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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/11/2025 is being 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, 2, 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakagawa et al. (US 2020/0108616).
Regarding claim 1, Nakagawa et al teaches a liquid ejection apparatus (figs.1-3) comprising:
a liquid ejection unit (8 figs.1-3) configured to eject liquid;
a liquid amount detection unit (202 in fig.2 counts waste ink amount; S101 fig.13) configured to detect, in a waste liquid container (20 figs.1,3) configured to contain liquid ejected by the liquid ejection unit as waste liquid, that a contained amount of waste liquid contained in the waste liquid container reaches a threshold (paragraphs 0087, 0091,0098,0106,0111); and
a control unit (controlling elements in 100,200,300 fig.2), the control unit being configured to execute:
calculation processing of calculating an evaporation amount of waste liquid when waste liquid contained in the waste liquid container evaporates from the waste liquid container provided with an atmosphere opening hole (figs.10-13,14,15; paragraphs 0086,0087,0094-0102,0105,0112); and
estimation processing of estimating a contained amount of waste liquid contained in the waste liquid container, based on an additional amount of waste liquid when liquid ejected by the liquid ejection unit is added to the waste liquid container as waste liquid and a calculation result in the calculation processing (figs.13,16-19; paragraphs 0098-0100,0102,0106-0108,0111,0112,0121,0123).
Regarding claim 2, Nakagawa et al further teaches wherein the control unit executes notification processing of causing a notification unit to issue a notification related to a contained amount of waste liquid contained in the waste liquid container, based on an estimation result in the estimation processing (fig.16; paragraphs 0105,0106).
Regarding claim 7, Nakagawa et al further teaches wherein the control unit executes the notification processing of causing the notification unit to issue an error notification related to waste liquid contained in the waste liquid container (20 figs.1,3), based on a detection result by the liquid amount detection unit and an estimation result in the estimation processing (fig.16; paragraphs 0105,0106).
Regarding claim 8, Nakagawa et al further teaches wherein the waste liquid container (20 figs.1,3) is replaceable (paragraphs 0035,0092,0106).
Regarding claim 9, Nakagawa et al further teaches comprising the waste liquid container (20 figs.1,3) configured to contain liquid ejected by the liquid ejection unit (8) as waste liquid, wherein
the waste liquid container (20) includes the atmosphere opening hole configured to evaporate waste liquid contained in the waste liquid container therethrough (evaporation opening including 21 figs.10,11; paragraphs 0086).
Regarding claim 10, Nakagawa et al further teaches a control method for a liquid ejection apparatus (figs.1-3) configured to perform control related to a contained amount of waste liquid that is liquid ejected by a liquid ejection unit (8 figs.1-3) and contained in a waste liquid container (20 figs.1-3) as waste liquid, the control method comprising executing:
determination processing of determining that a contained amount of waste liquid contained in the waste liquid container (20 figs.1-3) reaches a threshold, based on a detection result by a liquid amount detection unit (202 in fig.2; S101 fig.13; paragraphs 0087, 0091,0098,0106,0111);
calculation processing of calculating an evaporation amount of waste liquid when waste liquid contained in the waste liquid container evaporates from the waste liquid container provided with an atmosphere opening hole (figs.10-13,14,15; paragraphs 0086,0087,0094-0102,0105,0112); and
estimation processing of estimating a contained amount of waste liquid contained in the waste liquid container, based on an additional amount of waste liquid when liquid ejected by the liquid ejection unit is added to the waste liquid container as waste liquid and a calculation result in the calculation processing (figs.13,16-19; paragraphs 0098-0100,0102,0106-0108,0111,0112,0121,0123).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HENOK D LEGESSE whose telephone number is (571)270-1615. The examiner can normally be reached General Schedule 9:00 am- 5:00 pm, IFP.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached at (571)431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HENOK D LEGESSE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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