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 Interpretation
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
Drive circuit unit, signal generation unit, head control unit, detection unit, storage unit,
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim limitation “detection unit” invokes 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. However, the written description fails to disclose the corresponding structure, material, or acts for performing the entire claimed function and to clearly link the structure, material, or acts to the function. Therefore, the claim is indefinite and is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph.
Applicant may:
(a) Amend the claim so that the claim limitation will no longer be interpreted as a limitation under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph;
(b) Amend the written description of the specification such that it expressly recites what structure, material, or acts perform the entire claimed function, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)); or
(c) Amend the written description of the specification such that it clearly links the structure, material, or acts disclosed therein to the function recited in the claim, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)).
If applicant is of the opinion that the written description of the specification already implicitly or inherently discloses the corresponding structure, material, or acts and clearly links them to the function so that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize what structure, material, or acts perform the claimed function, applicant should clarify the record by either:
(a) Amending the written description of the specification such that it expressly recites the corresponding structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function and clearly links or associates the structure, material, or acts to the claimed function, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)); or
(b) Stating on the record what the corresponding structure, material, or acts, which are implicitly or inherently set forth in the written description of the specification, perform the claimed function. For more information, see 37 CFR 1.75(d) and MPEP §§ 608.01(o) and 2181.
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.
Claim(s) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamato et al. (U.S. 8,864,276 B2).
Yamato et al. discloses:
A liquid jet head (fig. 12) comprising:
a jet section (102) including a single nozzle or a plurality of nozzles configured to jet a liquid; and
a single drive circuit unit or a plurality of drive circuit units configured to generate a drive signal for jetting the liquid from the nozzle (column 7, lines 33-47, here the first embodiment is described, while the third embodiment of fig. 12 includes the structure of the first embodiment, column 10, lines 34-39) based on input data supplied from an external head control unit (fig. 3, 1705), and output the drive signal to the jet section, wherein
the drive circuit unit includes
a signal generation unit configured to generate the drive signal based on the input data (column 7, lines 33-47),
a detection unit (fig. 11, 201) configured to detect presence or absence of an occurrence of an abnormal state related to generation of the drive signal, and
a storage unit (221) configured to store information representing the abnormal state when the occurrence of the abnormal state is detected by the detection unit.
2. The liquid jet head according to claim 1, wherein the information representing the abnormal state stored in the storage unit is configured to be read out by the head control unit (output via 223 to apparatus main body, column 9, lines 56-64).
3. The liquid jet head according to claim 1, wherein the drive circuit unit further includes a notification unit configured to give a predetermined notification, and the notification unit is configured to notify the head control unit of the information representing the abnormal state stored in the storage unit (column 9, lines 56-64).
4. The liquid jet head according to claim 1, wherein the abnormal state is a state in which the input data is received from the head control unit in a generation period of the drive signal (column 10, lines 34-64, fig. 10).
5. The liquid jet head according to claim 4, wherein when the occurrence of the state in which the input data is received from the head control unit in the generation period of the drive signal is detected by the detection unit, the signal generation unit performs generation of a subsequent drive signal based on the input data received in the generation period of the drive signal after the generation period of the present drive signal ends (column 9, lines 56-64).
6. The liquid jet head according to claim 5, wherein the drive circuit unit further includes a notification unit configured to give a predetermined notification, and
when the generation of the subsequent drive signal is performed based on the input data received in the generation period of the present drive signal, the notification unit gives, to the head control unit, a notification that the generation of the subsequent drive signal is performed based on the input data received in the generation period of the present drive signal (column 9, lines 56-64).
7. The liquid jet head according to claim 5, wherein when the generation of the subsequent drive signal is performed in the signal generation unit based on the input data received in the generation period of the present drive signal, information of an error state representing that the generation of the subsequent drive signal is performed based on the input data received in the generation period of the present drive signal is configured to be read out by the head control unit (column 9, lines 56-64).
8. A liquid jet recording apparatus comprising:
the liquid jet head according to claim 1; and the head control unit (fig. 1).
9. The liquid jet recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein when the head control unit acquires the information representing the abnormal state stored in the storage unit, the head control unit executes predetermined recovery processing for recovering from the abnormal state (column 9, lines 56-64).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Julian D Huffman whose telephone number is (571)272-2147. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 9am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Group Director Andrea Wellington can be reached at (571)272-4483. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JULIAN D. HUFFMAN
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2859
/JULIAN D HUFFMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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