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 .
Claims 1 – 20 are pending in this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 03/12/2025 was filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Applicants have not provided an explanation of relevance of cited document(s) discussed below.
Heng (U.S Patent No. 9248640 B2) provides a system, method, article for determining registration and/or skew errors in a print medium with respect to a printing element includes a print medium including a two-dimensional pattern including a grid within a geometric shape. The grid has a plurality of vertical and horizontal lines, the intersection of each forming a cross-hair defining an X-Y positional data point; the collection of data points defining a data set. The geometric shape is in the form of a two-dimensional target having a plurality of concentric rings; an innermost one enclosing at least one of the X-Y positional data points in the data set. The printing element provides a marker onto the print medium. The positional location of the marker with respect to the one of the at least one enclosed X-Y positional data point defines a directional displacement vector for correcting registration and/or skew error between the print medium and the printing element.
MacCormark et al. (U.S Patent No. 10751939 B2) teaches a desktop printing apparatus (100) for 3-D printing an object comprising: a print module (200) and a build module (300) provided in-line in a unitary housing. The print module comprises one or more print heads (230, 230′) for printing a portion of a medium (500) to define a media layer (701) of the object. The build module a build plate (310), and cutting means (321), bonding means and adhesive dispensing means (320) for building the 3D object from a plurality of media layers. The apparatus further comprises a medium transport passage defined in the housing between a medium input and medium output, and a transport means (160) to continuously transport the medium from the medium input along the medium transport passage through the print module for printing and subsequently to the build module for profiling and bonding to define a media layer of the object.
Kuo et al. (U.S Patent No. 11106954 B2) provide a method for correcting in-track position errors in a digital printing system having a linear printhead includes printing a test target including a plurality of alignment marks. A data processing system is used to automatically analyze a captured image of the printed test target to determine a measured in-track position for each of the alignment marks. The measured in-track positions for the alignment marks are compared to reference positions to determine measured in-track position errors. An in-track position correction function is determined responsive to the measured in-track position errors, wherein the in-track position correction function specifies in-track position corrections to be applied as a function of cross-track position. A corrected digital image is determined by resampling an input digital image responsive to the in-track position correction function.
Mizes et al. (U.S Patent No. 8292398 B2) teaches a method enables a controller to align printheads in a printer. The method includes identifying a first cross-process position for each printhead in a plurality of printheads in a printer with reference to image data of a test pattern printed by the plurality of printheads on a media substrate, identifying a second cross-process position for each printhead in the plurality of printheads, calculating a printhead cross-process position error between the identified first cross-process position and the identified second cross-process position for each printhead, comparing a maximum printhead cross-process position error to a predetermined threshold, and operating a plurality of actuators with reference to the calculated printhead cross-process position errors to reposition the printheads in the plurality of printheads in response to the maximum printhead cross-process position error being equal to or less than the predetermined threshold.
Muir et al. (U.S PreGrant Publication No. 2014/0002529 A1) teaches a printing system includes a linehead that jets ink onto a surface of the print media, an imaging system that captures images of the surface of the print media, and one or more linehead skew adjustment mechanisms adapted to adjust the skew of the linehead. A method for correcting for skew in a print media in the printing system includes capturing images of one or more test marks printed or formed on the print media and analyzing the images to determine whether the print media is skewed with respect to a transport direction of the print media. If the print media is skewed, one or more linehead skew adjustment values is determined to adjust a skew of the linehead. The skew of the linehead is adjusted based on the one or more linehead skew adjustment values.
Gim et al. (U.S PreGrant Publication No. 2024/0109334 A1) teaches the physical components (e.g., print heads including pel forming elements, etc.) of the instant application, wherein discloses a printing system including at least one physical memory device to store defective print element determination logic and one or more processors coupled with the at least one physical memory device to execute the defective print element determination logic to receive a print image comprising evaluation marks and locator marks applied to a print medium by a plurality of pel forming elements according to print instructions and identify pel forming elements associated with print defect pels in the print image among the plurality of pel forming elements based on the evaluation marks, the locator marks and the print instructions.
Hewlett Packard (EP 1413444 A1) provides a sensor is transversed along the array of markings printed on the print media. The peak values of the detected signals are identified as data co-ordinates, based on which skew angle between data coordinates and reference data is obtained. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) printer; and (2) data storage media storing print media skew angle determination program.
Hewlett Packard (EP 1176802 B1) suggests an optical sensor (80) for detecting the position of marks on a medium (84), wherein relative motion is provided between the optical sensor and the medium during an optical sensing operation. The optical sensor produces an electrical sensor signal (86A), and has a field of view at the media in a direction of the relative movement. The marks have a nominal dimension in the direction of the relative movement, and the field of view is larger than the nominal dimension. This produces a sensor signal with a clear and relatively sharp peak in response to scanning the media mark. A method of sensing locations of marks printed by ink-jet nozzles of a plurality of printheads mounted on a scanning carriage, which includes printing an alignment pattern (150) on a print medium, the alignment pattern comprising a set of target or reference marks printed using a subset of the nozzles on each of the plurality of printheads, and a set of color marks (170) printed using a subset of the nozzles from only one of the printheads.
