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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1, 11, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the plurality of first setting values" in the fourth limitation. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 11 and 12 recite the limitation "the plurality of first setting values" in the second limitation. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Kimura (US 2023/0176793) in view of Kimura (US 2023/0035492).
Regarding claims 1, 11, and 12, Kimura ‘793 discloses a non-transitory storage medium storing a control program of an information processing device causing a computer to perform each step of a control method of the information processing device, a control method of an information processing device, and an information processing device comprising:
a memory storing instructions (see Fig. 3 and para 59, image forming apparatus 101 contains a ROM 312 and HDD 314); and
a processor (see Fig. 3 and para 59, CPU 311) executing the instructions causing the information processing device to:
receive a selection of one utilization environment from the plurality of utilization environments (see Fig. 5 and paras 73-76, a user can select an environment type);
perform setting for a plurality of setting items by using the plurality of first setting values in association with the selected one utilization environment (see paras 68-76, a user can select an environment type, predetermined settings or default settings are associated with each environment type and are set upon selection of the environment type); and
save a plurality of second setting values corresponding to the plurality of setting items that are set before the setting by using the plurality of first setting values is performed (see paras 71-76, the user can change setting values or can select different environment types to change the setting values).
Kimura ‘793 does not disclose expressly provide a report including the saved plurality of second setting values and a plurality of third setting values set for the information processing device when an instruction to provide the report is received, which correspond to at least some of the plurality of setting items, on the basis of the instruction to provide the report from a user.
Kimura ‘492 discloses provide a report including the saved plurality of second setting values and a plurality of third setting values set for the information processing device when an instruction to provide the report is received, which correspond to at least some of the plurality of setting items, on the basis of the instruction to provide the report from a user (see Fig. 6 and paras 52-53 and 65-67, report service 413 creates a report of printer network settings based on instructions from a user, a plurality of setting values can be included in the report, in addition to the printer network settings, printer settings and mobile router settings can also be reported).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to combine the setting report, as described by Kimura ‘492, with the system of Kimura ‘793.
The suggestion/motivation for doing so would have been to aid in the identification of network connection issues when an error arises thereby reducing downtime.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to combine Kimura ‘492 with Kimura ‘793 to obtain the invention as specified in claims 1, 11, and 12.
Regarding claim 2, Kimura ‘793 further discloses wherein setting values are setting values corresponding to setting items for which different setting values are set as the plurality of second setting values and as the plurality of third setting values (see paras 71-76, the user can change setting values or can select different environment types to change the plurality of setting values) and Kimura ‘492 further discloses wherein setting values included in the report are setting values corresponding to setting items for which different setting values are set (see Fig. 6 and paras 52-53 and 65-67, report service 413 creates a report of printer network settings based on instructions from a user, a plurality of setting values can be included in the report, in addition to the printer network settings, printer settings and mobile router settings can also be reported).
Regarding claim 3, Kimura ‘793 further discloses wherein in a case where an instruction to provide the report is acquired in a state where one utilization environment has been selected from among the plurality of utilization environments (see paras 68-76, a user can select an environment type, predetermined settings or default settings are associated with each environment type and are set upon selection of the environment type, the user can change setting values or can select different environment types to change the setting values),
Kimura ‘492 further discloses the processor provides a report including a plurality of third setting values set for the information processing device when the instruction to provide the report is received, and the plurality of first setting values in association with the selected utilization environment, which correspond to at least some of the plurality of setting items (see Fig. 6 and paras 52-53 and 65-67, report service 413 creates a report of printer network settings based on instructions from a user, a plurality of setting values can be included in the report, in addition to the printer network settings, printer settings and mobile router settings can also be reported).
Regarding claim 4, Kimura ‘793 further discloses wherein the report is provided as a screen to be displayed on the information processing device (see Fig. 5 and paras 75-76, settings can be displayed to a user via a screen).
Regarding claim 5, Kimura ‘793 further discloses wherein the report is provided as a web page to be displayed on a web browser (see paras 74-75, the setting values can be displayed using a web browser via a web page).
Regarding claim 6, Kimura ‘793 further discloses wherein the report is displayed as a setting change screen capable of receiving, from the user, an instruction to change setting values of setting items that are being displayed (see Fig. 5 and para 76, a user can change setting values displayed via a display), and
the processor sets the changed setting values for the information processing device on the basis of the instruction to change the setting values on the setting change screen (see paras 73-76 and 82-90, setting values are changed when a user changes environment types).
Regarding claim 7, Kimura ‘492 further discloses wherein the processor provides the report by printing the report (see Fig. 6 and paras 53 and 65, the report can be printed).
Regarding claim 8, Kimura ‘793 further discloses wherein the report includes at least any of a utilization environment that is currently set for the information processing device, a date and time of saving of the plurality of second setting values, and a date and time of provision of the report (see Fig. 5, an environment type selected is displayed).
Regarding claim 9, Kimura ‘793 further discloses wherein the information processing device is an image processing device including at least any of a printing function and a scanning function (see para 58, image forming apparatus 101 includes a printer 330 and a scanner 340).
Regarding claim 10, Kimura ‘793 further discloses wherein the plurality of first setting values are managed corresponding to the plurality of setting items and are different from each other, in association with the plurality of utilization environments of the information processing device (see paras 41-42 and 68, each environment type has different setting values associated with it).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARK R MILIA whose telephone number is (571) 272-7408. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Akwasi Sarpong can be reached at 571-270-3438. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARK R MILIA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2681