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 .
2. This office action is responsive to the application Nº 18/819,495 filed on August 29th, 2024 in which claims 1-13 are pending and ready for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. Acknowledgment is made of Applicant’s Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) form PTO-1449. These IDS have been considered.
Priority
4. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Drawings
5. The examiner contends that the drawings submitted on 08/29/2024 are acceptable for examination proceedings.
Claim Objections
6. Claim 13 is objected to because of the following informalities: On lines 1-2 of the claim, it appears Applicant intended “… medium storing a program configured to, to control a printing apparatus …” to read “… medium storing a program configured to control a printing apparatus …”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
7. 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 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.
8. 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.
9. Claims 1-3, 5 and 7-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Barry et al. (JP 2016-144937).
10. Regarding independent claim 1: Barry et al. disclosed a printing apparatus ([0016], line 1; also see Fig. 1, reference 100) comprising:
a moving unit configured to individually move ([0030], lines 1-6; also see Fig. 3, reference 200) a plurality of printheads (Fig. 3, references 204A - 204D) provided for types of liquids ([0016], lines 5-6) between a printing position at which a liquid is discharged to a print medium ([0018], lines 1-4 and [0017], lines 1-4; also see Fig. 3, the position of printheads 204A - 204C) and a retracted position retracted from the print medium as compared to the printing position ([0018], lines 4-6; also see Fig. 3, also see Fig. 3, the position of printhead 204D);
a conveying unit configured to convey the print medium ([0017], lines 4-5; also see Fig. 5); and
a control unit (Fig. 1, reference 106) configured to control the moving unit such that a printhead that discharges a liquid of a type to be used for printing among the plurality of printheads is located at the printing position, and a printhead that discharges a liquid of a type not to be used for printing is located at the retracted position ([0022], lines 3-9; also see Figs. 1 and 3, printhead 204D which is not being used for printing is moved to position 118, while printheads 204A – 204C are located at position 112),
wherein the control unit controls the moving unit (Fig. 3, reference 200) to move a printhead of a moving target (Fig. 3, reference 202D; the actuator corresponding to the unused printhead) during conveyance of the print medium ([0022], lines 1-7; the unused printhead is retracted without interrupting the printing process).
11. Regarding claim 2: Barry et al. disclosed the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit specifies at least one of the type of the liquid to be used for printing and the type of the liquid not to be used for printing from print data that is a target of printing, and controls the moving unit based on a specifying result ([0045], lines 1-11; the controller determines the printheads (color inks) to be used for the print job and positions the printheads accordingly, based on print data).
12. Regarding claim 3: Barry et al. disclosed the apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit specifies at least one of the type of the liquid to be used for printing and the type of the liquid not to be used for printing from the print data on a page basis ([0025], lines 1-6; case where the number of media sheet is equal to one).
13. Regarding claim 5: Barry et al. disclosed the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit generates a moving schedule of the plurality of printheads and controls the moving unit in accordance with the moving schedule ([0026], specifying which printheads will be used and which printheads will not be used and the timing for moving the printheads in the printing of at least two sequential printing portions constitutes a moving schedule of the plurality of printheads).
14. Regarding claim 7: Barry et al. disclosed the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit specifies at least one of the type of the liquid to be used for printing and the type of the liquid not to be used for printing for each of a plurality of printing sections arranged in a conveyance direction of the print medium, and sets a printhead to be moved and a moving timing based on a specifying result ([0026], controller 106 specifies which printheads will be used and which printheads will not be used and the timing for moving the printheads in the printing of at least two sequential printing portions).
15. Regarding claim 8: Barry et al. disclosed the apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each printing section has a length to print a plurality of pages ([0025], lines 1-6).
16. Regarding claim 9: Barry et al. disclosed the apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each printing section is a section set based on a unit length determined in advance ([0025], lines 1-7).
17. Regarding claim 10: Barry et al. disclosed the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print medium is a roll sheet ([0002], lines 4-5; also see Fig. 5 which shows the medium as a continuous web).
18. Regarding claim 11: Barry et al. disclosed the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each printhead is a full-line head ([0003], lines 2-4), and one type of liquid is assigned to one printhead ([0016], lines 5-6).
19. Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Barry et al. (JP 2016-144937).
