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 .
Claims 1-6 remain in the application for prosecution thereof.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claims 1-6, line 8 of claim 1, the term “spaying” appears to be a typographical error. Clarification is requested.
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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chung (2007/0153050) in combination with JP 3624757.
Chung (2007/0153050) teaches a similar inkjet printing apparatus comprising a stage (10) which reciprocates in a second direction (forward and reverse) and has a target substrate disposed thereon whereby a head body (310) supplied a liquid composition to the target substrate ([0022]-[0035] and Figs. 1,2 and 4). Chung (2007/0153050) teaches making a display panels [0003].
Chung (2007/0153050) fails to teach the bidirectional printing having an inspection of the state of the head assembly.
JP 3624757 teaches inspection of print heads with multiple nozzle arrays and production of printing devices. JP 3624757 depicts a printing system including an inkjet printer (20) and a carriage (30) which travels across a printing paper (P) with a print head unit (60) to form bidirectional printing by reciprocating the carriage (30) (Fig. 1 and [0014]- [0028]). JP 3624757 teaches along with the printing system, an inspection system (310) which is utilized to control misalignment of the inkjet nozzles when depositing upon the paper (P). The bidirectional printing is performed by moving the nozzle horizontally in both directions and ejecting ink in the forward and backward path directions [0029]. JP 3624757 teaches printing a test pattern for measuring landing error between rows and the test pattern is imaged using a CCD camera to determine the centerlines of the dot pattern (Figs. 12 and 14 and [0042]-[0053]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Chung (2007/0153050) inkjet printing process to include an inspection of the head assembly as evidenced by Chung (2007/0153050) with the expectation of producing improving quality control of the ink jet printing process.
Regarding claim 2, JP 3624757 teaches a first and second inspection pattern on the film substrate (Fig. 10 – pattern K – (claimed first pattern) and pattern C – claimed second pattern).
Regarding claim 3, JP 3624757 teaches printing a test pattern for measuring landing error between rows and the test pattern is imaged using a CCD camera to determine the centerlines of the dot pattern which would equate to distance between the patterns (Figs 10 and 14).
Regarding claims 4 and 5, JP 3624757 is silent with respect to the claimed distance being 50 microns with less than the 50 microns then reprint and more than 50 microns then re-adjust printing head. JP 3624757 does teach measuring the distance between the printed pattern and determining the landing error in not more than the maximum allowable error (claimed 50 microns) and using the information to predict the print heads being within or out of compliance and make corrections during bidirectional printing [0042]-[0074].
Regarding claim 6, JP 3624757 teaches forming the pattern with a plurality of dots (claimed points) and these have a line shape extending one direction (Figs 10,14,16).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN K TALBOT whose telephone number is (571)272-1428. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 6:30-5PM - Fri OFF.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MICHAEL CLEVELAND can be reached at 571-272-1418. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRIAN K TALBOT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1712