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.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed July 22, 2026, has been entered. Claims 1, 2, 4, 6, 8-14, 18 and 19 remain pending in the application. Applicants’ amendments to the Claims and Specification have overcome the objections previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed on April 17, 2026.
Response to Arguments
Applicants’ arguments filed July 22, 2026, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant argues that “none of the applied documents, in in the proposed combinations, assuming, arguendo, that they could be combined, discloses or suggests at least the above-discussed claimed features as recited, inter alia, in Claims 1, 19, and 19” (see pp. 7 of Remarks).
The examiner respectfully disagrees. In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually (see pp. 7-8 of Remarks), one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986). Specifically, claims 1, 18, and 19 have been amended to include limitations previously rejected by references other than the primary reference, so the references must be viewed in the combination for the amendments.
Further, the applicant “submits that there has been no showing of any indication of motivation in the applied documents, or any other rational, that would lead one having ordinary skill in the art to arrive at the above-discussed claimed features as recited”; and because the problem addressed by the claimed invention in the specification at [0004] focuses on printing an adjustment pattern using a second ink after fixing the foundation to counter mixing that may occur if the foundation is not sufficiently dried, the motivation of the applied references does not focus on such a problem and therefore the references would not be combined to solve for such a problem (see pp. 8 or Remarks).
The examiner respectfully disagrees. The examiner notes that the guidelines for using references for an obviousness rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 require that the provided motivation for combining references does not have to be the same motivation as that of the inventor(s) of the claimed invention ("In determining obviousness, neither the particular motivation to make the claimed invention nor the problem the inventor is solving controls”; MPEP 2141 III).
The primary reference is used to teach the main parts of the invention previously recited (most of steps (i)-(v) now recited), and the additional references are used to supplement teachings of the additional limitations not taught by the primary reference. Each of the applied references is related to the claimed invention by utilizing the same or similar steps, printing adjustment patterns, and/or printing on various media. Further, each of the applied references relates to the claimed invention by solving problems such as fixation of a first image before printing a second image (which would prevent undesired mixing) and/or printing and reading an adjustment pattern to account for adjustments as needed.
Therefore, rejections of claims 1, 18, and 19 and their dependents will be maintained with new grounds of rejection as necessitated by amendments.
To be more concise, claims 1, 18, and 19 will be rejected together as they comprise the same base limitations, the preambles being different (as a printing apparatus, a method for controlling the printing apparatus, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to execute the method for controlling the printing apparatus).
Claim Objections
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities: the third line of the claim currently recites “printing apparatus (a) conveyance mechanism configured to”. As understood by the examiner based on the amendment to similar claim 18, the line should recite “printing apparatus including (a) conveyance mechanism configured to”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
From the applicant’s remarks, the previous claim limitations to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) have been amended, and therefore most interpretations as such have been withdrawn. However, interpretation under 35 U.S.C 112(f) is still understood for the following as the amendment did not remove a “means” (e.g. “mechanism” and “element”) plus “function” (“configured to…”) interpretation or provide otherwise sufficient structure:
“conveyance mechanism configured to convey” (may be understood as a belt unit, rollers, and/or equivalents)
“print elements configured to eject… ink” (may be understood as nozzles, nozzle rows, head chips, and/or equivalents)
“fixation mechanism configured to fixate” (may be understood as a heater, irradiation means, fan, and/or equivalents)
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 8 recites “before the second image is read by the sensor, the controller… (3) then causes the sensor to read the fixated second image”. At present, the claim reads that the second image is read before the second image is read, which is not definite.
For examination purposes, the claim will be examined such that it recites:
“The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein before the second image is read by the sensor, the controller (1) causes the conveyance mechanism to convey the printing medium in the conveyance direction such that a region on which the second image has been printed is brought to the fixation mechanism, and (2) causes the fixation mechanism to fixate the second image
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, 6, 8-10, 18, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mitsuzawa (US 20130038652 A1) (cited in IDS dated 02/10/2025) in view of Uchida (US 20130286079 A1) (cited in IDS dated 02/10/2025) and Kentaro (JP 2011073307 A).
