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 01/14/25 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) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakahara US 2019/0089868 in view of Chao US 6404517.
Regarding claim 1, Nakahara teaches an image processing apparatus (Printer 30 is an image forming apparatus like an MFP (multi-functional peripheral) (paragraph 0060) comprising:
a memory for storing computer-executable instructions (Storage unit 22 is a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium including an HDD and/or an SSD, which stores programs which when being executed causes CPU 21a (paragraph 0053); and
one or more processors configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory (Storage unit 22 is a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium including a HDD and/or a SSD, which stores programs which when being executed causes CPU 21a to control the components of controller 20 (paragraph 0053) so as to:
generate correction information for correcting a sensed value of a scan unit which reads the first chart based on the scanned data and the colorimetric data (printing unit 36 prints an image of a page and the patches on a sheet according to instructions given from patch arrangement controller 37, and in-line scanner 36a and in-line colorimeter 36b measures the patches printed on the sheet to obtain RGB values and colorimetric values (Step S104) (paragraph 0081) and fig 8). In response to obtaining RGB values from in-line scanner 36a and obtaining colorimetric values from in-line colorimeter 36b, built-in controller 31 (scanner profile manager 38) creates update data and corrects the scanner provide by replacing a part of the grid point data (paragraph 0082);
wherein the first chart includes a patch extending in a scanning direction perpendicular to a sheet conveyance direction and having a predetermined density (the correction of a scanner profile includes the operations of defining an arrangement of at least one patch, which is of at least one color chosen from colors of the chart to be used for a scanner profile creation; (paragraph 0070 and 0085) Note: patches of the same color have uniform density, which are printed in the color chart for scanner profile. Patch chart is read perpendicular to the conveyance direction for sensor to read the patches on a sheet. Note: patches of the same color have uniform density. Patch chart is read perpendicular to the conveyance direction for sensor to read the patches on a sheet.,
Nakahara fails to teach obtain scanned data by reading a first chart output to a printing medium and colorimetric data by measuring second chart different from the first chart;
a position adjustment pattern formed outside the patch and aligned to the scanning direction with predetermined intervals;
the second chart includes the patch and is measurable due to the patch having the predetermined density with intervals equal to or larger than the predetermined intervals on the patch or on the outside of the patch into the scanning direction
Chao teaches obtain scanned data by reading a first chart output to a printing medium (input-device map 40 may be derived by scanning an image I (first chart) that has known color characteristics. For example, image I may be one or more sheets of paper with a plurality of areas or "patches" of color. Since the initial calibration is performed in the factory, these color patch sheets may be generated by a very high quality printer with a large color gamut or by a number of lower quality printers, each having a different gamut. Scanner 18 scans image I and generates signals along path 50 representing the colors of the patches (column 6, lines 31-48, fig 2) and colorimetric data by measuring second chart different from the first chart (Output-device map 42 may be derived by using printer 30 to generate image O (second chart) and determining the color characteristics of image O. For example, image O may be one or more sheets of paper with patches that are analyzed by measuring device 52 such as a spectral photometer or colorimeter (column 6, lines 62-column 7, lines 1-9, fig 2); and
a position adjustment pattern formed outside the patch and aligned to the scanning direction with predetermined intervals (the first mark A at the top-left of the page represents the starting edge of the first color patch. The second mark B is placed at the center, for example, of the first patch. From these two marks the width of the patches on the sheet can be calculated by registration mark processor 66 (column 8, lines 14-46) Note: the registration marks A,B,C... Q are read as position adjustment patterns that are formed outside of the patch (see fig 3). The registration marks width is read as predetermined intervals,
the second chart includes the patch and is measurable due to the patch having the predetermined density with intervals equal to or larger than the predetermined intervals on the patch or on the outside of the patch into the scanning direction (Output-device map 42 may be derived by using printer 30 to generate image O (second chart) and determining the color characteristics of image O. For example, image O may be one or more sheets of paper with patches that are analyzed by measuring device 52 such as a spectral photometer or colorimeter (column 6, lines 62-column 7, lines 1-9, fig 2) Note: patches of the same color have uniform density. Patch chart is read perpendicular to the conveyance direction in order for sensor to read the patches on a sheet.
