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
Applicant's arguments filed January 26, 2026 with respect to claims 1-10 have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejection.
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 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kunimi (US Patent No.: US 11,039,039 B2) hereinafter Kunimi, in view of Kouguchi (US Patent Pub. No.: US 2013/0120774 A1), hereinafter Kouguchi.
Regarding claim 1, Kunimi teaches an information processing apparatus comprising: a processor (Each of the functions of the described embodiments may be implemented by one or more processing circuits or circuitry. Processing circuitry includes a programmed processor, as a processor includes circuitry. Column 22 line 64) configured to: acquire color information (convert the second print data received by the communication unit into image data of a predetermined color. Abstract) of an image file as a printing target (The processing circuitry is configured to receive first print data in which an object to be printed in a spot color is designated in a first area in a document to be printed and second print data of the document to be printed from an information processing apparatus. Abstract); and replace the specific color with the associated replacement color (The user can print the object 71 of the spot color (i.e., the replacement color) area 72 in the spot color area 72, but can move the object 71 of the spot color area 72 to any location in the document and print the object 71. That is, the user can designate the destination of the object 71 of the spot color area 72. In part (a) of FIG. 1, a destination area (an example of a second area) 74 (which is of the specific color) is designated in a part of a photograph 73 of the document (in practice, this is an operation on the preview screen). Column 4 line 53.
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) and output a result of the replacement (generate image data of the spot color in which the image of the first area converted by the conversion unit is placed. Abstract).
Kunimi does not teach the following limitations as further recited, but Kouguchi further teaches determine whether colors represented by the acquired color information of the printing target (The image reading unit 22 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a light source and a CCD ( charge coupled device) image sensor. Light emitted from the light source to a document for a scan is reflected and then received by the CCD image sensor, which performs photoelectric conversion to read the image of the document as R (Red), G (Green), and B (Blue) signals. [0065]) includes a specific color (The control unit analyzes and rasterizes print data; generates raster data represented by a first color value in a first color space, color space information indicating the first color space, and specific color information indicating that the first color value is a specific color value. Abstract); in a case where the printing target includes the specific color, determine whether there is a replacement color associated with the specific color (determines whether the specific color information exists. Abstract); and in a case where there is the replacement color associated with the specific color, (replaces the specific color value with a predetermined color value in the second color space if the specific color information exists; and generates image data to be outputted by the output device. Abstract).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Kunimi to incorporate the teachings of Kouguchi to replace the specific color with the associated replacement color and output a result of the replacement, in a case where there is the replacement color associated with the specific color, in order to improve printing productivity.
Claims 2-7, unamended and are rejected based on Kunimi, in view of Kouguchi as applied to claim 1 above. The grounds of rejection established in the last Office Action is fully incorporated herein.
Claim 8 is drawn to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having executable instructions stored for carrying out the method of using the corresponding apparatus as claimed in claim 1. Therefore, claim 8 corresponds to apparatus claim 1, and is rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used above.
Method claim 9 is drawn to the method of using the corresponding apparatus claimed in claim 1. Therefore method claim 9 corresponds to apparatus claim 1 and is rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used above.
Regarding claim 10, Kunimi in the combination teaches the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specific color and the replacement color form a first association (The user can print the object 71 of the spot color (i.e., the replacement color) area 72 in the spot color area 72, but can move the object 71 of the spot color area 72 to any location in the document and print the object 71. That is, the user can designate the destination of the object 71 of the spot color area 72. In part (a) of FIG. 1, a destination area (an example of a second area) 74 (which is of the specific color) is designated in a part of a photograph 73 of the document (in practice, this is an operation on the preview screen). Column 4 line 53.
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) with respect to a user name of the image file ((S101) The user describes an object 71 to be printed in a spot color in a document. Column 4 line 31. The object 71 to be printed in a spot color may be any object that can be expressed in a two-dimensional manner. Information included in the image code includes a creator's user name, serial number, creation date and time, and identification information of the information processing apparatus 10. Column 17 line 14), wherein the specific color and the replacement color form a second association (The user can print the object 71 of the spot color (i.e., the replacement color) area 72 in the spot color area 72, but can move the object 71 of the spot color area 72 to any location in the document and print the object 71. That is, the user can designate the destination of the object 71 of the spot color area 72. In part (a) of FIG. 1, a destination area (an example of a second area) 74 (which is of the specific color) is designated in a part of a photograph 73 of the document (in practice, this is an operation on the preview screen). Column 4 line 53) with respect to a file name of the image file ((S101) The user describes an object 71 to be printed in a spot color in a document. Column 4 line 31. The object 71 to be printed in a spot color may be any object that can be expressed in a two-dimensional manner. Information included in the image code includes a creator's user name, serial number, creation date and time (which reads on “a file name”.), and identification information of the information processing apparatus 10. Column 17 line 14), and wherein the processor is configured to: in a case where the first association is different from the second association, replace the specific color with the associated replacement color by based on the second association (It is common knowledge that whether the association between the specific color and the replacement color in the file name is given a priority to the association between the specific color and the replacement color in the user name can be set by the system.).
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 LEI ZHAO whose telephone number is (703)756-1922. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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/LEI ZHAO/Examiner, Art Unit 2668
/VU LE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2668