DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . This application has been examined. Claims 1-16 are pending in this Application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
2. Claims 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. e.g. The limitation recited in the independent claim 1 (and the dependent claims): “a plurality of image regions of colors” on line 12 of claim 1, lacks clear antecedent basis. It is not clear if the “a plurality of image regions of colors” on line 12 is the same as the “a plurality of image regions of colors” on line 8. Clarification or correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
3. Claim(s) 1-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Itoh (US 2022/0382204).
With regard to claim 1, Itoh teaches an image-forming apparatus (see fig. 1,
comprising: image-forming units configured to respectively form images of different colors (see fig. 1, items 18a-18-e and 181(Y,M,C and K); an interface for use in instructing the image-forming units to form a test image (see fig.1, item 180 and abstract); and a controller (70) configured to: control the image-forming units to form a first test image including a plurality of image regions of the colors, the first test image (see fig.6a) being used for correcting density unevenness (see fig. 8 and p[0071] in a first direction (e.g. main scanning, see fig. 6a) in an image to be formed by the image-forming units (see abstract; and control the image-forming units to form a second test image including a plurality of image regions of the colors (see fig. 6a), the second test image (see fig. 6b) being used for correcting density unevenness (see fig. 8 and p[0071]) in a second direction that is different from the first direction in an image to be formed by the image-forming units (second direction reads on fig. 6b, the second direction being the sub-scanning direction), wherein, in a case where the interface receives an instruction to form both of the first test image and the second test image, the controller is configured to control the image-forming units to form the first test image and then form the second test image (claim 1, clearly suggests that both test request can be performed and perform separately).
With regard to claim 2, Itoh further teaches wherein each of the plurality of image regions of the colors of the first test image extends in a longitudinal direction that is the first direction, and each of the plurality of image regions of the colors of the second test
image extends in a longitudinal direction that is the second direction (reads on fig. 6, a longitudinal direction same as the main scanning direction).
With regard to claim 3, Itoh further teaches wherein the interface is configured to receive at least one of: a first instruction to form the first test image; a second instruction to form the second test image; and a third instruction to form both of the first test image and the second test image (inherently reads on claim 1, clearly a user can execute one test image or multiple test images) .
With regard to claim 4, Itoh further teaches wherein the interface includes a first button associated with formation of the first test image, a second button associated with formation of the second test image, and a third button associated with formation of both of the first test image and the second test image, the first instruction is received via an operation of the first button, the second instruction is received via an operation of the second button, and the third instruction is received via an operation of the third button (inherently reads on p[0024], which describe the use of multiple key buttons)..
With regard to claim 5, Itoh further teaches wherein the interface includes a first button associated with formation of the first test image, a second button associated with formation of the second test image, and a fourth button for triggering formation of a test image, the first instruction is received via operations of the first and fourth buttons,
the second instruction is received via operations of the second and fourth buttons, and
the third instruction is received via operations of the first, second and fourth buttons (inherently reads on p[0024], which describe the use of multiple key buttons).
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With regard to claim 6, Itoh further teaches wherein each of the image-forming units includes a photosensitive member that is driven to rotate, a light source configured to expose the photosensitive member to light to form an electrostatic latent image, and a developer configured to develop the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member, and the first direction is a direction in which the light from the light source
scans the photosensitive member (reads on fig. 1 and 3-4).
With regard to claim 7, Itoh further teaches wherein the second direction is a direction in which the photosensitive member rotates (inherently reads on fig. 1 and p[0034-0037]).
With regard to claim 8, Itoh further teaches wherein each of the image-forming units includes a photosensitive member that is driven to rotate, a light source configured to expose the photosensitive member to light to form an electrostatic latent image, and a developer configured to develop the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member, and the first direction is a direction that is parallel to a rotation axis around
which the photosensitive member rotates (inherently reads on fig. 1).
With regard to claim 9, Itoh further teache wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction (inherently reads on fig. 6a and 6b).
With regard to claim 10, Itoh further teaches further comprising: a reading unit configured to read the first test image formed on a sheet (see abstract).
With regard to claim 11, Itoh further teaches wherein each of the image-forming units includes an image carrier on which the second test image is formed, and a sensor configured to detect the second test image formed on the image carrier (reads on fig. 3 and 6a) .
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With regard to claim 12, Itoh further teaches wherein the sensor is configured to detect the second test image by measuring a potential of the image carrier (inherently reads on fig. 3).
With regard to claim 13, Itoh further teaches a reading unit configured to read the first test image formed on a first sheet and to read the second test image formed on a second sheet that is different from the first sheet (reads on fig. 11) .
With regard to claim 14, Itoh further teaches wherein each of the image-forming units includes a photosensitive member that is driven to rotate, a charger configured to charge the photosensitive member, a light source configured to expose the charged photosensitive member to light to form an electrostatic latent image, and a developer configured to develop the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member, and
the controller is configured to control an amount of the light from the light source to correct the density unevenness in the first direction and the density unevenness in the second direction (reads on figs. 1, 4, 8,10b and 11).
With regard to claim 15, Itoh further teaches wherein each of the image-forming units includes a photosensitive member that is driven to rotate, a charger configured to charge the photosensitive member, a light source configured to expose the charged photosensitive member to light to form an electrostatic latent image, and a developer configured to develop the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member, and
the controller is configured to: control an amount of the light from the light source to correct the density unevenness in the first direction; and control a charging voltage of the charger to correct the density unevenness in the second direction (reads on figs. 1, 4, 8,10b and 11).
With regard to claim 16, Itoh further teaches wherein each of the image-forming units includes a photosensitive member that is driven to rotate, a charger configured to charge the photosensitive member, a light source configured to expose the charged photosensitive member to light to form an electrostatic latent image, and a developer configured to develop the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member, and
the controller is configured to: control an amount of the light from the light source to correct the density unevenness in the first direction; and control a developing voltage of the developer to correct the density unevenness in the second direction (reads on figs. 1, 4, 8,10b and 11).
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4. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hara (US 2023/0065529) teaches an image forming apparatus with density correction using main scanning and sub-scanning.
Takemura (US 2022/0091551) teaches an image forming apparatus which controls density of image in main scanning direction.
Tomii (US 2021/0185181) teaches an image processing apparatus configured to instruct execution of calibration using test chart(s).
Sakatani (US 2011/0222868) teaches an image density adjustment method.
5. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
examiner should be directed to Gabriel I. Garcia whose telephone number is (571)
272-7434. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday from 7:30 AM-
6:00 PM.. The fax phone number for this group is (571) 273-8600.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
supervisor, Benny Tieu can be reached on (571) 272-7490. The fax phone
number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-
273-8300.
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Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application should be
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/Gabriel I Garcia/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2682
August 05, 2026
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