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Nakahara to include: teach obtain scanned data by reading a first chart output to a printing medium and colorimetric data by measuring second chart different from the first chart;
a position adjustment pattern formed outside the patch and aligned to the scanning direction with predetermined intervals;
the second chart includes the patch and is measurable due to the patch having the predetermined density with intervals equal to or larger than the predetermined intervals on the patch or on the outside of the patch into the scanning direction
The reason of doing so would be to accurately calibrate image forming device
Regarding claim 2, Nakahara in view of Chao teaches wherein the position adjustment pattern is thin lines formed at a regular interval in the scanning direction (fig 3) and the colorimetry data is obtained by a colorimetry unit to performs measurement of a color at an interval an integer multiple of the predetermined interval (Chao: image O may be one or more sheets of paper with patches that are analyzed by measuring device 52 such as a spectral photometer or colorimeter (column 3, lines 64-67).
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Nakahara to include: wherein the position adjustment pattern is thin lines formed at a regular interval in the scanning direction and the colorimetry data is obtained by a colorimetry unit to performs measurement of a color at an interval an integer multiple of the predetermined interval
The reason for doing so would be to accurately calibrate image forming device
Regarding claim 3, Nakahara in view of Chao teaches wherein the correction information is generated for each color of a color material used in the output of the printing medium (Nakahara: correction of a scanner profile uses a process of printing a color chart by a printer (paragraph 0032) processor defines an arrangement of at least one patch, which is individually of at least one color, in a blank space of each of the sheets, where the least one color are chosen for each of the sheets successively from colors of a chart to be used for creating a scanner profile. For example, the hardware processor may create update data, which are data for updating grid point data of the scanner profile, corresponding to the at least one color, by using the obtained measured values of the at least one patch, and then correct the grid point data of the scanner profile by using the update data (paragraph 0035).
Regarding claim 4, Nakahara in view of Chao teaches wherein the correction information is generated for a specific color likely to cause the sensed value to differ between a center portion and an end portion of the patch among the color materials (Nakahara: the hardware processor may create update data, which are data for updating grid point data of the scanner profile, corresponding to the at least one color, by using the obtained measured values of the at least one patch, and then correct the grid point data of the scanner profile by using the update data (paragraph 0035).
Regarding claim 5, Nakahara in view of Chao teaches wherein the specific color is yellow (Chao: a three-dimensional color space is a CMY color space in which point coordinates specify particular amounts of subtractive primaries cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) which combine to represent a specific color. The subtractive system is the complement of the additive system and ideally the mixture of two additive primaries produces a subtractive primary. For example, the mixture of red and green is yellow Note: this would make yellow the specific color (column 1, lines 53-65).
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Nakahara to include: wherein the specific color is yellow
The reason for doing so would be to accurately calibrate image forming device
Regarding claim 6, Nakahara in view of Chao teaches wherein in the first chart, more patches of a color signal value to which great importance to be given in sensor shading correction processing are arranged (Chao: input-device map 40 may be derived by scanning an image I (first chart) that has known color characteristics. For example, image I may be one or more sheets of paper with a plurality of areas or "patches" of color. Since the initial calibration is performed in the factory, these color patch sheets may be generated by a very high quality printer with a large color gamut or by a number of lower quality printers, each having a different gamut. (column 6, lines 31-48, fig 2) and in the second chart, more patches of a color signal value to which great importance to be given in head shading correction processing are arranged (Chao: Output-device map 42 may be derived by using printer 30 to generate image O (second chart) and determining the color characteristics of image O. For example, image O may be one or more sheets of paper with patches that are analyzed by measuring device 52 such as a spectral photometer or colorimeter (column 6, lines 62-column 7, lines 1-9, fig 2)
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Nakahara to include: wherein in the first chart, more patches of a color signal value to which great importance to be given in sensor shading correction processing are arranged and in the second chart, more patches of a color signal value to which great importance to be given in head shading correction processing are arranged
The reason for doing so would be to accurately calibrate image forming device.
