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 § 102
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 –
(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.
Claims 1, 6-9 and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hirose et al. (US PG Pub 2022/0236681).
For claim 1: Hirose et al. teaches an image forming apparatus (see Fig. 2A) comprising: an image forming unit 304-309 configured to form an adjustment pattern 900 on a sheet (see paragraph 37, Fig. 3A, image adjustment chart sheet with an image adjustment pattern can be printed onto the sheet); a fixing member 311 configured to fix the adjustment pattern on the sheet by heating the adjustment pattern on the sheet (see paragraph 30, the fixing member 311 fixes the images printed onto the sheet); a conveyance roller (see Fig. 2A, little roller pairs feeding the sheet along pathways 314, 315) configured to convey the sheet on which the adjustment pattern 900 has been fixed by the fixing member 311; a reading device 321, 322 (see paragraph 37) provided further downstream than the fixing member in a conveyance direction in which the conveyance roller conveys the sheet (see Fig. 2A, paragraph 37), and configured to read the sheet on which the adjustment pattern has been fixed by the fixing member (see paragraph 37, paragraph 48-50); and a processor configured to: detect a length, in the conveyance direction, of the sheet on which the adjustment pattern has been fixed to both surfaces of the sheet by the fixing member (see Fig. 3C, paragraph 54, determination of the distance A); and adjust a position (see Fig. 4A, position measurement and adjustment value determination), in the conveyance direction, and a size (see Fig. 4A, magnification determination and adjustment value determination), in the conveyance direction, of an image to be formed on the sheet by the image forming unit, based on a reading result obtained by the reading device reading the sheet on which the adjustment pattern has been fixed to both sides of the sheet by the fixing member (see paragraph 49, paragraph 55) and the detected length (see Fig. 3C, sheet size determination).
For claim 6: Hirose et al. teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: obtain information on a type and an orientation of the sheet (see Fig. 4A, detecting scanning direction sheet lengths); determine a target length, in the conveyance direction, of an image forming region on the sheet based on the information (see Fig. 4A, ideal value 912 of main scanning direction sheet length); determine a target distance from an edge of the sheet to the image forming region based on the target length and the detected length (see Fig. 4A, ideal values); and adjust the position, in the conveyance direction (see Fig. 4A, adjustment values for edge write position), and the size, in the conveyance direction, of the image to be formed on the sheet by the image forming unit, based on the reading result of the reading device and the target distance (see Fig. 4A, main scanning magnification adjustment value).
For claim 7: Hirose et al. teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the target distance includes a first target distance from a leading end of the sheet in the conveyance direction to the image forming region (see Fig. 4A, ideal value, applicable against D+H) and a second target distance from a trailing end of the sheet in the conveyance direction to the image forming region (see Fig. 4A, ideal value, applicable against F and J, see paragraph 55).
For claim 8: Hirose et al. teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the target distance is a target distance from a leading end of the sheet in the conveyance direction to the image forming region (see Fig. 3B, and 4A, the ideal value is the target distance, the ideal value corresponding to the distance from the front of the sheet to the image forming position since as it corresponds to (D+H)/2).
For claim 9: Hirose et al. teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the target distance is a target distance from a trailing end of the sheet in the conveyance direction to the image forming region (see Fig. 3B, and 4A, the ideal value is the target distance, the ideal value is the same for both the leading and trailing edge of the sheet).
For claim 15: Hirose et al. teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reading device 321,322 includes a first reading sensor 321 which reads a first surface of the sheet and a second reading sensor 322 which reads a second surface opposite to the first surface of the sheet (see Fig. 2A, 2B), and the processor is further configured to: adjust a position, in the conveyance direction, and a size, in the conveyance direction, of an image to be formed on the first surface of the sheet by the image forming unit, based on a reading result obtained by the first reading sensor reading the sheet on which the adjustment pattern has been fixed to both sides of the sheet by the fixing member and the detected length (see Fig. 13A); and adjust a position, in the conveyance direction, and a size, in the conveyance direction, of an image to be formed on the second surface of the sheet by the image forming unit, based on a reading result obtained by the second reading sensor reading the sheet on which the adjustment pattern has been fixed to both sides of the sheet by the fixing member and the detected length (see Fig. 16A, S2705).
