FINAL OFFICE ACTION
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-3 and 5-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103
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 1-3 and 5-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujii et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2019/0278537 A1), hereinafter referred to as Fujii, in view of Ishida et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2011/0032567 A1), hereinafter referred to as Ishida.
Regarding Claim 1, Fujii teaches:
An image processing apparatus comprising: a processor configured to: ([0032]);
and extract a setting item of which setting contents are different between setting information of the image processing apparatus…([0087]; regarding, “the setting grasping module 190 selects an information processing apparatus 100 that has the smallest difference in configuration from the own information processing apparatus 100.”; [0089]; regarding, “module 165 requests for the setting of the changed configuration (the setting extracted in step S304) from the information processing apparatus 100 selected in step S314 or S316.”).
Fujii fails to explicitly disclose but Ishida teaches:
acquire, in a case where a fault has occurred in the image processing apparatus, setting information associated with the fault from an external apparatus; ([0088]; regarding, “The history information stored in the job history table 37… is the user ID… the job ID…the job status (before cue registration/execution waiting/execution/end by error/deletion) and the job settings information”; [0087]; regarding, “The nonvolatile memory 25… stores information unique to the apparatus or various types of settings information”; [0133]; regarding, “The multifunction peripheral 10 starts this operation (Start) when a job is created or is received from an external apparatus.”);
and extract a setting item of which setting contents are different between setting information of the image processing apparatus associated with the fault and the acquired setting information associated with the fault, wherein the extracted setting item causes the fault occurrence. ([0110]; regarding, “there is a "simple determination" of comparing in a simple manner the generated job data and the stored settings information, and a "detailed determination" of comparing them in detail. The simple determination is a determination mode in which the comparison is made of only the operation mode of the job data and of the settings information. The detailed determination is a determination mode in which all the contents of the job data and of the settings information are compared.”; [0126]; regarding, “An abnormality… is detected when there is a mismatch in the comparison… between the generated job data and the settings information at the time that the job settings completion is accepted.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains to combine Kumar with the teachings of Chopra. Doing so could reduce the necessary amount of storage (Ishida, [0189]).
Regarding Claim 2, Fujii in view of Ishida teaches the apparatus of claim 1 as referenced above. Fujii in view of Ishida further teaches:
wherein the processor is configured to: notify a user of the extracted setting item. (Fujii, [0064]; regarding, “when there exists a setting that is inappropriate for the replication, the… module 165 may notify the user of the setting.”).
Regarding Claim 3, Fujii in view of Ishida teaches the apparatus of claim 1 as referenced above. Fujii in view of Ishida further teaches:
wherein the processor is configured to: change a setting content of the extracted setting item to a setting content of the acquired setting information. (Fujii, [0065]; regarding, “the replication process module 170 extracts the setting in the own information processing apparatus 100, and transmits the setting to the other information processing apparatus 100 (information processing apparatus 100A) that has made the request.”).
Regarding Claim 5, Fujii in view of Ishida teaches the apparatus of claim 1 as referenced above. Fujii in view of Ishida further teaches:
wherein the setting information is classified into a plurality of categories, and the processor is configured to: acquire only setting information of a category associated with the fault that has occurred. (Ishida, [0208]; [0087]; regarding, “The nonvolatile memory 25… stores information unique to the apparatus or various types of settings information”).
Regarding Claim 6, Fujii in view of Ishida teaches the apparatus of claim 1 as referenced above. Fujii in view of Ishida further teaches:
wherein the processor is configured to: notify, in a case where there is no difference between the setting information of the image processing apparatus and the acquired setting information, a person in charge of maintenance of the case. (Fujii, [0058]; regarding, “…include a case where there is no difference in configuration between the present information processing apparatus 100 and another information processing apparatus 100”; [0063]; regarding, “when the replication request module 165 cannot make the request, the replication request module 165 may make a notification to a user in order to prompt an existing replication process or a manual replication process.”).
Regarding Claim 7, Fujii in view of Ishida teaches the apparatus of claim 1 as referenced above. Fujii in view of Ishida further teaches:
wherein the external apparatus from which the setting information is acquired is an apparatus connected to the image processing apparatus via a network. (Fujii, [0078]).
Regarding Claim 8, Fujii in view of Ishida teaches the apparatus of claim 7 as referenced above. Fujii in view of Ishida further teaches:
wherein the external apparatus from which the setting information is acquired is an apparatus registered in advance. (Fujii, Fig. 8, [0113]; regarding, “The selection table 800 has an own information processing apparatus 100 column 810, an information processing apparatus 100B column 820, and an information processing apparatus 100A column 830 in the column direction.”).
