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 .
Specification
2. 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
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Claims 1-3, 5, 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HANO U.S. 2017/0248887 (hereinafter HANO) in view of NAKAMURA et al. U.S. 2021/0281712 (hereinafter NAKAMURA).
Regarding claim 1, HANO discloses an image forming apparatus (Figure 1), comprising:
an image former that forms an image of a plurality of colors on a sheet by an intermediate transfer method on a basis of acquired image data (A plurality of color sensors 301 are arranged in a the conveyance direction of the sheet P are provided for the respective colors; paragraph 62, Figure 13 illustrating density patches are formed to have different colors); and
a hardware processor that acquires sheet information of the sheet (Printer processor 407 determines whether or not the sheet P is appropriate based on the detection result acquired by the sensor and on the user setting having a sheet width and a basis weight; paragraphs 64, 84).
HANO does not explicitly disclose extracting an edge from the image data, subjects the extracted edge to image processing according to the sheet information of the sheet, and causes the image former to form an image of a plurality of colors on the sheet on the basis of the image data subjected to the image processing.
However, NAKAMURA et al. (US 2021/0281712) working in the same field of endeavor teaches extracting an edge from the image data (Feature amount detection unit 201 extracts the one or more edges of the document 12, which is the subject; paragraph 79, Figures 10-12),
subjecting the extracted edge to image processing according to the sheet information of the sheet; Processing on an edge when extracting, as the feature amount, the edge of the document 12, which is the subject; paragraph 92, Figure 16), and
causing the image former to form an image of a plurality of colors on the sheet on the basis of the image data subjected to the image processing (Processing on edges to extract the edge of the entire document from that of the visible component on the coloring material, and as a result plurality of colors; paragraphs 93-94, Figure 16).
In view of the above, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to combine the system of HANO as taught by NAKAMURA to include: extracting an edge from the image data, subjects the extracted edge to image processing. By doing so, the combined system of NAKAMURA would have generated where the edge is detectable in either the visible image or the invisible image, and thereby the edge between the document, which is the subject, and the background portion is detectable in most of the portions of the edge, namely the number of edge detectable portions would increase.
Regarding claim 2, HANO discloses the image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
HANO does not explicitly disclose wherein the image former forms a white background image of a plurality of colors on the sheet, and the hardware processor extracts a negative edge from the image data, and changes a line width of the negative edge according to the sheet information on the sheet.
However, NAKAMURA teaches wherein the image former forms a white background image of a plurality of colors on the sheet (paragraph 94, Figure 9A illustrating a pattern of the white line background portion and see the rest of reference), and
the hardware processor extracts a negative edge from the image data (paragraph 98, Figure 7A showing that a negative edge image is a so-called white background image), and changes a line width of the negative edge according to the sheet information on the sheet (a portion where the edge is detectable in either the visible image or the invisible image, and thereby the edge between the document 12, which is the subject, and the background portion 13 is detectable in most of the portions of the edge, namely the number of edge detectable portions increases; paragraph 95 and see the rest of reference).
Regarding claim 3, HANO discloses the image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sheet information includes basis weight or rigidity of the sheet (paragraphs 64, 84, 88), and
HANO in view of NAKAMURA teaches the hardware processor increases the line width of the negative edge according to the basis weight or the rigidity of the sheet (Figure 7A showing that a negative edge image is a so-called white background image and a portion where the edge is detectable in either the visible image or the invisible image, and thereby the edge between the document, which is the subject, and the background portion 13 is detectable in most of the portions of the edge, namely the number of edge detectable portions increases; paragraph 95 and see the rest of reference ).
Regarding claim 5, HANO discloses the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hardware processor changes lightness at which inking is started according to the sheet information of the sheet (control the measuring unit to measure the reflected light from the sheet conveyed by the backup roller, and generate profile data corresponding to measurement results of the reflected light from a plurality of positions in a direction in which the sheet is conveyed; paragraphs 67-68, 76, 84, Figure 10 and see the rest of reference).
Regarding claim 7, HANO discloses the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a detector that detects the sheet information of the sheet, wherein the hardware processor acquires a detection result by the detector (a sensor configured to detect the size of the sheet P. Printer processor 407 determines whether or not the sheet P is appropriate based on the detection result acquired by the sensor and on the user setting; paragraphs 64-66, Figure 7 and see the rest of reference).
Regarding claim 8, HANO discloses the image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
HANO in view of NAKAMURA teaches wherein the hardware processor extracts an edge from the image data by an edge extraction filter (When the edge is detected with a first order differential filter that filters in order the edge between the shadow and the document is obtainable; paragraph 98 and see the rest of reference).
Regarding claim 9, claim 9 is the method claim of device claim 1. Therefore, method claim 9 is rejected for the reason given in device claim 1.
Regarding claim 10, claim 10 is directed to a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, and recites identical features as claim 1. Thus, claim 10 is rejected for the same reasons discussed in claim 1 above.
Allowable Subject Matter
6. Claims 4 and 6 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.
Cited Art
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
8. 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
