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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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) 1-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ominato et al, JP 2020170033.
Ominato et al disclose a display device and an image forming device comprising: an apparatus body 1; and an operation panel 33 attached to a front face of the apparatus body 1, wherein the operation panel includes a light source 31A provided inside the operation panel, and a light guide 32 for causing light emitted from the light source to exit from a light exit surface 32B provided at an edge of the operation panel 33, and the apparatus body has a reflecting surface 34A that reflects the light exited from the light exit surface 32B. (See Fig. 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 2, wherein the operation panel 33 is provided to be tiltable with respect to the apparatus body about one side of the operation panel, and the light exit surface is provided on another side opposite to the one side (“the liquid crystal panel 33 can be tilted with respect to the light source substrate 31 while suppressing the variation in brightness”).
Regarding claim 3, wherein the operation panel is tiltable in a vertical direction about the one side on an upper side (“the liquid crystal panel 33 can be tilted with respect to the light source substrate 31 while suppressing the variation in brightness”).
Regarding claim 4, wherein the light exit surface is formed across the other side of the operation panel and a side face of the operation panel (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 5, wherein the apparatus body has a recessed portion that accommodates the operation panel (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, wherein the reflecting surface 34A is diagonally provided at a position facing the light exit surface 32B of the recessed portion (Fig. 2/3).
Regarding claim 7, further comprising a sheet discharge tray that is provided on a lower side of the front face of the apparatus body and can be drawn from the apparatus body (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 8, wherein the operation panel is configured so that the light exited from the light exit surface is irradiated on the sheet discharge tray when the operation panel is tilted with respect to the apparatus body (“the liquid crystal panel 33 can be tilted with respect to the light source substrate 31 while suppressing the variation in brightness”).
Regarding claim 9, wherein the light guide 32 has a light receiving surface 32A that receives light emitted from the light source (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claims 10-11, wherein the light guide has a plurality of surfaces that totally reflect the light emitted from the light source inside the light guide (the frame 34 has a reflective member 34A that surrounds a surface orthogonal to the exit surface 32B of the light guide member 32. Specifically, the reflective member 34A is formed on the first side surface 32F of the light guide member 32, the second side surface 32G, and the third side surface 32H (see FIG. 3A) provided on the opposite side of the first incident surface 32A. It has three reflective surfaces, each facing each other. Each reflective surface is formed, for example, by being colored white).
Regarding claim 12, wherein the light source 31A is provided near a center in a width direction of the light guide 32 (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 13, wherein the light guide is formed of a milky white material having a high transparency (the frame 34 has a reflective member 34A that surrounds a surface orthogonal to the exit surface 32B of the light guide member 32. Specifically, the reflective member 34A is formed on the first side surface 32F of the light guide member 32, the second side surface 32G, and the third side surface 32H (see FIG. 3A) provided on the opposite side of the first incident surface 32A. It has three reflective surfaces, each facing each other. Each reflective surface is formed, for example, by being colored white).
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.
Claim(s) 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ominato in view of Tamai et al, JP 2010014907. The teachings of Ominato et al have been discussed above.
Regarding claims 14-15, Ominato et al fails to disclose, wherein the light source notifies a user of a status of the printing apparatus by changing an emission color or blinking.
Tamai et al disclose a light-emitting device comprising: an optical member that radiates toward the front side (direction parallel to the panel surface: the y direction in FIG. 3), and constitutes part of an indicator that informs the user of the operation status of the device by turning on or blinking the LED 24.
In view of the teaching of Tamai et al, it would have been obvious for an ordinary artisan to modify the teachings Ominato et al to include status indicator for alerting the user of the device status. Such modification would provide indicating means for alerting the user of the device current status. Therefore, It would have been an obvious extension as taught by the prior art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ishida et al, US Pub. 2011/0299129, disclose an operation device and image reading apparatus.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL ST CYR whose telephone number is (571)272-2407. The examiner can normally be reached M to F 8:00-8:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael G Lee can be reached at 571-272-2398. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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DANIEL ST CYR
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2876
/DANIEL ST CYR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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