Regarding claims 1, 18, and 19, Mitsuzawa teaches a printing apparatus (“a line printer (printer 1) as an example of a printing apparatus”; at para. [0045]; Fig. 1), a method for controlling the printing apparatus (“The controller 60 is a control unit for controlling the printer… The CPU 62 controls each unit through a unit control circuit 64 in accordance with the program stored in the memory 63”; at para. [0066]), and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program (“The memory 63 includes a memory element such as a RAM or an EEPROM”; at para. [0066]) for causing a computer to execute the method for controlling the printing apparatus (computer 110 communicates with controller 60 via interface unit 61; at para. [0066]; Fig. 1), the printing apparatus comprising/including:
a conveyance mechanism configured to convey a printing medium in a conveyance direction (“transport unit 20 is used for transporting a medium… includes an upstream transport roller 23A, a downstream transport roller 23B, and a belt 24”; at para. [0053]; Fig. 1);
a print head (head unit 30; at para. [0054]; Fig. 1; head 32 on carriage 32 as an alternative wherein capabilities of other embodiments, such as reverse transport, is possible; at para. [0170]-[0172]; Fig. 16) including a first print element array of a plurality of print elements configured to eject a first ink onto the printing medium and a second print element array of a plurality of print elements configured to eject a second ink onto the printing medium (head unit 30 includes a plurality of ink heads with different inks; “each head of the head unit 30 can form dots corresponding to a width of the medium”; at para. [0054]; Figs. 1 and 2; “Each head, as shown in the figure, has two nozzle rows of “A row” and “B row”.”; at para. [0073]; Figs. 3A and 3B; “second head CL2 includes an upstream head CL2a and a downstream head CL2b”; at para. [0153]; Figs. 15A-15C; alternative embodiment of print head 32 has “a plurality of nozzle rows of color ink”; at para. [0170]; Fig. 16); and
a fixation mechanism configured to fixate an image printed by the print head on the printing medium, wherein the fixation mechanism is located downstream of the print head in the conveyance direction (irradiation section 45 is downstream of second head CL2; at para. [0152]; Figs. 15A-15C; in alternative embodiment, irradiation unit 43 is downstream of head 32; at para. 0175); and
a controller configured to control the conveyance mechanism, the print head, and the fixation mechanism (“printer 1 prints an image on a medium based on the print data by controlling each unit (the transport unit 20, the head unit 30, and the irradiation unit 40) by using the controller 60”; at para. 0052; Fig. 1),
wherein the controller [performing the method]:
(i) causes the print head to eject the first ink to print, on the print medium, a first image (controller 60 controls ejection of ink so that ink from one of upstream head CL2a and downstream head CL2b eject ink onto the medium and the other of the two heads is not used; at para. [0156]-[0157]; Fig. 15A),
(ii) causes the conveyance mechanism to convey the print medium in the conveyance direction such that a region on which the first image has been printed is brought to the fixation mechanism (medium passes below the irradiation section 60; at para. [0158]; Fig. 15B),
(iii) causes the fixation mechanism to fixate the first image (irradiation section 45 performs provisional curing; at para. [0158]),
(iv) causes the conveyance mechanism to convey the printing medium in a direction reverse to the conveyance direction such that the region on which the first image has been fixated is brought to the print head (“After the provisional curing process is performed, as shown in FIG. 15B, the controller 60 transports (reverse transport) the medium in a direction opposite to the transport direction”; at para. [0159]; Fig. 15B), and
(v) causes the printhead to eject the second ink to print, on the fixated first image which serves as a foundation, a second image (“white ink is used for printing the background of an image. For example, in a case where only texts are printed on a transparent film, the texts cannot be easily seen when there is no background color”; at para. [0197]; “when the medium passes below the second head CL2, the controller 60 ejects ink from the second head CL2, whereby the entire surface of the medium is coated with clear ink”; at para. [0160]; as understood by the examiner, in a case, for example, wherein the image is only two colors/inks, it would serve that the first is acts as a base/foundation as the second is printed over it).
Mitsuzawa does teach wherein the printing apparatus further comprises a detector group that may include a sensor (“detector group 50 includes a rotary encoder (not shown), a paper detecting sensor (not shown), and the like” and rotary encoder may detect transport amount; at para. [0065]) that communicates with the controller (Fig. 1). However, Mitsuzawa does not teach wherein the printing apparatus further comprises a sensor configured to read an image printed by the print head, the first image being a solid image having uniform density, the second image being a predetermined adjustment pattern, and the controller causing the sensor to read the predetermined adjustment pattern on the fixated first image.