Samsung (EP 1447226) teaches a print alignment error between a first printhead (21) of a first ink cartridge (20) and a second printhead (31) of a second ink cartridge (30) installed in an inkjet printer is calibrated by printing preset test patterns on a paper according to an input correction signal using the first and second printheads, scanning the printed test patterns, measuring positions of a starting point and an end point of each of the scanned test patterns, calculating a horizontal print alignment error between the first and second printheads from the starting points, calculating a vertical print alignment error between the first and second printheads from the starting points and the end points, and calibrating the calculated horizontal and vertical print alignment errors.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the claims at issue are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP §§ 706.02(l)(1) - 706.02(l)(3) for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/forms/. The filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to
http://www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.1470575
Claims 1, 2, 11 – 13, 17 and 18 of instant application are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over claims, respectively (Co-Pending Application No. 19/078,003 A1 taking in consideration claims 7 an 8 of instant application to be an “extra claim” since the co-pending claim 1 has the limitations of claims 7 and 8). This is a provisional double patenting rejection because the patentably indistinct claims have not in fact been patented.
Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because: The subject matter claimed in the instant application is fully disclosed in the co-pending application and is covered by the co-pending application since the co-pending application and the application are claiming common subject matter, as follows:
It is clear that all the elements of the instant application claims 1, 2, (7 and 8), 11 – 13, 17 and 18 are to be found in co-pending application claims 1, 2, 1*, 11, 12, 13, 17 and 18 (as the application claims 1, 2, 7, 8, 11 – 13, 17 and 18 fully encompasses co-pending application claims 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 17 and 18).
The difference between the instant application claims 1, 2, 7, 8, 11 – 13, 17 and 18 and the co-pending application claims 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 17 and 18 lies in the fact that the co-pending application claims include many more elements (e.g., a printhead, etc.) and is thus more specific and the instant application claims is broader since it is not claiming the printhead in the claim 1, but in in claims 7 and 8. Same issue, but backward, for the element (e.g., sketch error, etc.) and is thus more specific than the position error.
Thus the invention of claims 1, 2, 11 – 13, 17 and 18 of the instant application is in effect a “species” of the “generic” invention of the co-pending application claims 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 17, and 18.
It has been held that the generic invention is “anticipated” by the “species”. See In re Goodman, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Since instant application claims 1, 2, 11 – 13, 17 and 18 are anticipated by claims 1, 2, 11 – 13, 17 and 18 of the co-pending application, it is not patentably distinct from claims 1, 2, 11 – 13, 17 and 18 the co-pending application.
Below is a side-by-side comparison (bolded where significant different, and underlined where limitation is mentioned somewhere):
Instant Application 19/077,865
Co-Pending Application 19/078,003
Claim 1
A system comprising at least one physical memory device to store print element pose correction logic; and one or more processors coupled with the at least one physical memory device to execute the print element pose correction logic to:
receive a print image comprising a plurality of locator marks applied to a print medium by one or more pel forming assemblies comprising a plurality of pel forming elements;
analyze the plurality of locator marks to determine a skew error of the one of more pel forming assemblies based on the plurality of locator marks; and
generate a skew error compensation value to minimize the skew error,
wherein the skew error compensation value comprises a compensation amount to be applied to the one or more pel forming element assemblies to compensate for the skew error.
Claim 1
A system comprising at least one physical memory device to store print element pose correction logic; and one or more processors coupled with the at least one physical memory device to execute the print element pose correction logic to:
receive a print image comprising a plurality of locator marks applied to a print medium by a plurality of pel forming elements and a plurality of printheads comprising a printhead array;
analyze the plurality of locator marks to determine a position error of the plurality of locator marks based on the received print image; and
generate a position error compensation value to minimize the position error,
wherein the position error compensation value comprises a compensation amount to be applied to the one or more of the plurality of printheads to compensate for the position error.
Claim 2
The system of claim 1, wherein determining the skew error comprises determining positions for each of the plurality of locator marks.
Claim 2
The system of claim 1, wherein determining the position error comprises determining positions for each of the plurality of locator marks.
Claim 3
The system of claim 2, wherein determining the skew error further comprises: fitting a line through two or more locator marks; and computing average slope values.
Claim limitations are not similar and not claimed in the co-pending application, however the claimed limitations of the instant application are shown in ¶0054 and ¶0058 - ¶0062 of Co-Pending application’s Specification.
Claim 4
The system of claim 3, wherein the average slope values comprise an average of slopes of the fitted lines.
