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). The certified copy has been received.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statements (IDS’s) submitted on 27 January 2025 and 17 July 2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the Information Disclosure Statements have been considered by the Examiner.
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 –
(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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by MOTEGI (US 2023/0241886 A1).
As related to independent claim 1, MOTEGI teaches an image forming apparatus (MOTEGI – Figure 1, Reference #1, shown below), comprising: an inkjet recording unit configured to eject ink to a sheet using arranged plural nozzles and perform printing (MOTEGI – Page 2, Paragraphs 30-31; Page 3, Paragraph 38-39; and Figure 2, Reference #220, shown below); a sheet transportation unit configured to transport the sheet (MOTEGI – Figure 1, shown below); a line sensor configured to scan a test pattern image printed on the sheet using the plural nozzles and generate a test pattern scanned image (MOTEGI – Page 3, Paragraphs 40-44 and Figures 2-3, Reference #10, shown below); and an ejection malfunction determination unit configured to determine whether each nozzle among the plural nozzles is an ejection malfunction nozzle or not on the basis of a density distribution of the test pattern scanned image corresponding to this nozzle (MOTEGI – Page 3, Paragraphs 42-43 and Figures 7A-7B, shown below); wherein the test pattern image includes a synchronization mark formed by a predetermined reference position nozzle among the plural nozzles (MOTEGI – Page 4, Paragraphs 55-56 and Figures 8-9, Reference #32, shown below); the line sensor comprises plural sensor units (MOTEGI – Page 3, Paragraphs 40-41 and Figure 3, shown below); the plural sensor units partially scan the test pattern image respectively as the test pattern scanned image, and generate plural partial test pattern scanned images, respectively (MOTEGI – Page 3, Paragraphs 40-41 and Figure 3, shown below); scanning areas of the plural sensor units have an overlapping section in a perpendicular direction to a transportation direction of the sheet (MOTEGI – Page 3, Paragraphs 40-41 and Figure 3, shown below); the synchronization mark is formed such that the synchronization mark passes through the overlapping section (MOTEGI – Page 4, Paragraphs 55-56); and the ejection malfunction determination unit (a) determines positions corresponding to a part of the plural nozzles in the partial test pattern scanned image on the basis of a position of the synchronization mark in the partial test pattern scanned image (MOTEGI – Page 4, Paragraphs 55-56 and Figures 8-9, Reference #32, shown below), and (b) determines whether a nozzle corresponding to the determined position is an ejection malfunction nozzle or not on the basis of a density at the determined position (MOTEGI – Page 4, Paragraphs 54-56 and Figures 8-9, Reference #32, shown below).
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As related to dependent claim 2, MOTEGI continues to teach a width of the overlapping section is wider than a maximum value of a positional deviation in a perpendicular direction to a transportation direction of the sheet (MOTEGI – Figures 3 & 8, both shown above).
As related to dependent claim 3, MOTEGI continues to teach the test pattern image includes a thin line formed by a nozzle other than an ejection malfunction nozzle among the plural nozzles (MOTEGI – Page 4, Paragraphs 54-56 and Figures 8-9, shown above); the plural partial test pattern scanned images are generated with an origin such that the origin is located at an end part corresponding to the overlapping section in a primary scanning direction; and the ejection malfunction determination unit searches for the synchronization mark and the thin line along the primary scanning direction from the origin, in each of the plural partial test pattern scanned images. (MOTEGI – Page 4, Paragraphs 54-56; Page 5, Paragraphs 58-61; and Figures 8-9, shown above).
As related to dependent claim 4, MOTEGI continues to teach a color adjustment unit configured to perform color adjustment of the line sensor; wherein the sheet transportation unit transports a color adjustment chart (MOTEGI – Figure 5, shown below); the color adjustment unit performs the color adjustment on the basis of a scanned image of the color adjustment chart, the scanned image generated by the line sensor; the plural sensor units partially scan the color adjustment chart respectively and generate plural partial color adjustment chart scanned images, respectively; the plural partial color adjustment chart scanned images are generated with an origin such that the origin is located at an end part corresponding to the overlapping section in a primary scanning direction; and the color adjustment unit individually performs color adjustment of the plural sensor units along the primary scanning direction from the origin toward another end of the partial color adjustment chart scanned image, in each of the partial color adjustment chart scanned images (MOTEGI – Page 3, Paragraph 45 - Page 4, Paragraph 48; and Figure 5, shown below).
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Zimmerman (US 8,363,261 B1) teaches an image forming apparatus which prints a test pattern and then scans it to locate nozzle errors. YAMAGISHI et al. (US 2021/0016564 A1) teaches an image forming apparatus which prints a test pattern and then scans it to detect an ejection disabled nozzle. Misaizu (US 2022/0324224 A1) teaches an image forming apparatus which prints a test pattern and then scans it to determine a misaligned ejection. Ramesh et al. (US 2024/0001669 A1) teaches an image forming apparatus which prints a test pattern and then scans it with an optical system to analyze it.
Examiner's Note: Examiner has cited particular Figures & Reference Numbers, Columns, Paragraphs and Line Numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to JOHN P ZIMMERMANN whose telephone number is (571)270-3049. The Examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 0700-1730 EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s supervisor, Ricardo Magallanes can be reached at (571) 272-5960. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/John P Zimmermann/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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