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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/17/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that pertaining to claims 1 and 10 claim language, Anno does not disclose the newly amended subject matter. Examiner respectfully disagrees. As per the claim language currently claimed Anno’524 discloses selecting a any of basic/base papers 805 (851-853) pressing new/copy button 809 to copy the selected basic/base paper into a new setting paper for the case wherein in the selected paper is a basic/base paper 805. While for the case of the first paper information is not a base paper we look in Anno’524 figure 7 at selecting user-defined paper 1 854 not being basic/base paper and therefore the detail/editing button can be pressed. See new rejection below. Examiner believes this interpretation of Anno’524 still reads on the broadest reasonable interpretation of newly presented claims. Regarding independent claim 9 new rejection is presented below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-8, and 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Anno (US 2014/0160524 A1).
With respect to Claim 1, Anno’524 shows an information processing apparatus (Figure 2 image processing apparatus 103) comprising: one or more memories storing instructions (figure 2); and one or more processors (figure 2 CPU 211) executing the instructions to:
accept an editing operation to change registered first paper (Figure 5 paragraph [0061] includes basic/base paper information 805 (851-853) and figure 7 basic/base paper 805 (851-853) and user setting paper 806 (854)) information (paragraph [0059] shows selection for 805 and 806 as paper options to perform details/edit button buttons 808, new/copy button 809 (paragraph [0061]) and deletion button 810, a button new/copy 809); and
register paper information based on the accepted editing operation to
(i) change the first paper information being base paper as second paper information, which is different from the first paper information (basic/base paper 805 selected), in a case where a type of the first paper information is base paper, the second paper information being different from the first paper information (paragraph [0061] selecting the new/copy button 809 to copy/duplicate selected paper as illustrated in the list in figure 5 (851-853) into another paper not the original basic/base initially defined/registered paper second paper information), and
(ii) overwrite the registered first paper information with the paper information based on the editing operation in a case where the type of the first paper information is not the base paper (paragraph [0059] basic/base paper (851-853) cannot be edited but user setting paper (854) can be edited).
With respect to Claim 2, Anno’524 shows the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the type of the first paper information is the base paper, if a name of the paper information based on the editing operation is already used as that of registered paper information, change of the name is accepted (paragraph [0084]-[0085] after the new/copy button 809 is pressed (editing operation) a name for the copy setting can be changed so that the copied paper does not have the same name).
With respect to Claim 3, Anno’524 shows the information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in a case where the name is changed, the registered second paper information is overwritten with a changed name (paragraph [0084]-[0085] after the new/copy button 809 is pressed (editing operation) a name for the copy setting can be changed so that the copied paper does not have the same name).
With respect to Claim 4, Anno’524 shows the information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in a case where the name is not changed, the registered second paper information is deleted (paragraph [0063] deleting a setting).
With respect to Claim 5, Anno’524 shows the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a setting value of paper information on the type that is the base paper is managed as unchangeable value (paragraph [0059] basic/base paper (851-853) cannot be edited).
With respect to Claim 6, Anno’524 shows the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the paper information includes a setting value indicating characteristics of paper (figure 6 907, 908).
With respect to Claim 7, Anno’524 shows the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein registered paper information can be set in a case where printing is performed (paragraph [0105] settings for printing).
With respect to Claim 8, Anno’524 shows the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first paper information is registered with a management unit, and the second paper information is registered with the management unit (figure 4 Paper setting management 706 under <registration> in 701).
With respect to Claim 11, rejection analogous to those presented for claim 1, are applicable.
With respect to Claim 12, Anno’524 shows the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the type of the first paper information is the base paper, the editing operation to change the first paper information is accepted while the type of the first paper information remains the base paper, and the paper information based on the editing operation to change the first paper information is registered as the second paper information, which is different from the first paper information (paragraph [0061] selecting the new/copy button 809 to copy/duplicate selected paper as illustrated in the list in figure 5 (851-853) into another paper not the original basic/base initially defined/registered paper second paper information paragraph [0084]-[0085] after the new/copy button 809 is pressed (editing operation) a name for the copy setting can be changed so that the copied paper does not have the same name).
With respect to Claim 13, Anno’524 shows the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the second paper information is registered and a name of the second paper information is already used as a name of the base paper, a notification is displayed (paragraph [0061] If the information about an existing paper type except for the paper name is used, the administrator can select an intended paper type from the list illustrated in FIG. 5 and press the new/copy button 809).
