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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/12/2024 was considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings filed on 12/12/2024 are acceptable for examination by the examiner.
Title
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Objection
Claim 3 is objected to because of the following informalities. Claim 3 recites a parameter that is not determined by the controller, among the one or more parameters, is a parameter having a fixed value. The fixed value is not defined in the claim or the detailed description. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by OTSUKA et al. (US 2012/0243896 A1).
OTSUKA teaches regarding claim 1, an image forming apparatus (figure 1) comprising: a fixing section that fixes toner to a medium; and a controller that controls the fixing section (figure 2), wherein the fixing section includes a pressure roller 407 and a fixing belt, the fixing belt 405 nips the medium, together with the pressure roller 407, and causes the medium to be heated at a nip position where the medium is nipped, and the controller 500 estimates a temperature of the fixing belt 405 at the nip position or in a vicinity of the nip position, from an operation history of the fixing section, and determines one or more parameters of a warm-up operation for heating the fixing belt, based on the temperature of the fixing belt at the nip position or in the vicinity of the nip position (figures 1-2, 7-8, [0072, 0081-0083, 0107]; the controller senses the temperature of the fixing belt and estimates the nip temperature; this temperature is used to control the warm-up process for the fixing device).
Regarding claim 2, the one or more parameters include one or more of a target temperature of the fixing belt 405, a rotation distance of the fixing belt 405, a rotation speed of the fixing belt, and a rotation time of the fixing belt 405 (S11), and determining the one or more parameters includes determining a part or all of the one or more parameters (figures 7-8, [0072]).
Regarding claim 3, a parameter that is not determined by the controller, among the one or more parameters, is a parameter having a fixed value (for example, weight).
Regarding claim 4, the controller ends the warm-up operation, in response to satisfaction of the target temperature and the rotation distance of the fixing belt 400, or satisfaction of the target temperature and the rotation time of the fixing belt [0072].
Regarding claim 5, a temperature sensor 409 that measures the temperature of the fixing belt 405, wherein the controller determines, based on an output signal of the temperature sensor 409, whether the temperature of the fixing belt has reached the target temperature [0072, 0081-0082].
Regarding claim 6, estimating the temperature of the fixing belt 405 at the nip position NP or in the vicinity of the nip position, from the operation history of the fixing section, includes estimating the temperature of the fixing belt 405 at the nip position or in the vicinity of the nip position, based on at least a stoppage time of the fixing section (measuring the starting temperature uncompresses the turn-on and turn-off time, S3; figure 7; [0072, 0082]).
Regarding claim 7, estimating the temperature of the fixing belt 405 at the nip position NP or in the vicinity of the nip position, from the operation history of the fixing section, includes estimating the temperature of the fixing belt 407 at the nip position or in the vicinity of the nip position, based on at least a turn-off time of a heater of the fixing section (measuring the starting temperature encompasses the turn-on and turn-off time, S3; figure 7, [0072,0082]).
Regarding claim 8, OTSUKA teaches a fixing device (figure 2) capable of being incorporated in an image forming apparatus (figure 1), the fixing device comprising: a fixing belt 405 that fixes an image to a medium by causing the medium to be heated; a pressure roller that applies a pressure to the medium; and a controller 500 that controls the fixing device, wherein the fixing belt nips the medium, together with the pressure roller, and causes the medium to be heated at a nip position NP where the medium is nipped, and the controller estimates a temperature of the fixing belt at the nip position or in a vicinity of the nip position, from an operation history of the fixing device, and determines one or more parameters of a warm-up operation for heating the fixing belt, based on the temperature of the fixing belt at the nip position or in the vicinity of the nip position (figures 1-2, 7-8; [0072, 0081-0082, 0107]).
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. ISHII et al. (US 2013/0251390 A1) teaches specifically performing a process that reduces belt creep, and regarding claim 1, an image forming apparatus comprising: a fixing section that fixes toner to a medium; and a controller that controls the fixing section, wherein the fixing section includes a pressure roller and a fixing belt, the fixing belt nips the medium, together with the pressure roller, and causes the medium to be heated at a nip position where the medium is nipped, and the controller determines one or more parameters of a warm-up operation for heating the fixing belt, based on the temperature of the fixing belt at the nip position or in the vicinity of the nip position.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUANA GRAINGER whose telephone number is (571)272-2135. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Walter Lindsay can be reached on 571-272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/QUANA GRAINGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
QG