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 § 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.
Claims 1 and 16-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as unpatentable over Yokozawa et al. (US Publication 2016/0257114) in view of You (WO 2021/251688).
With respect to claim 1, Yokozawa et al. teaches a media processing device, comprising:
an electrothermal heating element (19a, 19b, Paragraph 0048);
a temperature sensor (S1-S9, Figure 3A, Paragraph 0044);
a printhead (9, Paragraph 0039, Figures 1, 2, 9);
a battery (120, Paragraph 0054, Figure 4);
a logic circuit (102, 105) operatively coupled to the electrothermal heating element (19a, 19b), the temperature sensor (S1-S9), the printhead (9), and the battery (120, Paragraph 0052);
a housing (note: although there is no element number it is clear there is a housing for the printer device as shown in Figure 1) defining at least one compartment containing the electrothermal heating element (19a, 19b), the temperature sensor (S1-S9), and at least one of the printhead (9), battery (120), the logic circuit, or a media supply, the logic circuit configured to:
receive power from the battery (120, Figure 4, Paragraph 0054);
control the printhead (9) to perform print jobs, performance of the print jobs being degraded or inhibit below a specified temperature (Paragraphs 0081-0087, 0099-0104, Figures 9 and 10); and
activate the electrothermal heating element (19a, 19b) in response to determining that the sensed temperature that is below an activation temperature threshold (Paragraphs 0058-00590, the electrothermal heating element (19a, 19b) radiating heat within the at least one compartment in response to being activated (Paragraph 0088-0091).
However, Yokozawa et al. teaches the claimed invention with the exception of
determine whether an output of the temperature sensor corresponds to a sensed temperature that is equal to or less than an activation temperature threshold and activate the electrothermal heating element in response to determining that the sensed temperature is below an activation temperature threshold, the electrothermal heating element radiating heat within the at least one compartment to increase a temperature of the compartment within which the battery, the logic circuit, the printhead, or the media supply reside in response to being activated. You determines whether an output of the temperature sensor corresponds to a sensed temperature that is equal to or less than an activation temperature threshold (Paragraphs 0040, 0075, 0084) and activate the heating element in response to determining that the sensed temperature is below an activation temperature threshold (Paragraph 0075), the heating element radiating heat within the at least one compartment to increase a temperature of the compartment within which the battery, the logic circuit, the printhead, or the media supply reside in response to being activated (Paragraph 0084).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the present invention was made to modify the invention taught by Yokozawa et al. since it would require obvious substitution of a known temperature sensor and a heating element with temperature sensor corresponds to a sensed temperature that is equal to or less than an activation temperature threshold and activate the heating element in response to determining that the sensed temperature is below an activation temperature threshold as taught by You for the purpose of ensuring the printer environment is controlled.
With respect to claim 16, Yokozawa et al. teaches the electrothermal heating element (19a, 19b) corresponds to a first electrothermal element (19a) and the media processing device further comprises a second electrothermal heating element (19b, Paragraph 0048).
With respect to claim 17, Yokozawa et al. teaches the second electrothermal heating element (19b) is activated by the logic circuit in unison with the first electrothermal heating element (19a, Paragraph 0099, Steps S1001, S1002).
With respect to claim 18, Yokozawa et al. teaches the second electrothermal heating element (19b) is activated by the logic circuit in independently of the first electrothermal heating element (19a, Paragraph 0099, Steps S1001, S1002).
With respect to claim 19, Yokozawa et al. teaches a battery (120), a logic circuit (102, 105) and multiple compartments in the housing (Figure 1), however does not explicitly disclose the first compartment contains the battery and the second compartment contains the logic circuit.
However, it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70 and In re Kuhle, 526, 188 USPQ 7(CCPA 1975).
One skilled in the art before the effective filing date would have recognized to provide a first compartment containing a battery and a second compartment containing a logic circuit for the purpose of protecting the components of the printer.
With respect to claim 20, Yokozawa et al. teaches multiple compartments in the housing (Figure 1) and a second electrothermal heating element (19b), however does not explicitly disclose the at least one compartment of the housing corresponds to a first compartment and the housing further defines a second compartment, the second electrothermal heating element is disposed in the second compartment.
However, it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70 and In re Kuhle, 526, 188 USPQ 7(CCPA 1975).
