Ex Parte Rossell et al

Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Sep 20, 2017

14413615 (P.T.A.B. Sep. 20, 2017)

United States Patent and Trademark Office
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
P.O.Box 1450
Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
www.uspto.gov
APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO.
14/413,615 05/19/2015 Marti Rius Rossell 84123241 6725
22879
HP Tnr
7590 09/22/2017 EXAMINER
3390 E. Harmony Road
Mail Stop 35
VO, QUANG N
FORT COLLINS, CO 80528-9544 ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER
2672
NOTIFICATION DATE DELIVERY MODE
09/22/2017 ELECTRONIC
Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
following e-mail address(es):
ipa.mail@hp.com
barbl@hp.com
y vonne.bailey @ hp. com
PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
Ex parte MARTI RIUS ROSSELL,
JORDI SENDER BELETA, and
M. ISABEL BORRELL BAYONA
Appeal 2017-005222
Application 14/413,6151
Technology Center 2600
Before JAMES R. HUGHES, ERIC S. FRAHM, and
MATTHEW J. McNEILL, Administrative Patent Judges.
McNEILL, Administrative Patent Judge.
DECISION ON APPEAL
Appellants appeal under 35 U.S.C. § 134 from the Examiner’s
rejection of claims 1—15, which are all the claims pending in this application.
We have jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b).
We reverse.
1 According to Appellants, the real party in interest is Hewlett-Packard
Development Company, LP. App. Br. 1.
Appeal 2017-005222
Application 14/413,615
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
Introduction
Appellants’ application relates to properly aligning the multiple
components of a composite image generated by a printing system on a print
medium—a technique called registration. See Spec. Tflf 2-4. Specifically, a
first printbar generates a first image, including a reference pattern, on the
print medium. Spec. 124. As the print medium is driven along the print
path, a detector connected to a second printbar detects the reference pattern.
Spec. 125. A registration processing unit receives data from the detector
regarding the position of the reference pattern, and determines the relative
position of the reference pattern, and, thus, the first image, to the second
printbar. Spec. 126. The second printbar then synchronizes nozzle firing to
print a second image based on the relative position of the reference pattern.
Id. Accordingly, the complementary images of the first and second printbar
can be properly registered. Id. Claim 1, reproduced below, is illustrative of
the claimed subject matter:
1. A method of controlling a printbar in a printing system,
comprising:
generating, with a first printbar at a first position along a
path of a print medium, a first image on the print medium, the
first image including a reference pattern;
detecting, at a second position along the path of the print
medium, a pattern on the print medium;
determining a position of the first image relative to a
second printbar based on the detected pattern and the reference
pattern; and
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Appeal 2017-005222
Application 14/413,615
configuring nozzle data, for a second image to be
generated on the print medium by the second printbar, based on
the position of the first image relative to the second printbar.
The Examiner s Rejection
Claims 1—15 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being
unpatentable over Zhang (US 2013/0201233 Al; Aug. 8, 2013).
ANALYSIS
Appellants contend Zhang fails to teach or suggest “configuring
nozzle data, for a second image to be generated on the print medium by the
second printbar, based on the position of the first image relative to the
second printbar,” as recited in claim 1. App. Br. 4—6. We agree with
Appellants.
Zhang teaches a printhead actuator ejects a mass of ink in response to
a firing signal. Zhang || 5—6. Over time, the mass of ink changes due to
wear from thermal conditions. Id. Zhang teaches a solution that identifies
an optical density associated with each printhead in a test pattern printed by
the multiple printheads, and then adjusts the firing signals for the printheads
with reference to the optical densities. Id. Tflf 7—8. Further, Zhang discloses
the “printheads are arranged in two groups or print bars that are positioned
relative to one another in a staggered pattern.” Id. ]f 20.
The Examiner finds Zhang teaches the claimed nozzle data
configuration feature, relying on paragraph 21 (Final Act. 4; Ans. 3), which
describes “a first print bar array enables ink printing at a resolution of 300
dots per linear inch (DPI). . . while a second print bar array has an offset
with respect to the inkjet ejectors of the first print bar that is one half of the
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Application 14/413,615
distance between inkjet ejectors and also prints at 300 DPI. . . However,
Zhang does not teach configuring nozzle data of the second printbar, let
alone configuring nozzle data based on a relative position of a first image
printed by the first printbar to the second printbar. Further, as mentioned
above, the printhead actuator firing signal is calibrated based on an optical
density in a test pattern that is related to the printhead itself (see Zhang,
117—8), and is not calibrated based on the position of a pattern printed by a
printhead in another printbar.
Accordingly, on this record, we find the Examiner erred in rejecting
independent claim 1, independent claim 8 which recites commensurate
limitations, and dependent claims 2—7 and 9—15.
DECISION
We reverse the Examiner’s decision to reject claims 1—15.
REVERSED
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