Regarding claim 7, Nakahara in view of Chao teaches wherein the colorimetric data is a spectral reflectance obtained by performing measurement for a color at a predetermined position of a sheet that is conveyed while scanning the color in the scanning direction, or a color value in a device-independent color space, which is calculated from the spectral reflectance (Nakahara: a spectralcolorimeter in color measurement unit 40 (or an in-line scanner and an in-line colorimeter that printer 30 is equipped with), where the measured values include a scanner value or values (referred to as an RGB value or values in the present embodiment) of the at least one patch each of which is a color value taken by a measurement with the scanner or in-line scanner, and a colorimeter value or values (referred to as a colorimetric value or values in the present embodiment) of the at least one patch each of which is a color value taken by a measurement with the spectralcolorimeter or in-line colorimeter (paragraph 0058).
Regarding claim 8, Nakahara in view of Chao teaches wherein the printing medium is subjected to be a print processing by conveying a sheet in one direction and ejecting ink droplets from a print head covering the full width of the conveyed sheet (Nakahara: printing unit 36 prints an image of the N-th page and the patches on a sheet according to instructions given from patch arrangement controller 37 (paragraph 0094).
Regarding claim 9, Nakahara in view of Chao teaches wherein the scan data is obtained with the full width of the sheet by arranging a plurality of line sensors in an overlapping manner (Nakahara: In-line scanner 36a includes, for example, three kinds of sensors for RGB colors, and is configured to scan the whole face of a printed matter with the RGB sensors and output RGB values as a measurement result (paragraph 0067).
Regarding claim 10, Nakahara in view of Chao teaches wherein the generation unit generates the correction information by causing a pixel position of an end portion of the patch in the scanned data and a colorimetry position of an end portion of the patch in the colorimetric data to correspond to each other and determining a corrected value of the sensed value at a specific pixel position, the scan unit covers the full width of the sheet by arranging a plurality of line sensors in an overlapping manner, and the generation unit generates the correction information for each of the plurality of line sensors (Nakahara: printer further comprises an in-line scanner configured to measure a sheet to obtain a scanner value which is a color value taken by a measurement with the in-line scanner, an in-line spectrocolorimeter configured to measure a sheet to obtain a colorimeter value which is a color value taken by a measurement with the in-line spectrocolorimeter (paragraph 0010). In the correction of a scanner profile, at least one patch is printed together with each of images of a job, which are images of pages of the job to be reproduced on respective sheets, and a series of partial corrections of the scanner profile is executed during job processing, by using the patches printed on multiple sheets so that a sufficient part of the scanner profile can be corrected finally (paragraph 0034) In-line scanner 36a includes, for example, three kinds of sensor for RGB colors, and is configured to scan the whole face of a printed matter with the RGB sensors (paragraph 0067).
Regarding claim 11, Nakahara in view of Chao teaches wherein for each of the plurality of line sensors, the generation unit: generates a line profile by identifying an image area of the patch from the scanned data; and generates the correction information based on the line profile (Nakahara: Scanner profile manager 38 updates a part of the grid point data of the scanner profile, which corresponds to the at least one color of the measured at least one patch, by using the update data, to perform a partial correction of the scanner profile (paragraph 0071).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL L BURLESON whose telephone number is (571)272-7460.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Akwasi Sarpong can be reached on 571-270-3438. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Michael Burleson
Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2683
Michael Burleson
August 22, 2026
/MICHAEL L BURLESON/Examiner, Art Unit 2683
/AKWASI M SARPONG/SPE, Art Unit 2681 8/26/2026
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