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
In response to 35 USC 101 on pages 8-10, filed 07/06/2026, the 35 USC 101 rejection have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 USC 101 has been withdrawn in light of claim amendment and applicant’s argument.
In response to 35 USC 103 on pages 10-13, filed 07/06/2026, for independent claims 1 and 11 along with their respective dependent claims. Applicant argues Hwang-Patel fails to teach “obtaining destination information associated with the account information recorded in the table; transmitting an approval request for use of the service to the destination; and transmitting a token used to use the service to a terminal device of the user inputting the usage request when receiving a response indicating approval of the approval request".
The Examiner does not concede. Hwang teaches “obtaining destination information associated with the account information recorded in the table”. Hwang discloses “the host image forming apparatus 100 may receive IP addresses of “15.40.152.2”, “15.40.152.3”, and Ί5.40.155.1 ” from a user input or a received file and display a screen indicating a result obtained by collecting information of the peripheral image forming apparatuses corresponding to the IP addresses on the user interface unit 110 [0041]. Display a screen indicating a result obtained by collecting information about the peripheral image forming apparatuses belonging to the range on the user interface unit [0047]. The host image forming apparatus 100 may collect the information of the peripheral image forming apparatuses on the same network having Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of “15.40.152.2”, “15.40.152.3”, and“15.40.152.4” and display a screen (e.g., a user interface (Ul)) indicating a search result on the user interface unit 110. The host image forming apparatus 100 may receive a user input for selecting the plurality of image forming apparatuses to be registered in the account of the cloud server 200 from among the peripheral image forming apparatuses displayed on the user interface unit 110. As shown in FIG. 4, the user may select the plurality of image forming apparatuses by checking a respective plurality of check boxes corresponding to the plurality of image forming apparatuses to be registered in the account of the cloud server 200, through the user interface unit 110. However, the disclosure is not limited to [0038][0040][0044]. Third instructions used to receive a user account list from the cloud server 200 using the device verification information and the user verification information, and fourth instructions used to register the plurality of image forming apparatuses in an account of the received account list [0086][0080]. Transmitting file to a destination [0029]”. Hwang discloses destination information with account information.
However, Hwang-Patel do not explicitly teach “transmitting an approval request for use of the service to the destination; and transmitting a token used to use the service to a terminal device of the user inputting the usage request when receiving a response indicating approval of the approval request”.
Applicant’s argument have been considered but are moot, because the newly recited amendment does not rely on the newly recited reference being applied to the prior rejection of record or any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 1-5 and 11 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al. (WO 2021194546, hereinafter Hwang) in view of Patel et al. (US 20220294792, hereinafter Patel) and in further view of Moriya (JP 2022085561).
Re. claim 1, Hwang discloses an information processing device, comprising a controller, communication interface, and a storage (Hwang discloses an image forming apparatus with a processor [0025]. Implemented on a computer-readable storage medium [0087]. Communication interface [0038]. A memory [0084]), wherein the controller is configured to perform: obtaining a usage request based on an input from a user, the usage request being a request of the user to use a service using a particular device (Kook discloses image forming apparatus may receive a user input for selecting the selecting the plurality of image forming apparatuses [0038]);
obtaining device identification information identifying the particular device from an external device through the communication interface (Hwang discloses image forming apparatus collect the information of the image forming apparatuses such as IP addresses and display a screen (e.g., a user interface (Ul)) indicating a search result on the user [0038]. Receive the device identification information from the plurality of selected image forming apparatuses, through the communication interface [0039][0037]);
determining whether a user account of the user inputting the usage request has already been registered in a table stored in the storage in association with the device identification information identifying the particular device used by the service (Hwang discloses the host image forming apparatus 100 may collect the information of the peripheral image forming apparatuses on the same network having Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of “15.40.152.2”, “15.40.152.3”, and“15.40.152.4” and display a screen (e.g., a user interface (Ul)) indicating a search result on the user interface unit 110. The host image forming apparatus 100 may receive a user input for selecting the plurality of image forming apparatuses to be registered in the account of the cloud server 200 from among the peripheral image forming apparatuses displayed on the user interface unit 110. As shown in FIG. 4, the user may select the plurality of image forming apparatuses by checking a respective plurality of check boxes corresponding to the plurality of image forming apparatuses to be registered in the