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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/26/2024 was filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Applicant has not provided an explanation of relevance of cited document(s) discussed below.
Reference JP2007-310450A is a general background reference covering: To provide a system which executes RIP processing at a high speed so that a file, which comprises many pages in which data on different forms or formats are put for each page, may be printed at the high speed that a high-speed printer has, and centralizes correspondence between printing data and outputting origins and data management. SOLUTION: A high-speed rasterizing system by distributed RIP processing comprises a print manager which receives printing data based on a printing request from a user personal computer and spools the data; a plurality of RIPs whose jobs are controlled under the print manager; and a printer which is connected to the print manager. The print manager distributes jobs to the plurality of RIPs in accordance with the contents of the jobs and makes the RIPs execute parallel processing. (see abstract).
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 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wakamatsu (US 2022/0229616 A1) in view of Kayama (US 2007/0024901 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Wakamatsu discloses a printing system comprising: a plurality of processing apparatuses (e.g., A printing system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a process management apparatus 100 that manages a print job, and a plurality of printing apparatuses 300 (300a to 300d) that perform print based on the print job, paragraph 24) configured to execute raster image processor (RIP) (e.g., paragraph 30) processing on data to be printed;
one or a plurality of printing apparatuses configured to execute printing processing of printing an image based on the data to be printed on a print medium (e.g., the plurality of printing apparatuses 300, with respect to a first printing apparatus 300a, the expression of other printing apparatuses 300b to 300d is adopted, and the expression of a second printing apparatus 300b among the other printing apparatuses 300b to 300d is adopted. Where, in a case in which distinguishing between the printing apparatuses is not necessary in the description of the present exemplary embodiment, the printing apparatuses may be referred to as the “printing apparatus 300”. Further, FIG. 1 shows four printing apparatuses 300, but the number of printing apparatuses 300 is not limited to four, paragraph 25); and
an instruction apparatus configured to receive an operation of designating the processing apparatus caused to execute the RIP processing and the printing apparatus caused to execute the printing processing (e.g., Generally, a processing apparatus that converts the page description language into the raster image may be referred to as a raster image processor (RIP), and conversion of the page description language into the raster image may be referred to as RIP processing. Hereinafter, processing of converting the print data described in the page description language into the raster image may be referred to as “RIP processing”, paragraph 30), wherein
the instruction apparatus (e.g., the process management apparatus 100, figure 2, paragraph 34) includes:
a display unit (e.g., display 306, figure 4);
a control unit configured to display a display screen on the display unit, the display screen including a first apparatus object indicating the instruction apparatus (e.g., The control unit 310, which is also called a digital front end (DEF), executes information processing, paragraph 62), a plurality of second apparatus objects associated with the plurality of processing apparatuses (e.g., the control unit 310 includes a job management unit 315 that manages the print job acquired from the accepting unit 313 or the reception unit 311 and an RIP processing unit 316 that converts the print data included in the print job into the raster image, paragraph 67), respectively, and a third apparatus object associated with the printing apparatus (e.g., Further, the control unit 310 includes an output device communication unit 317 that transmits the raster image and the information for controlling the image formation unit 320 to the image formation unit 320 and acquires the information indicating the state of the image formation unit 320, and an accumulation unit 318 that stores the print job, paragraph 67); and
an operation unit configured to receive an operation of associating the first apparatus object with the second apparatus object (e.g., The process management apparatus 100 includes an input accepting unit 111 that accepts the print job input by a user to the process management apparatus 100 via the input device 107, paragraph 38) and an operation of associating the second apparatus object with the third apparatus object (e.g., by using the acquired job execution information, and a second printing apparatus detection unit 119 that detects the printing apparatus 300 that can execute the RIP processing, by using the acquired job execution information and information on the printing apparatus, paragraph 39).
Wakamatsu does not specifically disclose the control unit generates control information for causing the processing apparatus corresponding to the second apparatus object associated with the first apparatus object to execute the RIP processing and causing the printing apparatus corresponding to the third apparatus object associated with the second apparatus object to execute the printing processing.
Kayama discloses the control unit generates control information for causing the processing apparatus corresponding to the second apparatus object associated with the first apparatus object to execute the RIP processing (e.g., reference numeral 702 denotes a printer control unit which issues processing instructions and the like to respective modules (functional building components) in the printer 104 and controls the operation of the overall printer 104. Reference numeral 703 denotes an RIP processing unit which interprets print data and executes RIP (Raster Image Processor) processing (raster image rasterization processing), paragraph 144, figure 7A) and causing the printing apparatus corresponding to the third apparatus object associated with the second apparatus object to execute the printing processing (e.g., reference numeral 704 denotes a data management unit which saves a print job which includes print data and a job ticket after the RIP processing in a job storage unit 705, and performs management such as retrieval, fetch, replacement, and the like of print jobs saved in the job storage unit 705. Reference numeral 705 denotes a job storage unit which saves print jobs including print data and job tickets after the RIP processing, paragraph 145, figure 7A). …4901
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified Wakamatsu to include the control unit generates control information for causing the processing apparatus corresponding to the second apparatus object associated with the first apparatus object to execute the RIP processing and causing the printing apparatus corresponding to the third apparatus object associated with the second apparatus object to execute the printing processing as taught by Kayama. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified Wakamatsu by the teaching of Kayama to print image/data for specific applications.
