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.
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) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Masaki et al. [PG. Pub. No.: US 2024/0255882 A1].
With regards to claims 1 & 11, Masaki discloses an image forming system (an image forming apparatus, ABSTRACT) comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet (100, image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium (hereinafter referred to as a sheet), Fig. 1, ¶0019); a noncontact charge-removal unit that removes a charge on the sheet (200, charge-eliminating apparatus, Fig. 2, ¶0026), on which the image has been formed (¶0026), in a noncontact state (Fig. 2), the noncontact charge-removal unit including an electrode portion that generates an ion (46, ionizer as a non-contact charge eliminating unit Fig. 2, ¶0030); a controller (58, controller, ¶0034) that performs a detection process (102, maintenance detection mode, 0034) of detecting whether maintenance of the electrode portion is necessary (¶0034-0036 & ¶0038); and a display unit that indicates that the detection process is being performed (¶0031 & ¶0038).
With regards to claim 2, Masaki discloses a housing that houses the noncontact charge-removal unit (57, frame, Fig. 2, ¶0031), wherein the display unit is disposed on an outer surface of the housing (56, LED is mounted on an upper surface of an exterior surface of the frame, Fig. 2, ¶0031).
With regards to claim 3, Masaki discloses the controller further controls the noncontact charge-removal unit to perform a charge removal process of removing charges on a plurality of sheets (increment sheet counter, Fig. 6), the plurality of sheets being transported from the image forming unit (0026), wherein the detection process is performed after the charge removal process (¶0029).
With regards to claim 4, Masaki discloses in response to submission of a job during execution of the detection process, the display unit indicates, to a user, that the execution of the detection process is to be interrupted and the job is to be performed (Flow Charts of Figs. 5 & 6, ¶0043 & ¶0050).
With regards to claim 5, Masaki discloses in response to submission of a job during execution of the detection process, the display unit displays a screen in which a user can select whether the execution of the detection process is to be interrupted (information (message) indicating whether maintenance is required or not for the ionizer 46 may be displayed on a display of an operation unit 150 (see FIG. 11) provided on the image forming apparatus, ¶0038).
With regards to claim 6, Masaki discloses the display unit provides a notification that the detection process is being performed, and displays a message that indicates that submission of a job is not recommended (information (message) indicating whether maintenance is required or not for the ionizer 46 may be displayed on a display of an operation unit 150 (see FIG. 11) provided on the image forming apparatus, ¶0038).
With regards to claim 7, Masaki discloses before execution of the detection process, the display unit displays an advance notice of a start of the detection process.
With regards to claim 8, Masaki discloses after an operating time of the noncontact charge-removal unit exceeds a threshold and before the detection process is performed, the display unit displays the advance notice of the start of the detection process (¶0038).
With regards to claim 9, Masaki discloses in response to submission of a job while an advance notice of a start of the detection process is displayed by the display unit, the display unit displays a screen in which a user can select whether the job is to be performed without execution of the detection process (¶0038).
10. The image forming system according to claim 1, further comprising: a contact charge-removal unit that is disposed downstream of the image forming unit in a sheet transport direction (Fig. 11), and that removes a charge on the sheet in a contact state (45, charge-eliminating roller pair 51 & 50, Fig. 2, ¶0030), wherein the noncontact charge-removal unit (46, ionizer is a non-contact charge eliminating unit) is disposed downstream of the contact charge-removal unit in the sheet transport direction (Fig. 2, ¶0030).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FRANCIS C GRAY whose telephone number is (571)270-3348. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7am-5pm.
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/FRANCIS C GRAY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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