Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 30, 2026
Application No. 18/938,448

INKJET RECORDING APPARATUS

Non-Final OA §112
Filed
Nov 06, 2024
Priority
Dec 08, 2023 — JP 2023-207615
Examiner
FIDLER, SHELBY LEE
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Canon Inc.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
79%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
5m
Est. Remaining
93%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 79% — above average
79%
Career Allowance Rate
902 granted / 1140 resolved
+19.1% vs TC avg
Moderate +14% lift
Without
With
+14.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 2m
Avg Prosecution
39 currently pending
Career history
1165
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.4%
-38.6% vs TC avg
§103
49.3%
+9.3% vs TC avg
§102
25.8%
-14.2% vs TC avg
§112
17.2%
-22.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1140 resolved cases

Office Action

§112
CTNF 18/938,448 CTNF 81217 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Drawings The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the second conveyance path 700b must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered. The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “300” has been used to designate two different sections in Figs. 5-11. The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “St16” has been used to designate two different papers in Fig. 7. The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: element 302 (Fig. 1B) is not found in the written description. 06-22 AIA The drawings are objected to because neither of papers St14, St15 are depicted in Fig. 7. What happens to those papers? Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance. Specification 07-44 AIA The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). Correction of the following is required: The claim term “second stack tray” lacks sufficient antecedent basis. Examiner notes that this term appears only in the abstract and summary where the claim language is generally restated, but the written description of the invention fails to recite this term in such a way that an artisan would find it meaningful . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA 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. 07-34-01 Claims 1-4 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 claim 1: This claim includes reference to “a sheet” (line 2 of the claim) as well as “a sheet which precedes the sheet”. The claim, then, expressly requires two different sheets. However, the claim contains various recitations of “the sheet” that do not clearly point back to a particular sheet. For example, the claim requires the apparatus to include a first stack tray “on which the sheet conveyed by the conveying portion is stacked” and a second stack tray “on which the sheet conveyed by the conveying portion is stacked.” It is not clear how the same sheet (“the sheet”) is stacked on both the first and second stack trays in light of the instant disclosure. Further, the claimed controller is configured to control the conveying portion according to a preceding sheet’s positioning in a “second conveyance path.” However, because there is insufficient antecedent basis for this term in the written description, an artisan cannot determine the point of infringement. Regarding claims 2-4: These claims fail to remedy the deficiencies of claim 1, and therefore also fail to meet the requirements of this statute. Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure : Miyake (US 2021/0178753 A1) disclose an inkjet recording apparatus in which an error is detected with a recording sheet (S103), second faces of preceding sheets on a switchback path are printed before discharging (S116), and the error sheet and subsequent sheets are discharged (S118). However, Miyake do not disclose the use of different stack trays for the detected error sheet, and the complete double-sided printed sheets. Communication with the USPTO Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Shelby L Fidler whose telephone number is (571)272-8455. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30am - 5pm EST. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas 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. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. SHELBY L. FIDLER Primary Examiner Art Unit 2853 /SHELBY L FIDLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/938,448 Page 2 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/938,448 Page 3 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/938,448 Page 4 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/938,448 Page 5 Art Unit: 2853
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Nov 06, 2024
Application Filed
May 21, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §112 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12715210
LIQUID EJECTING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING LIQUID EJECTING APPARATUS
2y 11m to grant Granted Aug 25, 2026
Patent 12703188
INK JET RECORDING METHOD, AND INK JET RECORDING APPARATUS
2y 10m to grant Granted Aug 11, 2026
Patent 12697809
HEAD UNIT AND LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS
2y 4m to grant Granted Aug 04, 2026
Patent 12697824
HEATING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND LIQUID DISCHARGE APPARATUS
1y 11m to grant Granted Aug 04, 2026
Patent 12679103
LIQUID DISCHARGE HEAD AND LIQUID DISCHARGE APPARATUS
2y 6m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
79%
Grant Probability
93%
With Interview (+14.2%)
2y 2m (~5m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1140 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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