account of the cloud server 200, through the user interface unit 110. However, the disclosure is not limited to [0038][0040][0044]. Third instructions used to receive a user account list from the cloud server 200 using the device verification information and the user verification information, and fourth instructions used to register the plurality of image forming apparatuses in an account of the received account list [0086][0080]); when determining that the user account of the user inputting the usage request has not already been registered in the table in association with the device identification information identifying the particular device used by the service (Hwang discloses provide information about the solution that the cloud server 200 may provide and provide an interface to the cloud server 200 by linking the solution to the account of the cloud server 200 such that the solution is provided to the image forming apparatus 100 registered in the account [0022]. Register the image forming apparatus 100 in the account of the cloud server 200 such that the image forming apparatus 100 may be provided with the solution from the cloud server 200, various processes such as authenticating each of the image forming apparatus 100 and the user and registering the image forming apparatus 100 in an account used in the cloud server 200 [0023]. The host image forming apparatus 100 may receive an account list of the user from the cloud server 200 through the communication interface unit 130, using the device verification information and the user verification information. The host image forming apparatus 100 may register a plurality of image forming apparatuses in an account of the received account list [0031]):
and when determining that the user account of the user inputting the usage request has already been registered in the table in association with the device identification information identifying the particular device: not causing the display to display the first input screen and obtaining destination information associated with the account information recorded in the table (Hwang discloses the host image forming apparatus 100 may receive IP addresses of “15.40.152.2”, “15.40.152.3”, and Ί5.40.155.1 ” from a user input or a received file and display a screen indicating a result obtained by collecting information of the peripheral image forming apparatuses corresponding to the IP addresses on the user interface unit 110 [0041]. Display a screen indicating a result obtained by collecting information about the peripheral image forming apparatuses belonging to the range on the user interface unit [0047]. the host image forming apparatus 100 may collect the information of the peripheral image forming apparatuses on the same network having Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of “15.40.152.2”, “15.40.152.3”, and“15.40.152.4” and display a screen (e.g., a user interface (Ul)) indicating a search result on the user interface unit 110. The host image forming apparatus 100 may receive a user input for selecting the plurality of image forming apparatuses to be registered in the account of the cloud server 200 from among the peripheral image forming apparatuses displayed on the user interface unit 110. As shown in FIG. 4, the user may select the plurality of image forming apparatuses by checking a respective plurality of check boxes corresponding to the plurality of image forming apparatuses to be registered in the account of the cloud server 200, through the user interface unit 110. However, the disclosure is not limited to [0038][0040][0044]. Third instructions used to receive a user account list from the cloud server 200 using the device verification information and the user verification information, and fourth instructions used to register the plurality of image forming apparatuses in an account of the received account list [0086][0080][0029]).
Although Hwang discloses adding an image forming apparatus ([0044][0051]), Hwang does not explicitly teach but Patel teaches causing a display to display, according to the usage request, a first input screen where account information of the user account is to be input (Patel teaches where the user is not an existing customer of the financial institution associated with the server computer system 120, the user may be required to create an account. the computing device 110 may display one or more input fields that may be used to enter information associated with creating an account [0073], claim language “to be” is an intended result);
registering, in the storage, the user account of the user inputting the usage request in association with the device identification information identifying the particular device used by the service based on the account information input on the first input screen (Patel teaches where the user is not an existing customer of the financial institution associated with the server computer system 120, the user may be required to create an account. the computing device 110 may display one or more input fields that may be used to enter information associated with creating an account [0073]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method and system disclosed by Hwang to include causing a display to display, according to the usage request, a first input screen where account information of the user account is to be input; registering, in the storage, the user account of the user inputting the usage request in association with the device identification information identifying the particular device used by the service based on the account information input on the first input screen as disclosed by Patel. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated for the purpose of determining whether the device is an authorized user and identify one or more accounts the user is trying to access (Patel [0044]).