One skilled in the art before the effective filing date would have recognized to provide the at least one compartment of the housing corresponding to a first compartment and a housing defining a second compartment, the second electrothermal heating element being disposed in the second compartment for the purpose of protecting the components of the printer.
With respect to claim 21, Yokozawa et al. teaches multiple compartments in the housing (Figure 1), a battery (120) and a logic circuit (102, 105), however does not explicitly disclose the first compartment contains at least one of the battery or the logic circuit and the second compartment is configured to contain the media supply.
However, it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70 and In re Kuhle, 526, 188 USPQ 7(CCPA 1975).
One skilled in the art before the effective filing date would have recognized to provide the first compartment containing at least one of the battery or the logic circuit and the second compartment configured to contain the media supply for the purpose of protecting the components of the printer.
With respect to claim 22, You teaches a method comprising sensing a temperature proximate to one or more components within a housing of a media processing device, performance of print jobs by the media processing device being degraded or inhibit below a specified temperature (Paragraphs 0040, 0075, 0084);
determining whether the sensed temperature is below an activation temperature threshold (240, Paragraphs 0040, 0075, 0084); and
activating the one or more electrothermal elements within the housing a housing of the media processing device to increase the temperature proximate to the one or more components within the media processing device (Paragraphs 0040, 0075, 0084).
With respect to claim 23, Yokozawa et al. teaches a media processing device
a printhead (9, Paragraph 0039, Figures 1, 2, 9);
a battery (120, Paragraph 0054, Figure 4);
a temperature compensation circuitry that includes a temperature sensing circuit (S1-S9, Figure 3) and an electrothermal circuit (Paragraph 0048, Figure 2);
a logic circuit (102, 105) operatively coupled to the temperature compensation circuit (S1-S9), the printhead (9), and the battery (120, Paragraph 0052);
a housing (note: although there is no element number it is clear there is a housing for the printer device as shown in Figure 1) containing the temperature compensation circuit (S1-S9), the printhead (9), the battery (120) and the logic circuit (102, 105)
the logic circuit configured to: output voltage from the temperature sensing circuit, the voltage representative of a sensed temperature (Paragraphs 0081-0087, 0099-0104, Figures 9 and 10); and
However, Yokozawa et al. teaches the claimed invention with the exception of
determine whether the output voltage is indicative of a sensed temperature that is equal to or less than an activation temperature threshold and activate the electrothermal heating element in response to determining that the sensed temperature is below an activation temperature threshold, the electrothermal heating element radiating heat within the at least one compartment to increase a temperature of the compartment within which the battery, the logic circuit, the printhead, or the media supply reside in response to being activated. You determines whether an output of the temperature sensor corresponds to a sensed temperature that is equal to or less than an activation temperature threshold (Paragraphs 0040, 0075, 0084) and activate the heating element in response to determining that the sensed temperature is below an activation temperature threshold (Paragraph 0075), the heating element radiating heat within the at least one compartment to increase a temperature of the compartment within which the battery, the logic circuit, the printhead, or the media supply reside in response to being activated (Paragraph 0084).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the present invention was made to modify the invention taught by Yokozawa et al. since it would require obvious substitution of a known temperature sensor and a heating element with temperature sensor corresponds to a sensed temperature that is equal to or less than an activation temperature threshold and activate the heating element in response to determining that the sensed temperature is below an activation temperature threshold as taught by You for the purpose of ensuring the printer environment is controlled.
Claims 2-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokozawa et al. (US Publication 2016/0257114) in view of You (WO 2021/251688), as applied to the claims above, and further in view of Waida et al. (US Publication 2013/0209123).
With respect to claim 2, Yokozawa et al., as modified, teaches an electrothermal heating element (19a, 19b), however Yokozawa et al. does not explicitly disclose the electrothermal heating element including a carbon-based material.
Waida et al. teaches an electrothermal heating element including a carbon-based material (Paragraph 0162).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the present invention was made to further modify the invention taught by Yokozawa et al., as modified, since it would require obvious substitution of a known electrothermal heating element with an electrothermal heating that includes a carbon-based material as taught by Waida et al. for the purpose of providing uniform heat distribution in the printer.
With respect to claim 3, Waida et al. teaches the carbon-based material is at least one of carbon fiber, graphene, or graphite (Paragraph 0162).