Regarding claim 2, Wakamatsu discloses wherein the RIP processing includes first processing and second processing,
the control unit displays the plurality of second apparatus objects including a first processing object indicating the first processing and a second processing object indicating the second processing on the display unit (e.g., the display control unit 314 displays a job accepting screen or the job being executed. In a case in which the second printing apparatus 300b executes the RIP processing for the first printing apparatus 300a, a display screen of the second printing apparatus 300b displays that the RIP processing for the first printing apparatus 300a is being executed, paragraph 74),
the operation unit receives an operation of associating the first apparatus object with the first processing object, an operation of associating the first processing object with the second processing object, and an operation of associating the second processing object with the third apparatus object (e.g., Further, in a case in which a processing cancel instruction is accepted by the accepting unit 313 in a case of executing the RIP processing for the first printing apparatus 300a, the display control unit 314 displays that the RIP processing is processing for the first printing apparatus 300a, paragraph 74), and
the control unit generates the control information for causing the processing apparatus corresponding to the second apparatus object including the first processing object associated with the first apparatus object to execute the first processing, causing the processing apparatus corresponding to the second apparatus object including the second processing object associated with the first processing object to execute the second processing (e.g., the control unit 310 includes a job management unit 315 that manages the print job acquired from the accepting unit 313 or the reception unit 311 and an RIP processing unit 316 that converts the print data included in the print job into the raster image, paragraph 67), and causing the printing apparatus corresponding to the third apparatus object associated with the second processing object to execute the printing processing (e.g., Further, the control unit 310 includes an output device communication unit 317 that transmits the raster image and the information for controlling the image formation unit 320 to the image formation unit 320 and acquires the information indicating the state of the image formation unit 320, and an accumulation unit 318 that stores the print job, paragraph 67).
Regarding claim 3, Wakamatsu discloses, wherein the control unit displays a line segment coupling the first apparatus object and the first processing object when an operation of selecting the first processing object is received, displays a line segment coupling the first processing object and the second processing object when an operation of selecting the second processing object is received (e.g., In a case in which the determination is made that the accepted instruction is the instruction for hindering the RIP processing in step S308 (YES in step S308), the job management unit 315 uses the display control unit 314 to display that the accepted instruction is the instruction for hindering the processing for the first printing apparatus 300a, further, the job management unit 315 uses the display control unit 314 to display a screen for selecting whether or not to execute the accepted instruction (step S309), paragraph 103), and
displays a line segment coupling the second processing object and the third apparatus object when an operation of selecting the third apparatus object is received (e.g., in the present exemplary embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which, in a case of registering the new print job in the first printing apparatus 300a, the RIP processing is consigned to the second printing apparatus 300b and executed, but a configuration can be adopted in which for the print job which is already registered in the first printing apparatus 300a, the RIP processing is consigned to the second printing apparatus 300b and executed, paragraph 107).
Regarding claim 4, Wakamatsu discloses wherein when the operation unit receives the operation of associating the first processing object with the second processing object (e.g., In addition, the process management apparatus 100 includes a job completion time estimation unit 117 that estimates completion time of the job by using the acquired job execution information, an RIP processing waiting degree determination unit 118 that determines whether or not the number of the jobs waiting for the RIP processing in the printing apparatus 300 exceeds a threshold value, paragraph 39), the control unit displays the third apparatus object of the printing apparatus usable by the processing apparatus corresponding to the second apparatus object including the second processing object (e.g., by using the acquired job execution information, and a second printing apparatus detection unit 119 that detects the printing apparatus 300 that can execute the RIP processing, by using the acquired job execution information and information on the printing apparatus, paragraph 39).
Regarding claim 5, Wakamatsu discloses wherein the control unit acquires first information indicating a processing capability of the processing apparatus from the plurality of processing apparatuses and acquires second information indicating a request processing capability required by the printing apparatus to the processing apparatus from the plurality of printing apparatuses (e.g., Depending on the content of the print data, the RIP processing of converting the print data described in the page description language into the raster image may take time. In this case, the print data which should be subjected to the RIP processing may be accumulated in the printing apparatus 300, and the print job may not be completed within scheduled time, paragraph 31), and
changes a display mode of the printing apparatus such that the processing capability of the processing apparatus corresponds to the request processing capability required by the printing apparatus based on the first information on the processing apparatus corresponding to the second apparatus object including the second processing object and a plurality pieces of the second information acquired from the plurality of printing apparatuses, respectively, when the operation unit receives the operation of associating the first processing object with the second processing object (e.g., In the present exemplary embodiment, in a case in which an amount of the print data which should be subjected to the RIP processing in the first printing apparatus 300a exceeds a predetermined amount, the process management apparatus 100 consigns the RIP processing to the second printing apparatus 300b among the other printing apparatuses 300b to 300d which can execute the RIP processing. Then, the raster image, which is subjected to the RIP processing by the second printing apparatus 300b, and various pieces of the control information are transmitted to the first printing apparatus 300a via the process management apparatus 100 or directly from the second printing apparatus 300b. The first printing apparatus 300a that acquires the raster image performs the print without executing the RIP processing on the print job, paragraph 32).
Regarding claim 6, claim 6 is an instruction apparatus with limitations similar of limitations of claim 1. Therefore, claim 6 is rejected as set forth above as claim 1.
Regarding claim 7, claim 7 is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with limitations similar of limitations of claim 1. Therefore, claim 7 is rejected as set forth above as claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUANG N VO whose telephone number is (571)270-1121. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7AM-4PM, EST.
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/QUANG N VO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2683