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 § 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) 1-6, 9-10, and 13-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki US 20210237490 A1, further in view of Arai US 20060139438 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Suzuki teaches:
a printing apparatus (Paragraph 0001, “The present disclosure relates to a printing apparatus that transfers an ink of an ink ribbon onto paper by using a thermal head”),
a detection unit configured to detect a position of a recording sheet being conveyed (Paragraph 0034, “A paper feed port sensor 141 and a paper discharge port sensor 142 are paper detection sensors that detect radiation light reflected by the back surface of the paper 300 to allow detecting the presence of the paper 300”),
a control unit configured to control transferring of ink and conveying of the recording sheet (Paragraph 0012, “According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a printing apparatus includes a control unit configured to control the paper feed unit to feed the stacked paper from the paper stacking unit, suspend the conveyance of the paper by the paper feed unit upon detection of the fed paper with the paper detection unit, take up the ink ribbon with the ink ribbon take-up unit, stop the ink ribbon take-up with the ink ribbon take-up unit upon detection of the printing start position of the ink ribbon by the ink ribbon detection unit, and restart the conveyance of the paper with the paper feed unit”),
wherein the control unit:
determines a transfer start position of the ink based on a position, detected by the detection unit, of a following end of the recording sheet being conveyed before the transferring of the ink starts (Paragraph 0050, “In step S103, the control unit 901 determines whether the paper feed port sensor 141 detects the leading edge of the paper 300 in the paper feed direction. When the paper feed port sensor 141 detects the paper 300 (YES in step S103), the processing proceeds to step S104.” If the length of the recording sheet is known, then detecting the position of the leading edge also defines the position of the following end. Note that the printing apparatus of Suzuki is further controlled to determine the length of the paper in Paragraph 0058),
and a second state where a space through which the recording sheet being conveyed can pass is narrower than a predetermined first state (Paragraph 0029, “As illustrated in FIG. 5A, a head arm 111 is supported rotatably around a head supporting axis 112. A thermal head 110 is supported by the head arm 111. The thermal head 110 is rotatable from the stand-by position illustrated in FIG. 5A to the print position illustrated in FIG. 5F.” Wherein the second state is the print position, and the first state is the stand-by position).
Suzuki does not disclose that the control unit determines a transfer end position of the ink based on a position, detected by the detection unit, of the following end of the recording sheet being conveyed in the second state.
However, Arai teaches that the print operation is stopped when the sheet is detected to have reached a certain position (Paragraph 0021, “When a print start edge of the recording sheet 3 reaches a leading-edge detection sensor 11, the upstream conveying device 7 and the downstream conveying device 8 stop in response to a command issued by the printer 1.” If the length of the recording sheet is known, then detecting the position of the leading edge also defines the position of the following end). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Suzuki to have that the control unit determines a transfer end position of the ink based on a position of the following end of the recording sheet being conveyed in the second state to allow marginless printing to be performed, as taught by Arai (Paragraph 0009, “Accordingly, marginless printing in which no margin is left on the recording sheet can be performed”).
Regarding claim 2, Suzuki teaches:
a recording unit configured to transfer the ink onto the recording sheet (Paragraph 0001, “The present disclosure relates to a printing apparatus that transfers an ink of an ink ribbon onto paper by using a thermal head”),
a driving unit configured to move the recording unit such that the space through which the recording sheet being conveyed can pass is in the first state or the second state (Paragraph 0029, “As illustrated in FIG. 5A, a head arm 111 is supported rotatably around a head supporting axis 112. A thermal head 110 is supported by the head arm 111. The thermal head 110 is rotatable from the stand-by position illustrated in FIG. 5A to the print position illustrated in FIG. 5F”).
Regarding claim 3, Suzuki teaches:
the first state is a state of the space before the transferring of the ink starts, and the second state is a state of the space during the transferring of the ink onto the recording sheet (Paragraph 0029, “As illustrated in FIG. 5A, a head arm 111 is supported rotatably around a head supporting axis 112. A thermal head 110 is supported by the head arm 111. The thermal head 110 is rotatable from the stand-by position illustrated in FIG. 5A to the print position illustrated in FIG. 5F.” Note that the stand-by position is the state of the space before the transferring of ink starts, and the print position is the state of the space during the transferring of ink onto the recording sheet).
