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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Morikawa et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2014/0054841).
Regarding claim 1: Morikawa discloses a sheet conveying device comprising:
a conveyor to convey a sheet in a sheet conveyance direction (Fig. 2; via conveying rollers);
a sound collector to collect sound produced by conveying the sheet by the conveyor (Fig. 6; via microphone 113);
an operation unit to output information of a conveyance of the sheet (Fig. 3; via 150, CPU); and
circuitry configured to:
control the sound collector to collect the sound (via microphone 113);
detect a factor of an abnormal conveyance produced by conveying the sheet based on the sound collected by the sound collector (Fig. 3; via 144; Sound Conversion Unit);
stop conveyance of the sheet (paragraph; 0068; “the drive unit 145 to stop the conveyance of the paper”), before occurrence of a paper jam in response to a detection (via 153; Sound Jam Detector; abnormal conveyance and/or Fig. 4; via S104 “Abnormality Flag On” and/or paragraph 0006; “a loud sound to be generated and causing erroneous detection of a jam despite no jam has occurred”, meaning detection is taking place before jam) of the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet (Fig. 4; via S105; “Perform Abnormal Processing”).
Regarding claims 2 & 18-19: wherein the circuitry is further configured to locate the position of the factor of the abnormal conveyance based on the sound collected by the sound collector in response to the detection of the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet, see for example (Fig. 4; via 104-108; shows the conditions and steps of locating the abnormality).
Regarding claim 3: wherein the sound collector includes:
a first sound collector (Fig. 3; via 113; microphone) at a first position facing one end of the sheet in a width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction; and
a second sound collector (Fig. 3; via 143; Amplifier) at a second position facing the other end of the sheet in the width direction, wherein the circuitry is further configured to locate the position of the factor of the abnormal conveyance based on a differential value between: a first power average per time of the sound collected by the first sound collector; and a second power average per time of the sound collected by the second sound collector (via 144; Sound Conversion Unit).
Regarding claim 4: wherein a position of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet includes a binding position at which multiple sheets including the sheet are bound (via 153/154; Sound Jam and/or Position Jam).
Regarding claim 5: wherein the operation unit includes a display to display the position of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet (via 152; Image Generator).
Regarding claims 7 & 16: an image forming apparatus comprising:
the sheet conveying device according (Figs. 1-2; via the shown conveying rollers on image scanner) and an image forming device to form an image on the sheet based on an image on an original document by the sheet conveying device (Fig. 1; via scanner).
Regarding claims 8 & 17: an automatic document feeder comprising the sheet conveying device according to automatically convey an original document as the sheet to an image reader (Figs. 1-2; via the shown conveying rollers of the image scanner).
Regarding claim 9: an image forming apparatus comprising:
the automatic document feeder (Fig. 2; via feeding rollers); and an image forming device to form an image on a sheet based on an image on an original document conveyed by the automatic document feeder (via scanner image).
Regarding claim 10: a sheet conveying method executable by a sheet conveying device, the sheet conveying method comprising:
conveying a sheet in a sheet conveyance direction by a conveyor (Fig. 2; via conveying rollers);
collecting sound produced by conveying the sheet by the conveyor (Fig. 6; via microphones 113);
detecting a factor of an abnormal conveyance produced by conveying the sheet based on the sound collected by a sound collector (Fig. 5; via S202; Position Jam Detection Processing”); and
stopping conveyance of the sheet (paragraph; 0068; “the drive unit 145 to stop the conveyance of the paper”), before occurrence of paper jam in response to a detection of (paragraph 0006; “a loud sound to be generated and causing erroneous detection of a jam despite no jam has occurred”, meaning detection taking place before jam; and the Sound Jam Detector; abnormal conveyance and/or Fig. 4; via S104 “Abnormality Flag On”), the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet (Fig. 4; via S105; “Perform Abnormal Processing”).
Regarding claim 11: further comprising: locating the position of the factor of the abnormal conveyance based on the sound in response to the detection of the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet; see for example (Fig. 4; via 104-108; shows the conditions and steps of locating the abnormality).
Regarding claim 12: further comprising:
collecting sound by a first sound collector disposed at a first position facing one end of the sheet in a width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction, (Fig. 3; via 113; microphone);
calculating a first power average per time of the sound collected by the first sound collector (Fig. 7; via S306; “Calculate Counter Value”);
collecting sound by a second sound collector disposed at a second position facing the other end in the width direction (Fig. 3; via 144 “Sound Conversion Unit”);
calculating a second power average per time of the sound collected by the second sound collector (via 143; “Amplifier”); and
locating the position of the factor of the abnormal conveyance based on a differential value of the first power average and the second power average (via 154; “position Jam Detector”).
Regarding claim 13: further comprising:
displaying the position of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet on a display of the operation unit (via “Image Generator”).
Regarding claim 14: further comprising:
stopping the conveyance of the sheet in response to a detection of the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet, (paragraph; 0068; “the drive unit 145 to stop the conveyance of the paper”).
Regarding claim 15: set forth above the combination of the rejection to claims 1 and 3 or claims 10 and 12.
Regarding claim 20: wherein the factor is information of a state of a sheet indicating a possibility of occurrence of the paper jam before the paper jam occurs, see for example (paragraph 0006; “a loud sound to be generated and causing erroneous detection of a jam despite no jam has occurred”, meaning detection taking place of the status of the paper before the actual jam).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection adjusted to address the newly added limitations and claims.
In response to applicant’s argument that the applied art of Morikawa ‘841 does not suggest the amended claims referring to a detection of a jam “before” the actual paper jam takes place, rather the reference is only detecting the jam after the jam happens.
The office as set forth above giving the claims the broadest reasonable meaning believes that such made arguments are not very accurate as ‘841 indeed is capable of and able to detect the paper jam before it takes place, see for example paragraph 0006; “a loud sound to be generated and causing erroneous detection of a jam despite no jam has occurred”, meaning there is a capability of detection to take place before the jam.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMEH TAWFIK whose telephone number is (571)272-4470. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
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/SAMEH TAWFIK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731