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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
This office action is in response to applicant’s RCE amendment filed, 26 January 2026, of application filed, with the above serial number, on 07 July 2022 in which claims 1-2, 4, 10, 15-16 have been amended. Claims 1-18 are pending in the application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ohna (hereinafter “Ohno”, 2014/0240748) in view of Tecu (hereinafter “Tecu”, 2016/0162221).
As per Claim 1, Ohno discloses an information processing apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to:
provide an execution instruction of processing and apparatus identification information of the information processing apparatus to each of a plurality of cloud servers that executes distributed processing (at least paragraph 81-85; Fig. 3; job information transmitting unit 362 transmits, to the job information receiving unit 372 of the cloud print managing server 170, the cloud user ID, the job ID, and the printer name by associating them with each other for processing of print job; plurality of cloud printers- cloud printer server 160, cloud print managing server 170);
acquire identification information of the processing and the apparatus identification information from each of the plurality of cloud servers (at least paragraph 85-90; print job receiving unit 323 confirms with the printer information storing unit 335 of the intranet print managing server 130 whether the printer 120 is permitted to perform cloud printing (S504)…. When cloud printing is permitted, the print job receiving unit 323 extracts the job ID from the cloud print job, and temporarily stores it (S505). Then, the print job receiving unit 323 passes the received print job to the print processing unit 322, and the print processing unit 322 executes the print processing and the print-related processing (S506)), and, when communication for acquiring a processing result is started, transmit a confirmation notification indicating that the apparatus identification information is correct (at least paragraph 79, 81; the print job transmitting unit 363 confirms whether a setting flag is set, to the printer information storing unit 361, for managing the number of printed sheets of the printer 120 (S707); When the setting flag is set, the job information transmitting unit 362 transmits, to the job information receiving unit 372 of the cloud print managing server 170, the cloud user ID, the job ID, and the printer name by associating them with each other. The job information receiving unit 372 of the cloud print managing server 170 stores the received cloud user ID, the job ID and the printer name in the job information storing unit 371 (S709); par. 85: print job receiving unit 323 confirms with the printer information storing unit 335 of the intranet print managing server 130 whether the printer 120 is permitted to perform cloud printing (S504). …When cloud printing is permitted, the print job receiving unit 323 extracts the job ID from the cloud print job, and temporarily stores it (S505)); and
in a case where the acquired apparatus identification information is the apparatus identification information of the information processing apparatus, acquire a processing result of the processing identified by the identification information of the processing acquired together with the apparatus identification information from each of the plurality of cloud servers that is a transmission source of the apparatus identification information (at least paragraph 85-90; print job receiving unit 323 confirms with the printer information storing unit 335 of the intranet print managing server 130 whether the printer 120 is permitted to perform cloud printing (S504)…. When cloud printing is permitted, the print job receiving unit 323 extracts the job ID from the cloud print job, and temporarily stores it (S505). Then, the print job receiving unit 323 passes the received print job to the print processing unit 322, and the print processing unit 322 executes the print processing and the print-related processing (S506)); and
return an acquisition notification for each data block (at least paragraph 64, 71; the printer 120 transmits print-related information from the job log transmitting unit 324 to the intranet print managing server 130; When the transmission is completed, the job log transmitting unit 324 records "transmitted" in the transmission flag column in FIG. 4A; See Fig. 4A-4B: “number of sheets” for each Printer ID).
Ohno fails to explicitly disclose the processing result being transmitted in a data block unit together with the apparatus identification information and a data block identifier including a page ID.
However, the use and advantages for using such a system was well known to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention as evidenced by the teachings of Tecu. Tecu discloses, in an analogous art, an electronic document ED being portioned into pages and sending different pages to different resources including cloud print servers in order to distribute ED processing to multiple servers, wherein apparatus identification information (print processing resource, eg. cloud print service) along with page number and processing result are returned to print manager (at least Tecu paragraph 15, 49-51, 57).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the use of Tecu’s distributed processing with a plurality of cloud servers as Tecu acknowledges (par. 2, 36) different printing resources can process various types of content in a print job differently and some may be faster than other for some pages, and thus distributing such a portioned large print job to more cloud servers to process would lower such processing time to allow the user to print faster.
As per Claim 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: in a case where communication for acquiring the processing result is started between the information processing apparatus and each of the plurality of cloud servers, acquire the apparatus identification information from each of the plurality of cloud servers and determine whether the apparatus identification information is the apparatus identification information of the information processing apparatus; and in a case where the processing result is acquired from each of the plurality of cloud servers, acquire the apparatus identification information again from the each of the plurality of cloud servers and determine whether the acquired apparatus identification information is the apparatus identification information of the information processing apparatus (at least paragraph 85-90; print job receiving unit 323 confirms with the printer information storing unit 335 of the intranet print managing server 130 whether the printer 120 is permitted to perform cloud printing (S504)…. When cloud printing is permitted, the print job receiving unit 323 extracts the job ID from the cloud print job, and temporarily stores it (S505). Then, the print job receiving unit 323 passes the received print job to the print processing unit 322, and the print processing unit 322 executes the print processing and the print-related processing (S506)).
