CTNF 18/955,382 CTNF 77492 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. Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 11/24/2024 and 4/30/25 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner. 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 Claim 6 is 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. 07-34-05 AIA Claim 6 recites the limitation " plurality of the liquid droplets " in line 10 . There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim (s) 1-2, 4-5 and 7-9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by US 2007/0008359 A1 to Suzuki et al. “Suzuki.” With regard to Claim 1 , Suzuki teaches a printing method using a printing apparatus (recording apparatus), the printing apparatus including: a head bar (5) having a first head (1a) and a second head (1b) disposed side by side in a first direction and at positions, respectively, which are shifted from each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction (Fig. 2); and a conveyor (6) configured to convey a recording medium from an upstream side toward a downstream side in the second direction [0032], each of the first head and the second head having a nozzle area in which nozzles are aligned at a pitch P along the first direction (Fig. 4), a first end part of the nozzle area of the first head in the first direction and a second end part of the nozzle area of the second head in the first direction overlapping with each other in the first direction (Fig. 4), the printing method comprising: determining usable nozzles of the first head and usable nozzles of the second head so that a distance in the first direction between a first nozzle and a second nozzle is the pitch P or less (4b, 4c), the first nozzle being an end nozzle of the usable nozzles of the first head and located in the first end part, the second nozzle being an end nozzle of the usable nozzles of the second head and located in the second end part (Fig. 4); performing printing by repeatedly ejecting a plurality of liquid droplets from each of the usable nozzles of the first head and the usable nozzles of the second head while conveying the recording medium along the second direction [0032]; and in a case where a first liquid droplet is ejected from each of the first nozzle and the second nozzle and a color streak occurs at a position on the recording medium where the first liquid droplet ejected from each of the first nozzle and the second nozzle have landed (Fig. 4b and Fig. 4c), and in a case where a dot line formed of liquid droplets along the second direction is to be formed on the recording medium (Fig. 5), the liquid droplets being ejected from the first nozzle and the second nozzle, (Fig. 5) changing, for any of the liquid droplets, a size of a liquid droplet which is included in the liquid droplets and which is ejected from at least one of the first nozzle or the second nozzle to be smaller than a size of the first liquid droplet (Fig. 5b or Fig. 5c, and [0040]. With regard to Claim 2 , Suzuki teaches wherein as a density of a color in the color streak becomes greater, the size of the liquid droplet ejected from one of the first nozzle and the second nozzle is made smaller than the size of the first liquid droplet so that a density of the dot line formed by the liquid droplets along the second direction becomes smaller (Fig. 5b, 5c and [0040]). With regard to Claim 4 , Suzuki teaches wherein in the case where the dot line is to be formed, the size of the liquid droplet ejected from at least one of the first nozzle or the second nozzle is changed so that a size of the liquid droplet ejected from the first nozzle is not continuously zero and a size of the liquid droplet ejected from the second nozzle is not continuously zero (Fig. 5b, 5c and [0040]). With regard to Claim 5 , Suzuki teaches wherein in the case where the dot line is to be formed, the size of the liquid droplet ejected from the at least one of the first nozzle or the second nozzle is changed so that the size of the liquid droplet ejected from the first nozzle and the size of the liquid droplet ejected from the second nozzle simultaneously with the liquid droplet ejected from the first nozzle are not both zero (Fig. 5b, 5c and [0040]). With regard to Claim 7 , Suzuki teaches further comprising determining a ratio of the number of first liquid droplets to the number of liquid droplets of which size is smaller than the size of the first liquid droplets, in the case where the dot line is to be formed, based on the distance in the first direction between the first nozzle and the second nozzle [0040 and 0042]. With regard to Claim 8 , Suzuki teaches, wherein the ratio of the number of first liquid droplets to the number of liquid droplets of which size is smaller than the size of the first liquid droplets, in the case where the dot line is to be formed, is made the same in both the first nozzle and the second nozzle (Fig. 5b, 5c and [0040]). With regard to Claim 9 , Suzuki teaches a printing apparatus (inkjet recording apparatus) comprising: a head bar (1 – recording heads) having a first head (1a) and a second head (1b) disposed side by side in a first direction and at positions, respectively, which are shifted from each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction (Fig. 2); a conveyor (5 - paper feeding unit) configured to convey a recording medium (3 – print paper) from an upstream side toward a downstream side along the second direction [0033]; and a controller (6 – control unit) configured to control the head bar (1) and the conveyor (5), wherein each of the first head (1a) and the second head includes (1b) a nozzle area in which nozzles (not labeled) are aligned at a pitch P along the first direction (main scanning direction), and a first end part of the nozzle area of the first head in the first direction and a second end part of the nozzle area of the second head in the first direction overlapping with each other in the first direction (fig. 2), a distance in the first direction between a first nozzle and a second nozzle is the pitch P or less (Fig. 4), the first nozzle being an end nozzle of the used nozzles of the first head and located in the first end part, the second nozzle being an end nozzle of the usable nozzles of the second head and located in the second end part (Fig. 4), the controller (6) is configured to control the head bar and the conveyor so as to execute: performing printing by repeatedly ejecting a plurality of liquid droplets from each of usable nozzles, of the first head, including the first nozzle, and usable nozzles, of the second head, including the second nozzle, while conveying the recording medium along the second direction; and in a case where a first liquid droplet is ejected from each of the first nozzle and the second nozzle and a color streak occurs at a position on the recording medium where the first liquid droplet ejected from each of the first nozzle and the second nozzle have landed, the controller is configured to control the head bar so as to execute: in a case where a dot line formed of liquid droplets along