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 .
The action is responsive to the following communication: an application filed on 08/13/2024 where:
Claims 1-14 are currently pending.
Specification
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.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-13 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1, 2 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mita et al. (US 5001768, hereinafter Mita) in view of Yui et al. (US 2002/0171880, hereinafter Yui) and further in view of Sheng et al. (US 2006/0001916, hereinafter Sheng).
Regarding claim 1, Mita teaches: An image reading (fig. 1, reading apparatus) apparatus comprising:
a document table on which a document is placed (fig. 1, original document 42 is place on glass table 45);
a reading device that reads the document placed on the document table (fig. 1, A rod lens array 46 projects onto the read sensor 41 reflected light from the original 42 on the table 45.), and outputs image data (fig. 1, col. 3, lines 5-15, A postprocessing circuit 61 performs storage, operation and output of the signal.);
a communication line configured to electrically transmit the image data (col. 3, lines 5-15, A signal line 62 supplies a signal from the preprocessing circuit 59 to the postprocessing circuit 61.);
a rail extending along a reading direction in which the reading device reads the document placed on the document table (Col. 2, lines 60-68, Wheels 48 and 49 are mounted on the lower portion of a carriage 47 and slide on the surfaces of two rails 50. The two ends of a wire 51 for driving the carriage 47 are fixed to the carriage 47);
a transport mechanism that transports the reading device along the rail, thereby transporting the reading device along a reading route through which the reading device reads the document placed on the document table (Col. 2, lines 60-68, col. 3, lines 1-40, The two ends of a wire 51 for driving the carriage 47 are fixed to the carriage 47. A pulley 52 for driving the wire 51 is fixed to a shaft 53. A drag pulley 54 is pulled by a spring 55 in a direction to pull the wire. In this manner, as part of the original is scanned, the carriage 47 is moved (subscanned) in the direction indicated by the arrows, thereby scanning the entire area of the original.)
Mita does not explicitly teach: the communication line being fixed to the rail.
However, Yui teaches: the communication line being fixed to the rail ([0098], as shown in FIG. 8, the signal cable 8 is pressed and fixed by the guide rail 4 at the central portion of the moving range of the image reading unit 2).
Therefore, the Applicant's claimed invention would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Mita to include the communication line being fixed to the rail as taught by Yui. The motivation/suggestion would have been to further enhance/improve the image reading apparatus since doing so would allow for fixing the cable signal to the guide rail; therefore, reducing the overall chance of the cable getting tangle or stuck during reading movement.
Mita and Yui do not explicitly teach: wherein the transport mechanism electrically connects the reading device to the communication line.
However, Sheng teaches: wherein the transport mechanism electrically connects the reading device to the communication line ([0009], In an embodiment, the power-transmitting medium comprises two conductive rods extending in parallel along the moving direction of the carriage module and penetrating through the carriage module, the two conductive rods having therebetween voltage difference so as to provide electricity for the carriage module).
Therefore, the Applicant's claimed invention would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Mita and Yui to include wherein the transport mechanism electrically connects the reading device to the communication line as taught by Sheng. The motivation/suggestion would have been to further enhance/improve the image reading apparatus since doing so would allow for the transport mechanism electrically connects the reading device to the communication line; therefore, using the mechanism as an electrical conduit and hence reducing cost by not having to use more wire/connection.
Regarding claim 2, Mita, Yui and Sheng teach: The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism includes a connection mechanism electrically connected to the reading device, and configured to make contact with the communication line (Sheng, [0009], the power-transmitting medium comprises two conductive rods extending in parallel along the moving direction of the carriage module and penetrating through the carriage module, the two conductive rods having therebetween voltage difference so as to provide electricity for the carriage module ), and the connection mechanism electrically connects the reading device to the communication line, by making contact with the communication line (Sheng, [0009-0010], In an alternative embodiment, the power-transmitting medium comprises two conductive plates fixed to the casing and extending along the moving direction of the carriage module, the two conductive plates having therebetween voltage difference so as to provide electricity for the carriage module.).
Regarding claim 14, Mita, Yui and Sheng teach: An image forming apparatus (Mita, fig. 1, The digital image signal thus obtained is supplied to a printer) comprising: the image reading apparatus according to claim 1; and an image forming device that forms an image on a recording medium, according to the image data electrically transmitted from the image reading apparatus (Mita, fig. 1, Col. 3 and col. 4, lines 1-5, The digital image signal thus obtained is supplied to a printer. ).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW H LAM whose telephone number is (571)270-7969 and fax number is 571-270-8969. The examiner can normally be reached on 9AM-5PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Benny Tieu can be reached on 571-272-7490. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ANDREW H LAM/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2682
Prosecution Insights