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 .
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.
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 7 and 8 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.
Claims 7 and 8 recite the limitation “the conveyance path”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims.
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.
Claims 1-4 and 6-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Zaima US 20120020680.
Regarding claim 1, Zaima discloses:
An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming unit (B) (FIG. 1) configured to form an image;
a sensor (103-105) (FIG. 1) configured to receive reflected light from a test image formed by the image forming unit and output a signal based on a result of receiving the reflected light from the test image [0031 and 0047];
an amplifier (202) (FIG. 2) configured to amplify the signal outputted from the sensor based on a gain [0032]; and
a controller configured to:
control the image forming unit to form a test image for a first density calibration, control the amplifier to amplify a first signal outputted by the sensor, the first signal based on a result of receiving a reflected light from the test image for the first density calibration, and perform the first density calibration based on the amplified first signal by the amplifier (using test prints on first printing medium X with first amplifier gain) [0047-61 and 0094]; and
control the image forming unit to form a test image for a second density calibration, control the amplifier to amplify a second signal outputted by the sensor, the second signal based on a result of receiving a reflected light from the test image for the second density calibration, and perform the second density calibration based on the amplified second signal by the amplifier (using test prints on second printing medium Z with second amplifier gain) [0064, 0065, and 0100],
wherein a gain of the second signal is higher than a gain of the first signal [0100] (when C(Z) of second printing medium is greater than one).
Regarding claim 2, Zaima discloses:
wherein the sensor further comprises a light emitting element (103) (FIG. 1) configured to illuminate the test image, and
an amount of the light that the light emitting element emits for illuminating the test image for the first density calibration is different from an amount of light that the light emitting element emits for illuminating the test image for the second density calibration [0104].
Regarding claim 3, Zaima discloses:
wherein the first density calibration is an adjustment of a tone characteristic of an image to be formed by the image forming unit [0059] (when forming patch groups 61 and 62) (FIG. 5B), and
the second density calibration is an adjustment of density unevenness of an image to be formed by the image forming unit [0048] (when forming patch groups 51 and 52) (FIG. 5A).
Regarding claim 4, Zaima discloses:
wherein the controller is further configured to determine first density information from the amplified first signal, and perform the first density calibration from the first density information (using test prints on first printing medium X with first amplifier gain) [0047-61 and 0094],
the controller is further configured to determine second density information from the amplified second signal, and perform the second density calibration from the second density information (using test prints on second printing medium Z with second amplifier gain) [0064, 0065, and 0100], and
a density range that can be outputted as the first density information is wider than a density range that can be outputted as the second density information [0067] (depending on difference between first and second printing mediums).
Regarding claim 6, Zaima discloses:
wherein the test image for the first density calibration has an image having a plurality of different tones [0059] (when forming patch groups 61 and 62) (FIG. 5B), and
the test image for the second density calibration is an image having a single tone [0048] (when forming patch group 51) (FIG. 5A).
Regarding claim 7, Zaima discloses:
a conveyance roller (FIG. 1) configured to convey a sheet to the conveyance path,
wherein the image forming unit is further configured to form the image on the sheet conveyed by the conveyance roller (FIG. 1), and
the second density calibration is a calibration for adjusting density unevenness in a direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction in which the conveyance roller conveys the sheet [0048] (when forming patch group 51) (FIG. 5A).
Regarding claim 8, Zaima discloses:
a conveyance roller (FIG. 1) configured to convey a sheet to the conveyance path,
wherein the image forming unit is further configured to form the image on the sheet conveyed by the conveyance roller (FIG. 1), and
the second density calibration is a calibration for adjusting density unevenness in a conveyance direction in which the conveyance roller conveys the sheet [0048] (when forming patch group 52) (FIG. 5A).
Regarding claim 9, Zaima discloses:
wherein a resolution of signal values as the second density information is higher than a resolution of signal values as the first density information [0059] (the resolution of signal values is higher when forming patch group 62) (FIG. 5B).
Regarding claim 10, Zaima discloses:
wherein the image forming unit includes an image processing unit (108) (FIG. 2) that converts an input image signal based on a tone correction condition, and forms the image based on the converted image signal [0036], and
the controller creates the tone correction condition based on the first density information in the first density calibration (using test prints on first printing medium X with first amplifier gain) [0047-61 and 0094].
Regarding claim 11, Zaima discloses:
wherein the image forming unit includes an image processing unit (108) (FIG. 2) that corrects an input image signal based on a correction value, and forms the image based on the corrected input image signal [0036], and
the controller creates the correction value based on the second density information in the second density calibration (using test prints on second printing medium Z with second amplifier gain) [0064, 0065, and 0100].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 is 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:
Regarding claim 5, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest the recited “the first determination condition is a density conversion table used to convert a digital signal of a predetermined number of bits to the first density information of a first density range, and the second determination condition is a density conversion table used to convert a digital signal of the predetermined number of bits into the second density information of a second density range narrower than the first density range” along with the remaining claim limitations.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS S GIAMPAOLO II whose telephone number is (571)272-6619. The examiner can normally be reached T-Th 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephanie Bloss can be reached at (571) 272-3555. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THOMAS S GIAMPAOLO II/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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