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 .
This office action is in response to applicant’s RCE filed on 05/26/2026.
Claims 1, 2, 4-9 are pending and examined.
Claims 3, 10-12 have been cancelled.
Response to Arguments
Per 103 rejection, applicant’s arguments filed on 05/08/2026 have been fully considered. However, the claims are rejected under new grounds of rejection with new references applied.
The examiner is available for a phone interview with the applicant.
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, 4-6, 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pathak (US PGPUB 2008/0320110), in view of Nakata (US PGPUB 2012/0195603).
Per claim 1, Pathak discloses an image processing device comprising: a memory storing instructions; and a processor executing the instructions causing the image processing device to: (paragraphs [0012][0023]; a network of devices (MFPs with memory and processor), managed by a central management server, receiving firmware updates); acquire a code for restoring a configuration from the device management system, wherein the code is generated by the device management system in response to a determination that firmware of the image processing device already registered in the device management system is to be downgraded, store the code (Fig. 4; paragraphs [0012][0020][0037][0038]; the central management system maintains a local repository of firmware, it may also maintain a database of current firmware on each MFP and its current configuration data (i.e. determining a list of registered devices); the user may request the central management system to roll back the firmware for the device (i.e. determine if a MFP device is to be downgraded), the central management system may also restore the configuration if needed; the central management system acquires a copy of configuration settings for the MFP device from a local database, send it to the MFP device, to replace the configuration settings in the MFP device); control execution of a firmware downgrade of the image processing device; and after the firmware downgrade, restore the a configuration using the stored code (paragraphs [0012][0038]; the user may request the central management system to roll back the firmware for the device, the central management system may also restore the configuration if needed; the central management system acquires a copy of configuration settings for the MFP device from a local database, send it to the MFP device, to replace the configuration settings in the MFP device).
While Pathak discloses acquire a code for restoring a configuration from the device management system (paragraph [0012]), Pathak does not explicitly teach the configuration includes information of a connection relationship with a device management system for the device. However, a person skilled in the art would recognize that a device’s configuration settings would include information of a connection relationship with a device management system for the device, as evidenced in Nakata (claims 1-2; the setting information includes a connection setup for setting up a communication in which the first image forming device communicates with the remote management server; thus, restoring the device’s configuration settings would result in restoring the device’s connection relationship with a device management system). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Pathak and Nakata that a device’s configuration settings would include information of a connection relationship with a device management system for the device, so the device can receive latest updates from the device management system.
Per claim 4, Pathak further suggests wherein the process further executes an instruction causing the image processing device to clear system data of the image processing device after the firmware downgrade, and wherein the processor does not clear the code (paragraph [0038]; If settings were corrupted or changed from the last state, then it restores the configuration settings with the local copy of the configuration settings for the MFP; i.e. old configuration settings (system data) is cleared and replaced by the new configuration settings (the code)).
Per claim 5, Pathak discloses a system includes the device management system comprises: at least one memory storing instructions; and at least one processor executing the instructions causing the device management system to: (paragraphs [0012][0023]; a network of devices (MFPs with memory and processor), managed by a central management server, receiving firmware updates); generate a code for restoring a configuration, wherein the code is generated by the device management system in response to a determination that firmware of the image processing device already registered in the device management system is to be downgraded; store the code; transmit the code to the image processing device; and restore configuration when the code is received from the image processing device (Fig. 4; paragraphs [0012][0020][0037][0038]; the central management system maintains a local repository of firmware, it may also maintain a database of current firmware on each MFP and its current configuration data (i.e. determining a list of registered devices); the user may request the central management system to roll back the firmware for the device (i.e. determine if a MFP device is to be downgraded), the central management system may also restore the configuration if needed; the central management system acquires a copy of configuration settings for the MFP device from a local database, send it to the MFP device, to replace the configuration settings in the MFP device; paragraph [0041]; the CMS also performs a cloning process by receiving the configuration settings (the code) from the source MFP); wherein the image processing device comprises: at least one memory storing instructions; and at least one processor executing the instructions causing the image processing device to: (paragraphs [0012][0023]; a network of devices (MFPs), managed by a central management server, receiving firmware updates); acquire the code from the device management system; store the code; control execution of a firmware downgrade of the image processing device; and after the firmware downgrade, restore the configuration by transmitting the stored code to the device management system (Fig. 4; paragraphs [0012][0020][0037][0038]; the user may request the central management system to roll back the firmware for the device (i.e. determine if a MFP device is to be downgraded), the central management system may also restore the configuration if needed; the central management system acquires a copy of configuration settings for the MFP device from a local database, send it to the MFP device, to replace the configuration settings in the MFP device; paragraph [0041]; the CMS also performs a cloning process by receiving the configuration settings (the code) from the source MFP).
