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 .
1. Claims 1-9 are pending.
Specification
2. The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Response to Arguments
3. Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 12/15/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-4 and 6-9 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawana et al, US 2020/0288035 in view of Shinozuka, US 2023/0189372 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made Kawana et al, US 2020/0288035 in view of Shinozuka, US 2023/0189372 in view of Takeuchi, US 2022/0015170. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action.
4. Applicant's arguments filed 12/15/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The Examiner has responded to arguments regarding the scope and interpretation of the amended claims.
Regarding claims 1, 8 and 9, on page 9, the Applicant argues in regards to Kawana’s teachings regarding a server. In response to applicant's argument, the examiner respectfully disagrees with the applicant's response. The claims do not recite a server or disclose how or if a server is involved in connecting to a target device. Claim 1 discloses “wirelessly connect to the target connection device by the first wireless communication method using the first wireless communication unit” which does not include specifics regarding whether the connection is between a server and the target/external device or the user device and the target/external device. In addition, claim 1 broad enough in its scope that it does not disclose if the “information processing device” is the user device or if the “information processing device” corresponds to a server device or another device altogether.
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., using the server to facilitate the connection between the user device and external devices) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Regarding claims 1, 8 and 9, on page 10, in summary the applicant argues that the claims 1, 8 and 9 discloses “the connection of two devices by the user first entering initial user input identification information of the target connection device, from which a web site is navigated to, from which the formal identification information of the target device is obtained, which is then used to complete connection”. In response to applicant's argument, the examiner respectfully disagrees with the applicant's response. The independent claims disclose “display….acquire…display…” and the last limitation discloses “wirelessly connect”. Claim 1 does not disclose the “wirelessly connect” is a “completion” of a previously started connection process between two devices. According to the independent claims, the “user first entering initial user input identification information of the target connection device” causes displaying a web page. The independent claims do not disclose the “user first entering initial user input identification information of the target connection device” causes connection of two devices.
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., using the server to facilitate the connection between the user device and external devices ) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., the connection of two devices by the user first entering initial user input identification information of the target connection device) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Regarding claims 1, 8 and 9, on page 10, in summary the applicant argues that the claims 1, 8 and 9 disclose “the connection of two devices by the user first entering initial user input identification information of the target connection device, from which a web site is navigated to, from which the formal identification information of the target device is obtained, which is then used to complete connection”. In response to applicant's argument, the examiner respectfully disagrees with the applicant's response. The claim language is unclear regarding whether the wireless connection is made based on the formal identification information. The claim states “wirelessly connect to the target connection device by the first wireless communication method.” The claim language is unclear if the first wireless communication method requires the formal identification information to make the wireless connection. The claim language discloses the formal identification information is acquired, displayed and used to detect the target connection device. However, the claim language is silent regarding how or if the formal identification information is used to complete a wireless connection to the target connection device.
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., the formal identification information of the target device is obtained, which is then used to complete connection) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
5. Claim(s) 1-4 and 6-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawana et al, US 2020/0288035 hereafter Kawana in view of Shinozuka, US 2023/0189372 hereafter Shinozuka in view of Takeuchi, US 2022/0015170 hereafter Takeuchi.
As for claim 1, Kawana discloses:
An information processing device comprising:
a first wireless communication unit configured to perform wireless communication (Kawana, Fig. 3, 308, [0041]-[0043], The communication I/F unit) of a first wireless communication method;
a display unit (Kawana, Fig. 3, 306, [0041]-[0043], The display unit);
a reception unit configured to receive user input by physical interaction of a user with the reception unit; (Kawana, [0036] The input/output I/F unit 204 includes a unit that has a function to receive operation input from the user and a unit that has a function to present information to the user such as a mouse and a keyboard.) and
a control unit (Kawana, Fig. 3, 301, [0041]-[0043], The control unit) configured to execute an application program for connecting to a target connection device not previously connected to the information processing device (Kawana, [0063], [0102], The first connection to a target device. The “first” connection/activation is not a “previous” connection/activation)
wherein the control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display (Kawana [0064] A screen 500 corresponds to a window of the browser 425 that executes and displays the print web application), a web page related to a setting of the target connection device (Kawana [0064] A uniform resource locator (URL) 501 is a URL of the web application server 411 opened on the browser 425 related to a setting of the target device), corresponding to the initial user input identification information (Kawana, [0067]-[0068], In screen 500 based on the user selected the “CONNECT” button identifying the selected target device, then display screen 510 corresponding to the target device selected by the user previously at screen 500)
display the formal identification information of the target connection device on an application screen displayed by the application program, when the formal identification information displayed on the application screen is selected (Kawana, [0068]-[0070], Displayed on the screen 510 there is an input field 512 receives input of the device name (identification name) from the user. As an input example a case in which the name “laser printer for business A” is assigned to the device having a product name “Caxxn Color Laser Printer Model 9” is illustrated.), detect the target connection device corresponding to the formal identification information (Kawana, [0071] A “REGISTER” button 513 is a button control for the user to execute registration of the identification name assigned to the device. When the user inputs the device name in the input field 512 and then presses the “REGISTER” button 513, the identification name is assigned to the device together with the connection permission setting instructed in the screen 500), and
wirelessly connect to the target connection device by the first wireless communication method using the first wireless communication unit (Kawana, [0029]-[0030], Wirelessly connect to the target device via Bluetooth®. The wireless communication network such as a wireless local area network (LAN) and a cellular phone communication network.)
Kawana does not explicitly disclose related to a setting of wireless communication of the first wireless communication method.
