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 § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 13, 21, 23, 28 and 34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(2)(1) / 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Koyatsu et al (US 20120229820 A1).
Referring to claim 13:
Koyatsu et al disclose an information processing apparatus comprising:
at least one memory and at least one processor (par. 23-24, 31: client device 2 and print server 4 include a CPU that execute a program stored in a memory) which function as:
a control unit configured to perform control for conversion on at least a part of a plurality of images included in a print target to be printed on a same print medium by an image forming apparatus, the plurality of images having set hiding rates different from one another (par. 91: performing a correction or conversion to reduce the density (hiding rate) values for each color component image by the same ratio so that a total density value that is the sum of density values not exceed a predetermined upper limit).
Referring to claim 21:
Koyatsu et al disclose the above information processing apparatus, wherein all of the plurality of images are images printed using ink of a specific color (par. 91: cyan, magenta, yellow, black).
Referring to claim 23:
Koyatsu et al disclose the above information processing apparatus, wherein a transmission control unit configured to perform control to transmit, to the image forming apparatus, print data in which the plurality of images after converting the at least part of the images are arranged on a same page (Fig. 1: client device 2 and print server 4 transmit print data to printer 6).
Referring to claim 28:
This claim is the method for performing the corresponding functions of the apparatus as set forth in claim 13 and is therefore rejected for the same reasons as presented above.
Referring to claim 34:
This claim is the product or article of manufacture (i.e., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) storing a computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the corresponding functions of the apparatus as set forth in claim 13 and the method set forth in claim 28. Koyatsu et al discloses such a product for this purpose (par. 26, 35: storage media for storing the program). Therefore, this claim is rejected for the same reasons as presented above.
Claims 13, 21, 23, 28 and 34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(2)(1) / 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nakajima et al (US 20130278970 A1).
Referring to claim 13:
Nakajima et al disclose an information processing apparatus comprising:
at least one memory and at least one processor (par. 35-36: a CPU controls operations based on programs stored in a memory) which function as:
a control unit configured to perform control for conversion on at least a part of a plurality of images included in a print target to be printed on a same print medium by an image forming apparatus, the plurality of images having set hiding rates different from one another (par. 159: case in which print density (hiding rate) lowering processing or conversion (at step S1129) is performed on the N images).
Referring to claim 21:
Nakajima et al disclose the above information processing apparatus, wherein all of the plurality of images are images printed using ink of a specific color (printing color images inherently requires using a specific color).
Referring to claim 23:
Nakajima et al disclose the above information processing apparatus, wherein a transmission control unit configured to perform control to transmit, to the image forming apparatus, print data in which the plurality of images after converting the at least part of the images are arranged on a same page (Fig. 1: CPU 11 transmits print data to image forming apparatus 19).
Referring to claim 28:
This claim is the method for performing the corresponding functions of the apparatus as set forth in claim 13 and is therefore rejected for the same reasons as presented above.
Referring to claim 34:
This claim is the product or article of manufacture (i.e., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) storing a computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the corresponding functions of the apparatus as set forth in claim 13 and the method set forth in claim 28. Nakajima et al discloses such a product for this purpose (par. 36: programs stored in the ROM 13). Therefore, this claim is rejected for the same reasons as presented above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 29-33 and 35 are allowed.
Claims 14-20, 22 and 24-27 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. Referring to these claims, the prior art searched and of record neither anticipates nor suggests the limitations added in the various claimed combinations.
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 (i.e., a descriptive title that distinguishes the invention and is not a generic or general description). The new title should take into account any amendments to the claims to best indicate the claimed invention.
The title must be as short and specific as possible (see 37 CFR 1.72(a)). Applicant should distill a description of the claimed invention into as few words as possible to capture the essence of the claimed invention. Rather than reciting statutory categories (apparatus, method, product) and some generic descriptor (e.g., information processing), a title that is specific, but characterizes the essence or key aspect(s) of the claimed invention, should be submitted.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements submitted on 17 September 2024 and 18 August 2025 were filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. Accordingly, the statements have been considered by the examiner.
