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
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 1-8 and 10-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Arai (US PG Pub 2017/0308014).
For claim 1: Arai teaches an image forming apparatus 20 (see paragraph 46, Fig. 1, Fig. 5) comprising: an input unit 25 configured to accept a selection of a first mode for forming a toner image for adhering foil onto a sheet via the toner image (see Fig. 5, section A, select a mode of foil pressing or no foil pressing) and an input of information relating to post-processing (see Fig. 5, section C, see paragraph 85, enabling or disabling data analysis function during the post processing which is foil pressing); an image forming unit 27 configured to form the toner image on the sheet (see paragraph 54); and a display unit 25 configured to display a warning according to the information relating to the post-processing, when the first mode is selected by the input unit (see paragraph 107, see Fig. 4, step 111 issuing warning, see Fig. 6, warning issued on display).
For claim 2: Arai teaches the image forming apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the post-processing subject to the warning includes post-processing that inhibits adhesion of the foil to the sheet by a foil printing apparatus 33 (see paragraph 98-100, the amount of glue toner in the image data, the insufficiency of which would inhibit adhesion of the foil to the sheet in the foil printing apparatus 33, see paragraphs 11-14).
For claim 3: Arai teaches the image forming apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the post-processing subjected to the warning includes stapling, bookbinding, or folding (see paragraph 64, the post-processing subject to the warning includes stapling by stapling unit 44).
For claim 4: Arai teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input unit is further configured to accepts a selection of one of the first mode (see Fig. 5, Box A, foil pressing operation ON) and a second mode for forming a toner image that is not used as an adhesive of the foil (see Fig. 5, Box A, foil pressing operation OFF, see paragraph 25, foil press printing in a first mode, normal mode in a second mode), and the image forming apparatus is further configured to: restrict application of the post-processing subjected to the warning by the post-processing apparatus to the sheet, when the first mode is selected (see paragraph 13, interrupt the printing when in a foil pressing mode when the amount of toner is below a certain amount), and allow application of the post-processing by the post-processing apparatus to the sheet, when the second mode is selected (see paragraph 17, interruption only during foil pressing printing mode).
For claim 5: Arai teaches the image forming apparatus according to Claim 4, further comprising a control unit configured to restrict application of post-processing subjected to the warning by the post-processing apparatus to the sheet by restricting selection of the post-processing subject to the warning by an operator (see paragraph 13-17, see Fig. 8, issue warning S121, interrupt image forming S123).
For claim 6: Arai teaches the image forming apparatus according to Claim 1, further comprising a control unit configured to disables application of the post-processing subjected to the warning, when formation of the toner image as an adhesive on the sheet and the application of the post-processing subjected to the warning are selected (see paragraph 13-17, see Fig. 8, issue warning S121, interrupt image forming S123).
For claim 7: Arai teaches the image forming apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein the control unit is further configured to activate application of the post-processing subjected to the warning upon completion of the formation of the toner image as the adhesive on the sheet (see Fig. 8, S122, override of the interruption warning).
For claims 8 and 14: Arai teaches an image forming apparatus 1, 20 and information processing apparatus 11 comprising: an input unit 25 configured to accept a selection of a first mode (see Fig. 5, foil processing operation “ON”) for forming a toner image for adhering foil onto a sheet via the toner image (see paragraph 47) and an input of information relating to post-processing (see Fig. 5, the foil adherence being a post-processing of the adhesive printing); an image forming unit 27 configured to form the toner image on the sheet 50; and a control unit 11 configured to control the input unit 25 such that first post-processing as post-processing can be selected by the input unit when the first mode is selected by the input unit (see Fig. 5, the pressing of “ON”), and a second post-processing different from the first post-processing cannot be selected (see Fig. 5, “OFF” cannot be selected if “ON” is selected in Box A).
For claim 10, 15 and 16: Arai teaches an image forming apparatus 1 and information processing apparatus 11 comprising: an input unit 25 configured to accept a selection of a first mode for forming a toner image for adhering foil onto a sheet via the toner image and an input of information relating to post-processing (see Fig. 5, selection of “ON” in Box A); an image forming unit 27 configured to form the toner image on the sheet 50; and a control unit configured to release a selection of a second post-processing different from the first post-processing (see Fig. 1, selection of the second mode by pressing the “OFF” option in Box A), and not to release the selection of the first post-processing as the post-processing selected by the input unit, when the first mode is selected by the input unit (see Fig. 5, the option “ON” cannot be selected further if it is already selected).
For claims 11-13: Arai teaches the image forming apparatus according each of claims 1, 8 and 10 comprising a foil printing unit 34 configured to adhere foil onto a sheet 50 via a toner image formed on the sheet by the image forming unit 27 (see paragraph 62).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Arai (US PG Pub 2017/0308014) in view of Takeshi (JP 2011-109402).
For claim 9: Arai teaches the image forming apparatus according to Claim 8, further comprising a display unit (see paragraph 52, operation panel as touch panel display which is an input and a display) configured to display a plurality of post-processing as an option (see Fig. 5, box A, at least ON and OFF which are two options). Arai does not teach that the control unit is further configured to: display the second post-processing so that the second post-processing cannot be selected, delete the second post-processing from the plurality of post-processing, or ignore a selection of the second post-processing from the plurality of post-processing displayed on the display unit, thereby the selection of the second post-processing by an operator is restricted. However, Takeshi teaches providing an operation panel wherein a second mode is displayed but cannot be selected (see Solution, lock mode). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to provide a lock mode as taught by Takeshi for the purpose of preventing an inadvertent change to the mode of the printer.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID H BANH whose telephone number is (571)270-3851. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 12-8PM.
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/DAVID H BANH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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