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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by WO 2023075836 to Kim.
!!!! WO 2023075836 is a WIPO publication of an international application (PCT) that designates the United States that has an effectively filed date earlier than the application!!!!
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a printer driver (paragraph 39; memory 17 stores printer driver), the printer driver comprising:
a code for displaying (paragraph 52, 73; universal driver provides display function) a print setting screen for receiving a print setting for printing by a printer on a display unit of an information processing apparatus in which the printer driver is installed (paragraph 24, 52, 73; print setting screen for receiving user selection; print setting screen for connected image forming apparatus displayed by universal driver such as display list 500 including printer name; paragraph 34-36; host device (information processing apparatus) having driver installed in memory 17 includes display user interface 16); and
a code for displaying information related to a fixed price print service with the printer on the display unit (paragraph 48, 70, 71, 73, 88; universal driver provides display of “number of remaining pages” associated with subscription information related to fixed price of $24.99 for 700 pages/month for the printers listed in 510).
Regarding claim 4, Kim discloses the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the printer driver further comprises a code for causing the information processing apparatus to obtain information related to the fixed price print service from a server that manages the fixed price print service (see Fig. 4; paragraph 21, 62-64, 66-67; driver obtains service plan information (information related to the fixed price print service) from service plan management system (server) ).
Regarding claim 7, Kim discloses the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the information related to the fixed price print service includes information related to a remaining printable sheet number based on a contract of the fixed price print service (paragraph 21-22, 88; service plan information (information related to the fixed price print service) includes info about remaining number of pages of quota from monthly fixed pricing such as 700 pages/month).
Regarding claim 8, Kim discloses the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein an object for indicating information related to the fixed price print service with the printer is displayed on the print setting screen (paragraph 52, 96, 103; print setting screen displayed including information shown in Fig. 8, screen 800; objects such as “Change plan”, “Refresh” (update) button are displayed in indicating option to change/refresh fixed price service displayed in screen 800).
Regarding claim 10, Kim discloses an information processing apparatus comprising (paragraph 34; host device):
a first display function configured to cause a printer driver to display a print setting screen for receiving a print setting for printing by a printer (paragraph 24, 52, 73; print setting screen for receiving user selection; print setting screen for connected image forming apparatus (printing) displayed by universal driver such as display list 500 including printer name; paragraph 34-36; host device (information processing apparatus) having driver installed display user interface 16 as first display function); and
a second display function configured to cause the printer driver to display information related to a fixed price print service with the printer (paragraph 48, 70, 71, 73, 88; universal driver provides display of “number of remaining pages” associated with subscription information related to fixed price of $24.99 for 700 pages/month for the printers listed in 510 as second display function).
Regarding claim 11, Kim discloses a control method for an information processing apparatus (paragraph 34; host device), the control method comprising:
a step of causing a printer driver to display a print setting screen for receiving a print setting for printing by a printer on a display unit of the information processing apparatus (paragraph 24, 52, 73; print setting screen for receiving user selection; print setting screen for connected image forming apparatus (printing) displayed by universal driver such as display list 500 including printer name; paragraph 34-36; host device (information processing apparatus) having driver installed display user interface 16 as display); and
a step of causing the printer driver to display information related to a fixed price print service with the printer on the display unit of the information processing apparatus (paragraph 48, 70, 71, 73, 88; universal driver provides display of “number of remaining pages” associated with subscription information related to fixed price of $24.99 for 700 pages/month for the printers listed in 510).
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.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2023075836 to Kim in view of US 20220103717 to Yamada.
Regarding claim 2, Kim discloses the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the printer driver further comprises a code for causing the information processing apparatus to obtain information relating to the fixed price print service (see Fig. 4; paragraph 21, 62-64, 66-67; driver obtains service plan information (information related to the fixed price print service) from service plan management system (server)). However Kim does not disclose obtaining information relating to the fixed price print service from the printer.
Yamada discloses obtaining information relating to the fixed price print service from the printer (paragraph 55, 89; acquiring from printer information indicating change to contract mode associated with flat-rate printing ).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to modify the system of Kim as taught by Yamada to obtain fixed price data directly from printer.
The motivation to combine the references is to enable a printer to operate in normal mode and contract mode of fixed price printing based on the type of attached cartridge and to be able to obtain from the printer information about which of those two modes is set for the printer (paragraph 55, 89).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2023075836 to Kim in view of US 20220103717 to Yamada further in view of JP 2013207711 to Yomogida.
