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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: R (page 13, paragraph [0047], line 4, etc.), and L (page 13, paragraph [0047], line 5, etc.). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamazaki et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2017/0329267 A1)
Regarding claim 1, Yamazaki et al. discloses an image forming apparatus (paragraph [0022] and Fig. 2) comprising: a plurality of photoreceptors 22Y, 22M, 22C and 22K that are rotationally driven and on which images of different colors are formed (paragraph [0022]); an image carrier 27 that is rotationally driven and to which images formed on the plurality of photoreceptors 22Y, 22M, 22C and 22K are transferred (paragraphs [0022] and [0023]); a detection unit 6 configured to detect an image transferred to the image carrier 27; and a control unit 301 configured to form, onto the image carrier 27, a detection pattern including a first image group including a plurality of first images Yza, Mza, Cza and Kza of different colors and a second image group including a plurality of second images Yzb, Mzb, Czb and Kzb of different colors by forming a first image and a second image on each of the plurality of photoreceptors 22Y, 22M, 22C and 22K to transfer the first image and the second image to the image carrier 27, and determine a color misregistration amount in a rotational direction of the image carrier 27 and a color misregistration amount in a width direction orthogonal to the rotational direction based on a detection result of the detection pattern by the detection unit 6, wherein the first image is a linear image in a first direction different from the rotational direction, the second image is a linear image in a second direction different from the rotational direction and the first direction, the detection pattern includes a plurality of basic patterns Yza, Mza, Cza, Kza, Yzb, Mzb, Czb and Kzb arranged at a first interval s in the rotational direction, and each of the plurality of basic patterns includes the first image group and the second image group arranged at a second interval g in the rotational direction, and the first image group and the second image group arranged at a third interval ½ Lbase different from the second interval g in the rotational direction (paragraph [0029] and Fig. 7A).
Regarding claim 2, Yamazaki et al. discloses wherein the control unit 301 uses a detection result by the detection unit 6 of the first image group and the second image group arranged at the second interval g in order to determine a color misregistration amount in the rotational direction, and uses a detection result by the detection unit 6 of the first image group and the second image group arranged at the third interval ½ Lbase in order to determine a color misregistration amount in the width direction (paragraphs [0057]-[0061]).
Regarding claim 3, Yamazaki et al. discloses wherein the first image group in the first image group and the second image group arranged at the second interval g is same as the first image group in the first image group and the second image group arranged at the third interval ½ Lbase (Fig. 7A).
Regarding claim 5, Yamazaki et al. discloses wherein the plurality of basic patterns are N basic patterns that are integers of 2 or more, and the first interval, the second interval, and the third interval are intervals based on N (Fig. 7A).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 6-9 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.
Other Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Komiya (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2011/0150509 A1) and Sobue (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2017/0123340 A1) disclose an image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of photoreceptors that are rotationally driven and on which images of different colors are formed; an image carrier that is rotationally driven and to which images formed on the plurality of photoreceptors are transferred; a detection unit configured to detect an image transferred to the image carrier; and a control unit configured to form, onto the image carrier, a detection pattern including a first image group including a plurality of first images of different colors and a second image group including a plurality of second images of different colors by forming a first image and a second image on each of the plurality of photoreceptors to transfer the first image and the second image to the image carrier, and determine a color misregistration amount in a rotational direction of the image carrier and a color misregistration amount in a width direction orthogonal to the rotational direction based on a detection result of the detection pattern by the detection unit, wherein the first image is a linear image in a first direction different from the rotational direction, the second image is a linear image in a second direction different from the rotational direction and the first direction, and the detection pattern includes a plurality of basic patterns arranged at a first interval in the rotational direction.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SOPHIA S CHEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2133. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am - 5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephanie Bloss can be reached at 571-272-3555. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SOPHIA S CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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September 4, 2026
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