Hwang and Patel do not explicitly teach but Moriya teaches transmitting an approval request for use of the service to the destination; and transmitting a token used to use the service to a terminal device of the user inputting the usage request when receiving a response indicating approval of the approval request (Moriya teaches the information processing device 104 receives authentication information from the terminal device 120 via user operation, it obtains the token and user account information included in the authorization request. based on the token and user account information, it verifies whether the request is from an authorized user (such as an authorized administrator or a user to whom authority has been delegated). compares the authentication information (one-time password) with the one-time password stored in association with the image forming device awaiting approval. As a result of the comparison, if there is an image forming machine in an approval pending state whose one-time password matches, that image forming machine is identified as an image forming machine for which approval is required. The information processing device 104 executes the approval process for the image forming apparatus that it has identified as requiring approval (S705) [0080]. he information processing device 104 obtains an authentication request (S801) and obtains user account information or a user token included in the authentication request (S802). Then, the information processing device 104 refers to settings 602, 603, and 604 and determines whether the user identified by the user account information or user token obtained by the execution of S802 has authorization authority (S803). If you have the authority to approve, determine whether the authentication information is legitimate. If it is determined that the request is from a user with approval authority and the authentication information is valid, the registration status 608 of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the authentication information (one-time password) is updated to "approved" (S804). determine whether the user has the approval authority, and determines that the request is from a user who does not have the approval authority, it proceeds to S805. In S805, the information processing device 104 updates the registration status 608 of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the authentication information to "awaiting approval". In this case, the administrator or a user with administrator-level authority may perform the approval process again. However, if the validity period for the pending approval is limited, the information regarding the relevant image forming apparatus will be deleted once that period expires. Although omitted in this flowchart, if an approval request is received from a user with administrator privileges to manage the tenant, the image processing device can be officially registered with the cloud print service using that request as a trigger [0099]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method and system disclosed by Hwang-Patel to include transmitting an approval request for use of the service to the destination; and transmitting a token used to use the service to a terminal device of the user inputting the usage request when receiving a response indicating approval of the approval request as disclosed by Moriya. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated for the purpose of verifying the request and determining approval in order to have access (Moriya [0079][0099]).
Re. claim 2, the combination of Hwang-Patel-Moriya teaches the information processing device according to claim 1, wherein, when the user account is not registered, the controller is configured to, in the registering, perform creating a new account based on the account information input on the first input screen and registering the new account in association with the device identification information (Patel teaches where the user is not an existing customer of the financial institution associated with the server computer system 120, the user may be required to create an account. the computing device 110 may display one or more input fields that may be used to enter information associated with creating an account [0073]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method and system disclosed by Hwang to include wherein, when the user account is not registered, the controller is configured to, in the registering, perform creating a new account based on the account information input on the first input screen and registering the new account in association with the device identification information as disclosed by Patel. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated for the purpose of determining whether the device is an authorized user and identify one or more accounts the user is trying to access (Patel [0044]).
Re. claim 3, the combination of Hwang-Patel-Moriya teaches the information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device is a server configured to communicate with at least one of a terminal device of the user and the particular device (Hwang discloses a cloud server and an authentication server and image forming apparatus [0051]); wherein the controller is further configured to perform: obtaining the usage request from the at least one of the terminal device of the user and the particular device (Hwang obtaining request authentication of image forming apparatuses [0050]); obtaining the device identification information from the at least one of the terminal device of the user and the particular device (Hwang discloses image forming apparatus transmit the device information from plurality of image forming apparatuses to the cloud server [0049]); and in the first obtaining, transmitting, to the at least one of the terminal device of the user and the particular device, information used to display the first input screen, and wherein the first input screen is displayed on a display of the at least one of the terminal device of the user and the particular device (Hwang discloses receive an input for selecting a plurality of image forming apparatuses to be registered in an account of the cloud server 200 from among the displayed peripheral image forming apparatuses [0074]).
Re. claim 4, the combination of Hwang-Patel-Moriya teaches the information processing device according to claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to perform: transmitting
a token used to use the service to the terminal device in response to registering the user account when the user account is not registered (Hwang discloses the registration screen may be used to register the image forming apparatuses in the account of the cloud server if the host image forming apparatus receives a token necessary for performing an operation from the cloud server [0068]); and transmitting the token to the terminal device without registering the user account when the user account is registered (Hwang discloses the cloud server 200 may provide the generated token to the host image forming apparatus 100 that is authenticated as a device capable of registering the image forming apparatuses [0063]).