Uchida teaches a printing apparatus (printing apparatus 2; at para. [0027]; Figs. 1A and 1B) with a controller (controller 400; Fig. 4) further comprising a sensor for reading a second image (“sensor unit 30 is a unit capable of reading an image printed on a printing medium”; at para. [0033]), wherein a first image is formed and the second image is formed over the first image as a predetermined adjustment pattern (“reference patterns 20 are printed as the first patterns by using predetermined nozzles belonging to the block BL2”; at para. [0058]; “adjustment patterns 21 are printed as the second patterns. For the adjustment patterns 21, different nozzles are used for the respective patch numbers of 0 to 6”; at para. [0060]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the detector group taught by Mitsuzawa to include a sensor for reading the second image that is a predetermined adjustment pattern as taught by Uchida. This would have been done for the purpose of reading an image and determining the difference or equality in controlled conveyance amount and actual conveyance amount as taught by Uchida (at para. [0033], [0061]).
Further, Mitsuzawa does not explicitly teach the first image being a solid image having uniform density.
Kentaro a method for printing on a transparent medium (abstract; page 1), mainly for color correction, wherein a solid uniform base image is printed (“a base B1 formed by attaching W ink dots with a uniform recording amount”; at fourth paragraph of page 7 describing Fig. 7, lines 6-7) and dried, then color correction patches are printed on the base (last two lines of page 11 and first three lines of page 12).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the printing apparatus as taught by Mitsuzawa to print a solid base (white) on a transparent medium that is fixated/dried before printing individual colors (black and/or color) in order to produce a stable brightness as taught by Kentaro (“The base B1 (B2) of this embodiment has a lightness higher than a predetermined threshold (for example, L = 90) and is printed with a recording amount in which the reproduced color (reproduced lightness) is stable”; at fourth paragraph of page 7 describing Fig. 7, lines 7-8).
Regarding claim 2, Mitsuzawa as modified by Uchida and Kentaro teaches the printing apparatus according to claim 1, however Mitsuzawa does not teach wherein the predetermined adjustment pattern is at least one of a registration adjustment pattern, a conveyance adjustment pattern, and a color calibration pattern.
Uchida further teaches wherein the predetermined adjustment pattern is a conveyance adjustment pattern (“the reference pattern 20 and adjustment pattern 21 are printed to change their overlapping form depending on the actual conveyance amount of a printing apparatus”; at para. [0062]).
Kentaro further teaches wherein the predetermined adjustment pattern is a color calibration pattern (color correction patch; last two lines of page 11 and first three lines of page 12).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the invention such that the predetermined adjustment pattern is a conveyance adjustment pattern as taught by Uchida or a color calibration pattern taught by Kentaro. This would have been done for the purpose of determining the difference or equality in controlled conveyance amount and actual conveyance amount as taught by Uchida (at para. [0061]) or in order to produce a stable brightness as taught by Kentaro (“The base B1 (B2) of this embodiment has a lightness higher than a predetermined threshold (for example, L = 90) and is printed with a recording amount in which the reproduced color (reproduced lightness) is stable”; at fourth paragraph of page 7 describing Fig. 7, lines 7-8)
Regarding claim 4, Mitsuzawa as modified by Uchida and Kentaro teaches the printing apparatus according to claim 1, and Mitsuzawa further teaches wherein the first ink includes a white color material (“white ink head W1 for forming white-ink dots, instead of the first head CL1”; at para. [0196]; Fig. 18; “white ink is used for printing the background of an image. For example, in a case where only texts are printed on a transparent film, the texts cannot be easily seen when there is no background color”; at para. [0197]).
Regarding claim 6, Mitsuzawa as modified by Uchida and Kentaro teaches the printing apparatus according to claim 1, however Mitsuzawa does not teach wherein the sensor is provided integrally with the print head.
Uchida further teaches wherein the sensor is provided integrally with the print head on a carriage (“The carriage 4 includes a plurality of printheads 11 and a sensor unit 30”; at para. [0031]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the invention such that the sensor is provided integrally with the print head for the purpose of enabling the sensor to read an image on a printing medium at an arbitrary position following the movement of the print head [on the carriage] and conveyance of the print medium and allow it to at least detect an end of a print medium as taught by Uchida (at para. [0033]).
Regarding claim 8, Mitsuzawa as modified by Uchida and Kentaro teaches the printing apparatus according to claim 1, however Mitsuzawa does not teach wherein before the second image is read by the sensor, the controller causes the conveyance mechanism to convey the printing medium in the conveyance direction such that a region on which the second image has been printed is brought to the fixation mechanism, and causes the fixation mechanism to fixate the second image.
