Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 17, 2026
Application No. 17/939,909

INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM STORING INFORMATION PROCESSING PROGRAM, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD

Final Rejection §103
Filed
Sep 07, 2022
Priority
Jan 06, 2022 — JP 2022-000984
Examiner
SARPONG, AKWASI
Art Unit
2681
Tech Center
2600 — Communications
Assignee
Fujifilm Holdings Corporation
OA Round
4 (Final)
68%
Grant Probability
Favorable
5-6
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
96%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 68% — above average
68%
Career Allowance Rate
331 granted / 486 resolved
+6.1% vs TC avg
Strong +28% interview lift
Without
With
+28.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 9m
Avg Prosecution
7 currently pending
Career history
493
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
6.0%
-34.0% vs TC avg
§103
73.2%
+33.2% vs TC avg
§102
8.3%
-31.7% vs TC avg
§112
10.5%
-29.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 486 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . Compact Prosecution Examiner would like to propose a telephone interview to discuss possible amendments from the specifications to further prosecution. Applicant’s arguments with respect to Claims 1, 7, 19 and 20 specifically the independent claims such as 1, 19 and 20 have been moot because of the new grounds of rejection does not rely on the newly applied references (Nishiguchi-20050068566 in view of Mathieson -20030226464) in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. Regarding claim 1, applicant argues that the cited prior art ((Nishiguchi-20050068566 in view of Mathieson -20030226464)) fails to disclose in response to the printing of the print data is determined as having been ended at a predetermined timing, delete the print data from the storage unit" because such function for Nishiguchi is not performed by the server 2 but is performed by the printer 1. In response, Examiner’s position is that Nishiguchi discloses (Section 0045, “At the “print data deletion conditions” are designated conditions for clearing print data stored in the file server 2) Thus the print data is deleted from the server by the server based on the inquiry from the printer that the print data has been printed- See Section 0085. Also, see Mathieson Section 0015, lines 9-11 thus which acknowledges completion of a print job to the network server only after a print job has been completely printed. See the screenshot below showing that the completed print job is deleted from the storage in the server and the deletion is implemented by the server. PNG media_image1.png 513 902 media_image1.png Greyscale Clearly the screenshot shows the Delete job 1 happens in the network server after acknowledgement that the print job has been completed printing. 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. Claims 1, 7,19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nishiguchi (20050068566) in view Mathieson (20030226464). Claim 1, Nishiguchi discloses An information processing apparatus ((Element 100 shown in Fig. 3) comprising: a communication unit; (Print data transmission portion 203) a storage unit configured to store at least print data; (Print data memory portion 202) and a processor configured to receive, (Section 0033, control circuit 1c controls all parts of the printer) from a user via the communication unit, a printing instruction to perform printing of an image on an image forming device; (print data reception portion 201 in File server 2 shown in Fig. 3) in response to receiving the printing instruction, transmit the print data via the communication unit to a server device which causes the image forming device to perform the printing of the print data; (Section 0040 the user enters a predetermined command which is the print instruction and in Section 0041, lines 7-9- thus a material is printed based on the print instruction) and in response to the printing of the print data is determined as having been ended at a predetermined timing, (Section 0045, “print data deletion time” elapsed) delete the print data from the storage unit, wherein the printing of the print data is determined as having been ended is where a response result received via the communication unit indicates that the printing of the print data has ended, (Section 0045, “At the “print data deletion conditions” are designated conditions for clearing print data stored in the file server 2) Thus the print data is deleted from the server by the server based on the inquiry from the printer that the print data has been printed- See Section 0085. and the predetermined timing is a timing within each predetermined period as the print data is deleted from the storage when the timing of the predetermined period has ended. (Section 0045, lines 8-10 thus “the print data deletion time elapsed” this means the deletion of the print data take place when the print data deletion time has elapsed) See the screenshot below regarding the print data deletion time elapsed. PNG media_image2.png 610 661 media_image2.png Greyscale Nishiguchi does not clearly disclose that there is an inquiry to the server. Mathieson discloses deleting a print job from a memory of a server based on an inquiry to a server. (Section 0015, lines 9-11 thus which acknowledges completion of a print job to the network server only after a print job has been completed). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to include the teaching of deleting the completed printed job after there is an acknowledgement that the print job has been completed. The motivation is that print jobs that are not needed doesn’t occupy space in the memory. Claims 2-6 (Cancelled) Claim 7, Nishiguchi in view Mathieson discloses The information processing apparatus according to The information processing apparatus according to wherein information indicating the response result is at least one of information indicating a printing status of individual print data or information indicating all pieces of print data that have not been printed among pieces of print data received by the server device. (Nishiguchi: Based on section 0056, lines 4-8 the status information 73 of printer 1 is performing a printing process based on another print job which means the status of the printer is based on whether the print job is completed or in progress or in error. The status of the printer based on the print job shows the print job’s status). Claim 19, Nishiguchi discloses A non-transitory computer readable medium storing an information processing