Re. claim 5, the combination of Hwang-Patel-Moriya teaches the information processing device according to claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to perform: transmitting an approval request for the user to use the service to a destination associated to the user account based on account information of the user account when the user account is registered; and transmitting the token to the terminal device when receiving a response indicating approval of the approval request (Hwang discloses the cloud server 200 may provide the generated token to the host image forming apparatus 100 that is authenticated as a device capable of registering the image forming apparatuses [0063]).
Re. claim 11, Hwang discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for an information processing device having a controller, a communication interface, and a storage the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing computer-executable instructions which cause, when executed by the controller, the information processing device to perform controller (Hwang discloses an image forming apparatus with a processor [0025]. Implemented on a computer-readable storage medium [0087]. Communication interface [0038]. A memory [0084]). The claim is rejected with the same rationale as applied in claim 1 above.
Claims 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al. (WO 2021194546, hereinafter Hwang) in view of Patel et al. (US 20220294792, hereinafter Patel) in view of Moriya (JP 2022085561) and in further view of Heidari (US 20200045041).
Re. claim 6, the combination of Hwang-Patel teaches the information processing device according to claim 5, the combination of Hwang-Patel do not explicitly teach but Heidari teaches wherein the controller is configured to perform, when the user account is registered, causing display of a second input screen where user information is to be input, wherein the user information is information different from the account information, the user information being information related to the user, and wherein the approval request includes the user information input on the second input screen (Heidari teaches the registration application may provide (e.g., via a second registration screen) various prompts requesting that the user input various personal user information including, for example, first name, last name, email address, username, password, cell phone number, a personal identification number (e.g., PIN) and the like. The web application may also provide the user with ability to upload one or more images or documents, such as a picture (e.g., a selfie), document (e.g., Driver's License) scan, etc. In some embodiments, the registration application may request (e.g., via a third registration screen) bank account information that links the user with one or more bank accounts in respective one or more banks. The registration application may request (e.g., via a fourth registration screen) user account information that may be used to identify the user at servers of one or more merchants or services to which the user wishes to connect via centralized gateway server 102 [0030][0039]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method and system disclosed by the combination of Hwang-Patel to include wherein the controller is configured to perform, when the user account is registered, second displaying of displaying a second input screen where user information is to be input, wherein the user information is information different from the account information, the user information being information related to the user, and wherein the approval request includes the user information input on the second input screen as disclosed by Heidari. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated for the purpose of providing access to services (Heidari [0048]).
Re. claim 7, the combination of Hwang-Patel-Heidari teaches the information processing device according to claim 6, Heidari further teaches wherein the controller is configured to perform transmitting the token to the terminal device based on the user information (Heidari [0030][0039]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method and system disclosed by the combination of Hwang-Patel to include wherein the controller is configured to perform, when the user account is registered, second displaying of displaying a second input screen where user information is to be input, wherein the user information is information different from the account information, the user information being information related to the user, and wherein the approval request includes the user information input on the second input screen as disclosed by Heidari. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated for the purpose of providing access to services (Heidari [0048]).
Re. claim 8, the combination of Hwang-Patel-Heidari teaches the information processing device according to claim 6, Heidari further teaches wherein the user information is an email address (Heidari [0030][0039]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method and system disclosed by the combination of Hwang-Patel to include wherein the user information is an email address as disclosed by Heidari. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated for the purpose of providing access to services (Heidari [0048]).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al. (WO 2021194546, hereinafter Hwang) in view of Patel et al. (US 20220294792, hereinafter Patel) in view of Moriya (JP 2022085561) in view of Heidari (US 20200045041) and in further view of Takeo (US 20160226855).