Applicant has provided an explanation of relevance of cited document JP 2003-256162 A on page 1 of the specification.
The relevance of the cited document JP 2006-054578 A can be found in the Written Opinion from the JPO dated 28 July 2025 for Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-162671 (of record).
Cited Art
The prior art and other references made of record and not relied upon are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Asai (US 20060033953 A1, related to JP 2006-054578 A) discloses an information-processing device for combining a plurality of pages including image data to printing image data printed on one sheet, and converting the combined pages to input image data for an image forming device is disclosed. When a multi-page print instruction is issued, a data generation unit in the information-processing device sets a maximum number N for combining the pages to one sheet, determines the size and the orientation of the sheet to be fed to an image forming point in the image forming device, and reserves a data storing region in an image buffer for producing the printing image data. The data generation unit produces the printing image data having the same orientation as that of the sheet fed in the image forming device when combining the page. Therefore, a process for rotating the printing image data itself is not necessary.
Yamaguchi et al (US 20190347052 A1) disclose an image processing apparatus includes a reception unit that receives specification for covering a color of a medium on which printing is to be performed, a generation unit that generates, using the specification, a print job for additional printing, in which a same color is printed plural times, and a control unit that controls a printing process in accordance with the print job generated by the generation unit.
Matsuoka (US 20210014384 A1) discloses an image processing apparatus includes circuitry configured to receive a designation of a to-be-corrected color that is a process color or a special color (e.g., white) different from the process color and is to be corrected. In different embodiments, a combination of a color of a recording medium (Fig. 25) and a special color is considered.
Yamanobe et al (US 20220332131 A1) disclose an inkjet printing device and a printing method capable of grasping a position of a non-product image, such as a jetting state monitoring pattern, on a continuous medium. An inkjet printing device includes a medium transport mechanism that transports a continuous medium (12) in a medium transport direction, an inkjet head that prints a user image on the continuous medium, one or more processors, and one or more memories that are connected to the processors and store commands which are able to be executed by using the processors, in which the processor reads out the command from the memory and prints non-product image position information (304) including information on a position of a non-product image (302) printed on the continuous medium in the continuous medium at a position (12A) on a downstream side of a region in which the non-product image is printed in the medium transport direction. A disposition order of the inkjet heads 62 of respective colors is not particularly limited, but since the white ink is used in a case of printing a white background image, the inkjet head 62W is preferably disposed at a position on the downstream side of the inkjet head 62Y or the like that jets non-white ink. In an aspect in which the non-transparent substrate 12 is applied, the inkjet head 62W may not be provided.
Yamazaki et al (US 20240329893 A1) disclose an image processing apparatus that includes a processor being configured to extract a correlation from a correlation table that indicates the correlation between a type of printing medium used for printing that uses pretreatment liquid, base ink (e.g., white ink), and color ink, an amount of the pretreatment liquid, and an amount of the base ink, and image quality and characteristic information of a printed material, and to generate a first print image based on the type of printing medium and input values of the amount of the pretreatment liquid and the amount of the base ink that have been input (white hiding ratio), and a second print image based on correction values that improve at least one of the image quality and the characteristic information more than the input values and that are the amount of the pretreatment liquid and the amount of the base ink obtained from the correlation.
Yoshida (US 20240394495 A1), filed by the same Assignee, discloses a printing apparatus comprises: an obtaining unit configured to obtain color information indicating a color of a sheet to be used in printing from a scan image of the sheet; and an image forming unit configured to print, based on the color information, a background for a predetermined pattern to be formed on the sheet and then print the predetermined pattern on the sheet. Yoshida describes a concealment rate of the base and the need to adjust that rate. Yoshida also describes aspects drying time of the base and controlling the transport speed of the roll paper at the same time as controlling the presence or absence of a base.
Ikarashi (US 20240402950 A1), filed by the same Assignee, discloses printing control device includes: an operation information obtainment unit that obtains operation information on a printing device; and a display control unit that displays, on a display screen to select a parameter set, a candidate selected from a plurality of parameter sets registered with the printing device based on the operation information on the printing device. In addition to a conveyance parameter, the parameter set to the printing job includes whether to perform white printing, a hiding rate in the white printing, a drying temperature after the white printing or a drying temperature in color printing, and a tension applied to the printing medium. A UI screen is provided to edit the printing parameters.