For claim 16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to adjust a position, in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, and a size, in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, of the image to be formed on the sheet by the image forming unit, based on the reading result of the reading device (see Fig. 4A, adjusting left edge position and sub scanning magnification).
For claim 17: Hirose et al. teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment pattern includes a plurality of images 902, 902, 902, 902 formed in a corner region of the sheet (see Fig. 3A).
For claim 18: Hirose et al. teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member includes a fixing roller including a heater (see paragraph 30, fixing unit 311 includes a heating roller being a roller with a heater, and a pressure roller, see Fig. 2A).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 2, 3, 5, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirose et al. (US PG Pub 2022/0236681) in view of Suzuki (US PG Pub 2014/0037350).
For claim 2: Hirose et al. teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, and teaches determining the length of sheet downstream of the fixing member (see Fig. 3C, paragraph 54), but does not teach a sensor configured to measure a time over which the sheet passes a detection position, wherein the processor detects the length of the sheet in the conveyance direction based on the time measured by the sensor. However, Suzuki teaches a sensor S2 configured to measure a time over which the sheet passes a detection position, wherein the processor detects the length of the sheet in the conveyance direction based on the time measured by the sensor (see paragraph 82, step S270). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention of Hirose et al. to provide a length detecting sensor as taught by Suzuki for the purpose of determining the length directly to utilize for image calibrating control.
For claim 3: The combination of Hirose et al. and Suzuki teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 2 and Suzuki teaches that the sensor S2 is an optical sensor (see paragraph 78).
For claim 5: Hirose et al. teaches the image forming apparatus of claim 1 and teaches determining the length of sheet downstream of the fixing member (see Fig. 3C, paragraph 54), but does not teach a sensor provided, and configured to measure a time in which the sensor moves from a leading end, in the conveyance direction, to a trailing end, in the conveyance direction, of the sheet for which conveyance has been stopped, wherein the processor detects the length of the sheet in the conveyance direction based on the time measured by the sensor. However, Suzuki teaches a sensor S2 configured to measure a time over which the sheet passes a detection position, wherein the processor detects the length of the sheet in the conveyance direction based on the time measured by the sensor (see paragraph 82, step S270). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention of Hirose et al. to provide a length detecting sensor as taught by Suzuki for the purpose of determining the length directly to utilize for image calibrating control.
For claims 19 and 20: The combination of Hirose et al. and Suzuki teaches all of the limitations of claims 19 and 20 except that the sensor is provided between the fixing member and the reading device in the conveyance direction. However, this distinction from the prior art can be overcome through a mere rearrangement of the known parts. In the instant case, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to position the sensor between the fixing member and reading device so that information regarding the length is already available to the system upon passage of the sheet through the reading device.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirose et al. (US PG Pub 2022/0236681) and Suzuki (US PG Pub 2014/0037350) as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Nakagawa (US PG Pub 2019/0064723).
For claim 4: The combination of Hirose et al. and Suzuki teaches all of the limitations of claim 4 except that the sensor is a flag-type sensor including a flag that is in a first position when the sheet is in the detection position and is in a second position different from the first position when the sheet is not in the detection position. However, Nakagawa teaches a sensor for detecting the length of a sheet to be a flag-type sensor including a flag that is in a first position when the sheet is in the detection position and is in a second position different from the first position when the sheet is not in the detection position (see paragraph 72, flag in a position without the presence of the sheet and in a pressed position with the sheet). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the flag member in a sheet length sensor as taught by Nakagawa for the purpose of determining the length of the sheet with a sensor for controlling printing attributes.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-14 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: None of the prior art of record or any obvious combination thereof, and in particular Hirose et al., does not teach or suggest that either the first target distance or the second target distance is to be determined from a detected length.
Conclusion
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/DAVID H BANH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853