steps found in the claim, as they are claimed in the combination of that has not been found, taught or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
Conclusion
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KRISTAL FEGGINS whose telephone number is (571)272-2254. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 930-530pm.
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/KRISTAL FEGGINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853