program causing a computer comprising a communication unit, (Print data transmission portion 203) a storage unit configured to store at least print data, (Print data memory portion 202) and a processor to execute a process performed by the processor (Section 0033, control circuit 1c controls all parts of the printer) comprising: receiving, from a user via the communication unit, a printing instruction to perform printing of an image on an image forming device (print data reception portion 201 in File server 2 shown in Fig. 3) in response to receiving the printing instruction, transmitting print data via the communication unit to a server device which causes the image forming device to perform the printing of the print data; (Section 0040 the user enters a predetermined command which is the print instruction and in Section 0041, lines 7-9- thus a material is printed based on the print instruction) and in response to the printing of the print data is determined as having been ended at a predetermined timing, (Section 0045, “print data deletion time” elapsed) deleting the print data from the storage unit, wherein the printing of the print data is determined as having been ended is where a response result received via the communication unit to an inquiry to the server device indicates that the printing of the print data has ended, (Section 0045, “At the “print data deletion conditions” are designated conditions for clearing print data stored in the file server 2) Thus the print data is deleted from the server by the server based on the inquiry from the printer that the print data has been printed- See Section 0085. and the predetermined timing is a timing within each predetermined period as the print data is deleted from the storage when the timing of the predetermined period has ended. (Section 0045, lines 8-10 thus “the print data deletion time elapsed” this means the deletion of the print data take place when the print data deletion time has elapsed) See the screenshot below regarding the print data deletion time elapsed. PNG media_image2.png 610 661 media_image2.png Greyscale Nishiguchi does not clearly disclose that there is an inquiry to the server. Mathieson discloses deleting a print job from a memory of a server based on an inquiry to a server. (Section 0015, lines 9-11 thus which acknowledges completion of a print job to the network server only after a print job has been completed). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to include the teaching of deleting the completed printed job after there is an acknowledgement that the print job has been completed. The motivation is that print jobs that are not needed doesn’t occupy space in the memory. Claim 20, Nishiguchi discloses An information processing method executed by an information processing apparatus comprising a communication unit, (Print data transmission portion 203) a storage unit configured to store at least print data, and a processor, the method (Print data memory portion 202) comprising: receiving, from a user via the communication unit, a printing instruction to perform printing of an image on an image forming device; (print data reception portion 201 in File server 2 shown in Fig. 3) in response to receiving the printing instruction, transmitting print data via the communication unit to a server device which causes the image forming device to perform the printing of the print data; (Section 0040 the user enters a predetermined command which is the print instruction and in Section 0041, lines 7-9- thus a material is printed based on the print instruction) and in response to the printing of the print data is determined as having been ended at a predetermined timing, (Section 0045, “print data deletion time” elapsed) deleting the print data from the storage unit, wherein the printing of the print data is determined as having been ended is where a response result received via the communication unit to an inquiry to the server device indicates that the printing of the print data has ended, (Section 0045, “At the “print data deletion conditions” are designated conditions for clearing print data stored in the file server 2) Thus the print data is deleted from the server by the server based on the inquiry from the printer that the print data has been printed- See Section 0085. and the predetermined timing is a timing within each predetermined period as the print data is deleted from the storage when the timing of the predetermined period has ended. (Section 0045, lines 8-10 thus “the print data deletion time elapsed” this means the deletion of the print data take place when the print data deletion time has elapsed) Nishiguchi does not clearly disclose that there is an inquiry to the server. Mathieson discloses deleting a print job from a memory of a server based on an inquiry to a server. (Section 0015, lines 9-11 thus which acknowledges completion of a print job to the network server only after a print job has been completed). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to include the teaching of deleting the completed printed job after there is an acknowledgement that the print job has been completed. The motivation is that print jobs that are not needed doesn’t occupy space in the memory. Cited Art The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Motoyama (US-2008/0098038) discloses The approach for managing print data on printing devices also includes deleting print data from printing devices when the print data has been processed at the printing device at least a specified number of times. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Akwasi M Sarpong whose telephone number is (571)270-3438. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8:00am-4:00pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a). A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /AKWASI M SARPONG/SPE, Art Unit 2681 5/20/2026
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Show 2 earlier events
Feb 05, 2025
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103
Apr 21, 2025
Response Filed
Aug 18, 2025
Final Rejection mailed — §103
Nov 06, 2025
Request for Continued Examination
Nov 15, 2025
Response after Non-Final Action
Jan 08, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103
Apr 01, 2026
Response Filed
May 26, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

5-6
Expected OA Rounds
68%
Grant Probability
96%
With Interview (+28.4%)
3y 9m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 486 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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