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
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 6-7, 9-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Campa Coloma et al (U.S. Pub. 2021/0039386)
Regarding claim 1, a method comprising: defining top and bottom interleaving zones of a print swath (Abstract; Figures 1-5)
Generating a top interleaving mask (Figures 5-11; multiple masks used to form the image data; Figure 5, 8-11; Paragraphs 0030-0031, 0037) corresponding to the top interleaving zone based on an objective drop density for the top interleaving mask, and drop locations provided by a print mask
Generating a bottom interleaving mask (Figures 5-11; multiple masks used to form the image data; Figure 5, 8-11; Paragraphs 0030-0031, 0037) corresponding to the bottom interleaving zone based on the top interleaving mask (Figures 5-11; Paragraphs 0013, 0015-0016; 0030-0033, 0036-0037)
Selecting a subset of drop locations provided by the print mask by applying the top and bottom interleaving masks to the print mask (Figures 5-11; Paragraphs 0013, 0015-0016; 0030-0033, 0036-0037)
Causing colorant to be deposited to a substrate according to the selected subset of drop locations (Figures 5-11; Paragraphs 0013, 0015-0016; 0030-0033, 0036-0037)
Regarding claim 2, determining a number of drops included in each row of the top interleaving mask based on the objective drop density for each row; and determining locations of drops in each row of the top interleaving mask based on the halftone matrix, and the print mask (Figures 5-11; Paragraphs 0013, 0015-0016; 0030-0033, 0036-0037)
Regarding claim 6, wherein generating a bottom interleaving mask corresponding to the bottom interleaving zone based on the top interleaving mask includes generating the bottom interleaving mask as a complement of the top interleaving mask (Figures 5-11; Paragraphs 0013, 0015-0016; 0030-0033, 0036-0037)
Regarding claim 7, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a set of computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor (Figure 2; Paragraph 0019), cause the processor to:
Define top and bottom interleaving zones of a print swath (Figures 5-11)
Generate a top interleaving mask (Figures 5-11; multiple masks used to form the image data; Figure 5, 8-11; Paragraphs 0030-0031, 0037) corresponding the top interleaving zone according to an objective density increasing linearly from a top row to a bottom row (Figure 7; Paragraphs 0033-0035)
Generate a bottom interleaving mask (Figures 5-11; multiple masks used to form the image data; Figure 5, 8-11; Paragraphs 0030-0031, 0037) corresponding to the bottom interleaving zone, wherein the bottom interleaving mask is based on the top interleaving mask (Figure 7; Paragraphs 0033-0035)
Apply the generated top interleaving mask and the generated bottom interleaving mask to a print mask corresponding to a printing pass (Figures 5-11; Paragraphs 0013, 0015-0016; 0030-0033, 0036-0037)
Regarding claim 9, wherein apply the generated top interleaving mask and the generated bottom interleaving mask to a print mask corresponding to a printing pass includes removing drops to be deposited according to the print mask within the interleaving zones (Figures 5-11; Paragraphs 0013, 0015-0016; 0030-0033, 0036-0037)
Regarding claim 10, wherein the top interleaving zone and bottom interleaving zone cover approximately 20 percent of the print swath (Figures 5-11)
Regarding claim 11, a printer comprising: a memory; and a processor (Figure 2; Paragraph 0019)
Generate a top interleaving mask corresponding to a top interleaving zone of a print swath based on an objective drop density for each row of the top interleaving mask, local drop density provided by a halftone matrix, and drop locations provide by a print mask (Figures 5-11; Paragraphs 0013, 0015-0016; 0030-0033, 0036-0037)
Generate a bottom interleaving mask corresponding to a bottom interleaving zone of the print swath based on the top interleaving mask (Figures 5-11; Paragraphs 0013, 0015-0016; 0030-0033, 0036-0037)
Select a subset of drop locations provided by the print mask by applying the top and bottom interleaving masks to be printed (Figures 5-11)
Cause colorant to be deposited to a substrate according to the selected subset of drop locations (Figures 5-11; Paragraphs 0013, 0015-0016; 0030-0033, 0036-0037)
Regarding claim 12, wherein the top interleaving zone is aligned with a first row of the print mask and the bottom interleaving zone is aligned with a last row of the print mask (Figures 5-11; Paragraphs 0013, 0015-0016; 0030-0033, 0036-0037)
Regarding claim 13, the halftone matrix is generated according to a noise characteristic (Paragraph 0020, Claim 10)
Regarding claim 14, wherein the halftone matrix is a blue noise halftone matrix (Paragraph 0020, Claim 10)
Regarding claim 15, wherein generating an interleaving mask includes selecting a interleaving mask (Figures 5-11; Paragraphs 0013, 0015-0016; 0030-0033, 0036-0037)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5, 8 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON S UHLENHAKE whose telephone number is (571)272-5916. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas X. Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JASON S UHLENHAKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 June 4, 2026
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