Prosecution Insights
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Application No. 18/366,691

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

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Aug 08, 2023
Priority
Mar 24, 2023 — JP 2023-049078
Examiner
WANG, ZHIPENG
Art Unit
2682
Tech Center
2600 — Communications
Assignee
Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
81%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 81% — above average
81%
Career Allowance Rate
426 granted / 528 resolved
+18.7% vs TC avg
Strong +23% interview lift
Without
With
+22.9%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 9m
Avg Prosecution
20 currently pending
Career history
548
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
4.1%
-35.9% vs TC avg
§103
80.6%
+40.6% vs TC avg
§102
8.9%
-31.1% vs TC avg
§112
4.0%
-36.0% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 528 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
DETAILED ACTION 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 . Claims 1-10 are pending. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 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 – (a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by HAN (US 20170187890 A1). As to claim 1, HAN teaches a system for information processing, comprising: a processor configured to: acquire prepared setting information, which is information on settings that is prepared in advance in an environment different from an actual environment and can be reflected in a management device that manages a device to be managed (processor 130 determining location change of the image forming apparatus by acquiring a previously-stored location from location information setting, and such location information will be notified to the management server 300) ([Fig. 11 shows location information setting] [Fig. 2 step 3 shows updates location formation to the management server 300 includes the previously-stored location when it was acquired at previous environment, such as Lab-_A from Fig. 2] [0073, 0080, 0098] The image forming apparatus 100 may confirm the first access point 10-1 by searching ambient access points, and receive the access point information from the first access point 10-1. Further, the image forming apparatus 100 may confirm the location to be CompanyA_Lab_A or confirm the location to be Lab_A by using name information among the received access point information. In this case, the image forming apparatus 100 may store the confirmed location…The image forming apparatus 100′ determining that the location is changed may notify the location change to the printing control terminal 200 and the management server 300…the processor 130 may determine the current location of the image forming apparatus by using various methods, and determine the location change by comparing the determined location with the previously-stored location); acquire environmental setting information, which is information set in the device to be managed in the actual environment in which the device to be managed is actually installed ([0074-0080, 0098, 0102-0105] In the second space (Lab B), the moved image forming apparatus 100′ and a second access point 10-2 may be arranged. In this case, the name of the second access point 10-2 is assumed to be CompanyA_Lab_B…. the image forming apparatus 100′ may search ambient access points and determine the location change of the image forming apparatus 100 by using the access point information of the searched access point 10-2 … when the previously-stored access point information and the newly-obtained access point information are different from each other, the image forming apparatus 100′ may determine that the location is changed… The image forming apparatus 100′ determining that the location is changed may notify the location change to the printing control terminal 200 and the management server 300…); and update information on a setting item that depends on the actual environment in the prepared setting information by the environmental setting information and reflect the updated prepared setting information in settings of the management device ([0080, 0105, 0124-0129] The image forming apparatus 100′ determining that the location is changed may notify the location change to the printing control terminal 200 and the management server 300. Specifically, when the printing history is stored in the image forming apparatus 100′, the image forming apparatus 100′ may notify the location change to the printing control terminals 200-1, 200-2, 200-3 having the printing history, at S13. Meanwhile, when the printing history is stored in the management server 300, the image forming apparatus 100 may notify the location change to the management server 300, at S14… When the location change is determined, the processor 130 may control the communicator 110 to notify the location change to the printing control apparatus 200 and/or the management server 300. In this case, the processor 130 may notify the location change only, or notify the changed location information together. …Further, the user operator 150 may receive an input of the location information from a user… The storage 160 may store the location information of the image forming apparatus 100... ). As to claim 2, HAN teaches the processor is configured to acquire, for each predetermined setting, the environmental setting information set in the device to be managed in the actual environment in stages [Figs. 11-14 shows entering different settings in stages] [0123-0129, 0168-0185]. As to claim 3, HAN teaches the processor is configured to store the acquired environmental setting information in an environmental setting information management table that manages the environmental setting information for each of the stages [Fig. 15] [0123-0129, 0168-0188]. As to claim 4, HAN teaches the processor is configured to update the information on the setting item that depends on the actual environment by the environmental setting information by referring to the environmental setting information management table when reflecting the prepared setting information in the settings of the management device [0080, 0105, 0124-0129]. As to claim 5, HAN teaches the information on the setting item that depends on the actual environment includes identification information for identifying the device to be managed in the actual environment [0073-0080, 0090, 0101-0105, 0187-0188]. As to claim 6, HAN teaches the identification information includes location identification information for identifying a location of the device to be managed [0073-0080, 0090, 0101-0105, 0187-0188]. As to claim 7, HAN teaches the identification information includes individual identification information for individually identifying the device to be managed and group identification information for identifying a group of the device to be managed [Fig.2 shows the image forming apparatus changes to Lab B to be used by those users in Lab B and also sent notification to previously group of users regarding to the device location changed] [0075-0080, 0126, 0165-0168, 0241-0245]. As to claim 8, HAN teaches generate a virtual management device, which is the management device virtually constructed whose settings reflect the prepared setting information, in an environment different from the actual environment and check operation of the virtual management device; and in a case where the virtual management device does not operate, check the operation again after replacing the individual identification information and the group identification information in the prepared setting information with each other [0107-0110, 0161-0168, 0202-0204]. As to claim 9, HAN teaches a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process [0231-0232], comprising: acquire prepared setting information, which is information on settings that is prepared in advance in an environment different from an actual environment and can be reflected in a management device that manages a device to be managed (processor 130 determining location change of the image forming apparatus by acquiring a previously-stored location from location information setting, and such location information will be notified to the management server 300) ([Fig. 