the second direction is to be formed on the recording medium, the liquid droplets being ejected from the first nozzle and the second nozzle, changing, for any of the liquid droplets, a size of a liquid droplet which is included in the liquid droplets and which is ejected from at least one of the first nozzle or the second nozzle to be smaller than a size of the first liquid droplet ([0032, 0033 and 0040] and Figs. 3-5) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki as modified by US 2005/0024427 A1 to Matsuo et al. “Matsuo.” . With regard to Claim 6, Suzuki teaches the claimed invention except for wherein an ejection pattern of ejecting the first liquid droplet and a liquid droplet smaller than the first liquid droplet from each of the first nozzle and the second nozzle in a case where the liquid droplets are ejected from the first nozzle and the second nozzle so as to form the dot line in a first area of the recording medium, and an ejection pattern in a case where the liquid droplets are ejected from the first nozzle and the second nozzle so as to form the dot line in a second area, of the recording medium, which is located downstream of the first area in the second direction, are different from each other. However, Matsuo teaches an ejection pattern of ejecting the first liquid droplet and a liquid droplet smaller than the first liquid droplet from each of the first nozzle and the second nozzle in a case where the liquid droplets are ejected from the first nozzle and the second nozzle so as to form the dot line in a first area of the recording medium, and an ejection pattern in a case where the liquid droplets are ejected from the first nozzle and the second nozzle so as to form the dot line in a second area, of the recording medium, which is located downstream of the first area in the second direction, are different from each other Allowable Subject Matter 07-43-02 AIA Claim 6 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. 13-03-01 AIA The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The primary reason for the allowance of Claim 6 is the inclusion of the limitations changing the size of the liquid droplet ejected from the at least one of the first nozzle or the second nozzle to be smaller than the size of the first liquid droplet is not performed for any of the plurality of the liquid droplets It is these features found in the claim(s) which have not been found, taught or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes this claim allowable over the prior art . Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. JP 2011000716 A discloses reducing banding in overlap processing. The image forming apparatus includes a recording head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting a recording liquid, which partially overlaps when scanning, or includes a plurality of recording heads having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting the recording liquid, at least two of which partially overlap when scanning, whereby an overlap area is constituted. In an area other than the end of the overlap area, printing data are distributed to the nozzles of each of the recording heads constituting the area other than the end thereof, and in the end area of the overlap area, printing data are converted into data corresponding to a drop amount smaller than the drop amount of the recording liquid corresponding to the printing data and set to the nozzles of each of the recording heads constituting the end area thereof . US 20230202176 A1 discloses a printing apparatus includes a printing head provided with a first nozzle row and a second nozzle row arranged shifted from the first nozzle row in a nozzle alignment direction, and a control unit configured to control ejection of ink from nozzles included in the printing head onto a medium based on print data. The control unit is configured to set an image to be complemented as a partial region of an image to be printed on the medium in accordance with a boundary portion between the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row, assign print data for printing the image to be completed to at least one of a first adjacent nozzle that is a nozzle in the first nozzle row and adjacent to the boundary portion and a second adjacent nozzle that is a nozzle in the second nozzle row and adjacent to the boundary portion, and complement the image to be complemented by ink ejection from at least one of the first adjacent nozzle and the second adjacent nozzle. JP 2008074065 A discloses an inkjet recorder which can keep a head unit constituting an inkjet head simply arranged and prevent the generation of color streaks and white streaks caused by a positional shift of the head unit. The head units 13a and 13b are equipped with 10 nozzles of nozzles 12a-12j and 12a'-12j', respectively. The nozzles 12h-12j and nozzles 12a'-12c' are arranged to overlap in a conveyance direction. The nozzles 12h-12j of the head unit 13a are selected as nozzles to be actually used from the left end at an overlapping part. A dot area of a dot array L10 formed by the nozzle 12j of the nozzles 12j and 12d' at a boundary part of switching from the head unit 13a to the head unit 13b is corrected to be smaller than a dot area formed by the other nozzle. JP 2007176112 A discloses an ink-jet recording device capable of reducing density unevenness due to an end displacement phenomenon of each ink droplet discharged from a recording head regardless of a gradation of a recording image. Each recording duty of nozzles n11-n14 and n21-n24 respectively located at each end part of nozzle rows N1, N2 is set according to an end displacement amount of a landing position of each ink droplet discharged from each end part of the nozzle rows N1, N2 formed in the recording head 10. US 20020024557 A1 discloses manufacturing process of recording head is simplified and manufacturing cost is reduced by arranging nozzles in the direction of arrangement of short heads. The unevenness in the color, density, caused by difference between interval and arrangement pitch of nozzles is corrected exactly to perform efficient printing and thereby quality of the image is improved. Communication with the PTO Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHARON A POLK whose telephone number is (571)270-7910. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 7-3. 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. SHARON A. POLK Primary Examiner Art Unit 2853 /Sharon Polk/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/955,382 Page 2 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/955,382 Page 3 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/955,382 Page 4 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/955,382 Page 5 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/955,382 Page 6 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/955,382 Page 7 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/955,382 Page 8 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/955,382 Page 9 Art Unit: 2853
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