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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been received.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) submitted on 11 June 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the Information Disclosure Statement has been considered by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the Examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the Examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-4, 7-8, 11-14, and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Delueg (US 2010/0110155 A1).
As related to independent claims 1 & 11 Delueg teaches a controller [claim 1] performing a method [claim 11] for regenerating a print head of an inkjet printing device comprising at least one nozzle, wherein a nozzle opening of the nozzle is arranged at a nozzle plate of the print head (Delueg – Page 1, Paragraph 7-12; Page 2, Paragraph 17-18; and Figure 1, shown below), the controller comprising at least one processor configured to, during a regeneration process to regenerate the print head: control the inkjet printing device to convey ink from a chamber of the nozzle, via the nozzle opening, to the nozzle plate, and cause the ink to remain on the nozzle plate for a dwell time; and control the inkjet printing device to, after the dwell time has elapsed, convey the ink back into the chamber [i.e. reversal] of the nozzle via the nozzle opening (Delueg – Page 1, Paragraphs 7-12; Page 2, Paragraphs 17-18; Page 6, Paragraphs 65-67; Page 7, Paragraph 77; and Figure 1, shown below). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to use the control of the pressure in the inkjet head and at the nozzle plate of Delueg to perform the “regenerating” as claimed by ensuring the correct meniscus negative pressure prevails to guarantee fault-free operation (Delueg – Page 6, Paragraphs 66-67).
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As related to dependent claims 2 & 12, Delueg remains as applied above and continues to teach the at least one processor is further configured to: increase a physical pressure in the chamber of the nozzle for the dwell time in order to effect that ink is conveyed from the chamber of the nozzle, via the nozzle opening, to the nozzle plate, and remains on the nozzle plate for the dwell time; and reduce the physical pressure in the chamber of the nozzle in order to effect that the ink is conveyed back into the chamber of the nozzle via the nozzle opening (Delueg – Page 2, Paragraphs 17-18; Page 6, Paragraphs 65-67; Page 7, Paragraphs 74-77 & 83).
As related to dependent claims 3 & 13, Delueg remains as applied above and continues to teach the at least one processor is further configured to: at least partially or completely close an ink outflow of the print head while ink is being supplied to the print head via an ink inflow, in order to effect that ink is conveyed from the chamber of the nozzle, via the nozzle opening, to the nozzle plate, and remains on the nozzle plate for a dwell time; and at least partially or completely close the ink inflow while ink is being discharged from the print head via the ink outflow, in order to effect that the ink is conveyed back into the chamber of the nozzle via the nozzle opening (Delueg – Page 2, Paragraphs 17-18; Page 5, Paragraphs 57-62; and Page 7, Paragraph 77).
As related to dependent claims 4 & 14, Delueg remains as applied above and continues to teach the at least one processor is further configured to effect, after the ink has been conveyed back into the chamber of the nozzle via the nozzle opening, that the chamber of the nozzle is flushed with ink; and/or ink is conducted through the print head via an ink inflow of the print head, through at least one ink supply channel of the print head that is connected with the chamber of the nozzle, and via an ink outflow of the print head, in order to flush the print head with ink (Delueg – Page 2, Paragraphs 17-18; Page 6, Paragraph 72; and Page 7, Paragraphs 77 & 83).
As related to dependent claims 7 & 17, Delueg remains as applied above and continues to teach the print head comprises a plurality of nozzles (Delueg – Page 2, Paragraphs 17-18 and Figure 1, shown above); and the at least one processor is configured to effect within the regeneration process to regenerate the print head, that ink is conveyed simultaneously from chambers of the plurality of nozzles, via the nozzle openings of the plurality of nozzles, to the nozzle plate, and remains on the nozzle plate for the dwell time; and that, after the dwell time has elapsed, the ink is conveyed simultaneously, via the nozzle openings of the plurality of nozzles, back into the chambers of the plurality of nozzles (Delueg – Page 1, Paragraphs 7-12; Page 2, Paragraphs 17-18; Page 5, Paragraphs 58-61; Page 6, Paragraphs 64-66; and Page 7, Paragraph 77).
As related to dependent claims 8 & 18, Delueg remains as applied above and continues to teach the at least one processor is further configured to: determine one or more properties of the ink with regard to a viscosity and/or an enthalpy of vaporization of the ink, and/or one or more ambient conditions with regard to a temperature and/or a humidity, in an environment of the print head; and set the dwell time depending on at least one property of the ink and/or depending on at least one ambient condition in the environment of the print head (Delueg – Page 1, Paragraphs 7-12; Page 6, Paragraphs 66-67; and Page 8, Paragraphs 87-89 & 90-92).
Claims 5 & 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Delueg (US 2010/0110155 A1) in view of HASEBE et al. (US 2022/0194104 A1).
