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 .
Priority
Examiner acknowledges the following data:
Parent data
18591070 filed 02/29/2024 claims foreign priority to 2023-114078, filed 07/11/2023.
Information Disclosure statements
The information disclosure statements (IDS) were submitted and filed on 02/29/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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 Yamaguchi (US 2017/0242640) in view of Abe et al (US 2022/0027100).
Regarding claim 1, Yamaguchi discloses information processing system (fig. 1 item 100, image forming apparatus) comprising a processor,
wherein the processor (fig. 3 item 110, processor) performs processing of (processor 110 reads out various kinds of programs stored in the ROM and develops the programs into the RAM, [0049], lines 1-2):
receiving a print request including print information of a print target from an information processing apparatus that has acquired the print request from a print management system (user terminal 500 includes a PC (personal computer) which sends data for printing and a print job for a pull print to the server 300 and sends a print job to the image forming apparatus 100, [0046], lines 9-11); and
Yamaguchi does not specifically disclose concept of rejecting acceptance of the print request from another user when a notification indicating that there is the print request that is a subsequent print request that has not been received from the print management system is received from the information processing apparatus.
However, Abe et al specifically teaches concept of rejecting acceptance of the print request from another user when a notification indicating that there is the print request that is a subsequent print request that has not been received from the print management system is received from the information processing apparatus (When this print rejection message is transmitted to the bot application 310, the bot application 310 may make setting such that a print request is not transmitted from the user A and other users to the user B (another user) (i.e., such that the user B (another user) does not receive a print request). In other words, the messaging service application 220 transmits information indicating that the user B wants to refuse (reject) a print request to the bot application 310; thus is seen as when there’s an indication of a subsequent print request that has not been received from user A, user B (another user) refuses (rejects) print request, [0103], lines 2-5).
At the time the invention was filed, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified system of Yamaguchi with concept of rejecting acceptance of the print request from another user when a notification indicating that there is the print request that is a subsequent print request that has not been received from the print management system is received from the information processing apparatus of Abe et al. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to improve printing execution instruction via a messaging service application, (Abe et al, [0022], line 3)
Regarding claim 2, Yamaguchi discloses information processing system (fig. 1 item 100, image forming apparatus), wherein
the processor receives (fig. 3 item 110, processor), from the information processing apparatus that has acquired the print request including print information of a print target from the print management system using predetermined first communication, the print request using second communication different from the first communication (image forming apparatus 100, the server 300, an access point 400, and a user terminal 500 are electrically connected to a network N using a standard such as Ethernet (registered trademark) via cables or wirelessly so as to be able to communicate. The post processing apparatus 200, the image forming apparatus 100, and the server 300 can communicate with each other via the access point 400 with wireless communication. Examples of the user terminal 500 includes a PC (personal computer) which sends data for printing and a print job for a pull print to the server 300 and sends a print job to the image forming apparatus 100, [0046], lines 5-11).
Regarding claim 3, Yamaguchi discloses information processing system (fig. 1 item 100, image forming apparatus), wherein
the second communication uses wireless communication of directly communicating with the information processing apparatus (image forming apparatus 100, the server 300, an access point 400, and a user terminal 500 are electrically connected to a network N using a standard such as Ethernet (registered trademark) via cables or wirelessly so as to be able to communicate. The post processing apparatus 200, the image forming apparatus 100, and the server 300 can communicate with each other via the access point 400 with wireless communication. Examples of the user terminal 500 includes a PC (personal computer) which sends data for printing and a print job for a pull print to the server 300 and sends a print job to the image forming apparatus 100, [0046], lines 5-11).
Regarding claim 4, Yamaguchi discloses information processing system (fig. 1 item 100, image forming apparatus), wherein
Yamaguchi does not specifically disclose concept of processor continues to reject acceptance of the print request from another user until printing of the print information of the subsequent print request is completed or cancelled.
However, Abe et al specifically teaches concept of processor continues to reject acceptance of the print request from another user until printing of the print information of the subsequent print request is completed or cancelled (When this print rejection message is transmitted to the bot application 310, the bot application 310 may make setting such that a print request is not transmitted from the user A and other users to the user B (another user) (i.e., such that the user B (another user) does not receive a print request). In other words, the messaging service application 220 transmits information indicating that the user B wants to refuse (reject) a print request to the bot application 310; thus is seen as when there’s an indication of a subsequent print request that has not been received from user A, user B (another user) refuses (rejects) print request, [0103], lines 2-5).