Shimmoto (US 20260113411 A1), filed by the same Assignee, discloses an inkjet printing apparatus comprises: a first printing unit that prints a specific color image by applying a specific color ink having a specific color on a printing medium; a second printing unit that prints a color image by applying a color ink onto the specific color image printed on the printing medium; and a control unit that controls an application amount of the specific color ink by the first printing unit. The control unit determines an application amount per unit area of the specific color ink in accordance with a viewing condition in a case where an observer views a printing medium on which the color image is printed. In Fig. 25, the transmission light ratio can be set relative to the white ink application amount.
Sumioka et al (US 20260131587 A1), filed by the same Assignee, disclose a print apparatus comprises a print unit applying ink to a transparent print medium, a drying unit drying a print medium to which ink is applied, and a control unit. The control unit causes the print unit to print a first layer, causes the drying unit to dry the transparent print medium on which the first layer is printed, and causes the print unit to print a second layer that conceals the first layer on the first layer after the first layer has dried, controls printing based on one print mode determined from among a plurality of print modes including a first and a second print mode in which a concealment rate of the second layer is different from a concealment rate of the first print mode, and controls drying of the first layer based on a drying condition in accordance with the concealment rate of the determined print mode.
Shigeta et al (JP 2002268318 A) disclose a color image forming apparatus for forming a color toner image with good image quality by superimposing a color toner image on a transfer material (recording paper) of various transfer materials, including a transfer material having a small paper thickness, by an electrophotographic method. A measuring means TS, WS or KS for measuring any one of opacity, whiteness and glossiness is provided in a paper feeding path of a recording paper P carried out from a paper feeding cassette 15, and provides a corresponding measurement result. By controlling the charging voltage of charger 11 (1) W or the exposure output of the exposure optical system 12 (1) W based on the measurement result, the amount of the adhered white toner formed on the lowermost layer of the recording paper P in the developing device 13 (1) W is controlled.
Furukawa et al (JP 2019065246 A) provide a white ink which is excellent in dispersion stability, ejection stability and fixability to a recording medium and has good whiteness of an image. A white ink containing a pigment containing a metal oxide, a resin, and an organic solvent, wherein the content of the pigment is 15% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less. The primary volume average particle diameter of the pigment is 260 nm or more and 400 nm or less. The volume ratio of the pigment is 50% by volume or more with respect to the total solid content of the white ink.
Furuichi et al (JP 2019147267 A) disclose a way to restrain the consumption of ink for backing while securing a hiding ratio. A color image It (a main image) and a hiding auxiliary image Iwc with white ink (a specific ink) are superimposed on a sheet S (duplicate printing). Thus, the hiding auxiliary image Iwc compensates for a shortage of the hiding ratio of the color image It as a backing of the color image It. Moreover, the hiding auxiliary image Iwc is printed by discharge of the white ink while adjusting a discharge ratio indicating the amount of white ink per unit area in response to the hiding ratio of the color image It. Thus, the white ink is not uniformly printed on a printing object area Rp of the sheet S, but the discharge ratio of the white ink is adjusted in response to the hiding ratio of the color image It. As a result, consumption of the white ink for backing can be restrained while securing the hiding ratio.
Tashiro et al (JP 2019192995 A) disclose an information processing apparatus that increases the possibility of reproducing a desired color on a colored medium as compared with a case where it is configured to form an image with a colored material on an image formed with a white color material in an amount per unit area according to brightness of the colored medium. The information processing apparatus includes: image acquisition means for acquiring an image to be printed on a colored medium; color conversion means for converting a color on the image acquired by the image acquisition means using color conversion information for color conversion according to a color of the colored medium; and image output means for outputting the image whose color has been converted by the color conversion means.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Scott Rogers whose telephone number is 571-272-7467. The examiner can normally be reached 8 am to 7 pm flex.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abderrahim Merouan can be reached on 571-270-5254. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Scott A Rogers/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2683
19 June 2026
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