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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) submitted on 04 December 2024 in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, Information Disclosure Statement has been considered by the Examiner.
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the Examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the Examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-4, 6-8, 11-14, & 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Landa et al. (US 2015/0042736 A1).
As related to independent claims 1 & 11, Landa et al. teaches a digital printing system [claim 1], comprising: an intermediate transfer member (ITM), which is configured to perform the method [claim 11] of receive a printing fluid so as to form an image (Landa et al. – Page 1, Paragraphs 9-10 and Figure 1B, shown below), the ITM comprises a stack of multiple layers and has one or more markers engraved in at least one of the layers, at one or more respective marking locations along the ITM (Landa et al. – Page 5, Paragraphs 67-69; Page 9, Paragraphs 156-157; & Page 10, Paragraph 158); one or more sensing assemblies disposed at one or more respective predefined locations relative to the ITM, the sensing assemblies are configured to produce signals indicative of respective positions of the markers (Landa et al. – Page 6, Paragraphs 145-146; Page 11, Paragraphs 173-178; and Page 16, Paragraphs 230-244). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to recognize the laterally formed detectors as an obvious variation of an “engraved” marker. Landa et al. continues to teach a continuous target substrate having opposing first and second surfaces [i.e. web substrate], and configured to engage with the ITM at an engagement point for receiving the image from the ITM, wherein, at the engagement point, the ITM is configured to move at a first velocity and the continuous target substrate is configured to move at a second velocity (Landa et al. – Page 1, Paragraphs 9-10; Page 2, Paragraph 25; Page 4, Paragraph 42; Page 8, Paragraph 133; Page 11, Paragraph 173; and Figure 18, shown below); and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to recognize the use of a controller in lieu of a specific processor, which is configured to adjust the velocity of the rollers and ITM based on the speed of rotation in order to match the first velocity and the second velocity at the engagement point (Landa et al. – Page 11, Paragraph 173; Figure 1B and Figure 18, shown below). Landa et al. continues to teach first and second drums, wherein the first drum is configured to rotate at a first direction and first rotational velocity so as to move the ITM at the first velocity, and the second drum configured to rotate at a second direction [i.e. inherent characteristic of a multiple drum intermediate transfer member printing system] and at a second rotational velocity so as to move the continuous target substrate at the second velocity, and the processor which is configured to engage and disengage between the ITM and the continuous target substrate at the engagement point by displacing one or both of the first drum and the second drum (Landa et al. – Page 1, Paragraphs 9-10; Page 2, Paragraph 25; Page 4, Paragraph 42; and Figure 18, shown below).
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As related to dependent claims 2 & 12, Landa et al. remains as applied above and continues to teach the system and method comprising the processor wherein, when the ITM and the continuous target substrate are engaged, the processor is configured to match, based on the signals (Landa et al. – Page 6, Paragraphs 87-89 & Page 11, Paragraphs 173-178), the first velocity and the second velocity at the engagement point (Landa et al. – Page 6, Paragraphs 87-89 & Page 11, Paragraphs 173-178).
As related to further dependent claims 3 & 13, Landa et al. remains as applied above and continues to teach the processor is configured to control a deposition of the printing fluid on the ITM based on the signals (Landa et al. – Page 2, Paragraph 24 and Page 5, Paragraphs 57-60).
As related to further dependent claims 4 & 14, Landa et al. remains as applied above and continues to teach the printing fluid comprises ink (Landa et al. – Page 2, Paragraph 24 and Page 5, Paragraphs 57-60).
As related to dependent claims 6 & 16, Landa et al. remains as applied above and continues to teach the system and method comprising at least one station or assembly, wherein the processor is configured, based on the signals, to control an operation of the at least one station or assembly of the system for producing the image on the continuous target substrate (Landa et al. – Page 11, Paragraphs 173-178).
As related to further dependent claims 7 & 17, Landa et al. remains as applied above and continues to teach the system and method wherein the at least one station or assembly is selected from a list consisting of (a) an image forming station, (b) an impression station, (c) an ITM guiding system, (d) one or more drying assemblies, (e) an ITM treatment station, and (f) an image quality control station (Landa et al. – Figure 1B, shown above).
As related to further dependent claims 8 & 18, Landa et al. remains as applied above and continues to teach the image forming station comprises a rotogravure printing apparatus [i.e. impression cylinders against an ITM which is a rotatable drum] (Landa et al. – Page 9, Paragraphs 145-146 and Page 22, Paragraph 337).
Claims 5 & 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Landa et al. (US 2015/0042736 A1) in view of TASHIRO et al. (US 2015/0029518 A1).
Landa et al. remains as applied above and continues to teach the printing fluid comprises one or more additional colors of the ink (Landa et al. – Page 9, Paragraph 148 & Page 13, Paragraph 201), but does not specifically white ink disposed on an entire area of the image. However, TASHIRO et al. teaches a digital printing system and method using an intermediate transfer member (ITM) configured to receive a printing fluid wherein the printing fluid comprises white ink and additional colors of ink (TASHIRO et al. – Page 1, Paragraphs 5 & 17 and Figure 1, shown below) and specifically teaches the printing fluid comprises: (i) white ink disposed on an entire area of the image, and (ii) one or more additional colors of the ink disposed on the white ink at predefined sections of the image (TASHIRO et al. – Page 1, Paragraphs 5 & 17 and Figures 5D & 7C, shown below). 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 printing fluid of Landa et al. to include the white ink as well as additional colors of the ink of TASHIRO et al. in an effort to provide an image processing apparatus which provides a white underlying layer to improve color reproducibility, specifically on transparent or colored medium with low reflectance (TASHIRO et al. – Page 1, Paragraphs 5-6).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-10 & 19-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim [claim 1 or 11], but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim [claim 1 or 11] and any intervening claims [claim 9 or 19].
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: As related to dependent claims 9 & 19, the prior art of record does not teach the processor is configured to receive a signal indicative of a temporal variation in an electrical current flowing through the electrical motor, which is configured to move one or both of the first and second drums.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Caruthers, Jr. et al. (US 5,897,239 A) teaches gravure printing using white ink and printing a solid layer below an image layer.
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.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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