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
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 10-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kubo et al (U.S. Pub. 2013/0257972)
Regarding claims 1, 13, 20-21, a printing apparatus comprising: a control unit (CPU 320) to control the printing apparatus (Figure 2; Paragraph 0020)
An output unit (305, 313) to output at least one clock signal by oscillating with supplied power (Paragraphs 0022, 0028-0029; Figure 2)
At least one first time measurement (314) configured to measure time in response to an input of the at least one clock signal (Paragraphs 0022-0023)
A power supply unit configured to stop power supply to the control unit and continue power supply to the output unit and the at least one first time measurement unit, in a standby state of the printing apparatus (Paragraph 0034; second sleep mode)
A power saving control unit configured to output a signal to the power supply unit to cancel the standby state in a case in which an operation on an operation unit is detected in the standby state (Paragraphs 0034-0037)
Wherein when the standby state is cancelled and the printing apparatus is shifted to an operating state, the control unit executes predetermined processing if a time measurement value of ht eat least one firs time measurement unit exceeds a predetermined value (Paragraph 0037; power control module 317 which outputs boot-up signal BS to power unit 301)
When the printing apparatus shifts to the standby state, the control unit resets the time measurement value of the at least one first time measurement unit (Paragraphs 0046-0047; before transitioning to the second sleep mode, the CPU 320 will select and store next apparatus information detection time [earliest time among candidate times] in the resister of the counter 314, therefore a reset of the time measurement value will be done. The counter will then count on the basis of the information detection time during the second sleep mode, when the set detection time is reached a counter flag is stored and the apparatus is returned to the normal mode in order to execute the appropriate process, for example periodic maintenance)
Regarding claims 2, 14, the control unit further includes a second time measurement unit configured to measuring time (various apparats information detection times in the register of the counter may be used, ink temperature detection time, periodic maintenance time, mis-mounting setting time and jam detection time include some of the plurality of times used)
When the printing apparatus shifts to standby state, the control unit acquires a time measurement value of the second time measurement unit, stores the acquired time measurement value in a nonvolatile memory, and rests the time measurement value of the at least one first time measurement unit, and when the printing apparatus shifted from the standby state to the operating state, the control unit executes the predetermined processing if a sum of the time measurement value stored in the nonvolatile memory and the time measurement value of the at least one first time measurement unit exceeds a predetermined value (Paragraphs 0046-0047, 0081)
Regarding claim 3, when the printing apparatus shifts to the standby state, the control unit sets an upper limit value based on the time measurement value stored in the non-volatile memory and the predetermined value, in the at least one first time measurement unit; and when the printing apparatus is shifted from the standby state to the operating state, the control unit determines whether or not the sum exceeds the predetermined value based on whether or not the time measurement value of the at least one first time measurement unit has reached the upper limit value (Paragraphs 0024-0025, 0044-0047, 0081; the end of the detection time will be the upper limit value)
Regarding claims 4, 15, the upper limit value is obtained by subtracting the time measurement value stored in the nonvolatile memory from the predetermined value (the difference between the elapsed time and the set time amount will be determined in order to determine if it has reached the detection time stored in the counter; Paragraphs 0024-0025, 0044-0047, 0081)
Regarding claim 5, when the time measurement value of the at least one first time measurement unit reaches the upper limit value, the at least one first time measurement unit stops a time measurement operation while holding the time measurement value (Paragraphs 0024-0025, 0044-0047, 0081; before transitioning to the second sleep mode, the CPU 320 will select and store next apparatus information detection time [earliest time among candidate times] in the resister of the counter 314, therefore a reset of the time measurement value will be done. The counter will then count on the basis of the information detection time during the second sleep mode, when the set detection time is reached a counter flag is stored and the apparatus is returned to the normal mode in order to execute the appropriate process, for example periodic maintenance)
Regarding claims 6, 16, the output unit includes: an oscillation circuit configured to oscillate with supplied power; a frequency dividing circuit configured to perform frequency division on a clock signal output by the oscillation circuit and output the resulting signal as first and second clock signals of different frequencies
Regarding claim 10, the predetermined processing is cleaning of a printing head (periodic maintenance; Paragraphs 0015, 0040-0047)
Regarding claim 17, the predetermined processing is processing for notifying a server of an operating status of the printing apparatus or a remaining amount of a consumable (Paragraphs 0052-0054
Regarding claims 11, 18, the second time measurement unit is implemented by a timer function of a CPU of the control unit (Paragraphs 0021-0023, 0046-0047)
Regarding claims 12, 19, the second time measurement unit is implemented by time measurement of software executed by a CPU of the control unit (Paragraphs 0021-0023, 0046-0047; CPU performs by using software-based control; Paragraph 0036)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 6-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kubo et al (U.S. Pub. 2013/0257972) in view of Usuda (U.S. Pub. 2004/0017411)
Regarding claim 6, Usuda discloses an oscillation circuit configured to oscillate with supplied power and a frequency dividing circuit configured to perform frequency division on a clock signal output by the oscillation circuit and output the resulting signals as first and second clock signals of different frequencies (Paragraphs 0090, 0096)
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Usuda into the device of Kubo, for the purpose of controlling the waveform of the drive signal of the printing apparatus
Regarding claims 7-8, Kubo discloses a plurality of stored time measurements including ink temperature detection time, periodic maintenance time [which would include preliminary ejection and time since last printing operation/idle time], I/F connection change time, mis-mounting setting time [cartridges], and jam detection time (Paragraphs 0046-0047)
Regarding claim 9, Usuda discloses a frequency of the first clock signal is higher than a frequency of the second clock signal (Paragraphs 0090, 0096)
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Usuda into the device of Kubo, for the purpose of controlling the waveform of the drive signal of the printing apparatus
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON S UHLENHAKE whose telephone number is (571)272-5916. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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/JASON S UHLENHAKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 July 21, 2026
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