Uchida further teaches wherein before the second image is read by the sensor, the controller causes (as understood, CPU 401 of controller 400 controls the apparatus) the conveyance mechanism to convey the printing medium in the conveyance direction such that a region on which the second image has been printed is brought to the fixation mechanism, and causes the fixation mechanism to fixate the second image (“For example, an adjustment pattern is printed, and the backfeed is performed at the timing of detection. The backfeed can be performed especially when ink is dried to stabilize the color and then the printed image is read”; at para. [0086]; “All adjustment patterns to be detected are printed, and each pattern is moved to a drying position and dried. The printing and drying are repeated. After that, backfeed is executed, and the printing medium is moved to a reading position”; at para. [0087]; i.e. the adjustment pattern is printed, conveyed, fixated, backfed, then read).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the invention such that the sensor reads the second image after it has been fixated for the purpose of reading an image only after the ink is dried and color is stabilized as taught by Uchida (at para. [0086]).
Regarding claim 9, Mitsuzawa as modified by Uchida and Kentaro teaches the printing apparatus according to claim 1, however Mitsuzawa does not teach wherein the controller determines an adjustment value based on a read result, by the sensor, of the predetermined adjustment pattern.
Uchida further teaches the printing apparatus as further comprising a controller that determines an adjustment value based on a read result of the predetermined adjustment pattern (Fig. 6; “a test print of an image (test patterns) accompanied by conveyance of a printing medium is performed (step S1). The sensor unit 30 reads the printed image, and the fluctuation amount of the conveyance amount is measured based on the reading result. Based on the result, the fluctuation characteristic is converted into data”; at para. [0055]; “The CPU 401 can determine the correction amount based on the fluctuation information and fluctuation characteristic”; at para. [0069]; controller 400 includes CPU 401; at para. [0039]; Fig. 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the invention such that a controller or CPU, such as taught by Matsuzawa, may be used to determine an adjustment value for the purpose of correcting conveyance fluctuation and determining a desired actual conveyance amount as taught by Uchida (at para. [0069]).
Regarding claim 10, Mitsuzawa as modified by Uchida and Kentaro teaches the printing apparatus according to claim 1, and Mitsuzawa further teaches wherein the printing medium is a transparent printing medium or a colored printing medium (“For example, in a case where only texts are printed on a transparent film, the texts cannot be easily seen when there is no background color…; at para. [0197] and [0047]).
Claim(s) 11-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mitsuzawa as modified by Uchida and Kentaro as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Verhofstad et al. (US 20180345682 A1), hereinafter referred to as Verhofstad.
Regarding claims 11 and 12, Mitsuzawa as modified by Uchida and Kentaro teaches the printing apparatus according to claim 1, Mitsuzawa teaches the printing apparatus as further comprising an interface unit that performs data transmission and reception between the controller and a computer with a display that is a user interface (at para. [0048], [0066]), and therefore the controller may obtain information input by a user. Uchida further teaches the printing apparatus as further comprising an operation panel (operation unit 420 accepts instruction inputs by the operator; at para. 0041; Fig. 1A), a user may input information indicative of a type of the printing medium (the size (i.e. type) of a printing medium can be set by the user; at para. [0081]), a controller obtains information from at least the operation panel (operation unit 430 sends information to controller 400; Fig. 3), and the controller may obtain information indicative of a type of the printing medium from at least the sensor (sensor unit 30 sends information to controller 400; Fig. 3; at para. [0081]).
While it may be possible for the type of printing medium to be selected via the operation panel of Uchida, each of Matsuzawa and Uchida does not explicitly teach wherein the user inputs information indicative of a type of the printing medium via the operation panel.
Verhofstad teaches a printing apparatus (ink jet printing assembly 3; at para. [0040]; Fig. 1) with a paper input module and control unit (paper module 50 and control unit 10; at para. [0061] and [0064]; Figs. 3 and 4) wherein the information indicative of a type of printing medium is set by a user via an operation panel (“The control unit 10 controls the media that is fed into the printer 3… The type of media can be selected by an operator via a user interface of the printer”; at para. [0061] and [0064]; Figs. 3 and 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the commands of the controller as taught by Mitsuzawa and Uchida to include the type of printing media as selected by a user as taught by Verhofstad. This would have been done for the purpose of controlling the media fed to the printer as taught by Verhofstad (at para. [0061] and [0064]) and/or accounting for an influence of slip between a printing medium and the conveyance rollers and determining optimal regions for test prints as taught by Uchida (at para. [0046], [0080]).
