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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Paragraph [0042] refers to Figures 3A & 3B, however, in the drawings there are Figures 3, 4A, and 4B. Figures 3A & 3B do not exist in the current drawings.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 –
Claim(s) 1, 10-11, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ramesh et al. (2024/0001669) (hereinafter Ramesh et al.).
Regarding Claim 1, Ramesh et al. teaches an ink-jet printer (10, Fig. 1A) [Paragraphs 0041-0048], comprising: at least one print head (34A, 34B, 34C, and 34D, Fig. 1A) comprising one or more nozzles (not shown in Figures) [Paragraph 0034]; and at least one controller (80, Fig. 1A) operatively connected to the least one print head (34A, 34B, 34C, and 34D), wherein the controller (80) comprises at least one processor (not shown in Figures) and at least one memory (not shown in Figures) communicatively coupled to the processor (not shown in Figures), the memory (not shown in Figures) storing non-transitory instructions which, when executed by the processor (not shown in Figures) [Paragraphs 0046-0047], perform operations comprising: generating a print performance prediction for the ink-jet printer (10) by producing one or more nozzle failure rate estimates at one or more selected time points based at least in part on a current missing nozzle list for the print head (34A, 34B, 34C, and 34D) [Paragraphs 0027-0028].
Regarding Claim 10, Ramesh et al. teaches the ink-jet printer (10), wherein the non-transitory instructions which, when executed by the processor (not shown in Figures), further perform operations comprising: receiving as user selected input one of at least three image quality modes prior to or when generating the print performance prediction for the ink-jet printer (10), wherein the image quality modes comprise a high quality mode, a medium quality mode, and a basic quality mode, wherein the high quality mode produces images having a higher image quality, and at a potentially lower productivity rate, than images produced using the medium quality mode, and wherein the medium quality mode produces images having a higher image quality, and at a potentially lower productivity rate, than images produced using the basic quality mode [Paragraphs 0027-0028].
Regarding Claim 11, Ramesh et al. teaches a method of predicting print performance of an ink-jet printer (10), the method comprising producing at least one nozzle failure rate estimate for at least one print head (34A, 34B, 34C, and 34D) of the ink-jet printer (10) at one or more selected time points based at least in part on a current missing nozzle list for the print head (34A, 34B, 34C, and 34D), thereby predicting print performance of an ink-jet printer (10) [Paragraphs 0027-0028].
Regarding Claim 20, Ramesh et al. teaches the method, further comprising: receiving as user selected input one of at least three image quality modes prior to or when generating at least one print performance prediction for the ink-jet printer (10), wherein the image quality modes comprise a high quality mode, a medium quality mode, and a basic quality mode, wherein the high quality mode produces images having a higher image quality, and at a potentially lower productivity rate, than images produced using the medium quality mode, and wherein the medium quality mode produces images having a higher image quality, and at a potentially lower productivity rate, than images produced using the basic quality mode [Paragraphs 0027-0028].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-9 and 12-19 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: The primary reason for the allowance of claim(s) 2-3 is the inclusion of the limitation of an ink-jet printer that includes generating a print performance prediction for the ink-jet printer involves calculating a streak score on the basis of known number, and locations, of failing nozzles in a print head that correspond to a current missing nozzle list. It is this limitation found in the claims, as it is claimed in the combination, that has not been found, taught, or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of claims 4-9 is the inclusion of the limitation of an ink-jet printer that includes generating a print performance prediction for an ink-jet printer involves producing one or more nozzle failure rate estimates at one or more selective time points using at least a binomial distribution of nozzle failures on the basis of a known number, and locations, of failing nozzles in a print head. It is these limitations found in the claims, as it is claimed in the combination, that has not been found, taught, or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of claims 12-13 is the inclusion of the method of predicting print performance of an ink-jet printer that includes the method step of generating at least one print performance prediction for the ink-jet printer by calculating a streak score on the basis of known number, and locations, of failing nozzles in a print head that correspond to a current missing nozzle list. It is this step found in the claims, as it is claimed in the combination, that has not been found, taught, or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of claims 14-19 is the inclusion of the method of predicting print performance of an ink-jet printer that includes the method steps of producing at least one nozzle failure rate estimate at one or more selective time points using at least a binomial distribution of nozzle failures on the basis of a known number, and locations, of failing nozzles in a print head. It is these steps found in the claims, as it is claimed in the combination, that has not been found, taught, or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
Conclusion
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/LISA SOLOMON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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