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
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.
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 1-6 and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tanaka et al. (US 11,509,784 B2).
As to claim 1, Tanaka et al. discloses a control apparatus (see figure 1, i.e., controller 101) comprising: one or more memories (see col. 3 lines 2-14, i.e., storage 102 i.e., RAM, ROM, or flash memory); and one or more processors (see col. 3, lines 7-8, i.e., a processor such as CPU) functioning by executing instructions stored in the one or more memories (see col. 3 lines 2-14, i.e., storage 102 i.e., RAM, ROM, or flash memory)as the following units: an acceptance unit (103) configured to accept a length (see figure 4C, column 3 lines 53-57 and col. 5 lines 35-36) from an end of a sheet to a first folding position (see figures 9A-9C and figures 13A-14B); and a first setting unit (402) configured to set a second folding position different from the first folding position on the sheet based on a length of the sheet (see col 6, lines 41-50 and col. 8, lines 36-57) and the length accepted by the acceptance unit (103).
As to claim 2, Tanaka et al. discloses wherein the length of the sheet is a length of a long side of the sheet (i.e., folding line 602, in figure 6C).
As to claim 3, Tanaka et al. discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to function as: a first display control unit (103) configured to perform control to display a range of the first folding position that is settable for a size of the sheet (see figure 4C, select sheet type).
As to claim 4, Tanaka et al. discloses wherein the first display control unit (103) further performs control to display a schematic diagram illustrating the sheet subjected to a folding process (see figure 3), and performs control to display the first folding position (see figure 4B) in the schematic diagram (see figures 3, 4A-4C).
As to claim 5, Tanaka et al. discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to function as: a selection acceptance unit (see figures 4A-C) having the first setting unit (402) and a second setting unit (see fig. 4A or 4C) configured to automatically set the first folding position (see figures 9A-9C and figures 13A-14B) and the second folding position (see col 6, lines 41-50 and col. 8, lines 36-57), and configured to accept a choice about whether to use the first setting unit or to use the second setting unit (see figures 4A-C).
As to claim 6, Tanaka et al. discloses wherein a range of the first folding position that is settable for a size of the sheet is displayed in a case where the first setting unit is selected through the selection acceptance unit (see figures 4A-C and see figures 6B-6C and figure 7).
As to claim 11, Tanaka et al. discloses wherein the control apparatus controls a tri-folding process (see figure 4B, i.e., tri-fold and see figure 7, i.e., tri-fold) so as to form the first folding position and the second folding position on the sheet.
As to claim 12, Tanaka et al. discloses a method of controlling an image processing apparatus (see figure 1, i.e., image forming apparatus 1), the method comprising: accepting a length (see figure 4C, column 3 lines 53-57 and col. 5 lines 35-36) from an end of a sheet to a first folding position (see figures 9A-9C and figures 13A-14B); and setting a second folding position different from the first folding position on the sheet based on a length of the sheet (see col 6, lines 41-50 and col. 8, lines 36-57) and the length accepted by the accepting.
As to claim 13, Tanaka et al. discloses a non-transitory computer readable storage medium (see col. 1, lines 19-20 and see col. 3, lines 1-15, i.e., storage 102) storing a program which causes a computer (i.e., controller 101 CPU) to execute a method of controlling an image processing apparatus (see figure 1, i.e., image forming apparatus 1), the method comprising: accepting a length (see figure 4C, column 3 lines 53-57 and col. 5 lines 35-36) from an end of a sheet to a first folding position (see figures 9A-9C and figures 13A-14B); and setting a second folding position different from the first folding position on the sheet based on a length of the sheet (see col 6, lines 41-50 and col. 8, lines 36-57) and the length accepted by the accepting.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-10 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 7, the closest prior art of record, namely, Tanaka et al. (US 11,509,784 B2), discussed above, does not disclose, teach or suggest, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to function as: an obtaining unit configured to obtain a first table in which fold widths of panels formed on the sheet by the first folding position and the second folding position are defined for each of sizes of the sheet, and a second table in which ranges of the fold widths of the panels are defined, wherein the first folding position and the second folding position are determined based on the first table in a case where the second setting unit is selected through the selection acceptance unit, and the second folding position is determined such that the fold widths of the panels fall within the respective ranges defined in the second table in a case where the first setting unit is selected through the selection acceptance unit, as recited in claim 7.
Regarding claim 8, the closest prior art of record, namely, Tanaka et al. (US 11,509,784 B2), discussed above, does not disclose, teach or suggest, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to function as: a second display control unit configured to perform control to display the fold widths of the panels on the sheet formed based on the first folding position accepted by the acceptance unit and the second folding position set by the first setting unit, as claimed in claim 8.
Regarding claim 9, the closest prior art of record, namely, Tanaka et al. (US 11,509,784 B2), discussed above, does not disclose, teach or suggest, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to function as: a first error notification unit configured to notify of an error in a case where a value of the first folding position accepted by the acceptance unit is determined to be not in a range that is settable for a size of the sheet, as recited in claim 9.
Regarding claim 10, the closest prior art of record, namely, Tanaka et al. (US 11,509,784 B2), discussed above, does not disclose, teach or suggest, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to function as: a second error notification unit configured to notify of an error in a case where a value of the second folding position set by the first setting unit is determined to be not in a range that is settable for a size of the sheet, as claimed in claim 10.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sakata (US 8,434,751 B2) teaches a Z-folder for sheets of various sizes. Figures 8, 14 and 15 show folding width setting screen, and sheet processing procedures.
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/DOV POPOVICI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2681
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