Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 06, 2026
Application No. 18/184,717

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

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Mar 16, 2023
Priority
Sep 05, 2022 — JP 2022-140795
Examiner
KAMRAN, MEHRAN
Art Unit
2196
Tech Center
2100 — Computer Architecture & Software
Assignee
Fujifilm Holdings Corporation
OA Round
3 (Non-Final)
90%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 90% — above average
90%
Career Allowance Rate
446 granted / 496 resolved
+34.9% vs TC avg
Moderate +14% lift
Without
With
+14.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 7m
Avg Prosecution
21 currently pending
Career history
519
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
7.1%
-32.9% vs TC avg
§103
60.7%
+20.7% vs TC avg
§102
9.5%
-30.5% vs TC avg
§112
13.1%
-26.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 496 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 . DETAILED ACTION 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 05/12/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-13 are presented for examination. 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 of this title, 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 and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Holbein (US 2011/0289238 A1) in view of Ravi (US 2012/0287231 A1) in further view of Du (US 2020/0133804 A1). As per claim 1, Holbein teaches An information processing apparatus that serves as a host apparatus that achieves synchronization of data with a different information processing apparatus by causing the different information processing apparatus to transmit the data in response to a request made via a synchronization path, communication through which is startable only from a side of the host apparatus, the information processing apparatus comprising: (Holbein [0022] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the synchronization is initiated by the generation, by the wireless device [host apparatus], of a synchronization request. The synchronization request is provided to a wireless transceiver of the wireless device and is communicated as a radio signal. The radio signal is communicated to the paired transceiver. And, a synchronization response [response from different processing apparatus] is generated and returned to the wireless device. The wireless transceiver of the wireless device detects the response, and the synchronization of the databases commences. [0034] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a more convenient manner is provided by which to provide for synchronization of a database, such as the database 146 with a corresponding, remote database, such as the database 156. [different processing apparatus] [0045] First, and as indicated by the block 234, detection is made of positioning of a wireless device at a support cradle, such as a charging cradle of a charging assembly. Then, and as indicated by block 236, synchronization operations are initiated, such as by the generation of a synchronization request message.) It is clear from above paragraphs that synchronization is initiated from Block 100 wireless device of Fig 1. This is clearly indicated in Fig 1 (Block 168 (Sync Initiator). Claims 11 and 12 of Holebein teach initiating the synchronization through wi-fi link (claim 11) or Bluetooth link. According to paragraph 28 these are Blocks 134 (Bluetooth) and 136 (wi-fi links). a processor configured to: establish a communication path between the different information processing apparatus and the host apparatus, separately from the synchronization path, by transmitting a path establishment request to the different information processing apparatus via the synchronization path; and (Holbein [0036] An indication of the detection made by the detector is provided to the synchronization initiator 168. The synchronization initiator operates, responsive to detection of the charging current by the detector, to initiate commencement of synchronization operations. To initiate the synchronization operations, in the example implementation, the initiator 168 generates a synchronization request message that is provided to a local area network transceiver, here the LAN transceiver 134 or 136. And, the local area network transceiver sends the synchronization request message over a radio air interface for reception by a corresponding transceiver. The corresponding transceiver is, e.g., embodied in at the computer station 122 or, alternately is embodied, indicated at 152, at the cradle 114, and connected to the computer station 122 by way of a tethered connection. A communication connection is established between the respective transceivers. In the example implementation, the remote transceiver returns a synchronization response, which is detected at the appropriate transceiver 134 or 136 pursuant to creation of the communication connection between the transceivers, thereby to permit the synchronization operations to be carried out. [0037] An indication of the synchronization is provided to the synchronization controller 172. The synchronization controller, which controls synchronization operations, permits the synchronization operations to be carried out to synchronize data of the database 146 with the remote database 156. The synchronization controller is provided with information during the synchronization operations such as, for example, information relating to the status of the exchange of synchronization data. The synchronization controller is provided with an indication of completion of the synchronization operations, or otherwise determines such completion. Upon completion of the synchronization operation, the database 146 is placed in correspondence with the remote database 156, and the communication connection between the local area network transceiver is no longer required. [This could be 134 or 136 in Fig 1] The synchronization