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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/13/24, 12/03/24 and 04/16/25 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Komai et al US 20100119273 in view of Saito et al US 6678071.
Regarding claim 1, Komai et al teaches A medium conveying apparatus (image forming apparatus 1 (paragraph 0027) comprising:
a feed roller to feed a medium (recording medium is fed by a sheet feed roller 2 (paragraph 0053);
a processor to:
detect skew of the medium (recording medium skew detection unit 117 converts the detection signal to digital data, and stores the digital data of the recording sheet 4 in a memory such as RAM 111, for example. Then, the CPU 110 computes skew of the recording sheet 4 using the digital data stored in the RAM 111 (paragraph 0066),
Komai et al fails to teach an imaging device to image the medium, correct skew of the medium when skew of the medium is detected, change an imaging range of the imaging device, and change an imaging range of the imaging device when skew correction of the medium fails;
Saito et al teaches an imaging device to image the medium (scanner head 7a and another scanner head 7b for reading images. The scanner head 7a on the upper side reads an image on a front surface of the paper P (column 3, lines 52-67) Note: the scanner head 7a scans the paper to create an image of the paper); and
correct skew of the medium when skew of the medium is detected, change an imaging range of the imaging device, and change an imaging range of the imaging device when skew correction of the medium fails (control unit 10 determines a length L in the paper-feeding direction by the passage signals as a portion near the right leading edge P-1 and another portion near the left tail edge P-2 pass the timing sensor 9. A value is calculated as a reading length by adding 6 mm (i.e. 3 mm.times.2) to the determined length L. In the meantime, a range that is expanded by 3 mm at each of both sides of the paper dimension determined indirectly by the paper-size sensor 2e is taken as an image-reading and scanning area, with respect to the width direction of the paper P2. Hence, the skew paper P2 can be covered within the reading area shown by a dotted line (FIG. 5B (column 7, lines 18-30)..
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Komai et al with: an imaging device to image the medium, correct skew of the medium when skew of the medium is detected, change an imaging range of the imaging device, and change an imaging range of the imaging device when skew correction of the medium fails
The reason of doing so would be to allow the skew of an image to be compensated when imaging and processing an image
Regarding claim 2, Komai et al in view of Saito et al teaches wherein when skew correction of the medium fails, the processor makes an imaging range of the imaging device larger than an imaging range when skew of the medium is not occurring (Saito et al: control unit 10 determines a length L in the paper-feeding direction by the passage signals as a portion near the right leading edge P-1 and another portion near the left tail edge P-2 pass the timing sensor 9. A value is calculated as a reading length by adding 6 mm (i.e. 3 mm.times.2) to the determined length L. In the meantime, a range that is expanded by 3 mm at each of both sides of the paper dimension determined indirectly by the paper-size sensor 2e is taken as an image-reading and scanning area, with respect to the width direction of the paper P2. Hence, the skew paper P2 can be covered within the reading area shown by a dotted line (FIG. 5B (column 7, lines 18-30).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Komai et al with: wherein when skew correction of the medium fails, the processor makes an imaging range of the imaging device larger than an imaging range when skew of the medium is not occurring.
The reason of doing so would be to allow the skew of an image to be compensated when imaging and processing an image
.
Regarding claim 3, Komai et al in view of Saito et al teaches wherein when skew correction of the medium fails, the processor makes an imaging range of the imaging device in the medium conveying direction larger than an imaging range when skew of the medium is not occurring (control unit 10 determines a length L in the paper-feeding direction by the passage signals as a portion near the right leading edge P-1 and another portion near the left tail edge P-2 pass the timing sensor 9. A value is calculated as a reading length by adding 6 mm (i.e. 3 mm.times.2) to the determined length L. In the meantime, a range that is expanded by 3 mm at each of both sides of the paper dimension determined indirectly by the paper-size sensor 2e is taken as an image-reading and scanning area, with respect to the width direction of the paper P2. Hence, the skew paper P2 can be covered within the reading area shown by a dotted line (FIG. 5B (column 7, lines 18-30).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Komai et al with wherein when skew correction of the medium fails, the processor makes an imaging range of the imaging device in the medium conveying direction larger than an imaging range when skew of the medium is not occurring.
