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 4/16/2026 was considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings filed on 4/16/2026 are acceptable for examination by the examiner.
Title
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.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by IGARASHI et al. (US 20140169843 A1; cited by applicant).
Regarding claim 1, IGARASHI teaches an image forming apparatus (figure 1), comprising: an image forming portion 100 configured to form an image on a transfer medium 7 based on input image data and transfer the image from the transfer medium to a sheet; a first image processing portion configured to execute a print image forming process in which the image forming portion 100 forms a print image in a predetermined print area on the transfer medium based on image data of a printing target; and a second image processing portion configured to, when a preset execution condition is satisfied, execute a detection image forming process in which a detection image used for adjusting an image forming condition in the image forming portion is formed in an area outside the printing area on the transfer medium by the image forming portion (shown in figure 3, 31a, 32a); wherein in a double-sided printing process that forms the print image on a front side and a back side of a sheet, the first image processing portion executes the print image forming process corresponding to the front side and the print image forming process corresponding to the back side under different image forming conditions [0074-0075]; and in a case in which the detection image forming process is executed during execution of the double-sided printing process, the second image processing portion executes the detection image forming process only under the image forming conditions in the print image forming process corresponding to a predetermined one of the front side and the back side (figures 1-3; [0095-0097]).
Regarding claim 2, the second image processing portion executes the detection image forming process only during execution of the print image forming process corresponding to the one side in the double-sided printing process (figures 1-3; [0095-0097]).
Regarding claim 3, the second image processing portion executes the detection image forming process only during an inter-sheet period from when the print image forming process corresponding to one side in the double-sided printing process ends to when the print image forming process corresponding to a next page is executed (figures 1-3; [0095-0097]).
Regarding claim 5, an image forming method comprising a processor for an image forming apparatus (figure 1) including an image forming portion 100 that forms an image on a transfer medium P based on input image data and transfers the image from the transfer medium P to a sheet executing a first step of executing a print image forming process in which the image forming portion 100 forms a print image in a predetermined print area on the transfer medium based on image data of a printing target; and a second step of, when a preset execution condition is satisfied, executing a detection image forming process in which a detection image used for adjusting an image forming condition in the image forming portion 100 is formed in an area outside the printing area on the transfer medium P by the image forming portion; wherein in a double-sided printing process that forms the print image on a front side and a back side of a sheet, the first step executes the print image forming process corresponding to the front side and the print image forming process corresponding to the back side under different image forming conditions; and in a case in which the detection image forming process is executed during execution of the double-sided printing process, the second step executes the detection image forming process only under the image forming conditions in the print image forming process corresponding to a predetermined one of the front side and the back side (figures 1-3, [0095-0097]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 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.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hoover teach a double-side image alignment process.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUANA GRAINGER whose telephone number is (571)272-2135. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Walter Lindsay can be reached on 571-272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/QUANA GRAINGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
QG
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