However, Shinozuka discloses related to a setting of wireless communication of the first wireless communication method (Shinozuka, Fig. 6B, Fig. 7A, Fig. 7B. Fig. 8, [0046], [0077], If the user makes, on the screen, a predetermined instruction to connect the PC 101 to the printer, the CPU 201 starts a following process for a wireless setting instruction (wireless setting instruction process). The PC 101 may communicate with the printer 103 using P2P connection, display the wireless connection setting screen for the printer 103 on the display apparatus 208 of the PC 101, and prompt the user for input.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Kawana with related to a setting of wireless communication of the first wireless communication method to provide improved connection setting between devices (Shinozuka, [0019], [0024], [0098]).
The combination of Kawana and Shinozuka does not explicitly disclose wherein the control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display based on an initial user input identification information of the target connection device received from the user by the reception unit,
acquire a formal identification information of the target connection device from in the web page.
However, Takeuchi discloses the control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display (Takeuchi, [0071] When receiving the web page data from the server 200 in T536, the browser application 44 displays a web page 400 represented by the web page data on the display unit 14 in T540.) based on an initial user input identification information of the target connection device received from the user (Takeuchi, [0069]-[0070] based on receiving the web page request from the terminal 10 in T530, the server 200 obtains the model name “AAA” from the query string 320 in the URI 300 included in the web page request in for displaying the web page) by the reception unit,
acquire a formal identification information of the target connection device from in the web page (Takeuchi, [0075], Acquire an address and/or identification information of the target device from in the web page)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the combination of the teachings of Kawana and Shinozuka with wherein the control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display based on an initial user input identification information of the target connection device received from the user by the reception unit, acquire a formal identification information of the target connection device from in the web page as taught by Takeuchi to provide more efficient wireless connection establishment. (Takeuchi, [0004])
As for claim 2, Kawana discloses:
The control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display the web page by a function of a web browser included in the application program, and acquire the formal identification information of the target connection device included in the web page (Kawana, Fig. 10a. 1000, 1001, 1002, [0117]-[0119], Display the webpage/screen 1000 and acquire the serial number of the device included in the webpage/screen).
As for claim 3, Kawana discloses:
when an operation of closing the web page is received by the reception unit, the control unit acquires identification information included in the web page and displays the formal identification information on the application screen (Kawana, Fig. 9, [0093]-[0094], [0113]-[0114], Upon acquiring a disconnection event of the USB devices, the browser 425 checks in step S616 whether the device can be uniquely specified. When the selected device, access to which is permitted by the user, can be uniquely specified, the browser 425 displays the prompt to register and set the identification name to the device in step S617, as with step S612.)
As for claim 4, Kawana discloses:
The control unit acquires the formal identification information of the target connection device from a uniform resource locator (URL) of the web page (Kawana, Fig. 6, [0073], Fig. 10a. 1000, 1001, 1002, [0064], [0117]-[0119], In step S601, the user designates the URL (e.g., URL presented in URL 501 of FIG. 5) of the web site including the web application server 411 to the browser 425, and opens the print web application. A uniform resource locator (URL) 501 is a URL of the web application server 411 opened on the browser 425.)
As for claim 6, Kawana discloses:
A second wireless communication unit configured to perform wireless communication of a second wireless communication method, wherein when the target connection device corresponds to wireless communication of the second wireless communication method, the control unit transmits connection information for wirelessly connection by the first wireless communication method to the target connection device by the second wireless communication unit, and wirelessly connects to the target connection device by the first wireless communication method (Kawana, [0029]-[0030], A device 103 and a device 104 are used by being connected to the computer 102. The connection method may be wireless connection via Bluetooth®, etc. as long as the computer 102 can control the devices 103 and 104 via the connection. The network 105 is not limited to a wired communication network, and may be a wireless communication network such as a wireless local area network (LAN) and a cellular phone communication network. In a case where the devices 103 and 104 each support wireless connection via Bluetooth®, the devices 103 and 104 each support a WebBluetooth API.)
As for claim 7, Kawana discloses:
The first wireless communication method performed by the first wireless communication unit is wireless communication conforming to a Wi-Fi standard, and the control unit wirelessly connects to the target connection device by an infrastructure mode or Wi-Fi Direct (Kawana, [0029]-[0030], A device 103 and a device 104 are used by being connected to the computer 102. The connection method may be wireless connection via Bluetooth®, etc. as long as the computer 102 can control the devices 103 and 104 via the connection. The network 105 is not limited to a wired communication network, and may be a wireless communication network such as a wireless local area network (LAN) and a cellular phone communication network. In a case where the devices 103 and 104 each support wireless connection via Bluetooth®, the devices 103 and 104 each support a WebBluetooth API.)
Regarding claim 8, this claim is analyzed and rejected for the same reasons as claim 1 because the corresponding apparatus in claim 1 can be used to practice the method of claim 8.
Claim 9 is rejected for similar reasons as claim 1 above.
Allowable Subject Matter
6. Claim 5 is 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
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Nishida, US 2019/0069230 [0048] In order to execute this wireless communication, the control unit 21 controls the touch panel display 14 by the printing program to display a screen for a user to select a printing apparatus available for printing. The screen may be in various formats, in which network information (such as service set identifier: SSID) of a network to which the printing apparatus 10 to execute the printing belongs may be displayed as an option, an identification information (such as the name of the apparatus) of the printing apparatus 10 may be displayed as an option, or both of these may be displayed.
8. 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.
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JENEE HOLLAND whose telephone number is (571)270-7196. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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, IAN MOORE can be reached at (571)272-3085. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JENEE HOLLAND
Examiner
Art Unit 2469
/JENEE HOLLAND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469