The reason of doing so would be to allow the skew of an image to be compensated when imaging and processing an image
Regarding claim 4, Komai et al in view of Saito et al teaches further comprising a sensor located between the feed roller and the imaging device, wherein the processor causes the imaging device to start imaging at a timing when a front edge of the medium passes through the sensor when skew of the medium is not occurring, and causes the imaging device to start imaging before the front edge of the medium passes through the sensor when skew of the medium is detected (Saito et al: timing sensor 9 is provided at an immediate downstream of the separation roller 4 and the retard roller 5 for a purpose of detecting the time the leading side of the paper P passes, including also a purpose of detecting whether the paper P is advancing on a skew (column 4, lines 11-16).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Komai et al with comprising a sensor located between the feed roller and the imaging device, wherein the processor causes the imaging device to start imaging at a timing when a front edge of the medium passes through the sensor when skew of the medium is not occurring, and causes the imaging device to start imaging before the front edge of the medium passes through the sensor when skew of the medium is detected.
The reason of doing so would be to allow the skew of an image to be compensated when imaging and processing an image
Regarding claim 5, Komai et al in view of Saito et al teaches wherein the processor causes the imaging device to start imaging immediately after determining failure of skew correction of the medium when skew of the medium is detected (Saito et al: timing sensor 9 is provided at an immediate downstream of the separation roller 4 and the retard roller 5 for a purpose of detecting the time the leading side of the paper P passes, including also a purpose of detecting whether the paper P is advancing on a skew (column 4, lines 11-16).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Komai et al with wherein the processor causes the imaging device to start imaging immediately after determining failure of skew correction of the medium when skew of the medium is detected.
The reason of doing so would be to allow the skew of an image to be compensated when imaging and processing an image
Regarding claim 6, Komai et al teaches A method for imaging a medium (image forming apparatus 1 (paragraph 0027), comprising:
feeding the medium by a feed roller (recording medium is fed by a sheet feed roller 2 (paragraph 0053);
detecting skew of the medium (recording medium skew detection unit 117 converts the detection signal to digital data, and stores the digital data of the recording sheet 4 in a memory such as RAM 111, for example. Then, the CPU 110 computes skew of the recording sheet 4 using the digital data stored in the RAM 111 (paragraph 0066);
Komai et al fails to teach imaging the medium by an imaging device;
correcting skew of the medium when skew of the medium is detected, change an imaging range of the imaging device, and changing an imaging range of the imaging device when skew correction of the medium fails.
Saito et al teaches imaging the medium by an imaging device (scanner head 7a and another scanner head 7b for reading images. The scanner head 7a on the upper side reads an image on a front surface of the paper P (column 3, lines 52-67) Note: the scanner head 7a scans the paper to create an image of the paper);
correcting skew of the medium when skew of the medium is detected, change an imaging range of the imaging device, and changing an imaging range of the imaging device when skew correction of the medium fails (control unit 10 determines a length L in the paper-feeding direction by the passage signals as a portion near the right leading edge P-1 and another portion near the left tail edge P-2 pass the timing sensor 9. A value is calculated as a reading length by adding 6 mm (i.e. 3 mm.times.2) to the determined length L. In the meantime, a range that is expanded by 3 mm at each of both sides of the paper dimension determined indirectly by the paper-size sensor 2e is taken as an image-reading and scanning area, with respect to the width direction of the paper P2. Hence, the skew paper P2 can be covered within the reading area shown by a dotted line (FIG. 5B (column 7, lines 18-30)..
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Komai et al with: imaging the medium by an imaging device;
correcting skew of the medium when skew of the medium is detected, change an imaging range of the imaging device, and changing an imaging range of the imaging device when skew correction of the medium fails.