Regarding claim 4, Suzuki teaches:
the first state is a state of the space when the following end is detected before the transferring of the ink starts, and the second state is a state of the space during the transferring of the ink onto the recording sheet (Paragraph 0029, “As illustrated in FIG. 5A, a head arm 111 is supported rotatably around a head supporting axis 112. A thermal head 110 is supported by the head arm 111. The thermal head 110 is rotatable from the stand-by position illustrated in FIG. 5A to the print position illustrated in FIG. 5F.” Note that the stand-by position is the state of the space before the transferring of ink starts, and the print position is the state of the space during the transferring of ink onto the recording sheet; Paragraph 0050, “In step S103, the control unit 901 determines whether the paper feed port sensor 141 detects the leading edge of the paper 300 in the paper feed direction. When the paper feed port sensor 141 detects the paper 300 (YES in step S103), the processing proceeds to step S104.” If the length of the recording sheet is known, then detecting the position of the leading edge also defines the position of the following end. Note that the printing apparatus of Suzuki is further controlled to determine the length of the paper in Paragraph 0058; Figure 6, Items S103 and S119, Paragraph 0060, “In step S119, the control unit 901 performs yellow color printing operation. The control unit 901 rotates the head arm 111 by using a drive source (not illustrated) to move the thermal head 110 to the print position illustrated in FIG. 5F…” Note that step S119 occurs after step S103, meaning that the position of the following end is detected in step S103, before the transferring of ink, and before the thermal head is rotated to the printing position).
Regarding claim 5, Suzuki teaches:
the recording unit includes a thermal head, and the first state is a state of the space when the thermal head is a predetermined distance from a roller for supporting the recording sheet, and the second state is a state of the space when the thermal head is closer to the roller than the predetermined distance (Paragraph 0029, “As illustrated in FIG. 5A, a head arm 111 is supported rotatably around a head supporting axis 112. A thermal head 110 is supported by the head arm 111. The thermal head 110 is rotatable from the stand-by position illustrated in FIG. 5A to the print position illustrated in FIG. 5F”; Figures 5A and 5F, Items 110 and 120).
Regarding claim 6, Suzuki teaches:
the control unit determines the transfer start position in the first state (Paragraph 0050, “In step S103, the control unit 901 determines whether the paper feed port sensor 141 detects the leading edge of the paper 300 in the paper feed direction. When the paper feed port sensor 141 detects the paper 300 (YES in step S103), the processing proceeds to step S104.” If the length of the recording sheet is known, then detecting the position of the leading edge also defines the position of the following end. Note that the printing apparatus of Suzuki is further controlled to determine the length of the paper in Paragraph 0058. Further note that S103 occurs before the thermal head 110 is rotated into the printing position in step S119).
Regarding claim 9, Suzuki teaches:
the ink is ink of one of a plurality of colors of ink (Paragraph 0003, “A printing apparatus with the thermal transfer recording method for performing full color printing is configured to make a full color printed material by sequentially transferring dye inks of three different colors (yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) dye inks applied to the ink ribbon in this order) in an overlapped way”).
Suzuki does not disclose that the control unit determines the transfer end position based on the position of the following end detected during the second state when a first ink is being transferred, the first ink being the ink, among the plurality of colors of ink, that is transferred first.
However, Arai teaches that the print operation is stopped when the sheet is detected to have reached a certain position (Paragraph 0021, “When a print start edge of the recording sheet 3 reaches a leading-edge detection sensor 11, the upstream conveying device 7 and the downstream conveying device 8 stop in response to a command issued by the printer 1.” If the length of the recording sheet is known, then detecting the position of the leading edge also defines the position of the following end). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Suzuki to have that the control unit determines a transfer end position of the ink based on a position of the following end of the recording sheet being conveyed in the second state to allow marginless printing to be performed, as taught by Arai (Paragraph 0009, “Accordingly, marginless printing in which no margin is left on the recording sheet can be performed”).
Regarding claim 10, Suzuki teaches:
the ink is ink of one of a plurality of colors of ink (Paragraph 0003, “A printing apparatus with the thermal transfer recording method for performing full color printing is configured to make a full color printed material by sequentially transferring dye inks of three different colors (yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) dye inks applied to the ink ribbon in this order) in an overlapped way”).
Suzuki does not disclose that the control unit:
determines the transfer end position based on the transfer start position in a case where a first ink is to be transferred, the first ink being the ink, among the plurality of colors of ink, that is transferred first,
determines the transfer end position based on the position of the following end detected before starting transfer of a second ink used after the first ink, in a case where the second ink is to be transferred.
