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 .
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.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 3, 9 and 11-13 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 1/26/25.
Applicant’s election without traverse of species I in the reply filed on 1/26/25 is acknowledged.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-8, 10, 14-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being by anticipated by Kasuya et al. (US 2021/0084192).
With respect to claim 1, Kasuya et al. disclose an image forming system comprising: a sheet feeder (e.g., “paper-sheet feeding device 140”) that feeds a sheet; a conveyor (e.g., any, some or all of the conveyors which convey the sheet along a conveyance path shown at least by fig. 3) that conveys the sheet through a conveyance path; an acquirer that acquires information on an actual size of the sheet (e.g., “paper-sheet size detection sensor” as discussed at least in paragraph 79); an image former (e.g., “IMAGE FORMATION UNIT” 151) that forms an image on the sheet conveyed through the conveyance path; and a hardware processor (e.g. “controller board 110”) that controls at least one of the sheet feeder (140), the conveyor, the acquirer, and the image former (151), wherein the hardware processor controls a first process on the basis of the actual size acquired by the acquirer (as shown at least by figs. 6-8), the first process being controlled based on an end of the sheet (as discussed at least in paragraph(s) 50-51, 92, and/or 141-146) separately from image formation based on a print job (as discussed at least in paragraph 40).
With respect to claim 2, Kasuya et al. further disclose wherein the first process controlled based on the end of the sheet (as discussed at least in paragraph(s) 50-51, 92, and/or 141-146) is processing of forming an additional image on the sheet by the image former (as discussed at least in paragraph 40).
With respect to claim 4, Kasuya et al. further disclose wherein the acquirer includes a reader (“paper-sheet size detection sensor”) that is provided between the sheet feeder (“paper-sheet feeding device 140”) and the image former (151) in the conveyance path and reads the sheet conveyed through the conveyance path (as discussed at least in paragraph 79 and/or as shown at least by fig. 3), and the hardware processor (110) controls, on the basis of an actual size calculated on the basis of a reading result by the reader (“paper-sheet size detection sensor”), a position of the additional image to be formed on the sheet by the image former as the first process (as discussed at least in paragraph(s) 50-51, 92, and/or 141-146), separately from the image formation based on the print job (as discussed at least in paragraph 40).
With respect to claim 5, Kasuya et al. further disclose wherein the additional image includes at least one of an image for image position adjustment, an image for gradation correction, an image for determination of cutting position, and a stamp image (as shown at least by figs. 6-8).
With respect to claim 6, Kasuya et al. further disclose wherein the hardware processor acquires a sheet size of the sheet set in a sheet feed tray of the sheet feeder or a size of a document image set in the print job (e.g., “paper-sheet size detection sensor” as discussed at least in paragraph 79), calculates a size difference which is a difference between the actual size acquired by the acquirer and the sheet size or the size of the document image, and executes a second process of controlling image formation on the basis of the size difference (as shown at least by figs. 6-8, 11-12 and/or 14-26) so that image positions on a front surface and a back surface of the sheet are aligned with each other when image formation based on the print job is performed (as discussed at least in paragraph(s) 51, 77, 139-142, 169, 187 and/or 232) .
With respect to claim 7, Kasuya et al. further disclose wherein the second process for controlling image formation includes at least one of modification of a document image in a print job, adjustment of a sheet conveyance timing, and adjustment of an image formation timing (as shown at least by figs. 6-8, 11-12 and/or 14-26).
With respect to claim 8, Kasuya et al. further disclose wherein the acquirer includes a reader (“paper-sheet size detection sensor”) that is provided between the sheet feeder (“paper-sheet feeding device 140”) and the image former (151) in the conveyance path and that reads an actual size of the sheet conveyed along the conveyance path (as discussed at least in paragraph 79), image forming process on the front surface of the conveyed sheet by the image former (151) and reading process of the sheet by the reader are performed in parallel with each other, the acquirer (“paper-sheet size detection sensor”) acquires a sheet size of the sheet set in a sheet feed tray of the sheet feeder or a size of a document image set in a print job, and on the basis of a size difference that is a difference between the actual size of the sheet acquired by reading and the sheet size or the size of the document image, the hardware processor corrects, as the second process, the document image on the back surface in the print job such that an image position on the back surface of the sheet during image formation based on the print job is aligned with an image on the front surface on which the image has already been formed, and performs control so that variations for each sheet is reduced on the basis of the size difference as the first process (as shown at least by figs. 6-8, 11-12 and/or 14-26).
With respect to claim 10, Kasuya et al. further disclose wherein the hardware processor controls, on the basis of the actual size calculated on the basis of a reading result by the reader (e.g., “paper-sheet size detection sensor” as discussed at least in paragraph 79), a position of the additional image to be formed on the sheet by the image former as the first process, separately from the image formation based on the print job, and shifts a print coordinate of the additional image according to a correction amount of the document image on the back surface as the control of the position on the sheet (as shown at least by figs. 6-8, 11-12 and/or 14-26).
With respect to claim 14, Kasuya et al. further disclose wherein, when a part or entire of the additional image that has been shifted falls outside the sheet, the hardware processor determines the sheet to be discarded (as shown at least by figs. 6-8, 11-12 and/or 14-26).
With respect to claim 15, Kasuya et al. further disclose wherein, when a part or entire of the additional image that has been shifted falls outside the sheet, the hardware processor determines the sheet to be discarded, and performs printing again with a print setting same as a print setting for the sheet determined to be discarded (as shown at least by figs. 6-8, 11-12 and/or 14-26).
With respect to claim 16, Kasuya et al. further disclose wherein, when at least one of the following conditions is satisfied: an event in which a part or entire of the additional image that has been shifted falls outside the sheet occurs N times or more in a row; the event occurs M times or more in one print job; and the event occurs L times or more in one sheet feed tray of the sheet feeder, the hardware processor stops the print job in execution and provides a warning display (as shown at least by figs. 6-8, 11-12 and/or 14-26).
With respect to claim 17, Kasuya et al. further disclose wherein, when the additional image is of a type to be combined on an entire surface of the sheet, the hardware processor does not execute the shift of the print coordinate of the additional image based on the correction of the document image on the back surface (as shown at least by figs. 6-8, 11-12 and/or 14-26).
With respect to claim 18, Kasuya et al. further disclose comprising a detector that reads the sheet on which an image has been formed to detect a defect, wherein the hardware processor shifts the print coordinate of the additional image on the basis of the correction of the document image on the back surface, and uses the additional image after the shift of the print coordinate as a comparative image when the detector detects a defect (as shown at least by figs. 3, 6-8, 11-12 and/or 14-26).
With respect to claim 19, Kasuya et al. disclose a printing method executed in an image forming system including an image former (151) that forms an image on a sheet conveyed through a conveyance path (e.g. the path of the sheet shown at least by fig. 3), the printing method comprising: a step (a) of acquiring information on an actual size of the sheet (e.g., “paper-sheet size detection sensor” as discussed at least in paragraph 79); and a step (b) of executing a first process on the basis of the actual size acquired in the step (as shown at least by figs. 6-8) (a), the first process being controlled based on an end of the sheet (as discussed at least in paragraph(s) 50-51, 92, and/or 141-146) separately from image formation based on a print job (as discussed at least in paragraph 40).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH S WONG whose telephone number is (571)272-8457. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (9-5).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Walter L Lindsay Jr. can be reached at (571) 272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSEPH S WONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
JSW