Appeal No. 1999-1931
Application No. 08/734,319
Monma is not turning a laser diode ON and OFF, i.e., providing drive signals from image
data bits, as claimed, wherein drive signals are provided earlier than an active edge when
an image data bit represents an image edge. Rather, it appears from our review of
Monma that the laser diode is already ON but that a bias current is provided to the laser
beam source, wherein the bias current is lower than a threshold current. It is this bias
current that is supplied to the laser diode at a position in front of a leading edge of the
subject and behind a trailing edge of a preceding subject for preventing irregularities in an
image. Thus, Monma appears to affect, or limit, the intensity of a laser diode, starting the
bias current at a position in front of a leading edge of the subject because, left
uncompensated, the amount of light emitted from the laser diode immediately after the
laser diode is energized would be a little greater than a desired target amount of light.
Thus, the bias current is started to be supplied to the laser
diode at a position in front of the leading edge of the subject for compensation purposes,
preventing an irregular image. The laser driver does not appear to be producing drive
signals (which turn the laser diode ON) earlier than the active edges when an image data
bit represents an image edge, as claimed.
Moreover, even the examiner admits that Monma does not disclose an edge
sensor, as claimed. It is unclear to us why the artisan would look to Hirota for an edge
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