DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Response to Amendment
This Action is in response to Applicant’s amendment filed November 13, 2025. Claims 1-10 are still pending in the present application. This Action is made FINAL.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(b) the invention was patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country or in public use or on sale in this country, more than one year prior to the date of application for patent in the United States.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b) as being anticipated by “HP Mobile Printing for Pocket PC User Guide” (hereinafter “Pocket PC User Guide”).
Regarding claim 1, Pocket PC User Guide teaches a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed by a processor of a communication device (Pocket PC inherently includes the claimed features) comprising a first wireless communication unit configured to communicate using a first wireless communication method, a second wireless communication unit configured to communicate using a second wireless communication method different from the first wireless communication method (page 3 - Direct Printing lets you print directly from a Pocket PC to a printer which can be a Bluetooth, infrared, or network printer (Wi-Fi direct printing only), and a display unit (Figure on page 11 shows display of “My Printers”), instruct the communication device to execute:
receiving a selection operation to a displayed first user interface of the display unit selecting an external printer from one or more candidate external printers configured to communicate via one or more of the first wireless communication method and the second wireless communication method, and selecting a wireless communication method from one or more candidate wireless communication methods including one or more of the first wireless communication method and the second wireless communication method (“Add Printer” of page 18 shows choices of different printers including Bluetooth IR and Network. Page 20, first paragraph recites “[w]hen you choose this option, HP Mobile Printing searches for Bluetooth printers within range.” Figure on page 20, corresponding to claimed “first user interface” shows a printer that you user can select and click next to add); and
in response to finishing the selection operation, displaying, on the displaying unit, a second user interface including a plurality of fields not included in the first user, wherein both of first character strings indicating the selected external printer and second character strings indicating the selected wireless communication method to be used for communication with the selected external printer are displayed simultaneously in one of the plurality of fields, wherein the first user interface is different from the second user interface (first figure of page 21 shows DeskJet 450 printer being selected. “Specify Bluetooth Printer” and “BT” indicate Bluetooth being selected).
Regarding claim 2, Pocket PC User Guide teaches claim 1 and further teaches wherein the candidate wireless communication methods include Wi-Fi (first figure of page 26 shows information of the “Network Printer” which corresponds to Wi-Fi because Wi-Fi radio must be turned on – see note below the figure).
Regarding claim 3, Pocket PC User Guide teaches claim 1 and further teaches wherein the candidate wireless communication methods include a communication unit of Bluetooth interface (first figure of page 21 shows information of the “Bluetooth Printer”).
Regarding claim 4, Pocket PC User Guide teaches claim 1 and further teaches wherein, in the displaying, the first character strings and the second character strings are aligned with each other (first figure of page 21 shows lines “Specify Bluetooth Printer”, “Mfg: Hewlett-Packard” and “Model: DeskJet 405” are left aligned).
Regarding claim 5, Pocket PC User Guide teaches claim 1 and further teaches wherein, in the displaying, the first character strings and the second character strings are displayed in a print settings screen (first figure of page 21, first figure of page 26 and first figure of page 29 are “Print Config”)
Regarding claim 6, Pocket PC User Guide teaches A communication device comprising:
a first wireless communication unit configured to communicate using a first wireless communication method; a second wireless communication unit configured to communicate using a second wireless communication method different from the first wireless communication method (page 3 - Direct Printing lets you print directly from a Pocket PC to a printer which can be a Bluetooth, infrared, or network printer (Wi-Fi direct printing only);
a display unit (Figure on page 11 shows display of “My Printers”); a
processor; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor (Pocket PC inherently includes the claimed features), cause the communication device to:
receive a selection operation to a displayed first user interface of the display unit selecting an external printer from one or more candidate external printers configured to communicate via one or more of the first wireless communication method and the second wireless communication method, and selecting a wireless communication method from one or more candidate wireless communication methods including one or more of the first wireless communication method and the second wireless communication method (“Add Printer” of page 18 shows choices of different printers including Bluetooth IR and Network. Page 20, first paragraph recites “[w]hen you choose this option, HP Mobile Printing searches for Bluetooth printers within range.” Figure on page 20, corresponding to claimed “first user interface” shows a printer that you user can select and click next to add); and
in response to finishing the selection operation, displaying a second user interface including a plurality of fields on the display unit, wherein both of first character strings indicating the selected external printer and second character strings indicating the selected wireless communication method to be used for communication with the selected external printer are displayed simultaneously in one of the plurality of fields, wherein the first user interface is different from the second user interface (first figure of page 21 shows DeskJet 450 printer being selected. “Specify Bluetooth Printer” and “BT” indicate Bluetooth being selected. First figure of page 26 shows DeskJet 450 printer being selected. “Specify Bluetooth Printer” and “BT” indicate Bluetooth being selected. “Specify Network Printer” indicates network over Wi-Fi is selected . First figure of page 29 shows DeskJet 450 being selected, also “Specify IR printer” indicates an IR being selected).
Regarding claim 7, Pocket PC User Guide teaches claim 6 and further teaches herein the candidate wireless communication methods include Wi-Fi (first figure of page 26 shows information of the “Network Printer” which corresponds to Wi-Fi because Wi-Fi radio must be turned on – see note below the figure).
Regarding claim 8, Pocket PC User Guide teaches claim 6 and further teaches wherein the candidate wireless communication methods include a communication unit of Bluetooth interface (first figure of page 21 shows information of the “Bluetooth Printer”).
Regarding claim 9, Pocket PC User Guide teaches claim 6 and further teaches wherein, in the displaying, the first character strings and the second character strings are aligned with each other (first figure of page 21 shows lines “Specify Bluetooth Printer”, “Mfg: Hewlett-Packard” and “Model: DeskJet 405” are left aligned).
Regarding claim 10, Pocket PC User Guide teaches claim 6 and further teaches wherein, in the displaying, the first character strings and the second character strings are displayed in a print settings screen (first figure of page 21, first figure of page 26 and first figure of page 29 are “Print Config”).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 08, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding the rejection of claim 1, Applicant argues The User Guide does not disclose “a second user interface including a plurality of fields not included in the first user interface” (page 5).
The Examiner respectfully disagrees. Page 20 incudes a figure, corresponding to “first user interface” that shows a result of Bluetooth printer search. The figure shows a printer for user to select and click next to add. Further the first figure of page 21 corresponds to the second user interface which is different from the first user interface.
The Examiner submits, The User Guide teaches all limitations of claim 1 and similarly, claim 6.
Conclusion
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 QUOC THAI NGOC VU whose telephone number is (571)270-5901. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9:30AM-6:00PM.
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/QUOC THAI N VU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2642