With respect to claim 4, Yokozawa et al., as modified, teaches an electrothermal heating element (19a, 19b), however Yokozawa et al. does not explicitly disclose the electrothermal heating element is affixed to or embedded in the housing.
Waida et al. teaches electrothermal heating element (5, Figure 2) is affixed to or embedded in the housing (Figures 1A, 1B, 19, Paragraph 0075).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the present invention was made to further modify the invention taught by Yokozawa et al., as modified, to provide an electrothermal heating element that is affixed to or embedded in the housing as taught by Waida et al. for the purpose of sufficiently controlling the temperature in the housing.
With respect to claim 5, Yokozawa et al. teaches at least a portion of the electrothermal heating element (19a, 19b, Figures 1, 2) is spaced away from the housing.
Claim 6, 7 and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokozawa et al. (US Publication 2016/0257114) in view of You (WO 2021/251688), as applied, to the claims above, and further in view of Gunther et al. (US Patent 5,838,356).
With respect to claim 6, Yokozawa et al., as modified, teaches the claimed invention including a temperature sensor (S1-S9) however does not explicitly the temperature sensor includes a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor.
Gunther et al. teaches a temperature sensor that includes a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor (Column 7, Lines 25-32).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the present invention was made to further modify the invention taught by Yokozawa et al., as modified, since it would require obvious substitution of a known temperature sensor with a temperature sensor that includes a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor as taught by Gunther et al. for the purpose of detecting and quickly responding to temperature changes thereby ensuring a proper temperature range within the printer.
With respect to claim 7, Yokozawa et al. teaches the logic circuit (102, 105) is configured to control a temperature of the electrothermal heating element (19a, 19b) when it is activated (Paragraphs 0051-0053, 0058-0059, note the logic circuit controls multiple elements in the printer).
With respect to claim 12, Yokozawa et al. teaches the logic device (102, 105) is configured to: determine whether an output of the temperature sensor (S1-S9) corresponds to a sensed temperature that is equal to or greater than a deactivation temperature threshold (Paragraphs 0058-0059); and deactivate the electrothermal heating element in response to determining that the sensed temperature that is equal to or greater than the deactivation temperature threshold (Paragraphs 0088-0091).
With respect to claim 13, Yokozawa et al. teaches the deactivation temperature threshold is equal to the activation temperature threshold (Paragraph 0090).
With respect to claim 14, Yokozawa et al. teaches the claimed invention with the exception of the deactivation temperature threshold is greater than the activation temperature threshold.
However, it has been held that held that where general conditions are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105USPQ 233.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in that art before the effective filing date of the present application to modify Yokozawa et al., to provide a deactivation temperature threshold is greater than the activation temperature threshold as claimed since such a modification would prevent print media distortion.
Claims 8-11 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokozawa et al. (US Publication 2016/0257114) in view of You (WO 2021/251688) Gunther et al. (US Patent 5,838,356) and as applied to the claims above, and further in view of Mokhtar al. (US Patent 5,838,356).
With respect to claim 8, Yokozawa et al., as modified, teaches the claimed invention with the exception of the activation temperature threshold is approximately zero degrees Celsius.
Mokhtar et al. teaches an activation temperature threshold is approximately zero degrees Celsius (Paragraph 0021).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the present invention was made to further modify the invention taught by Yokozawa et al., as modified, to provide an activation temperature threshold is approximately zero degrees Celsius as taught by Mokhtar et al. for the purpose of avoiding distortion on a print media.
With respect to claim 9, Mokhtar et al. teaches the activation temperature threshold is approximately negative ten degrees Celsius (Paragraph 0021).
With respect to claim 10, Mokhtar et al. teaches the activation temperature threshold is approximately negative fifteen degrees Celsius (Paragraph 0021).
With respect to claim 11, Mokhtar et al. teaches the activation temperature threshold is between negative twenty degrees Celsius and zero degrees Celsius (Paragraph 0021).
With respect to claim 15, Mokhtar et al. teaches the deactivation temperature threshold is zero degree Celsius and seven degree Celsius (Paragraph 0021).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s)1-23 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of the current rejection.
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 MARISSA LIANA FERGUSON SAMRETH whose telephone number is (571)272-2163. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
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/Marissa Ferguson-Samreth/Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/CHRISTOPHER E MAHONEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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