Regarding claim 13, Mitsuzawa as modified by Uchida and Kentaro teaches the printing apparatus according to claim 1, and Mitsuzawa teaches a computer with a print driver that communicates with the printer (at para. [0047]-[0050]) and Uchida further teaches a host apparatus that provides various data and commands to the controller (at para. [0040]) wherein information indicative of a type of printing medium may be set by a user (at para. [0081]), however neither Mitsuzawa nor Uchida explicitly teach wherein the controller obtains information indicative of a type of printing medium based on information included in a print job.
Verhofstad teaches a printing apparatus (ink jet printing assembly 3; at para. [0040]; Fig. 1) with a paper input module and control unit (paper module 50 and control unit 10; at para. [0061] and [0064]; Figs. 3 and 4) wherein the information indicative of a type of printing is included in a print job. (“The control unit 10 controls the media that is fed into the printer 3… Alternatively, the type of media can be selected when defining a print job at a computer that is in operative connection with control unit 10”; at para. [0061] and [0064]; Figs. 3 and 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the commands of the controller as taught by Mitsuzawa and Uchida to include the type of printing media as selected with the print job as taught by Verhofstad. This would have been done for the purpose of controlling the media fed to the printer as taught by Verhofstad (at para. [0061] and [0064]).
Regarding claim 14, Mitsuzawa as modified by Uchida and Kentaro teaches the printing apparatus according to claim 1, and Mitsuzawa further teaches wherein the printing medium may be a of a variety of media such as those well known in the art (at para. [0047], [0005]), however Mitsuzawa does not explicitly teach wherein the printing medium used is a white printing medium, and the controller causes the print head to print predetermined adjustment patterns on a paper-white part of the printing medium.
Verhofstad teaches printing apparatuses (ink jet printing assembly 3; at para. [0040]; Fig. 1) comprising print heads each with a fixation mechanism downstream to fixate ink droplets (print head 4 with radiation units 11a and 11b; Fig. 5; print head arrays 4a-4d with sources of radiation 11a1-11a4 and 11b). Additionally, Verhofstad teaches wherein white printing media are used (“MPI 2000, a white polymeric self-adhesive vinyl film… and MPI 2020, a matte white calendered vinyl film… were used as the recording medium”; at para. [0081]), and predetermined patterns are printed on the white media (at para. 0012).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the invention to use a white printing medium and print predetermined adjustment patterns directly onto the printing medium, specifically use a matte or gloss white printing medium and predetermined patterns, in order to determine a suitable curing strategy as taught by Verhofstad (at para. [0095]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record, as of the Non-Final Action mailed on 03/23/2026, and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Aoki et al. (US 20140098169 A1) (cited in IDS dated 02/10/2025) discloses a printing apparatus wherein a first image is printed on a medium going in a first direction, the image is then dried, then the medium is wound back, and then a second image is formed on the medium over the first ink, and finally a third image is formed on the medium (Example 2; at para. [0132]; Fig. 2).
Hori et al. (US 20170274683 A1) (cited in IDS dated 02/10/2025) discloses a printing apparatus with a plurality of recording heads with UV irradiators between them (at para. [0043]). The printing apparatus is capable of reverse transport and sensor calibration processing (Fig. 3).
Utsunomiya (US 20130328955 A1) (cited in IDS dated 02/10/2025) discloses a printing apparatus that can use a first nozzle to print in the transport direction, a second nozzle to print in the reverse transport direction, and a third nozzle to print in the transport direction (Application Example 5; at para. [0022]). Additionally, an under layer may be printed in white or some other ink (at para. [0057]).
Endo (US 20100026750 A1) (cited in IDS dated 02/10/2025) discloses a printing apparatus that performs ejection testing for ejection defects by printing test patterns and using optical sensors (Outline of Ejection Testing; at para. [0169]). Endo also discloses a user interface to select various printer settings, such as paper type (at para. [0108]-[0111]; Fig. 3).
Kawafuji et al. (US 20220080754 A1) discloses a printing apparatus comprising a detection sensor mounted on a carriage that also holds a print head wherein the print head prints a detection pattern (at para. [0117]-[0119]; Figs. 11A-11B; at para. [0195]), and the detection sensor reads a detection pattern for the controller (at para. [0109]).
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 KYRA M VAN KREUNINGEN whose telephone number is (571)272-9423. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thur 9:00am-6:00pm and Fri 9:00am-1:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, DOUGLAS X RODRIGUEZ can be reached at (571) 431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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25 August 2026
/KYRA MELOR VAN KREUNINGEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/DOUGLAS X RODRIGUEZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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