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 November 24, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On page 6 of Remarks, Applicant states that Fukazawa does not disclose
“a receiving unit configured to receive, from the information processing apparatus, a job that includes information indicating an e-mail transmission destination, information indicating a reply destination, information indicating a transmission source, and scan setting information”. However Fukazawa does discloses “a receiving unit configured to receive, from the information processing apparatus, a job that includes information indicating an e-mail transmission destination, information indicating a reply destination, information indicating a transmission source, and scan setting information” (paragraph 26, 36; setting info 600 (job) is received from mobile device (information processing apparatus); paragraph 36; line 603 in the setting information includes email address destination info; paragraph 36; setting information includes line 608 which has Reply-to header; paragraph 36, 52; setting info (job) 600 includes in line 609 “From” email address (source); setting info includes scan settings in line 604-606). Further Fukazawa discloses “a transmitting unit configured to generate an e-mail in which information indicating the reply destination included in the job” (paragraph 36, 44, 45, 51, 55, 61; email envelope generated in steps 902, 903, 920 is used to generate email that is transmitted with scan image data attached to the destination; if Reply-to is present in setting information (job) in s1202, then in s1203, the Reply-to destination is set as the “envelope from” header of the email; “envelope from” header (used for sending error email) is separate from “From header” of an email) and “the information indicating the transmission source included in the job are set and configured to transmit the e-mail together with the image data” (paragraph 23, 36, 44-45, 48, 52, 54, 55 ; email envelope generated in steps 902, 903, 920 is used to generate email that is transmitted with scan image data attached to the destination; the email envelope includes the “From” address (source) from line 609 of setting info 600 and is set in the email; in paragraph 55, both the From header and Reply-to header is set in email in addition to the “envelope from” header).
See paragraph 55 wherein Fukuzawa discloses setting both the From header and Reply-to header in the email which will transmitted based on the received setting information (job).
On bottom of page 6, Applicant states that only the reply-to is set based on the received reply-to header or the from header in case the reply-to header is not present. However Examiner disagrees because the section referred in Fukuzawa in relation to the setting of reply-to is related to setting the “envelope from” of an email (paragraph 51) which is part of email that sets address where error email is sent to which is separate from the “From:” address. So Fukuzawa is setting the “envelope from” address of an email to either the reply-to or the from address but the reply-to and From header of the mail are set for the email as stated in paragraph 55 and 61 based on setting information.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5, 10, 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2015226180 to Fukuzawa.
Regarding claim 1, Fukazawa discloses an image processing apparatus that is connected to an information processing apparatus via a network, the image processing apparatus comprising (paragraph 21, 31; image forming apparatus 305 (image processing apparatus) connected to mobile device 303 (information processing apparatus) via LAN 301 (network)):
at least one processor and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor and the at least one memory to act as (paragraph 11-13; CPU 101 coupled to RAM memory and which executes program stored in RAM):
a receiving unit configured to receive, from the information processing apparatus, a job that includes information indicating an e-mail transmission destination (paragraph 26, 36; setting info 600 (job) is received from mobile device (information processing apparatus); paragraph 36; line 603 in the setting information includes email address destination info),
information indicating a reply destination (paragraph 36; setting information includes line 608 which has Reply-to header),
information indicating a transmission source, and scan setting information (paragraph 36, 52; setting info (job) 600 includes in line 609 “From” email address (source); setting info includes scan settings in line 604-606);
a generating unit configured to generate image data by performing scanning on a basis of the scan setting information included in the job (paragraph 23, 42-44, 55; scan data is generated by scanning document to generate image data using the scan settings such as resolution in the setting info 600 (job)); and
a transmitting unit configured to generate an e-mail in which
information indicating the reply destination included in the job (paragraph 36, 44, 45, 51, 55, 61; email envelope generated in steps 902, 903, 920 is used to generate email that is transmitted with scan image data attached to the destination; if Reply-to is present in setting information (job) in s1202, then in s1203, the Reply-to destination is set as the “envelope from” header of the email; “envelope from” header (used for sending error email) is separate from “From header” of an email) and
the information indicating the transmission source included in the job are set and configured to transmit the e-mail together with the image data (paragraph 23, 36, 44-45, 48, 52, 54, 55 ; email envelope generated in steps 902, 903, 920 is used to generate email that is transmitted with scan image data attached to the destination; the email envelope includes the “From” address (source) from line 609 of setting info 600 and is set in the email; in paragraph 55, both the From header and Reply-to header is set in email in addition to the “envelope from” header).