With respect to Claim 14, Anno’524 shows the information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the notification is a notification to select whether to register a changed setting value as the new paper information (paragraph [0061] If the information about an existing paper type except for the paper name is used, the administrator can select an intended paper type from the list illustrated in FIG. 5 and press the new/copy button 809).
With respect to Claim 15, Anno’524 shows the information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein in a case where an instruction to register the changed setting value as the new paper information is accepted in response to the notification, a screen to accept an input to change the name is displayed (paragraph [0061] If the information about an existing paper type except for the paper name is used, the administrator can select an intended paper type from the list illustrated in FIG. 5 and press the new/copy button 809. Through this operation, a copy of the selected paper type can be created. Then, the operation screen shifts to the details setting screen illustrated in FIG. 6, and the administrator can edit each attribute as intended thereon.).
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 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Anno (US 2014/0160524 A1) in view of Kawamura et al. (US 2019/0009595 A1).
With respect to Claim 9, Anno’524 shows a method of controlling an information processing apparatus (Figure 2 image processing apparatus 103) comprising: one or more memories storing instructions (figure 2); and one or more processors executing the instructions (figure 2 CPU 211) to:
accept a user operation (Figure 5 paragraph [0061] includes basic/base paper information 805 (851-853), user can select one paper); and
perform control that allows a display unit to display a first screen including a list of registered paper information (Figure 5), and
a second screen configured to be displayed after selection of paper information in which a type is base paper is received by the first screen (paragraph [0059] shows selection for 805 and 806 as paper options to perform details/edit button buttons 808, new/copy button 809 (paragraph [0061]) and deletion button 810, a button new/copy 809, window 901 opens based on the button pressed in figure 5), [ ].
Anno’524 does not specifically show wherein the second screen is configured to be displayed without displaying an error screen indicating that the selected paper information is not editable, and the second screen includes a region to accept an editing operation to change the selected paper information without a user operation to instruct duplication of paper information.
Kawamura’595 shows wherein the second screen is configured to be displayed without displaying an error screen indicating that the selected paper information is not editable (when selecting in figure 11 a paper and selecting edit 1119 screen 1401 in Figure 14, when basic settings can’t be changed showing the name 1407 not able to be edited), and the second screen includes a region to accept an editing operation to change the selected paper information without a user operation to instruct duplication of paper information (second screen 1401 opening when pressing edit button on first screen 11).
At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claim invention to modify Anno’524 to include wherein the second screen is configured to be displayed without displaying an error screen indicating that the selected paper information is not editable, and the second screen includes a region to accept an editing operation to change the selected paper information without a user operation to instruct duplication of paper information method taught by Kawamura’595. The suggestion/motivation for doing so would have been to improve the system’s ability to be able to permit desired edits to a paper basic type based on desired limits (paragraph [0093]).
With respect to Claim 9, the combination of Anno’524 and Kawamura’595 shows the information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a setting value of paper information on the type that is the base paper is managed as unchangeable value (Kawamura’595: figure 14 shows basic paper settings like 1407-1414 unchangeable).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kiuchi et al. (US 2014/0285846 A1): paragraph [0074] and figures 12 and 13 displays a paper edit screen in FIG. 13 on the operation unit 210 (edit screen display). On the paper edit screen, the operator can confirm and edit the paper-specific attributes 620 of the provisionally registered paper type. With this arrangement, when the designated paper type has not been registered in advance in the image forming apparatus 10, an automatically registered paper type can be customized before printing and then used. The operator can customize paper to be actually used, and then use it in printing, obtaining a product he wants by a smaller number of procedures than those in the conventional technique. In step S307, the CPU 205 determines whether the selected paper type is designated paper. If the selected paper type is designated paper, the process advances to step S308.
Kimura et al. (US 2019/0114519 A1): in figure 7A and paragraph [0105] paper add button to be displayed may include a new registration button 734 for registering a new paper to the paper information list, a copy button 735 for copying an existing paper to the paper information list, and a registration button 736 for generating a paper from a paper information database.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IRIANA CRUZ whose telephone number is (571)270-3246. The examiner can normally be reached 10-6.
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, Akwasi M. Sarpong can be reached at (571) 270-3438. 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.
/IRIANA CRUZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2681
Prosecution Insights