Delueg remains as applied above and continues to teach the at least one processor is further configured to induce an actuator [i.e. piezoelectric element] of the nozzle to reduce a volume of the chamber of the nozzle (Delueg – Page 6, Paragraph 69) for the dwell time in order to effect that ink is conveyed from the chamber of the nozzle, via the nozzle opening, to the nozzle plate, and remains on the nozzle plate for a dwell time; and to increase the volume of the chamber of the nozzle - again in order to effect that the ink is conveyed back into the chamber of the nozzle via the nozzle opening. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to recognize the use of an actuator to generate pressure in a printhead causes a change in volume of the chamber. Meanwhile, HASEBE et al. teaches a controller and method for regenerating a printhead [i.e. maintenance] (HASEBE et a l. – Page 1, Paragraphs 3 & 11) and specifically teaches a piezoelectric element as an actuator which reduces the volume of the chamber of the nozzle for the dwell time in order to effect that ink is conveyed from the chamber of the nozzle, via the nozzle opening, to the nozzle plate, and remains on the nozzle plate for a dwell time; and to increase the volume of the chamber of the nozzle again in order to effect that the ink is conveyed back into the chamber of the nozzle via the nozzle opening (HASEBE et al. – Page 3, Paragraph 36; Page 5, Paragraph 58 – Page 5, Paragraph 60). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to specify the use of the actuator of Delueg to perform the function of reducing/increasing volume of HASEBE et al. in an effort to provide a method and control of regenerating a printhead without discharging ink (HASEBE et al. – Page 1, Paragraph 11).
Claims 6, 9-10, 16, & 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Delueg (US 2010/0110155 A1) in view of Yuasa (US 2023/019713 A1).
As related to dependent claims 6 & 16 Delueg remains as applied above and continues to teach determine, during a running printing process of the inkjet printing device, in which the print head is arranged at a printing position, that the regeneration process to regenerate the print head is to be implemented (Delueg – Page 1, Paragraphs 7-12; Page 6, Paragraphs 66-67; and Page 8, Paragraphs 87-89 & 90-92). Yuasa teaches a correction processing unit in a printer which determines ink ejection malfunction position(s) and performs corrective action (Yuasa – Figure 3, Reference #83, shown below) and specifically teaches the at least one processor is further configured to: determine, during a running printing process of the inkjet printing device in which the print head is arranged at a printing position, that the regeneration process to regenerate the print head is to be implemented; effect, in reaction to the determination, that the printing process is interrupted and that the regeneration process is implemented, wherein the print head remains at the printing position given the implementation of the regeneration process; and following the implementation of the regeneration - process, effect that the printing process is continued (Yuasa – Page 1, Paragraph 6; Page 3, Paragraphs 42-46; Figure 3, Reference #83 & Figure 6, both shown below).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the method for regenerating a printhead of Delueg with the method for regenerating a printhead of Yuasa to include determining to implement the process to regenerate the printhead of Yuasa in an effort to provide a method and control of regenerating a printhead and correcting ejection malfunctions while avoiding a high cost of the apparatus (Yuasa – Page 1, Paragraphs 4-6).
As related to dependent claims 9 & 19 the combination of Delueg and Yuasa remains as applied above and continues to teach the print head comprises a plurality of nozzles; and the at least one processor is configured to: identify an impaired nozzle from the plurality of nozzles; determine, based on the identified impaired nozzle, a subset of nozzles from the plurality of nozzles, for implementation of the regeneration process; and implement the regeneration process selectively for the determined subset of one or more nozzles (Delueg – Page 1, Paragraphs 7-12; Page 6, Paragraphs 66-67; and Page 8, Paragraphs 87-89 & 90-92 and Yuasa – Page 1, Paragraph 6; Page 3, Paragraphs 42-46; Figure 3, Reference #83 & Figure 6, both shown above).
As related to dependent claims 10 & 20 the combination of Delueg and Yuasa remains as applied above and continues to teach the print head comprises a plurality of nozzles; and the at least one processor is configured to: identify, based on print data of a print image to be printed, a subset of one or more nozzles, from the plurality of nozzles, which are not used in a time segment for printing of the print image to be printed (Yuasa – Page 1, Paragraph 6; Page 3, Paragraphs 42-46; Figure 3, Reference #83 & Figure 6, both shown above); and implement the regeneration process selectively for the determined subset of one or more nozzles in the time segment (Delueg – Page 1, Paragraphs 7-12; Page 6, Paragraphs 66-67; and Page 8, Paragraphs 87-89 & 90-92 and Yuasa – Page 1, Paragraph 6; Page 3, Paragraphs 42-46; Figure 3, Reference #83 & Figure 6, both shown above).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Endo (US 2006/0158472 A1) teaches a printer and print system which prints a test pattern to determine ink ejection malfunction positions. Nagoshi et al. (US 2012/0050376 A1) teaches a printing apparatus which inspects a print head on the basis of an image read by a sensor. KIM et al. (US 2013/0176354 A1) teaches a method of controlling a printing apparatus which performs an agitation of an actuator which reduces the volume in the nozzle chamber. KURIHARA (US 2019/0299680 A1) teaches a method of controlling a printer and a regeneration of a print head by detecting a printed image to determine if the ink is properly discharged.
Examiner's Note: Examiner has cited particular Figures & Reference Numbers, Columns, Paragraphs and Line Numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to JOHN P ZIMMERMANN whose telephone number is (571)270-3049. The Examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 0700-1730 EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s supervisor, Stephen Meier can be reached at (571) 272-2149. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/John P Zimmermann/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853