Regarding claim 3, Kim discloses the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein the printer driver further comprises: a code for causing the information processing apparatus to determine whether the information processing apparatus is connected to the printer (paragraph 45; determination of connected image forming apparatus). Kim discloses information related to the fixed price print service and connection to printer as noted above and in claim 1. However Kim does not disclose a code for displaying information indicating that the information is old information on the display unit in determining that the information processing apparatus is not connected.
Yomogida discloses a code for displaying information indicating that the information is old information on the display unit in determining that the information processing apparatus is not connected (paragraph 35-37; when disconnected to server, the background color in menu is displayed with red color indicating old data).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to modify the system of Kim as taught by Yomogida to provide display notification of old data based on connection.
The motivation to combine the references is to let the user easily know whether the current data displayed is old data or updated data from a server by changing display color of the data area based on the status of the connection to the server (paragraph 35-37).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2023075836 to Kim in view of JP 2013207711 to Yomogida.
Regarding claim 5, Kim discloses the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4, wherein the printer driver further comprises: a code for causing the information processing apparatus to determine whether obtainment of the information relating to the fixed price print service is succeeded (paragraph 46-47; in response to query in s310, host driver successfully receives service plan information (information relating to the fixed price print service) from server).
However Kim does not disclose a code for displaying information indicating that the information may be old information on the display unit in determining that the obtainment of the information is not succeeded.
Yomogida discloses a code for displaying information indicating that the information may be old information on the display unit in determining that the obtainment of the information is not succeeded (paragraph 34-37; in determining obtaining data not succeeded due to disconnection with server, the background color in menu is displayed with red color indicating old data).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to modify the system of Kim as taught by Yomogida to provide display notification of old data based on result of connection.
The motivation to combine the references is to let the user easily know whether the current data displayed is old data or updated data from a server by changing display color of the data area based on the status of the connection to the server (paragraph 35-37).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2023075836 to Kim in view of US 20160292550 to Kawai.
Regarding claim 6, Kim does not disclose the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the information related to the fixed price print service is not displayed on the display unit in a case where use of the printer is not restricted.
Kawai discloses wherein the information related to the fixed price print service is not displayed on the display unit in a case where use of the printer is not restricted (paragraph 51-52, 76-77; in fixed price printing using specific cartridge number of sheets printed is restricted based on service; however in normal printing (normal cartridge) there is no restriction on number of sheet printing; if the normal cartridge is connected, then the display 230 indicating the service ON and num sheets printed is NOT displayed (information related to the fixed price print service))
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to modify the system of Kim as taught by Kawai to provide control of fixed price information display based on use restriction.
The motivation to combine the references is to provide a user with display information to readily indicate to user what type of printing mode is currently being used so that user can perform printing in accordance with the mode being normal or restricted fixed price printing in which user can find out amount of printed sheet on display (see Fig. 19; 51-52, 76-77).
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2023075836 to Kim in view of US 20090261524 to Nakayama.
Regarding claim 9, Kim discloses remaining printable sheet number based on the contract of the fixed price print service (paragraph 21-22, 88; service plan information (information related to the fixed price print service) includes info about remaining number of pages of quota from monthly fixed pricing such as 700 pages/month). However Kim does not disclose the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the printer driver further comprises a code for highlighting the object in a case where the remaining printable sheet number is smaller than a predetermined threshold.
Nakayama discloses wherein the printer driver further comprises a code for highlighting the object in a case where the remaining printable sheet number is smaller than a predetermined threshold (paragraph 316, 326, 528; print driver displays the screen in Fig. 9 which includes highlighting by graying object 201a when number of sheets is less than 1 (ie. 0) (threshold)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to modify the system of Kim as taught by Nakayama to provide highlighted display by driver to indicate remaining number of sheets in printer.
The motivation to combine the references is to provide clear highlighted display of when the remaining sheet is low and provide user option to make changes to fix the problem with sheet (paragraph 316).
Other Prior Art Cited
14. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20220011995 to Yamazaki.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BENIYAM MENBERU whose telephone number is (571) 272-7465. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday, 10:00am-6:30pm.
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Patent Examiner
Beniyam Menberu
/BENIYAM MENBERU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2681
01/08/2026