The reason of doing so would be to allow the skew of an image to be compensated when imaging and processing an image
Regarding claim 7, Komai et al in view of Saito et al teaches wherein when skew correction of the medium fails, an imaging range of the imaging device is made larger than an imaging range when skew of the medium is not occurring (Saito et al: control unit 10 determines a length L in the paper-feeding direction by the passage signals as a portion near the right leading edge P-1 and another portion near the left tail edge P-2 pass the timing sensor 9. A value is calculated as a reading length by adding 6 mm (i.e. 3 mm.times.2) to the determined length L. In the meantime, a range that is expanded by 3 mm at each of both sides of the paper dimension determined indirectly by the paper-size sensor 2e is taken as an image-reading and scanning area, with respect to the width direction of the paper P2. Hence, the skew paper P2 can be covered within the reading area shown by a dotted line (FIG. 5B (column 7, lines 18-30).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Komai et al with: wherein when skew correction of the medium fails, an imaging range of the imaging device is made larger than an imaging range when skew of the medium is not occurring
The reason of doing so would be to allow the skew of an image to be compensated when imaging and processing an image
Regarding claim 8, Komai et al in view of Saito et al teaches wherein when skew correction of the medium fails, an imaging range of the imaging device in the medium conveying direction is made larger than an imaging range when skew of the medium is not occurring (Saito et alo: control unit 10 determines a length L in the paper-feeding direction by the passage signals as a portion near the right leading edge P-1 and another portion near the left tail edge P-2 pass the timing sensor 9. A value is calculated as a reading length by adding 6 mm (i.e. 3 mm.times.2) to the determined length L. In the meantime, a range that is expanded by 3 mm at each of both sides of the paper dimension determined indirectly by the paper-size sensor 2e is taken as an image-reading and scanning area, with respect to the width direction of the paper P2. Hence, the skew paper P2 can be covered within the reading area shown by a dotted line (FIG. 5B (column 7, lines 18-30).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Komai et al with: wherein when skew correction of the medium fails, an imaging range of the imaging device in the medium conveying direction is made larger than an imaging range when skew of the medium is not occurring
The reason of doing so would be to allow the skew of an image to be compensated when imaging and processing an image
.
Regarding claim 9, Komai et al in view Saito et al teaches wherein the imaging device starts imaging at a timing when a front edge of the medium passes through a sensor located between the feed roller and the imaging device when skew of the medium is not occurring, and the imaging device starts imaging before the front edge of the medium passes through the sensor when skew of the medium is detected (Saito et al: timing sensor 9 is provided at an immediate downstream of the separation roller 4 and the retard roller 5 for a purpose of detecting the time the leading side of the paper P passes, including also a purpose of detecting whether the paper P is advancing on a skew (column 4, lines 11-16).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Komai et al with wherein the imaging device starts imaging at a timing when a front edge of the medium passes through a sensor located between the feed roller and the imaging device when skew of the medium is not occurring, and the imaging device starts imaging before the front edge of the medium passes through the sensor when skew of the medium is detected.
The reason of doing so would be to allow the skew of an image to be compensated when imaging and processing an image
.
Regarding claim 10, Komai et al in view Saito et al teaches wherein the imaging device starts imaging immediately after determining failure of skew correction of the medium when skew of the medium is detected (Saito et al: timing sensor 9 is provided at an immediate downstream of the separation roller 4 and the retard roller 5 for a purpose of detecting the time the leading side of the paper P passes, including also a purpose of detecting whether the paper P is advancing on a skew (column 4, lines 11-16).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Komai et al with wherein the imaging device starts imaging immediately after determining failure of skew correction of the medium when skew of the medium is detected.
The reason of doing so would be to allow the skew of an image to be compensated when imaging and processing an image
Regarding claim 11, Komai et al A computer-readable, non-transitory medium storing a computer program (a memory such as RAM 111 (paragraph 0064-0065), wherein the computer program causes a medium conveying apparatus including
a feed roller to feed a medium (recording medium is fed by a sheet feed roller 2 (paragraph 0053), and
detecting skew of the medium (recording medium skew detection unit 117 converts the detection signal to digital data, and stores the digital data of the recording sheet 4 in a memory such as RAM 111, for example. Then, the CPU 110 computes skew of the recording sheet 4 using the digital data stored in the RAM 111 (paragraph 0066),
Komai et al fails to teach an imaging device to image the medium, to execute a process, the process comprising:
correcting skew of the medium when skew of the medium is detected, change an imaging range of the imaging device, and changing an imaging range of the imaging device when skew correction of the medium fails.
Saito et al teaches an imaging device to image the medium (scanner head 7a and another scanner head 7b for reading images. The scanner head 7a on the upper side reads an image on a front surface of the paper P (column 3, lines 52-67) Note: the scanner head 7a scans the paper to create an image of the paper);, to execute a process, the process comprising:
correcting skew of the medium when skew of the medium is detected, change an imaging range of the imaging device, and changing an imaging range of the imaging device when skew correction of the medium fails (control unit 10 determines a length L in the paper-feeding direction by the passage signals as a portion near the right leading edge P-1 and another portion near the left tail edge P-2 pass the timing sensor 9. A value is calculated as a reading length by adding 6 mm (i.e. 3 mm.times.2) to the determined length L. In the meantime, a range that is expanded by 3 mm at each of both sides of the paper dimension determined indirectly by the paper-size sensor 2e is taken as an image-reading and scanning area, with respect to the width direction of the paper P2. Hence, the skew paper P2 can be covered within the reading area shown by a dotted line (FIG. 5B (column 7, lines 18-30)..