As per Claim 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to: in a case where the processing result is acquired from each of the plurality of cloud servers, acquire the apparatus identification information together with the processing result (at least paragraph 85-90).
As per Claim 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing result is data generated in the data block unit, and the processor is configured to: acquire the apparatus identification information for each data block; and in a case where the acquired apparatus identification information is the apparatus identification information of the information processing apparatus, acquire data of the data block (at least paragraph 75, 79, 81-88; data block as printed sheets for the corresponding user ID and print job ID).
As per Claim 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to: acquire the apparatus identification information together with the data of the data block for each data block (at least paragraph 75, 79, 81-88; data block as printed sheets).
As per Claim 6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the processing result is image data generated in a page unit as the data block (at least paragraph 8, 41; image processing apparatus for print image of sheet).
As per Claim 7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the processing result is image data generated in a page unit as the data block (at least paragraph 8, 41; image processing apparatus for print image of sheet).
As per Claim 8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the processing result is motion picture data generated in a frame unit as the data block (at least paragraph 8, 41; image processing apparatus for print image of sheet).
As per Claim 9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the processing result is motion picture data generated in a frame unit as the data block (at least paragraph 8, 41; image processing apparatus for print image of sheet).
Claims 10-16 do not, in substance, add or define any additional limitations over claims 1-9 and therefore are rejected for similar reasons, supra.
As per Claim 17. Ohno discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cloud servers comprise a first cloud server and a second cloud server that both execute the distributed processing (at least paragraph 81-85; Fig. 3; plurality of cloud printers- cloud printer server 160, cloud print managing server 170). Ohno fails to explicitly disclose wherein the processor acquires a first processing result and a second processing result respectively from the first cloud server and the second cloud server.
However, the use and advantages for using such a system was well known to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention as evidenced by the teachings of Tecu. Tecu discloses, in an analogous art, an electronic document ED being portioned into pages and sending different pages to different resources including cloud print servers in order to distribute ED processing to multiple servers (at least Tecu paragraph 15, 49-51, 57).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the use of Tecu’s distributed processing with a plurality of cloud servers as Tecu acknowledges (par. 2, 36) different printing resources can process various types of content in a print job differently and some may be faster than other for some pages, and thus distributing such a portioned large print job to more cloud servers to process would lower such processing time to allow the user to print faster.
As per Claim 18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to: integrate the first processing result and the second processing result to generate an integrated processing result (at least Tecu paragraph 15, 49-51, 57; aggregating/assembling/combining multiple pages/portions for output to printer).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 26 January 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Ohno discloses amended claim 1 limitation “when communication for acquiring a processing result is started, transmit a confirmation notification indicating that the apparatus identification information is correct” in at least paragraph 79, 81:
the print job transmitting unit 363 confirms whether a setting flag is set, to the printer information storing unit 361, for managing the number of printed sheets of the printer 120 (S707); When the setting flag is set, the job information transmitting unit 362 transmits, to the job information receiving unit 372 of the cloud print managing server 170, the cloud user ID, the job ID, and the printer name by associating them with each other. The job information receiving unit 372 of the cloud print managing server 170 stores the received cloud user ID, the job ID and the printer name in the job information storing unit 371 (S709); par. 85: print job receiving unit 323 confirms with the printer information storing unit 335 of the intranet print managing server 130 whether the printer 120 is permitted to perform cloud printing (S504). …When cloud printing is permitted, the print job receiving unit 323 extracts the job ID from the cloud print job, and temporarily stores it (S505)
And Ohno discloses “return an acquisition notification for each data block” with at least paragraph 64, 71:
the printer 120 transmits print-related information from the job log transmitting unit 324 to the intranet print managing server 130; When the transmission is completed, the job log transmitting unit 324 records "transmitted" in the transmission flag column in FIG. 4A. See Fig. 4A-4B: “number of sheets” for each Printer ID
Regarding Tecu,
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., “Such a centralized competition-based management scheme is fundamentally different in design concept from the claimed communication procedure, which species a terminal-driven, stepwise confirmation process for prevent erroneous data acquisition by transmitting apparatus identification information and returning acquisition notifications.”) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Further, see par. 50 of Kato on 892.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure is indicated in PTO form 892.
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/GREGORY TODD/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2443