Regarding Claim 9, Fujii in view of Ishida teaches the apparatus of claim 1 as referenced above. Fujii in view of Ishida further teaches:
wherein the processor is configured to: correct and change, in a case where the acquired setting information does not correspond to a version of control software of the image processing apparatus, the acquired setting information. (Fujii, [0070]; regarding, “the “setup or change of firmware or an application” includes a change of a version of the firmware or application (including an update and a downgrade).”).
Regarding Claim 10, Fujii in view of Ishida teaches the apparatus of claim 1 as referenced above. Fujii in view of Ishida further teaches:
wherein the processor is configured to: update, in a case where the acquired setting information does not correspond to a version of control software of the image processing apparatus, the version of the control software of the image processing apparatus to a version corresponding to the acquired setting information. (Fujii, [0070]; regarding, “the “setup or change of firmware or an application” includes a change of a version of the firmware or application (including an update and a downgrade).”).
Regarding Claim 11, Fujii in view of Ishida teaches the apparatus of claim 1 as referenced above. Fujii in view of Ishida further teaches:
wherein the processor is configured to: notify, in a case where the number of setting items of the acquired setting information is smaller than the number of setting items of the setting information of the image processing apparatus, that the number of setting items of the acquired setting information is smaller than the number of setting items of the setting information of the image processing apparatus. (Fujii, [0063]; regarding, “when the replication request module 165 cannot make the request, the replication request module 165 may make a notification to a user… module 165 cannot make the request” may include a case where another information processing apparatus 100 that possesses the target setting does not exist.)
Regarding Claim 12, Fujii in view of Ishida teaches the apparatus of claim 1 as referenced above. Fujii in view of Ishida further teaches:
wherein the processor is configured to: acquire, in a case where the number of setting items of the acquired setting information is smaller than the number of setting items of the setting information of the image processing apparatus, setting information of a shortage setting item from an external apparatus other than the external apparatus from which the setting information is acquired. (Fujii, [0092]; regarding, “when there exists no information processing apparatus 100 that possesses all of the necessary pieces of setting information (that is, when another information processing apparatus 100 that possesses the same settings as the plural necessary settings does not exist), the setting grasping module 190 may extract, for each piece of setting information, an information processing apparatus 100 that possesses the piece of setting information (as a result, a plurality of information processing apparatuses 100 are extracted).”).
Regarding Claim 13, Fujii in view of Ishida teaches the apparatus of claim 1 as referenced above. Fujii in view of Ishida further teaches:
wherein the processor is configured to: notify, in a case where the number of setting items of the acquired setting information is larger than the number of setting items of the setting information of the image processing apparatus, that the number of setting items of the acquired setting information is larger than the number of setting items of the setting information of the image processing apparatus. (Fujii, [0072]; regarding, “The setting grasping module 190 communicates with another information processing apparatuses 100 (for example, the information processing apparatus 100A) to acquire…a setting that the other information processing apparatus 100 possesses.”).
Regarding Claim 14, Fujii in view of Ishida teaches the apparatus of claim 1 as referenced above. Fujii in view of Ishida further teaches:
wherein the processor is configured not to: use, in a case where the number of setting items of the acquired setting information is larger than the number of setting items of the setting information of the image processing apparatus, the setting information of an excessive setting item. (Fujii, [0092]; regarding, “the setting grasping module 190 may extract, for each piece of setting information, an information processing apparatus 100 that possesses the piece of setting information (as a result, a plurality of information processing apparatuses 100 are extracted). Then, the individual pieces of setting information may be received from the information processing apparatuses 100.”).
Claims 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 under the same grounds of rejection as claim 1.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 02/12/2026 have been fully considered.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the previous rejection on independent Claim 1,
and similarly Claims 15 and 16, have been considered and a new grounds of rejection has been provided addressing the newly claimed matter. Please see the above detailed rejection of the newly recited subject matter.
Newly cited reference Ishida in combination with Fujii teaches acquire, in a case where a fault has occurred in the image processing apparatus, setting information associated with the fault from an external apparatus; and extract a setting item of which setting contents are different between setting information of the image processing apparatus associated with the fault and the acquired setting information associated with the fault, wherein the extracted setting item causes the fault occurrence.
Conclusion
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.
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/M.D.G./Examiner, Art Unit 2113
/BRYCE P BONZO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2113
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