controller 172 causes the local area network transceiver to be turned-off, here indicated by way of the line 176) achieve the data synchronization in response to an instruction for the data synchronization in a case where the instruction is provided from the different information processing apparatus via the communication path. (Holbein Fig 2 Block 212 (Synchronize) and Fig 3 Block 246 (Perform Synchronization) and [0044] At the block 212, synchronization is performed to place the databases in complete correspondence with one another. Then, as indicated by the decision block 216, a determination is made as to whether synchronization is completed). Holbein does not teach communication through the communication path being startable from either side. However, Ravi teaches communication through the communication path being startable from either side (Ravi [0063] In FIG. 3, a two-way exchange of synchronization commands is shown) It would have been obvious to a person in the ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to combine Ravi with the system of Holbein to start communication from either side. One having ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to use Ravi into the system of Holbein for the purpose of sharing media information (Ravi paragraph 06). Holbein and Ravi do not teach control execution of a job in a job queue based on the data synchronization. However, Du teaches control execution of a job in a job queue based on the data synchronization (Du [0033] Step 2: replicating data from the snapshot 112 to the destination resources 121. [0034] Step 3: refreshing the snapshot 122 on the destination resources 121 to become a common base image. [0035] Step 4: writing data into the destination resources 121 and [0045] when synchronization jobs are scheduled, the influence of available processing time and/or incremental data size may be considered in order to improve the RPO achievement rate. And [0048] The group of synchronization jobs to be processed, for example, may be the synchronization jobs placed in the waiting queue due to the number of the active jobs reaching the maximum number of the active jobs. And [0050] In other words, the scheduler 130 determines respective priorities of the group of synchronization jobs to decide an execution sequence of each of the group of the synchronization jobs) The role of the queue is not made clear in the above limitation (only that the job can be executed based on data synchronization). In Du, the synchronization job is put into a queue and is executed based on its priority. It would have been obvious to a person in the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Du with the system of Holbein and Ravi to use a job queue. One having ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to use Du into the system of Holbein and Ravi for the purpose of improving data synchronization. (Du paragraph 02) As to claims 11-13, they are rejected based on the same reason as claim 1. Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Holbein (US 2011/0289238 A1) in view of Ravi (US 2012/0287231 A1) in further view of Du (US 2020/0133804 A1) and Baron (US 2022/0094656 A1). As per claim 2, Holbein and Ravi and Du do not teach wherein the communication path is kept established during operation. However, Baron teaches wherein the communication path is kept established during operation. (Baron [0031] In some embodiments, each client device 102 maintains a persistent bi-directional communication path via network 106 with a respective one of gateways 130. As an example, a first client device 102 in a first geographical region maintains a persistent bi-directional communication path with the first gateway 131 located in the first geographical region. A second client device 102 in a second geographical region maintains a persistent bi-directional communication path with the second gateway 131 located in the second geographical region. When the first gateway 131 receives a message that is directed to the second user in the second geographical location, the first gateway 131 forwards the message automatically to the second gateway 131 located in the second geographical location. Using the persistent bi-directional communication path, the second gateway 131, in response to receiving the message from the first gateway 131, sends the message to the second client device 102 and causes the second client device 102 to present the message to the second user. And [claim 6] replicating data that associates the plurality of users with the plurality of geographical regions across the first and second gateways periodically or continuously) It would have been obvious to a person in the ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to combine Baron with the system of Holbein and Ravi and Du to communication path is kept established during . One having ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to use Baron into the system of Holbein and Ravi and Du for the purpose of managing message exchanges. (Baron paragraph 02) Claims 3, 4 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Holbein (US 2011/0289238 A1) in view of Ravi (US 2012/0287231 A1) in further view of Du (US 2020/0133804 A1) and HowardBaron (US 2021/0056553 A1). As per claim 3, Holbein and Ravi and Du do not teach wherein the processor is configured to control execution of a job in accordance with a degree of influence on the execution of the job in a case where the data synchronization is achieved in response to the instruction from the different information processing apparatus. However, Howard teaches wherein the processor is configured to control execution of a job in accordance with a degree of influence on the execution of the job in a case where the data synchronization is achieved in response to the instruction from the different information processing apparatus. (Howard [0061] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, and