While Pathak discloses acquire a code for restoring a configuration from the device management system (paragraph [0012]), Pathak does not explicitly teach the configuration includes information of a connection relationship with a device management system for the device. However, a person skilled in the art would recognize that a device’s configuration settings would include information of a connection relationship with a device management system for the device, as evidenced in Nakata (claims 1-2; the setting information includes a connection setup for setting up a communication in which the first image forming device communicates with the remote management server; thus, restoring the device’s configuration settings would result in restoring the device’s connection relationship with a device management system). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Pathak and Nakata that a device’s configuration settings would include information of a connection relationship with a device management system for the device, so the device can receive latest updates from the device management system.
Per claim 6, Pathak further suggests wherein the device management system generates the code and transmits the code to the image processing device when firmware downgrade is instructed (paragraphs [0012][0038]; the user may request the central management system to roll back the firmware for the device, the central management system may also restore the configuration if needed; the central management system acquires a copy of configuration settings for the MFP device from a local database, send it to the MFP device, to replace the configuration settings in the MFP device)).
Per claim 8, Pathak further suggests wherein the device management system generates the code and transmits the code to the image processing device when information of the image processing device is registered in the device management system and the connection relationship with the image processing device for providing a service becomes valid (Fig. 4; paragraphs [0012][0020][0037][0038]; the central management system maintains a local repository of firmware, it may also maintain a database of current firmware on each MFP and its current configuration data (i.e. determining a list of registered devices, and the CMS providing a service each MFP is valid); the user may request the central management system to roll back the firmware for the device (i.e. determine if a MFP device is to be downgraded), the central management system may also restore the configuration if needed; the central management system acquires a copy of configuration settings for the MFP device from a local database, send it to the MFP device, to replace the configuration settings in the MFP device
Claim 9 is rejected under similar rationales as claim 1.
Claims 2 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pathak, in view of Nakata, and in view of Kim et al. (US PGPUB 2022/0337719) hereinafter Kim.
Per claim 2, Pathak in view of Nakata discloses restoring the connection relationship with the device management system using the code, but does not explicitly teach executed by an extended application using the stored code, the extended application being acquired from the device management system and installed on the image processing device. However, Kim in view Nakata of suggests the above (Fig 1; claim 1; a device acquires tasks (an extended application) from a server, the tasks execute to cause restoring configuration settings on the device). Nakata further teaches (claims 1-2; the setting information includes a connection setup for setting up a communication in which the first image forming device communicates with the remote management server). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Pathak, Nakata and Kim to use an extended application to restore connection relationship with the device management system using the code, so through the extended application, the device can receive latest updates from the device management system.
Per claim7, Pathak in view of Nakata discloses restoring the connection relationship with the device management system using the code, but does not explicitly teach wherein the device management system transmits to the image processing device an extended application for performing connection to the device management system, which is capable of being installed in software applied to the image processing device, together with the code when the extended application is not included in software applied to the image processing device due to the firmware downgrade. However, Kim in views of Pathak and Nakata of suggests the above (Fig 1; claim 1; a server transmits tasks (an extended application) to a device, the tasks execute to install a target application (the software) on the device, and to cause restoring configuration settings (the code) on the device; the tasks are not part the target application (the software) being installed on the device). Pathak further discloses performing a firmware downgrade on a device (paragraph [0012]); Nakata further discloses (claims 1-2; the setting information includes a connection setup for setting up a communication in which the first image forming device communicates with the remote management server). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Pathak, Nakata and Kim to use an extended application to restore connection relationship with the device management system using the code, so through the extended application, the device can receive latest updates from the device management system.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HANG PAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7667. The examiner can normally be reached 9 AM to 5 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, Chat Do can be reached at 571-272-3721. 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.
/HANG PAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2193
