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 29 July 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the Information Disclosure Statement has being considered by the Examiner.
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 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by SAITO et al. (US 2020/0094547 A1).
As related to independent claims 1, 10, & 11, SAITO et al. teaches a liquid ejection apparatus (claim 10), specifically a liquid ejection head (claim 1), and a method of controlling the liquid ejection head (claim 11) (SAITO et al. – Page 1, Paragraphs 3-5 and Figure 1, shown below) comprising an ejection portion ejecting a liquid in response to supply of a drive signal (SAITO et al. – Page 1, Paragraphs 3-5; Page 2, Paragraphs 27-28; and Figure 1, shown below); a supply unit supplying the drive signal to the ejection portion; and a detection unit detecting a vibration in the ejection portion (SAITO et al. – Page 1, Paragraphs 3-5; Page 2, Paragraphs 27-28; and Figures 1, 5, & 6, all shown below), wherein the supply unit supplies a check drive signal having a check waveform of the drive signal to the ejection portion in a first unit period started by a first latch pulse of a plurality of latch pulses contained in a latch signal supplied to the supply unit and ended by a second latch pulse provided next to the first latch pulse of the plurality of latch pulses, and the detection unit detects a vibration remaining in the ejection portion in a second unit period started by the second latch pulse and ended by a third latch pulse provided next to the second latch pulse of the plurality of latch pulses (SAITO et al. – Page 1, Paragraphs 3-5; Page 2, Paragraphs 27-28; Page 3, Paragraph 34; and Figures 1, 5, & 6, all shown below).
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As related to dependent claims 2 & 12, SAITO et al. teaches at a timing corresponding to each of a plurality of unit periods defined by the plurality of latch pulses, the supply unit is supplied with a designation signal for designating whether to eject the liquid from the ejection portion in each of the plurality of unit periods, and the supply unit supplies the drive signal to the ejection portion based on the designation signal in each of the plurality of unit periods (SAITO et al. – Page 2, Paragraph 23 and Page 3, Paragraph 34).
As related to further dependent claims 3 & 13, SAITO et al. teaches the supply unit is supplied with a change signal having a plurality of change pulses for dividing each of the plurality of unit periods into a plurality of control periods, a designation signal supplied to the supply unit at a timing corresponding to one unit period of the plurality of unit periods designates whether to eject the liquid from the ejection portion in each of the plurality of control periods forming the one unit period, and the supply unit supplies the drive signal to the ejection portion based on the designation signal supplied to the supply unit at the timing corresponding to the one unit period in each of the plurality of control periods forming the one unit period (SAITO et al. – Page 3, Paragraph 34; Page 4, Paragraph 40; and Page 5, Paragraphs 44-45).
As related to dependent claims 4 & 14, SAITO et al. teaches the detection unit detects the vibration remaining in the ejection portion in a detection period started by a detection start pulse contained in a period designation signal supplied to the supply unit and ended by a detection end pulse contained in the period designation signal in the second unit period (SAITO et al. – Page 3, Paragraph 34; Page 4, Paragraph 40; and Page 5, Paragraphs 44-45).
As related to further dependent claims 5 & 15, SAITO et al. teaches the drive signal includes a detection drive signal supplied to the ejection portion in at least a part of the second unit period, the check drive signal indicates a first potential at a timing when the second latch pulse is supplied to the supply unit, and the detection drive signal maintains the first potential in at least a period from the timing when the second latch pulse is supplied to the supply unit to a timing when the detection period is started in the second unit period (SAITO et al. – Page 1, Paragraph 5; Page 2, Paragraphs 27-28; Page 3, Paragraph 34; and Page 5, Paragraph 47).
As related to further dependent claims 6 & 16, SAITO et al. teaches the check waveform is a waveform that changes from the first potential to a second potential, and then, changes from the second potential to the first potential (SAITO et al. – Page 1, Paragraph 5; Page 5, Paragraph 47; Page 8, Paragraphs 61-63; and Figures 7 & 11, shown below).
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As related to further dependent claims 7 & 17, SAITO et al. teaches the ejection portion includes a piezoelectric element driven by the drive signal, a pressure chamber filled with a liquid and having a volume that changes according to driving of the piezoelectric element, and a nozzle ejecting the liquid in the pressure chamber according to the change of the volume of the pressure chamber, and the volume of the pressure chamber when the drive signal supplied to the piezoelectric element indicates the first potential is larger than the volume of the pressure chamber when the drive signal supplied to the piezoelectric element indicates the second potential (SAITO et al. – Page 1, Paragraphs 3-5; Page 2, Paragraph 27; Page 4, Paragraph 36; Page 5, Paragraph 47; Figure 7, shown above; and Figure 3, Reference #PZ, #322, & #N, shown below).
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As related to further dependent claims 8 & 18, SAITO et al. teaches a time during which the check waveform changes from the first potential to the second potential is longer than a time during which the check waveform changes from the second potential to the first potential (SAITO et al. – Page 5, Paragraph 47; Page 8, Paragraphs 61-63; and Figures 7 & 11, shown above).
As related to dependent claims 9 & 19, SAITO et al. teaches the drive signal has a plurality of drive waveforms including the check waveform, and in one unit period defined by the plurality of latch pulses, a time length from an end of the check waveform to an end of the one unit period is shorter than a time length from an end of all drive waveforms other than the check waveform of the plurality of drive waveforms to an end of the one unit period (SAITO et al. – Page 5, Paragraph 47; Page 8, Paragraphs 61-63; and Figures 7 & 11, shown above).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Yauchi et al. (US 5,500,657 A) teaches a liquid ejection head with an ejection portion, supply unit, and a detection unit. Yagi (US 2006/0055745 A1) teaches a liquid ejection head with a piezoelectric element in an ejection portion driven by a drive signal supply unit. Shinkawa et al. (US 7,387,356 B2) teaches a liquid ejection head with a piezoelectric element in an ejection portion driven by a drive signal supply unit and a residual vibration detection unit. Takahashi (US 7,410,232 B2) teaches a liquid ejection head with a piezoelectric element in an ejection portion driven by a drive signal supply unit. MUTO et al. (US 2017/0246893 A1) teaches a liquid discharge device having a supply unit which supplies a drive signal and driving different potentials. YOSHINO et al. (US 2024/0278557 A1) teaches a liquid droplet discharging apparatus with a supply unit which supplies a drive signal with different potentials.
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.
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If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s supervisor, Ricardo Magallanes can be reached at (571) 272-5960. 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