However, Arai teaches that the print operation is stopped when the print start edge, being the transfer start position, is detected to have reached a certain position (Paragraph 0021, “When a print start edge of the recording sheet 3 reaches a leading-edge detection sensor 11, the upstream conveying device 7 and the downstream conveying device 8 stop in response to a command issued by the printer 1.” If the length of the recording sheet is known, then detecting the position of the leading edge also defines the position of the following end). Furthermore, Arai teaches that once the print operation of a first color is completed, the recording sheet is returned to a print position at which the paper’s position is detected by a sensor, at which point the print operation is performed with a second color (Paragraphs 0028-0029, “Thus, the printing operation for printing an image of a first color is finished. Next, the recording sheet 3 is conveyed upstream until the print start edge thereof reaches the leading-edge detection sensor 11. Then, the recording sheet 3 is conveyed downstream again to form an image of a second color”). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Suzuki to have that the control unit determines the transfer end position based on the transfer start position in a case where a first ink is to be transferred and the transfer end position based on the position of the following end detected before starting transfer of a second ink
Regarding claim 13,
Suzuki does not disclose that the first ink has less influence on a printing darkness than the second ink in a case where an amount of ink transferred is reduced.
However, if the amount of ink transferred is reduced, then the first ink will necessarily have less influence on a printing darkness due to having a lower density.
Regarding claim 14, Suzuki teaches:
the color of the first ink is yellow (Figure 6, Item S119. Note that the yellow print operation is first to be occur).
Regarding claim 15,
Suzuki does not disclose that the control unit determines the transfer end position at a position such that no blank margin is present at the following end of the recording sheet.
However, Arai teaches a printing apparatus capable of printing without having a margin on both the front and back end of the recording sheet (Paragraph 0040, “Therefore, the recording sheet 3 can be printed on without leaving a margin along the print start edge or the print end edge”). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Suzuki to have that the control unit determines the transfer end position at a position such that no blank margin is present at the following end of the recording sheet, as taught by Arai.
Regarding claim 16, Suzuki teaches:
A control method of a printing apparatus (Paragraph 0001, “The present disclosure relates to a printing apparatus that transfers an ink of an ink ribbon onto paper by using a thermal head”) including a detection unit configured to detect a position of a recording sheet being conveyed (Paragraph 0034, “A paper feed port sensor 141 and a paper discharge port sensor 142 are paper detection sensors that detect radiation light reflected by the back surface of the paper 300 to allow detecting the presence of the paper 300”), the control method comprising:
controlling transferring of ink and conveying of the recording sheet (Paragraph 0012, “According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a printing apparatus includes a control unit configured to control the paper feed unit to feed the stacked paper from the paper stacking unit, suspend the conveyance of the paper by the paper feed unit upon detection of the fed paper with the paper detection unit, take up the ink ribbon with the ink ribbon take-up unit, stop the ink ribbon take-up with the ink ribbon take-up unit upon detection of the printing start position of the ink ribbon by the ink ribbon detection unit, and restart the conveyance of the paper with the paper feed unit”),
wherein the controlling includes:
determining a transfer start position of the ink based on a position, detected by the detection unit, of a following end of the recording sheet being conveyed before the transferring of the ink starts (Paragraph 0050, “In step S103, the control unit 901 determines whether the paper feed port sensor 141 detects the leading edge of the paper 300 in the paper feed direction. When the paper feed port sensor 141 detects the paper 300 (YES in step S103), the processing proceeds to step S104.” If the length of the recording sheet is known, then detecting the position of the leading edge also defines the position of the following end. Note that the printing apparatus of Suzuki is further controlled to determine the length of the paper in Paragraph 0058),
and a second state where a space through which the recording sheet being conveyed can pass is narrower than a predetermined first state (Paragraph 0029, “As illustrated in FIG. 5A, a head arm 111 is supported rotatably around a head supporting axis 112. A thermal head 110 is supported by the head arm 111. The thermal head 110 is rotatable from the stand-by position illustrated in FIG. 5A to the print position illustrated in FIG. 5F.” Wherein the second state is the print position, and the first state is the stand-by position).
Suzuki does not disclose determining a transfer end position of the ink based on a position, detected by the detection unit, of the following end of the recording sheet being conveyed in the second state.
However, Arai teaches that the print operation is stopped when the sheet is detected to have reached a certain position (Paragraph 0021, “When a print start edge of the recording sheet 3 reaches a leading-edge detection sensor 11, the upstream conveying device 7 and the downstream conveying device 8 stop in response to a command issued by the printer 1.” If the length of the recording sheet is known, then detecting the position of the leading edge also defines the position of the following end). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Suzuki to have that the control unit determines a transfer end position of the ink based on a position of the following end of the recording sheet being conveyed in the second state to allow marginless printing to be performed, as taught by Arai (Paragraph 0009, “Accordingly, marginless printing in which no margin is left on the recording sheet can be performed”).