11 shows location information setting] [Fig. 2 step 3 shows updates location formation to the management server 300 includes the previously-stored location when it was acquired at previous environment, such as Lab-_A from Fig. 2] [0073, 0080, 0098] The image forming apparatus 100 may confirm the first access point 10-1 by searching ambient access points, and receive the access point information from the first access point 10-1. Further, the image forming apparatus 100 may confirm the location to be CompanyA_Lab_A or confirm the location to be Lab_A by using name information among the received access point information. In this case, the image forming apparatus 100 may store the confirmed location…The image forming apparatus 100′ determining that the location is changed may notify the location change to the printing control terminal 200 and the management server 300…the processor 130 may determine the current location of the image forming apparatus by using various methods, and determine the location change by comparing the determined location with the previously-stored location); acquire environmental setting information, which is information set in the device to be managed in the actual environment in which the device to be managed is actually installed ([0074-0080, 0098, 0102-0105] In the second space (Lab B), the moved image forming apparatus 100′ and a second access point 10-2 may be arranged. In this case, the name of the second access point 10-2 is assumed to be CompanyA_Lab_B…. the image forming apparatus 100′ may search ambient access points and determine the location change of the image forming apparatus 100 by using the access point information of the searched access point 10-2 … when the previously-stored access point information and the newly-obtained access point information are different from each other, the image forming apparatus 100′ may determine that the location is changed… The image forming apparatus 100′ determining that the location is changed may notify the location change to the printing control terminal 200 and the management server 300…); and update information on a setting item that depends on the actual environment in the prepared setting information by the environmental setting information and reflect the updated prepared setting information in settings of the management device ([0080, 0105, 0124-0129] The image forming apparatus 100′ determining that the location is changed may notify the location change to the printing control terminal 200 and the management server 300. Specifically, when the printing history is stored in the image forming apparatus 100′, the image forming apparatus 100′ may notify the location change to the printing control terminals 200-1, 200-2, 200-3 having the printing history, at S13. Meanwhile, when the printing history is stored in the management server 300, the image forming apparatus 100 may notify the location change to the management server 300, at S14… When the location change is determined, the processor 130 may control the communicator 110 to notify the location change to the printing control apparatus 200 and/or the management server 300. In this case, the processor 130 may notify the location change only, or notify the changed location information together. …Further, the user operator 150 may receive an input of the location information from a user… The storage 160 may store the location information of the image forming apparatus 100... ). As to claim 10, HAN teaches a method for information processing, comprising: acquire prepared setting information, which is information on settings that is prepared in advance in an environment different from an actual environment and can be reflected in a management device that manages a device to be managed (processor 130 determining location change of the image forming apparatus by acquiring a previously-stored location from location information setting, and such location information will be notified to the management server 300) ([Fig. 11 shows location information setting] [Fig. 2 step 3 shows updates location formation to the management server 300 includes the previously-stored location when it was acquired at previous environment, such as Lab-_A from Fig. 2] [0073, 0080, 0098] The image forming apparatus 100 may confirm the first access point 10-1 by searching ambient access points, and receive the access point information from the first access point 10-1. Further, the image forming apparatus 100 may confirm the location to be CompanyA_Lab_A or confirm the location to be Lab_A by using name information among the received access point information. In this case, the image forming apparatus 100 may store the confirmed location…The image forming apparatus 100′ determining that the location is changed may notify the location change to the printing control terminal 200 and the management server 300…the processor 130 may determine the current location of the image forming apparatus by using various methods, and determine the location change by comparing the determined location with the previously-stored location); acquire environmental setting information, which is information set in the device to be managed in the actual environment in which the device to be managed is actually installed ([0074-0080, 0098, 0102-0105] In the second space (Lab B), the moved image forming apparatus 100′ and a second access point 10-2 may be arranged. In this case, the name of the second access point 10-2 is assumed to be CompanyA_Lab_B…. the image forming apparatus 100′ may search ambient access points and determine the location change of the image forming apparatus 100 by using the access point information of the searched access point 10-2 … when the previously-stored access point information and the newly-obtained access point information are different from each other, the image forming apparatus 100′ may determine that the location is changed… The image forming apparatus 100′ determining that the location is changed may notify the location change to the printing control terminal 200 and the management server 300…); and update information on a setting item that depends on the actual environment in the prepared setting information by the environmental setting information and reflect the updated prepared setting information in settings of the management device ([0080, 0105, 0124-0129] The image forming apparatus 100′ determining that the location is changed may notify the location change to the printing control terminal 200 and the management server 300. Specifically, when the printing history is stored in the image forming apparatus 100′, the image forming apparatus 100′ may notify the location change to the printing control terminals 200-1, 200-2, 200-3 having the printing history, at S13. Meanwhile, when the printing history is stored in the management server 300, the image forming apparatus 100 may notify the location change to the management server 300, at S14… When the location change is determined, the processor 130 may control the communicator 110 to notify the location change to the printing control apparatus 200 and/or the management server 300. In this case, the processor 130 may notify the location change only, or notify the changed location information together. …Further, the user operator 150 may receive an input of the location information from a user… The storage 160 may store the location information of the image forming apparatus 100... ). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHIPENG WANG whose telephone number is (571)272-5437. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10-7. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kamini Shah can be reached at 5712722279. 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. /ZHIPENG WANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2115
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Aug 08, 2023
Application Filed
Sep 12, 2023
Response after Non-Final Action
May 19, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
81%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+22.9%)
2y 9m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 528 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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