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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 1/28/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-9 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-9 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asahara (US 2015/0249766) in view of Asahara (US 2018/00096233 hereinafter Asahara ‘233).
Regarding claim 1, Asahara discloses an information processing apparatus comprising:
an acquirer that acquires a plurality of setting values (FIG. 11, ¶ [0054], [0056], [0118]-[0119]; i.e. an import unit, a security rule check unit, input device, etc.);
a determiner that determines whether a setting value, among the plurality of setting values is a setting value of an administrator (FIG. 11, ¶ [0047]-[0054], [0118]-[0119]; i.e. a security rule check unit checks the administrative setting value, for example, SMTP password, SMB password, etc.); and
a processor that:
determines in a case that the setting value is determined to be the setting value of the administrator, whether the setting value of the administrator satisfies a setting value rule (FIG. 4-11, ¶ [0044]-[0054]; i.e. checking the administrative setting value, for example, SMTP password, SMB password, user passwords, etc. complies with the security rule or not);
suspends importing the setting value of the administrator in a case that the setting value of the administrator is determined not to satisfy the setting value rule (FIG. 4-11, ¶ [0047]-[0054]; i.e. performing control not to permit storing of the change of the administrative setting value or device setting value, for example, SMTP password, SMB password, user passwords, etc.); and
imports, the setting value of a user, other that the administrator (FIG. 6-8, ¶ [0047]-[0054]; i.e. importing the setting value of a user ).
Asahara does not explicitly disclose imports, the setting value of the user regardless of whether or not the setting value of the user satisfies the setting value rule.
However, Asahara ‘233 discloses imports, the setting value of the user regardless of whether or not the setting value of the user satisfies the setting value rule (FIG. 8-11, ¶ [0054]-[0056], [0101]-[0104], [0142]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Asahara and Asahara ‘233 in order to ensure the latest changes of the user individual setting and group setting are imported effectively (Asahara ‘233, ¶ [0003]-[0008]).
Regarding claim 2, Asahara in view of Asahara ‘233 discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor: acquires a new setting value, with respect to the setting value of the administrator, when importing the setting value of the administrator is suspended, and imports the new setting value as the setting of the administrator in a case that the new setting value satisfies the setting value rule (Asahara, ¶ [00111]-[0114]).
Regarding claim 3, Asahara in view of Asahara ‘233 discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case that the setting value of the user does not satisfy the setting value rule, the processor displays, to the user, a message indicating that authentication has failed at a time of authenticating the user by the authenticator (Asahara, FIG. 11, ¶ [0064], [0120]).
Regarding claim 4, Asahara in view of Asahara ‘233 discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an authenticator that authenticates the user according to the setting value of the user, wherein in a case the setting value of the user authenticated by the authenticator does not satisfy the rule, the processor allows the user to change the setting value of the user (Asahara, FIG. 8A-B, ¶ [0064], [0118]-[0120]; Asahara ‘233, FIG. 8).
Regarding claim 5, Asahara in view of Asahara ‘233 discloses the information processing apparatus claim 4, wherein the processor allows the user to change the setting value of the user when changing the setting value of the user is permitted by the administrator (Asahara, ¶ [0064], [0118]-[0120]).
Regarding claim 6, Asahara in view of Asahara ‘233 discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein in a case that the setting value of the user authenticated by the authenticator does not satisfy the setting value rule, the processor changes the setting value of the user to a new setting value, when the new setting value is acquired from the administrator (Asahara, ¶ [0064], [0118]-[0120]).
Regarding claim 7, Asahara in view of Asahara ‘233 discloses the information processing apparatus according to claims 1, further comprising: a transmitter that transmits information on the setting value after a change in a case that the setting value is to be changed (Asahara, ¶ [0029], [0062]-[0063], [0104]); and a receiver that receives the information on the setting value after the change, wherein in a case that the information on the setting value after the change is received by the receiver, the processor changes the setting value before the change based on the information on the setting value after the change (Asahara, ¶ [0062]-[0063], [0104]).
Regarding claim 8, Asahara discloses a control method comprising:
acquiring a plurality of setting values (FIG. 11, ¶ [0054], [0056], [0118]-[0119]; i.e. acquiring setting value to import or verify with the security rule);
determining whether a setting value, among the plurality of setting values, is a setting value of an administrator (FIG. 11, ¶ [0047]-[0054], [0118]-[0119]; i.e. a security rule check unit checks the administrative setting value, for example, SMTP password, SMB password, etc.);
determining, in a case that the setting value is determined to be the setting value of the administrator, whether the setting value of the administrator satisfies a setting value rule (FIG. 4-11, ¶ [0044]-[0054]; i.e. checking the administrative setting value, for example, SMTP password, SMB password, user passwords, etc. complies with the security rule or not);
suspending importing the setting value of the administrator in a case that the setting value of the administrator is determined not to satisfy the setting value rule (FIG. 4-11, ¶ [0047]-[0054]; i.e. performing control not to permit storing of the change of the administrative setting value or device setting value, for example, SMTP password, SMB password, user passwords, etc.); and
imports, the setting value of a user, other that the administrator (FIG. 6-8, ¶ [0047]-[0054]; i.e. importing the setting value of a user ).
Asahara does not explicitly disclose imports, the setting value of the user regardless of whether or not the setting value of the user satisfies the setting value rule.
However, Asahara ‘233 discloses imports, the setting value of the user regardless of whether or not the setting value of the user satisfies the setting value rule (FIG. 8-11, ¶ [0054]-[0056], [0101]-[0104], [0142]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Asahara and Asahara ‘233 in order to ensure the latest changes of the user individual setting and group setting are imported effectively (Asahara ‘233, ¶ [0003]-[0008]).
Regarding claim 9, Asahara in view of Asahara ‘233 discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor collectively acquires setting values for the administrator and for a plurality of users other than the administrator (Asahara, FIG. 5B-C, ¶ [0029]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHI D NGUY whose telephone number is (571)270-7311. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9-5 ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amir Mehrmanesh can be reached at (571)270-3351. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/C.D.N/Examiner, Art Unit 2435
/AMIR MEHRMANESH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2435
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