At the time the invention was filed, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified system of Yamaguchi with concept of processor continues to reject acceptance of the print request from another user until printing of the print information of the subsequent print request is completed or cancelled of Abe et al. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to improve printing execution instruction via a messaging service application, (Abe et al, [0022], line 3)
Regarding claim 5, Yamaguchi discloses information processing system (fig. 1 item 100, image forming apparatus), wherein
Yamaguchi does not specifically disclose concept of when the notification is received, the processor continues to transmit a rejection signal in response to a print request from another user, and transmits an acceptance permission signal to the other user after printing of the print information of the subsequent print request is completed or cancelled.
However, Abe et al specifically teaches concept of when the notification is received, the processor continues to transmit a rejection signal in response to a print request from another user, and transmits an acceptance permission signal to the other user after printing of the print information of the subsequent print request is completed or cancelled (When this print rejection message is transmitted to the bot application 310, the bot application 310 may make setting such that a print request is not transmitted from the user A and other users to the user B (another user) (i.e., such that the user B (another user) does not receive a print request). In other words, the messaging service application 220 transmits information indicating that the user B wants to refuse (reject) a print request to the bot application 310; thus is seen as when there’s an indication of a subsequent print request that has not been received from user A, user B (another user) refuses (rejects) print request, [0103], lines 2-5).
At the time the invention was filed, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified system of Yamaguchi with concept of when the notification is received, the processor continues to transmit a rejection signal in response to a print request from another user, and transmits an acceptance permission signal to the other user after printing of the print information of the subsequent print request is completed or cancelled of Abe et al. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to improve printing execution instruction via a messaging service application, (Abe et al, [0022], line 3).
Regarding claim 6, Yamaguchi discloses information processing system (fig. 1 item 100, image forming apparatus), wherein
Yamaguchi does not specifically disclose concept of when the print information of the subsequent print request has not been received even after a predetermined time has elapsed, the processor accepts a print request from another user.
However, Abe et al specifically teaches concept of when the print information of the subsequent print request has not been received even after a predetermined time has elapsed, the processor accepts a print request from another user (When this print rejection message is transmitted to the bot application 310, the bot application 310 may make setting such that a print request is not transmitted from the user A and other users to the user B (another user) (i.e., such that the user B (another user) does not receive a print request). In other words, the messaging service application 220 transmits information indicating that the user B wants to refuse (reject) a print request to the bot application 310; thus is seen as when there’s an indication of a subsequent print request that has not been received from user A, user B (another user) refuses (rejects) print request, [0103], lines 2-5).
At the time the invention was filed, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified system of Yamaguchi with concept of when the print information of the subsequent print request has not been received even after a predetermined time has elapsed, the processor accepts a print request from another user of Abe et al. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to improve printing execution instruction via a messaging service application, (Abe et al, [0022], line 3).
Regarding claim 7, Yamaguchi discloses non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an information processing program for causing a computer to execute processing of (The present invention relates to an image forming system, an image forming apparatus, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for an information processing apparatus, [0003], lines 1-2):
receiving a print request including print information of a print target from an information processing apparatus that has acquired the print request from a print management system (user terminal 500 includes a PC (personal computer) which sends data for printing and a print job for a pull print to the server 300 and sends a print job to the image forming apparatus 100, [0046], lines 9-11); and
Yamaguchi does not specifically disclose concept of rejecting acceptance of the print request from another user when a notification indicating that there is the print request that is a subsequent print request that has not been received from the print management system is received from the information processing apparatus.
However, Abe et al specifically teaches concept of rejecting acceptance of the print request from another user when a notification indicating that there is the print request that is a subsequent print request that has not been received from the print management system is received from the information processing apparatus (When this print rejection message is transmitted to the bot application 310, the bot application 310 may make setting such that a print request is not transmitted from the user A and other users to the user B (another user) (i.e., such that the user B (another user) does not receive a print request). In other words, the messaging service application 220 transmits information indicating that the user B wants to refuse (reject) a print request to the bot application 310; thus is seen as when there’s an indication of a subsequent print request that has not been received from user A, user B (another user) refuses (rejects) print request, [0103], lines 2-5).
At the time the invention was filed, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified system of Yamaguchi with concept of rejecting acceptance of the print request from another user when a notification indicating that there is the print request that is a subsequent print request that has not been received from the print management system is received from the information processing apparatus of Abe et al. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to improve printing execution instruction via a messaging service application, (Abe et al, [0022], line 3).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FRANTZ BATAILLE whose telephone number is (571)270-7286. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM.
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/FRANTZ BATAILLE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2681