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.
(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, 7-9, 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kwon (KR20180128607)
Regarding claim 1, an ink jet head monitoring system (100) comprising: a head equipped with a plurality of nozzles (n) respectively including piezo actuators (111) and switching elements (independent voltages applied to nozzles; Paragraphs 0050, 0055)
A driver (131) configured to apply a specified voltage to the plurality of nozzles (Paragraphs 0043-0047)
A sensing circuit (160) configured to obtain a self-sensing signal from the piezo actuators (Paragraphs 0045-0048; 0055-0056)
Memory storing instructions (Paragraph 0055)
At least one processor (140) wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor individually or collectively, cause the ink jet head monitoring system to:
Output a jetting trigger to the driver to apply a voltage to the plurality of nozzles (n), obtain the self-sensing signal from the piezo actuators respectively included in the plurality of nozzles based on a specified scanning frequency through the sensing circuit (160) (Paragraphs 0040-0048, 0055, 0076-0083)
Extract data corresponding to at least one frequency through the obtained self-sensing signal; and monitoring a state of the plurality of nozzles, based on the extracted data corresponding to the at least one frequency [Kwon determines nozzle failure based on comparing reference signals measured under normal conditions with monitoring signals (self-sensing signals) and detecting change in the frequency of the reference signal and the self-sensing signal ] (Paragraphs 0084-0093)
Regarding claims 7, 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cancel driving noise obtained through the sensing circuit from the obtained self-sensing signal, while the plurality of nozzles are all turned off by applying the specified voltage to the plurality of nozzles (Paragraph 0144; digitally filtered in order to remove electrical noise)
Regarding claims 8, 16, wherein the plurality of nozzles (n) are divided into a nozzle row having nozzles, the plurality of nozzles arranged on the same line, and an electrically independent nozzle module including at least one nozzle row (Paragraphs 0049-0054)
Regarding claim 9, a method of monitoring an ink jet head, the method comprising: outputting a jetting trigger to a driver configured to apply a specified voltage to each of a plurality of nozzles respectively including piezo actuators and switching elements (independent voltages applied to nozzles; Paragraphs 0050, 0055) (Paragraphs 0040-0048, 0076-0083)
Obtaining a self-sensing signal from the piezo actuators included in the plurality of nozzles based on a specified scanning frequency through a sensing circuit (Paragraphs 0040-0048, 0055, 0076-0083)
Extracting data corresponding to at least one frequency through the obtained self-sensing signal
Monitoring a state of the plurality of nozzles, based on the extracted data corresponding to the at least one frequency [Kwon determines nozzle failure based on comparing reference signals measured under normal conditions with monitoring signals (self-sensing signals) and detecting change in the frequency of the reference signal and the self-sensing signal] (Paragraphs 0084-0093)
Regarding claim 17, one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing one or more computer programs including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause an ink jet head monitoring system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
Output a jetting trigger to a driver configured to apply a specified voltage to each of a plurality of nozzles respectively including piezo actuators and switching elements (Paragraphs 0040-0048, 0055, 0076-0083)
Obtain a self-sensing signal from the piezo actuators included in the plurality of nozzles based on a specified scanning frequency through a sensing circuit (Paragraphs 0040-0048, 0055, 0076-0083)
Extract data corresponding to at least one frequency through the obtained self-sensing signal
Monitor a state of the plurality of nozzles, based on the extracted data corresponding to at least one frequency [Kwon determines nozzle failure based on comparing reference signals measured under normal conditions with monitoring signals (self-sensing signals) and detecting change in the frequency of the reference signal and the self-sensing signal] (Paragraphs 0084-0093)
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) 2-6, 10-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwon (KR20180128607) in view of Wang (Sensors and Actuators A: Physical; Inkjet jet failures detection and droplets speed monitoring using piezo self-sensing) [Document provided by Applicant with IDS filed 4/16/2025]
Regarding claims 2, 10, Wang discloses extracting an amplitude or a phase of the self-sensing signal corresponding to the at least one frequency based on discrete fast Fourier transform analysis, as at least a part of extracting the data corresponding to the at least one frequency (Page 10; the phase shift of a frequency domain is analyzed using a fast Fourier transformation (FFT))
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 Wang into the device of Kwon, for the purpose of detecting jetting failures to ensure jetting reliability
Regarding claims 3, 11, Kwon determines nozzle failure based on comparing reference signals measured under normal conditions with monitoring signals (self-sensing signals) and detecting change in the frequency of the reference signal and the self-sensing signal or a chang e in the phase of the self-sensing signal with respect to the reference signal and comparing the self-sensing signal and the reference signal by overlapping/comparing the two signals (Paragraphs 0084-0093; 0141-0144)
Regarding claims 4, 12, Kwon determines nozzle failure based on comparing reference signals measured under normal conditions with monitoring signals (self-sensing signals) and detecting change in the frequency of the reference signal and the self-sensing signal or a chang e in the phase of the self-sensing signal with respect to the reference signal and comparing the self-sensing signal and the reference signal by overlapping/comparing the two signals (Paragraphs 0084-0093; 0141-0144)
Regarding claims 5, 13, Kwon determines nozzle failure based on comparing reference signals measured under normal conditions with monitoring signals (self-sensing signals) and detecting change in the frequency of the reference signal and the self-sensing signal or a chang e in the phase of the self-sensing signal with respect to the reference signal and comparing the self-sensing signal and the reference signal by overlapping/comparing the two signals (Paragraphs 0084-0093; 0141-0144)
Regarding claims 6, 14, Kwon determines nozzle failure based on comparing reference signals measured under normal conditions with monitoring signals (self-sensing signals) and detecting change in the frequency of the reference signal and the self-sensing signal or a chang e in the phase of the self-sensing signal with respect to the reference signal and comparing the self-sensing signal and the reference signal by overlapping/comparing the two signals (Paragraphs 0084-0093; 0141-0144)
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 September 6, 2026
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