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Komai et al with: an imaging device to image the medium, correct skew of the medium when skew of the medium is detected, change an imaging range of the imaging device, and change an imaging range of the imaging device when skew correction of the medium fails
The reason of doing so would be to allow the skew of an image to be compensated when imaging and processing an image
Regarding claim 12, Komai et al in view of Saito et al teaches wherein when skew correction of the medium fails, an imaging range of the imaging device is made larger than an imaging range when skew of the medium is not occurring (Saito et al: control unit 10 determines a length L in the paper-feeding direction by the passage signals as a portion near the right leading edge P-1 and another portion near the left tail edge P-2 pass the timing sensor 9. A value is calculated as a reading length by adding 6 mm (i.e. 3 mm.times.2) to the determined length L. In the meantime, a range that is expanded by 3 mm at each of both sides of the paper dimension determined indirectly by the paper-size sensor 2e is taken as an image-reading and scanning area, with respect to the width direction of the paper P2. Hence, the skew paper P2 can be covered within the reading area shown by a dotted line (FIG. 5B (column 7, lines 18-30).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Komai et al with: wherein when skew correction of the medium fails, an imaging range of the imaging device is made larger than an imaging range when skew of the medium is not occurring
The reason of doing so would be to allow the skew of an image to be compensated when imaging and processing an image
Regarding claim 13, Komai et al in view of Saito et al teaches wherein when skew correction of the medium fails, an imaging range of the imaging device in the medium conveying direction is made larger than an imaging range when skew of the medium is not occurring (Saito et al: control unit 10 determines a length L in the paper-feeding direction by the passage signals as a portion near the right leading edge P-1 and another portion near the left tail edge P-2 pass the timing sensor 9. A value is calculated as a reading length by adding 6 mm (i.e. 3 mm.times.2) to the determined length L. In the meantime, a range that is expanded by 3 mm at each of both sides of the paper dimension determined indirectly by the paper-size sensor 2e is taken as an image-reading and scanning area, with respect to the width direction of the paper P2. Hence, the skew paper P2 can be covered within the reading area shown by a dotted line (FIG. 5B (column 7, lines 18-30).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Komai et al with wherein when skew correction of the medium fails, an imaging range of the imaging device in the medium conveying direction is made larger than an imaging range when skew of the medium is not occurring.
The reason of doing so would be to allow the skew of an image to be compensated when imaging and processing an image
Regarding claim 14, Komai et al in view of Saito et al teaches wherein the imaging device starts imaging at a timing when a front edge of the medium passes through a sensor located between the feed roller and the imaging device when skew of the medium is not occurring, and the imaging device starts imaging before the front edge of the medium passes through the sensor when skew of the medium is detected (Saito et al: timing sensor 9 is provided at an immediate downstream of the separation roller 4 and the retard roller 5 for a purpose of detecting the time the leading side of the paper P passes, including also a purpose of detecting whether the paper P is advancing on a skew (column 4, lines 11-16).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Komai et al with wherein the imaging device starts imaging at a timing when a front edge of the medium passes through a sensor located between the feed roller and the imaging device when skew of the medium is not occurring, and the imaging device starts imaging before the front edge of the medium passes through the sensor when skew of the medium is detected.
The reason of doing so would be to allow the skew of an image to be compensated when
Regarding claim 15, Komai et al in view of Saito et al teaches wherein the imaging device starts imaging immediately after determining failure of skew correction of the medium when skew of the medium is detected (Saito et al: timing sensor 9 is provided at an immediate downstream of the separation roller 4 and the retard roller 5 for a purpose of detecting the time the leading side of the paper P passes, including also a purpose of detecting whether the paper P is advancing on a skew (column 4, lines 11-16).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Komai et al with wherein the imaging device starts imaging immediately after determining failure of skew correction of the medium when skew of the medium is detected.
The reason of doing so would be to allow the skew of an image to be compensated when imaging and processing an image
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Michael Burleson whose telephone number is (571) 272-7460 and fax number is (571) 273-7460. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30p.m. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Akwasi Sarpong can be reached at (571) 270- 3438.
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Michael Burleson
Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2683
Michael Burleson
June 27, 2026
/MICHAEL BURLESON/
/AKWASI M SARPONG/SPE, Art Unit 2681 6/30/2026
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