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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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) 1-8, 11, and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(1)(a) as being anticipated by Nakahara (US 2016/0173714).
Regarding claims 1 and 12, Nakahara discloses a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for processing information and an information processing system comprising: a processor configured to:
if urgent situation information is acquired from a synchronization destination when a standard synchronization to synchronize information between the information processing system and the synchronization destination is performed by communicating with the synchronization destination at predetermined time intervals, transmit, to a second information processing system that performs the standard synchronization, an execution instruction that causes to be performed an urgent synchronization that, before a next standard synchronization is performed, communicates with the synchronization destination and synchronizes information with the synchronization destination (see paras 38-39, 44, 46, 56-57, and 60-62, setting value management server 110 synchronizes printer setting information with a MFP 120 based on changes to the setting values made by a user via another MFP 120 or client PC 140, periodic synchronization is performed between the server 110 and MFP 120, immediate synchronization is performed when the server 110 detects a setting value change).
Regarding claim 11, Nakahara discloses an information synchronization system comprising:
a synchronization destination (see Fig. 1 and paras 38-39, MFP 120);
a first information processing system that performs a standard synchronization that synchronizes information with a synchronization destination by communicating with the synchronization destination at predetermined time intervals (see paras 38-39, 44, 46, 56-57, and 60-62, periodic synchronization is performed between the server 110 and MFP 120); and
a second information processing system that performs the standard synchronization, wherein if urgent situation information is acquired from the synchronization destination with the standard synchronization performed, the first information processing system transmits to the second information processing system an execution instruction that causes to be performed an urgent synchronization that, before a next standard synchronization is performed, synchronizes information with the synchronization destination (see paras 38-39, 44, 46, 56-57, and 60-62, setting value management server 110 synchronizes printer setting information with a MFP 120 based on changes to the setting values made by a user via another MFP 120 or client PC 140, periodic synchronization is performed between the server 110 and MFP 120, immediate synchronization is performed when the server 110 detects a setting value change).
Regarding claim 2, Nakahara further discloses wherein the information processing system forms a group with the second information processing system connected to a closed network that a specific information processing system is connectable to (see Fig. 1, MFPs 120a and 120b), and wherein the processor is configured to: if the urgent situation information is acquired from the synchronization destination with the standard synchronization performed, transmit the execution instruction via the network to the second information processing system belonging to the group (see Fig. 1 and paras 38-39, setting value management server 110 synchronizes printer setting information with a MFP 120 based on changes to the setting values made by a user via another MFP 120).
Regarding claim 3, Nakahara further discloses wherein the processor is configured to: perform the standard synchronization at a timing off a timing when the second information processing system belonging to the group performs the standard synchronization (see paras 44 and 56, periodic synchronization is performed between the server 110 and MFP 120).
Regarding claim 4, Nakahara further discloses wherein the processor is configured to: perform the urgent synchronization if the execution instruction to cause the urgent synchronization to be performed is acquired from the second information processing system that executes the standard synchronization (see paras 38-39, setting value management server 110 synchronizes printer setting information with a MFP 120 based on changes to the setting values made by a user via another MFP 120 or client PC 140, periodic synchronization is performed between the server 110 and MFP 120, immediate synchronization is performed when the server 110 detects a setting value change).
Regarding claim 5, Nakahara further discloses wherein the processor is configured to: if the urgent situation information is acquired from the synchronization destination with the standard synchronization performed, not perform the urgent synchronization when the execution instruction related to the urgent situation information is acquired from the second information processing system that performs the standard synchronization (see para 56, synchronization can be performed at a timing notified to the setting value management server 110 when a change occurs instead of immediately).
Regarding claim 6, Nakahara further discloses wherein the processor is configured to: if the urgent situation information and additional information added to the urgent situation information are acquired from the synchronization destination with the standard synchronization performed, transmit the additional information together with the execution instruction to the second information processing system (see paras 38-39, 49-50, 60-62, and 71-71, additional information, such as a language or printer setting are transmitted).
Regarding claim 7, Nakahara further discloses wherein the additional information is a modification instruction to modify a setting on the information processing system (see paras 38-39, 49-50, 60-62, and 71-71, additional information, such as a language or printer setting are transmitted).
Regarding claim 8, Nakahara further discloses wherein the additional information is a certificate used in communication with the synchronization destination (see para 52, license information and firmware version information are managed setting values).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9 and 10 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. To further show the state of the art please refer to the attached Notice of References Cited.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARK R MILIA whose telephone number is (571) 272-7408. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.
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, Akwasi Sarpong can be reached at 571-270-3438. The fax 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.
/MARK R MILIA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2681
Prosecution Insights