Claim 5
The system of claim 3, wherein the fitted line is fit through center positions of the two or more locator marks.
Claim 6
The system of claim 5, wherein determining the skew error further comprises computing a skew error based on the average slope.
Claim 7
The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more pel forming assemblies comprise one or more printhead arrays and the skew error comprises a distance deviation between a center of a first printhead and a center of a second printhead.
The one or more pel forming assemblies comprise one or more printhead arrays comprising a plurality of printheads are found in claim 1 of co-pending application; the rest of the claim limitations are not similar and not claimed in the co-pending application, however the rest of the claimed limitations of the instant application are shown in ¶0054 and ¶0058 - ¶0062 of Co-Pending application’s Specification.
Claim 8
The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more pel forming assemblies comprise a plurality of printheads and the skew error comprises a difference between the off-center deviation of one of the plurality of printheads to the off-center deviation of another one of the plurality of printheads.
Claim 9
The system of claim 3, wherein determining the skew error further comprises converting the average slope to an angle.
Claim limitations are not similar and not claimed in the co-pending application, however the claimed limitations of the instant application are shown in ¶0054 and ¶0058 - ¶0062 of Co-Pending application’s Specification.
Claim 10
The system of claim 9, wherein determining the skew error further comprises computing a crosshair deviation as a skew error based on the angle.
Claim 11
The system of claim 1, further comprising a printer to apply the plurality of locator marks to the print medium.
Claim 11
The system of claim 1, further comprising a printer to apply the plurality of locator marks to the print medium.
Claim 12
A method comprising:
receiving a print image comprising a plurality of locator marks applied to a print medium by one or more pel forming assemblies comprising a plurality of pel forming elements;
analyzing the plurality of locator marks to determine a skew error of the one of more pel forming assemblies based on the plurality of locator marks; and
generating a skew error compensation value to minimize the skew error,
wherein the skew error compensation value comprises a compensation amount to be applied to the one or more pel forming element assemblies to compensate for the skew error.
Claim 12
A method comprising:
receiving a print image comprising a plurality of locator marks applied to a print medium by a plurality of pel forming elements and a plurality of printheads comprising a printhead array;
analyzing the plurality of locator marks to determine a position error of the plurality of locator marks based on the received print image; and
generating a position error compensation value to minimize the position error,
wherein the position error compensation value comprises a compensation amount to be applied to the one or more of the plurality of printheads to compensate for the position error.
Claim 13
The method of claim 12, wherein determining the skew error comprises determining positions for each of the plurality of locator marks.
Claim 13
The method of claim 12, wherein determining the position error comprises determining positions for each of the plurality of locator marks.
Claim 14
The method of claim 13, wherein determining the skew error further comprises: fitting a line through two or more locator marks; and computing average slope values.
Claim limitations are not similar and not claimed in the co-pending application, however the claimed limitations of the instant application are shown in ¶0054 and ¶0058 - ¶0062 of Co-Pending application’s Specification.
Claim 15
The method of claim 14, wherein the average slope values comprise an average of slopes of the fitted lines.
Claim 16
The method of claim 14, wherein the fitted line is fit through center positions of the two or more locator marks.
Claim 17
At least one computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to:
receive a print image comprising a plurality of locator marks applied to a print medium by one or more pel forming assemblies comprising a plurality of pel forming elements;
analyze the plurality of locator marks to determine a skew error of the one of more pel forming assemblies based on the plurality of locator marks; and
generate a skew error compensation value to minimize the skew error,
wherein the skew error compensation value comprises a compensation amount to be applied to the one or more pel forming element assemblies to compensate for the skew error.
Claim 17
At least one computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to:
receive a print image comprising a plurality of locator marks applied to a print medium by a plurality of pel forming elements and a plurality of printheads comprising a printhead array;
analyze the plurality of locator marks to determine a position error of the plurality of locator marks based on the received print image; and
generate a position error compensation value to minimize the position error,
wherein the position error compensation value comprises a compensation amount to be applied to the one or more of the plurality of printheads to compensate for the position error.
Claim 18
The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein determining the skew error comprises determining positions for each of the plurality of locator marks.
Claim 18
The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein determining the position error comprises determining positions for each of the plurality of locator marks.
Claim 19
The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein determining the skew error further comprises: fitting a line through two or more locator marks; and computing average slope values.
Claim limitations are not similar and not claimed in the co-pending application, however the claimed limitations of the instant application are shown in ¶0054 and ¶0058 - ¶0062 of Co-Pending application’s Specification.
Claim 20
The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the average slope values comprise an average of slopes of the fitted lines.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 - 10, 14 - 16 and 19 - 20 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 JUAN M GUILLERMETY whose telephone number is (571)270-3481. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00AM - 5:00PM.
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, Benny Q TIEU can be reached at 571-272-7490. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JUAN M GUILLERMETY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2682
Prosecution Insights