Re. claim 9, the combination of Hwang-Patel-Heidari teaches the information processing device according to claim 6, the combination of Hwang-Patel-Heidari do not explicitly teach but Takeo teaches wherein the token includes a first type token and a second type token, wherein the controller is configured to perform: transmitting the first token to the terminal device when the user account is not registered; and transmitting the second token to the terminal device when the user account is registered, wherein a function that can be used with the first token includes a first function and a second function, and wherein a function that can be used with the second token includes the first function and does not include the second function (Takeo teaches the token list is a list in which generated tokens are sequentially registered. When a generated token is registered in the token list, the authentication information stored in the MFP 101 in advance, such as an ID, a password, and information concerning the type of a user (hereinafter referred to as the “user type information”) are associated with the token. That is, the token is registered in the token list in association with the user [0053]. in a case where a token with which is associated the user type information as the authentication information stored in the MFP 101 in advance is read out from the token list together with the user type information, and the user type information read out and the user type indicated by the attribute ID 911 included in the token-attached command 900 do not match each other (e.g. a case where the user type information read out is administrative user, but the user type indicated by the attribute ID 911 is guest user), the authentication error notification may be generated [0069]. Performing one or more functions [0079][0037][0040][0074][0077], token for the admin another token for user. The function can be print and scan).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method and system disclosed by the combination of Hwang-Patel-Heidari to include wherein the token includes a first type token and a second type token, wherein the controller is configured to perform: transmitting the first token to the terminal device when the user account is not registered; and transmitting the second token to the terminal device when the user account is registered, wherein a function that can be used with the first token includes a first function and a second function, and wherein a function that can be used with the second token includes the first function and does not include the second function as disclosed by Takeo. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated for the purpose of determining that the execution of the job is terminated or not terminated and user authentication (Takeo [0077] [0052]).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al. (WO 2021194546, hereinafter Hwang) in view of Patel et al. (US 20220294792, hereinafter Patel) in view of Moriya (JP 2022085561) and in further view of Huang et al. (CN 113595968, hereinafter Huang).
Re. claim 10, the combination of Hwang-Patel teaches the information processing device according to claim 3, further comprising a storage, wherein the controller is further configured to perform: the combination of Hwang-Patel teaches do not explicitly teach but Huang teaches accommodating a table in which the device identification information and the account information are recorded in an associated manner in the storage; determining whether the user account is registered by determining whether the device information received from the terminal device is recorded in the table (Huang teaches account management node 140 may store the binding relationship between the user’s cloud platform account and the newly created application account in the database [0095]. The account management node 140 records registration information and instance status information, wherein the registration information includes a first correspondence between a cloud platform account and a registration password, and the status information includes a second correspondence between a device identifier of the cloud application instance 200 and a cloud platform account. The account management node 140 can record the second correspondence. Therefore, at step 47, after the account management node 140 receives the login password and device identification sent by the user, it can first determine the cloud platform account corresponding to the device identification based on the device identification and the stored second correspondence, and then obtain the registration password entered by the user when registering based on the first correspondence and the cloud platform account [0116][0129][0130]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method and system disclosed by the combination of Hwang-Patel to include accommodating a table in which the device identification information and the account information are recorded in an associated manner in the storage; determining whether the user account is registered by determining whether the device information received from the terminal device is recorded in the table as disclosed by Huong. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated for the purpose of further confirm that the cloud platform account is bound to the application account (Huong [00130]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 12 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the first type token is an administrator token for an administrator corresponding to the user account registered in association with the device identification information, and wherein the second type token is a user token for a service. Transmit the approval request to a terminal device of the administrator and transmit the second type token to a terminal device of the service user when receiving the response indicating approval of the approval request from the terminal device of the administrator, the first function is a function of using the service with the particular device, and the second function is a function of changing a setting regarding the service.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Sako (US 20210294550) discloses Upon detecting a registration request made via this screen, the printing apparatus 101 transmits a registration request to the cloud print service. The CPS 102 that has received the registration request registers the printing apparatus 101 as a printer that is usable for a first type of cloud print service. With this registration processing, the account for a cloud print service that is owned by the user who is the administrator or the like, and the printer ID are associated with each other. Also, processing for issuing an access token and an access destination URL needed for acquiring a job from the printer, and the like are performed.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN A AYALA whose telephone number is (571)270-3912. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8AM-5PM; Friday: Variable EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jorge Ortiz-Criado can be reached on 571-272-7624. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN AYALA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2496
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