if the service provider is a financial network, updating the user's geolocation data with the service provider may update the service provider's fraud prevention rules and travel notifications, such that a user's financial instruments (credit cards, ATM cards, digital wallets, etc.) will be automatically authorized to transact while the user is travelling without requiring the user to manually inform the service provider of their travel plans (as current systems require). [0063] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, and if the service provider is a delivery service, updating the user's geolocation data with the service provider may cancel or postpone previously-configured delivery orders so that delivery service does not deliver food or packages while the consumer is outside of their home location for an extended period of time. Alternatively, updating the user's geolocation data with the service provider may change the delivery address for previously-configured delivery orders to a different, user-designated address, such as the user's work address, the user's address at the proposed time of delivery, or an associate's address.) It would have been obvious to a person in the ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to combine Howard with the system of Holbein and Ravi and Du to control execution of a job in accordance with a degree of influence on the execution of the job . One having ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to use Howard into the system of Holbein and Ravi and Du for the purpose of implementing an improved way of automatically identifying an authorized change in a consumer's regular travel, transaction, and/or consumption patterns, and updating service providers to ensure the desired performance of the consumer's services. (Howard paragraph 06) As per claim 4, Howard teaches wherein the processor is configured to cancel the execution of the job in a case where the data synchronization influences the execution of the job. (Howard [0056] As discussed hereinafter, and in some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, based upon the determined geolocation data (Step 220) and the extracted event data (Step 225), the geolocation data will be modified (e.g., changed, updated, arranged, and/or the like) to comprise or include the extracted event data (Step 222) [0063] In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, and if the service provider is a delivery service, updating the user's geolocation data with the service provider may cancel or postpone previously-configured delivery orders so that delivery service does not deliver food or packages while the consumer is outside of their home location for an extended period of time). As per claim 6, Howard teaches wherein the processor is configured to execute the job with a condition for the execution of the job changed in a case where the data synchronization influences the execution of the job but does not influence the execution of the job if the condition for the execution of the job is changed. (Howard [0063] Alternatively, updating the user's geolocation data with the service provider may change the delivery address for previously-configured delivery orders to a different, user-designated address, such as the user's work address, the user's address at the proposed time of delivery, or an associate's address). In this case the job continues (is not cancelled) but it goes to a different address. Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Holbein (US 2011/0289238 A1) in view of Ravi (US 2012/0287231 A1) in further view of Du (US 2020/0133804 A1) and Li (US 2021/0029198 A1). As per claim 9, Holbein and Ravi and Du do not teach wherein the processor is configured to notify a user that has set a job related to the data that the data synchronization is to be achieved in response to an instruction from the different information processing apparatus. However, Li teaches wherein the processor is configured to notify a user that has set a job related to the data that the data synchronization is to be achieved in response to an instruction from the different information processing apparatus. (Li [0119] During implementation, after storing the new schedule event in the database in the form of structured data, the control server may further feed back a synchronization result of the new schedule event to the data synchronization service client on the terminal device, to notify the terminal device whether the new schedule event is successfully synchronized). It would have been obvious to a person in the ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to combine Li with the system of Holbein and Ravi and Du to notify a user that has set a job related to the data that the data synchronization is to be achieved. One having ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to use Li into the system of Holbein and Ravi and Du for the purpose of implementing data synchronization method and a synchronization service device. (Li paragraph 02) Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Holbein (US 2011/0289238 A1) in view of Ravi (US 2012/0287231 A1) in further view of Du (US 2020/0133804 A1) and Nguyen (US 2021/0067584 A1). As per claim 10, Holbein and Ravi and Du do not teach wherein the different information processing apparatus is formed on a cloud. However, Nguyen teaches wherein the different information processing apparatus is formed on a cloud. (Nguyen [0026] After each task is performed, progress is made to block 420. At block 420 a check is made to determine whether to synchronize with the service cloud. If so, then at block 424 the application executing on the MFP sends synchronization data to the service cloud and progress returns to block 416 to continue executing tasks. If not, then progress returns to block 416 to continue executing tasks on the MFP for the service cloud. Synchronization can