20. Regarding independent claim 12: Barry et al. disclosed a control method of a printing apparatus ([0001], lines 1-2) including a moving unit configured to individually move ([0030], lines 1-6; also see Fig. 3, reference 200) a plurality of printheads (Fig. 3, references 204A - 204D) provided for types of liquids ([0016], lines 5-6) between a printing position at which a liquid is discharged to a print medium ([0018], lines 1-4 and [0017], lines 1-4; also see Fig. 3, the position of printheads 204A - 204C) and a retracted position retracted from the print medium as compared to the printing position ([0018], lines 4-6; also see Fig. 3, also see Fig. 3, the position of printhead 204D), and a conveying unit configured to convey the print medium ([0017], lines 4-5; also see Fig. 5), the method comprising
controlling the moving unit such that a printhead that discharges a liquid of a type to be used for printing among the plurality of printheads is located at the printing position, and a printhead that discharges a liquid of a type not to be used for printing is located at the retracted position ([0022], lines 3-9; also see Figs. 1 and 3, printhead 204D which is not being used for printing is moved to position 118, while printheads 204A – 204C are located at position 112),
wherein in the controlling, the moving unit (Fig. 3, reference 200) is controlled to move a printhead of a moving target (Fig. 3, reference 202D; the actuator corresponding to the unused printhead) during conveyance of the print medium ([0022], lines 1-7; the unused printhead is retracted without interrupting the printing process).
21. Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Barry et al. (JP 2016-144937).
22. Regarding independent claim 13: Barry et al. disclosed a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program (The storage portion for storing control instructions of the controller 106 (not shown)) configured to control a printing apparatus ([0016], line 1; also see Fig. 1, reference 100) including a moving unit configured to individually move ([0030], lines 1-6; also see Fig. 3, reference 200) a plurality of printheads (Fig. 3, references 204A - 204D) provided for types of liquids ([0016], lines 5-6) between a printing position at which a liquid is discharged to a print medium ([0018], lines 1-4 and [0017], lines 1-4; also see Fig. 3, the position of printheads 204A - 204C) and a retracted position retracted from the print medium as compared to the printing position ([0018], lines 4-6; also see Fig. 3, also see Fig. 3, the position of printhead 204D), and a conveying unit configured to convey the print medium ([0017], lines 4-5; also see Fig. 5), cause a computer to execute (Fig. 1, reference 106; controller 106 as a computer)
controlling the moving unit such that a printhead that discharges a liquid of a type to be used for printing among the plurality of printheads is located at the printing position, and a printhead that discharges a liquid of a type not to be used for printing is located at the retracted position ([0022], lines 3-9; also see Figs. 1 and 3, printhead 204D which is not being used for printing is moved to position 118, while printheads 204A – 204C are located at position 112),
wherein in the controlling, the moving unit (Fig. 3, reference 200) is controlled to move a printhead of a moving target (Fig. 3, reference 202D; the actuator corresponding to the unused printhead) during conveyance of the print medium ([0022], lines 1-7; the unused printhead is retracted without interrupting the printing process).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
23. 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 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.
24. 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 of this title, 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.
25. Claims 4 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barry et al. (JP 2016-144937), in view of Inoue (US Pub. Nº 2008/0174816).
26. Regarding claim 4: Barry et al. disclosed the apparatus according to claim 2.
Barry et al. are silent about wherein the control unit stores the specifying result in association with the print data, and uses the stored specifying result when printing print data identical to print data printed in the past.
Inoue disclosed in a recording apparatus, a control unit configured to store printing settings in association with print data ([0087], lines 1-4), and use the stored printing settings when print data identical to said past print data is received at a later time ([0086], lines 1-5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Inoue with those of Barry et al. by storing specifying results to be used when similar print data is received at a later time in order to improve the processing speed of the apparatus and suppress print condition setting errors as disclosed by Inoue in paragraph [0007].
27. Regarding claim 6: Barry et al. disclosed the apparatus according to claim 5.
Barry et al. are silent about wherein the control unit stores the moving schedule in association with print data, and uses the stored moving schedule when printing print data identical to print data printed in the past.
Inoue disclosed in a recording apparatus, a control unit configured to store printing settings in association with print data ([0087], lines 1-4), and use the stored printing settings when print data identical to said past print data is received at a later time ([0086], lines 1-5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Inoue with those of Barry et al. by storing specifying results to be used when similar print data is received at a later time in order to improve the processing speed of the apparatus and suppress print condition setting errors as disclosed by Inoue in paragraph [0007].
Conclusion
28. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
29. Japanese Patent application publication number 2011-201132 to Ohashi disclosed a similar invention in the abstract and in Fig. 8.
30. Japanese Patent application publication number 2001-113683 to Inaba et al. also disclosed a similar invention in the abstract and in Fig. 8.
31. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YAOVI M. AMEH whose telephone number is (571)272-4578. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
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33. 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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/YAOVI M AMEH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853