Regarding claim 17, Suzuki teaches:
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program (Paragraph 0072, “Embodiment(s) of the present disclosure can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus that reads out and executes computer executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium”) for causing a computer to execute a control method of a printing apparatus (Paragraph 0001, “The present disclosure relates to a printing apparatus that transfers an ink of an ink ribbon onto paper by using a thermal head”) including a detection unit configured to detect a position of a recording sheet being conveyed (Paragraph 0034, “A paper feed port sensor 141 and a paper discharge port sensor 142 are paper detection sensors that detect radiation light reflected by the back surface of the paper 300 to allow detecting the presence of the paper 300”), the control method comprising:
controlling transferring of ink and conveying of the recording sheet (Paragraph 0012, “According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a printing apparatus includes a control unit configured to control the paper feed unit to feed the stacked paper from the paper stacking unit, suspend the conveyance of the paper by the paper feed unit upon detection of the fed paper with the paper detection unit, take up the ink ribbon with the ink ribbon take-up unit, stop the ink ribbon take-up with the ink ribbon take-up unit upon detection of the printing start position of the ink ribbon by the ink ribbon detection unit, and restart the conveyance of the paper with the paper feed unit”), wherein the controlling includes:
determining a transfer start position of the ink based on a position, detected by the detection unit, of a following end of the recording sheet being conveyed before the transferring of the ink starts (Paragraph 0050, “In step S103, the control unit 901 determines whether the paper feed port sensor 141 detects the leading edge of the paper 300 in the paper feed direction. When the paper feed port sensor 141 detects the paper 300 (YES in step S103), the processing proceeds to step S104.” If the length of the recording sheet is known, then detecting the position of the leading edge also defines the position of the following end. Note that the printing apparatus of Suzuki is further controlled to determine the length of the paper in Paragraph 0058),
and a second state where a space through which the recording sheet being conveyed can pass is narrower than a predetermined first state (Paragraph 0029, “As illustrated in FIG. 5A, a head arm 111 is supported rotatably around a head supporting axis 112. A thermal head 110 is supported by the head arm 111. The thermal head 110 is rotatable from the stand-by position illustrated in FIG. 5A to the print position illustrated in FIG. 5F.” Wherein the second state is the print position, and the first state is the stand-by position).
Suzuki does not disclose determining a transfer end position of the ink based on a position, detected by the detection unit, of the following end of the recording sheet being conveyed in a second state.
However, Arai teaches that the print operation is stopped when the sheet is detected to have reached a certain position (Paragraph 0021, “When a print start edge of the recording sheet 3 reaches a leading-edge detection sensor 11, the upstream conveying device 7 and the downstream conveying device 8 stop in response to a command issued by the printer 1.” If the length of the recording sheet is known, then detecting the position of the leading edge also defines the position of the following end). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Suzuki to have that the control unit determines a transfer end position of the ink based on a position of the following end of the recording sheet being conveyed in the second state to allow marginless printing to be performed, as taught by Arai (Paragraph 0009, “Accordingly, marginless printing in which no margin is left on the recording sheet can be performed”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-8 and 11-12 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 7 appears to contain allowable subject matter because the prior art of record does not expressly disclose or make obvious that a “control unit determines the transfer end position based on the transfer start position determined, and then, based on the position of the following end detected in the second state, determines the transfer end position at a position different from the transfer end position determined.” It is this limitation, in combination with other features and limitations of claim 7, that indicates allowable subject matter over the prior art of record.
Claim 8 appears to be allowable as being dependent on claim 7.
Claim 11 appears to contain allowable subject matter because the prior art of record does not expressly disclose or make obvious that “in a case where the first ink is to be transferred, the control unit sets a density of the first ink to be lower in a predetermined range from the transfer end position determined based on the transfer start position, than in areas outside the predetermined range.” It is this limitation, in combination with other features and limitations of claim 11, that indicates allowable subject matter over the prior art of record.
Claim 12 appears to be allowable as being dependent on claim 11.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Rami Alshoroogi whose telephone number is (571)272-8946. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10am-6pm.
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/RAMI A ALSHOROOGI/ Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/DOUGLAS X RODRIGUEZ/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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