be coordinated between the MFP and the service cloud based on multiple factors such as what task has been performed, the type of synchronization data, the amount of synchronization data, and the performance level of the service cloud. For example, if the service cloud is under a heavy load, synchronization can be delayed until a period of time when the service cloud is under a lighter load. Similarly, if the task is performed on the MFP to reduce possible network congestion, then synchronization can be performed at a time when network traffic is lower or in a manner designed to minimize the impact to the service cloud). It would have been obvious to a person in the ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to combine Nguyen with the system of Holbein and Ravi and Du to implement a different information processing apparatus on a cloud. One having ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to use Nguyen into the system of Holbein and Ravi and Du for the purpose of handling intensive tasks by the cloud (Nguyen paragraph 11). Allowable Subject Matter Claims 5, 7 and 8 are 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. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 11044591 B2 – discloses establishing communication between a remote device and a virtual machine on a computing node of the cloud-based services via the distributed network. The cloud-based services include multiple operating systems and one or more applications. In response to receiving an instruction from the remote device the virtual machine is accessed, where the virtual machine is associated with at least one of a user of the remote device and the remote device. When directed by an instruction from the remote device, the virtual machine identifies one of the operating systems in which to execute the one or more applications and transmits results, based on execution of the one or more applications by the virtual machine, to the remote device via the distributed network. US 20200014750 A1 – discloses synchronizing files from a hosted file system where the client endpoint devices have direct access to the files stored on a hosted file store. When the client desires to synchronize with the files stored on the hosted file store the process identifies a sync role that can process the request. The particular sync role does not need to maintain state with the client device or the file store. The state necessary for the processing of the synchronization process is maintained separate from the sync role such that any sync role in the system can pick up the requests and process the requests. Once the role has been selected the synchronization process proceeds as normal. As state is not maintained by the sync role multiple roles can process the request or two roles can handle different portions of the process. US 20190373058 A1 – discloses an electronic device, comprising a non-transitory machine-readable medium to store instructions, one or more processors to execute the instructions, and a memory coupled to the one or more processors. The memory can be configured to store a set of synchronization data associated with interaction between the electronic device and one or more applications and instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to retrieve a set of synchronization data to be transmitted from the electronic device to select a transport channel from one of a peer-to-peer channel or a network-based channel and transmit the set of synchronization data from the electronic device to one or more remote devices via the selected transport channel. US 20190272219 A1 – discloses a quick recovery method, device and system of a virtual machine. The virtual machine quick recovery method comprises: forming a first host machine and a second host machine into a storage peer pair, such that read and write requests of a virtual machine of the first host machine are backed up in the second host machine; starting, by a backup host machine, the virtual machine of the first host machine when the first host machine goes down or powers off; receiving, by the virtual machine started in the backup host machine, read and write requests transmitted by a calling party, and judging whether full data synchronization from the second host machine to the backup host machine is finished or not; if the full data synchronization from the second host machine to the backup host machine is not finished, transmitting read and write requests to the second host machine; receiving, by the second host machine, the read and write requests, storing data to be written in the second host machine based on the write request, or acquiring specified data based on the read request and transmitting the specified data to the backup host machine; transmitting, by the backup host machine, the specified data to the calling party. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MEHRAN KAMRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-3401. The examiner can normally be reached on 9-5. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, April Blair can be reached on (571)270-1014. 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. /MEHRAN KAMRAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2196
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Mar 16, 2023
Application Filed
May 12, 2023
Response after Non-Final Action
Sep 25, 2025
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103
Dec 10, 2025
Response Filed
Feb 25, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §103
May 12, 2026
Request for Continued Examination
May 16, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Jun 03, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
90%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+14.2%)
2y 7m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 496 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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