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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 07/01/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In regards to applicant’s argument that “Kondo nor Matsuzawa, nor their combination discloses the contract processing server performing the "(1b) registering" as a whole, namely both (1) after receiving a payment completion notification from a payment server, and (2) before the printer receives a print job associated with the specific identification data.” In particular, neither reference even discloses a contract processing server that receives a payment completion notification from a payment server,” the examiner respectfully disagrees. Kondo teaches with respect to Fig. 4 in paragraph 68 that information is stored for each print job in association with a print job ID, the user ID, Billing ticket ID, and ticket amount. This information is registered for each job accordingly in the waiting job table which is stored, paragraph 65. Therefore, Kondo calculates the cost of the printing required for the job. Kondo further states that the jobs are paid for accordingly, paragraphs 104 and 113.
Matsuzawa is used to teach that a determination of when the payment has been received is made, paragraph 76. Furthermore, paragraph 76 also states upon completion of the electronic payment, the print processing may be performed. This would mean that there is notification of the completion of the payment in order to process the print job. This would have to be through the payment token as described. This can be applied to the billing ticket ID of Kondo. Kondo’s billing ticket ID is updated based on the user account update with respect to the job, paragraph 123. The combination would then yield the billing ticket ID being used in conjunction with the print job through the life of the print job with the payment information.
It is also noted that Matsuzawa teaches determining whether a payment token is valid, paragraph 61-76. The payment token is received prior to a print job. Kondo is teaching if the payment is sufficient and therefore Matsuzawa would teach the determination that the payment is received before the job is printed. The combination would therefore yield "(1b) registering" as a whole, namely both (1) after receiving a payment completion notification from a payment server, and (2) before the printer receives a print job associated with the specific identification data.”
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) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kondo (US 2011/0170131) in view of Matsuzawa (US 2021/0157531).
Regarding Claim 1, Kondo teaches a printing system (paragraph 2) comprising:
a printer comprising a controller (Paragraph 41, wherein there is an image forming apparatus including a control); and
a contract processing server (Element 103 and 104, wherein they can be the same server, paragraph 165),
the contract processing server being configured to perform:
(1a) issuing a specific identification data (Paragraph 66, wherein the billing ticket ID is issued by the billing server), and
the controller being configured to perform
(2a) in response to receiving from a user terminal device a print job including print data representing an image and including specific identification data, determining, using the specific identification data, whether authority information indicating an authority to print the image has been issued (Paragraph 102 and 104, wherein it is analyzed if the print job has authorization information associated with it. The billing ticket ID is associated with the print job and therefore used, in conjunction with the job, to determine authority to print); and
(2b) transmitting, in response to determining in the (2a) determining that the authority information has been issued, to the contract processing server an inquiry for determining whether the authority information is valid (Paragraph 104 and 106, wherein when it is determined if there is billing information associated with the job, it is confirmed),
wherein the controller is configured to further perform
(2c) determining, in response to receiving the first response transmitted in the (1c) transmitting, that the authority information is valid (Paragraph 119 and 123, wherein the job is processed in regards to confirmation of the data from the server),
(2e) printing, in response to determining in the (2c) determining that the authority information is valid, the image on a print medium by controlling the printer (Paragraphs 107 and 119, wherein the job is printed accordingly).
Kondo does not teach the contract processing server being configured to perform
(1b) registering paid information indicating that a printing fee associated with the specific identification data is completed prior to the printer receiving a print job associated with the specific identification data has been paid, wherein the (1b) registering is performed after receiving a payment completion notification from a payment server configured to perform payment processing and before the printer receives is completed prior to the printer receiving a print job associated with the specific identification data,
(1c) in response to receiving the inquiry transmitted in the (2b) transmitting,
transmitting a first response to the controller in a case where the paid information corresponding to the specific identification data is registered, and
transmitting a second response to the controller in a case where the paid information corresponding to the specific identification data is not registered, and
wherein the controller is configured to further perform
(2c) determining, in response to receiving the first response transmitted in the (1c) transmitting, that the authority information is valid,
(2d) determining, in response to receiving the second response transmitted in the (1c) transmitting, that the authority information is not valid, and
(2e) printing, in response to determining in the (2c) determining that the authority information is valid, the image on a print medium by controlling the printer.
