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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 1/29/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-7, 9 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 9, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujiwara et al. (US 7,669,060) hereafter Fujiwara in view of Carey (US 2012/0150747) hereafter Carey further in view of Limisco (US 5,793,952) hereafter Limisco.
1. Fujiwara discloses an image forming apparatus comprising:
a display and one or more controllers (fig. 1 and corresponding text),
wherein after the image forming apparatus starts, the one or more controllers:
display until an administrator password is changed from an initial password, on the display a first screen that includes displaying a request to set the administrator password and does not include a selection area for selecting functions including at least copying (figure 9 and corresponding text; see also figures 10A-10C and corresponding text); and
display, after the administrator password is changed, on the display a second screen that does not include displaying the request to set the administrator password and includes the selection area for selecting functions including at least copying (col 7:29-40, input section 4a, the digital multifunction machine 20 as the data processing apparatus of the present invention is set with each of the copy function, the printer function, the network scanner function and the facsimile (FAX) function; see also figure 2).
Fujiwara does not explicitly disclose display, on the first screen, a second selection area for cancelling the request to set the administrator password; and in a case that the second selection area is selected, display, on the display, the second screen, which is the same as the second screen displayed after the administrator password is changed. However, in an analogous art, Carey discloses a screen for changing the password including display, on the first screen, a second selection area for cancelling the request to set the administrator password (Fig 5I, cancel button; para 77, "Cancel" button pushed - The App opens "Home" screen - Nothing is stored); and in a case that the second selection area is selected, display, on the display, the second screen, which is the same as the second screen displayed after the administrator password is changed (Fig 5I, cancel button; para 77, "Cancel" button pushed - The App opens "Home" screen and nothing is stored … New password has been entered and Done button pushed – The App opens the “Home” screen and the password is set/changed [both cancel and changing the password result in going to the “Home” screen]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the implementation of Carey in order to provide more options for the user (para 77);
wherein the initial password is an initial setting of the administrator password (col 12, 61-col 13, line 5, the default password is the initial setting of the administrator password).
Fujiwara and Carey do not explicitly disclose when accepting an entry of a new administrator password to change the administrator password from the initial password, request an entry of the initial password. Limisco discloses secure remote password graphic interface including when accepting an entry of a new administrator password to change the administrator password from the initial password, request an entry of the initial password (fig. 1 and corresponding text [requests user ID, current password, and new password]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the implementation of Fujiwara and Carey with the implementation of Limisco in order to verify the administrator prior to changing the administrator password and/or prevent unwanted changes to the administrator password without knowledge of the current password.
Claim 9 is similar in scope to claim 1 and is rejected under similar rationale.
10. Fujiwara, Carey, and Limisco disclose the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when accepting the entry of the new administrator password, the one or more controllers further accept an entry of contact information of an administrator related to the administrator password (Limisco, col 5, lines 23-33, [a user ID can be linked to an individual]).
Claim(s) 3, 6, 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujiwara, Carey, and Limisco as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Chiba (US 2022/0131993) hereafter Chiba.
3. Fujiwara, Carey, and Limisco disclose the image forming apparatus according to claim 1 including a setting key (Fujiwara, col 6: 58-67) and software buttons (Fujiwara, figure 4 and corresponding text), but does not explicitly disclose wherein the one or more controllers further display, on the first screen, a third selection area for displaying a third screen that allows an administrator to select the functions to execute. However, in an analogous art, Chiba discloses controlling information processing systems including wherein the one or more controllers further display, on the first screen, a third selection area for displaying a third screen that allows an administrator to select the functions to execute (para 58-59, setup key). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the implementation of Fujiwara, Carey, and Limisco with the implementation of Chiba in order to allow for administrative settings to be selected and provide further options (para 58-61).
6. Fujiwara, Carey, Limisco, and Chiba disclose the image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in a case that the third selection area is selected, the one or more controllers display, on the display, the third screen and further display, on the third screen, a fourth selection area for displaying a fourth screen that allows for changing the administrator password (Chiba, fig. 3, 302 and corresponding text).
7. Fujiwara, Carey, Limisco, and Chiba disclose the image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein in a case that the fourth selection area is selected, the one or more controllers further display, on the display, a fifth screen that allows for inputting the administrator password before the fourth screen is displayed and request the entry of the initial password in a case that the administrator password is changed from the initial password (Chiba, fig 3, 304 -> 305 and corresponding text; Limisco, figs 1 and 2 and corresponding text).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is allowed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES R TURCHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1378. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 7-3.
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/JAMES R TURCHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2439