Matsuzawa does teach the contract processing server being configured to perform
(1c) in response to receiving the inquiry transmitted in the (2b) transmitting,
transmitting a first response to the controller in a case where the paid information corresponding to the specific identification data is registered (Paragraph 76, wherein the print job can be completed after receiving confirmation of the payment. The specific identification data is registered according to Kondo in association with the job), and
transmitting a second response to the controller in a case where the paid information corresponding to the specific identification data is not registered (Paragraphs 61-76, wherein a payment can be made based on determining if a payment token is valid. If the token is not valid, then a payment cannot be made and information is sent to verify that no payment has been made as the token is not valid. Furthermore, the print data is obtained after the token. In addition, the print data can be printed after payment has been made. The specific identification data is registered according to Kondo in association with the job), and
wherein the controller is configured to further perform
(2c) determining, in response to receiving the first response transmitted in the (1c) transmitting, that the authority information is valid (Paragraphs 61-76, wherein it is determined if the payment token is valid which corresponds also to authority information),
(2d) determining, in response to receiving the second response transmitted in the (1c) transmitting, that the authority information is not valid (Paragraphs 61-76, wherein it is determined if the payment token is valid which corresponds also to authority information), and
(2e) printing, in response to determining in the (2c) determining that the authority information is valid, the image on a print medium by controlling the printer (Paragraphs 61-76, wherein a payment can be made based on determining if a payment token is valid. If the token is not valid, then a payment cannot be made and information is sent to verify that no payment has been made as the token is not valid. Furthermore, the print data is obtained after the token. In addition, the print data can be printed after payment has been made).
Kondo teaches producing a print job based on a request for payment from an authorized user.
Matsuzawa teaches producing a print job based on a request for payment or after payment has been made from an authorized user.
At the time of the invention, there has been a recognized problem or need in the art to ensure that payment has been made before producing a print job.
There were a finite number of identified and predictable potential solutions to the recognized need or problem which are to either collect payment before the print job is produced or after the job is produced at a later date.
One of ordinary skill ion the art could have pursed the known potential solutions with a reasonable expectation of success since both solutions are present in the teachings of Matsuzawa which allow for the job to be produced with the need for payment being met. This shows that the processing of payment timing could be interchanged and not affect the results.
Therefore, the claimed subject matter would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application.
Kondo in view of Matsuzawa teaches (1b) registering paid information indicating that a printing fee associated with the specific identification data is completed prior to the printer receiving a print job associated with the specific identification data has been paid, wherein the (1b) registering is performed after receiving a payment completion notification from a payment server configured to perform payment processing and before the printer receives is completed prior to the printer receiving a print job associated with the specific identification data (Kondo: Paragraphs 123 and 87, wherein the billing ticket ID is associated with the payment information as the payment information is performed in the sense of determining if payment is made. Matsuzawa discloses in paragraphs 61-76 that the payment token is associated with the job and determines if payment has been made based accordingly. The payment can be completed prior to processing of the job and therefore the token would indicate that payment has been completed, paragraphs 76 and 90).
Regarding Claim 2, Kondo further teaches wherein the controller is configured to further perform:
(2f) transmitting a request to the contract processing server, the request requesting the contract processing server to transmit restriction information, the restriction information indicating a restriction imposed on the (2e) printing (Paragraph 114, wherein the server can indicate that the job cannot be processed),
wherein the contract processing server is configured to further perform:
(1d) transmitting, in response to receiving the request transmitted in the (2f) transmitting, the restriction information (Paragraph 114, wherein the job is not processed based upon the restriction), and
wherein the controller performs the (2e) printing within the restriction indicated by the restriction information (Paragraph 114, wherein the job is not printed).
Regarding Claim 3, Kondo further teaches wherein the restriction indicated by the restriction information restricts the maximum number of pages allowed to be printed in the (2e) printing (Paragraph 61, wherein the amount is associated with the number of pages to printed according to the bill amount), and
wherein the controller performs the (2e) printing within the maximum number of pages restricted by the restriction indicated by the restriction information (Paragraph 61 and 114, wherein the job is rejected based on the billed amount, which includes number of pages).
Regarding Claim 4, Kondo further teaches wherein the specific identification data is used as the authority information (Paragraphs 102 and 104, wherein the job can be secured through the user ID associated with the job. This can also be associated with an authorization with respect to a billing ticket).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS PACHOL whose telephone number is (571)270-3433. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th: 8-4.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, George Eng can be reached on 571-272-7495. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NICHOLAS PACHOL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2699
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