Regarding claim 3, Fukazawa discloses the image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the information indicating the transmission source is not included in the job, the transmitting unit generates an e-mail in which an e-mail address set to the image processing apparatus is set as the transmission source (paragraph 52-53; if there is no “From” in setting info then it goes to s1210 and it uses address of image forming apparatus as the envelope from for the email to be generated).
Regarding claim 5, Fukazawa discloses a method for an image processing apparatus that is connected to an information processing apparatus via a network, the method comprising (paragraph 21, 31; image forming apparatus 305 (image processing apparatus) connected to mobile device 303 (information processing apparatus) via LAN 301 (network)):
receiving, from the information processing apparatus, a job that includes
information indicating an e-mail transmission destination (paragraph 26, 36; setting info 600 (job) is received from mobile device (information processing apparatus); paragraph 36; line 603 in the setting information includes email address destination info), information indicating a reply destination (paragraph 36; setting information includes line 608 which has Reply-to header), information indicating a transmission source, and scan setting information (paragraph 36, 52; setting info (job) 600 includes in line 609 “From” email address (source); setting info includes scan settings in line 604-606);
generating image data by performing scanning on a basis of the scan setting
information included in the job (paragraph 23, 42-44, 55; scan data is generated by scanning document to generate image data using the scan settings such as resolution in the setting info 600 (job)); and
generating an e-mail in which the information indicating the reply destination included in the job (paragraph 36, 44, 45, 51, 55, 61; email envelope generated in steps 902, 903, 920 is used to generate email that is transmitted with scan image data attached to the destination; if Reply-to is present in setting information (job) in s1202, then in s1203, the Reply-to destination is set as the “envelope from” header of the email; “envelope from” header (used for sending error email) is separate from “From header” of an email) and the information indicating the transmission source included in the job are set and transmitting the e-mail together with the image data (paragraph 23, 36, 44-45, 48, 52, 54, 55 ; email envelope generated in steps 902, 903, 920 is used to generate email that is transmitted with scan image data attached to the destination; the email envelope includes the “From” address (source) from line 609 of setting info 600 and is set in the email; in paragraph 55, both the From header and Reply-to header is set in email in addition to the “envelope from” header).
Regarding claim 10, Fukazawa discloses the image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information indicating the e-mail transmission destination, the information indicating the reply destination, and the information indicating the transmission source are set on a setting screen of the information processing apparatus (paragraph 33, 36; setting info 600 including destination 603, reply-to 608, source 609 are editable (are set) on the setting screen on display unit 504 of mobile device (information processing apparatus)).
Regarding claim 11, Fukazawa discloses the image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein an e-mail address of the information processing apparatus is set by default as the information indicating the transmission source on the setting screen (paragraph 33, 55; the email address of the mobile device such as bell@caxxx.co.jp is default address of mobile device since that address belongs to the user of mobile device who is the transmission source; on setting screen this default source address is displayed where it can be edited).
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) 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 2015226180 to Fukuzawa in view of JP 2007060643 to Kano.
Regarding claim 12, Fukazawa does not disclose the image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information indicating the reply destination and the information indicating the transmission source are settable on a setting screen of the image processing apparatus.
Kano discloses wherein the information indicating the reply destination and the information indicating the transmission source are settable on a setting screen of the image processing apparatus (paragraph 36, 61-62; Internet FAX 100 (image processing apparatus) displays screen in Fig. 7a for setting From address 322(source) and Reply-to address 323 by selecting address via 327 and changing it via 328).
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 Fukazawa as taught by Kano to provide setting of the reply and source address on screen of image forming apparatus.
The motivation to combine the references is to allow the user to securely via authentication to confirm the set address and make any changes to any of the address by simple operation of selection on the screen (paragraph 61-62).
Regarding claim 13, Kano discloses the image processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein on the setting screen of the image processing apparatus, a list of e-mail addresses stored in association with a user who is currently logged in to the image processing apparatus is displayed, the information indicating the reply destination is selectable from the list of e-mail addresses, and the information indicating the transmission source is selectable from the list of e-mail addresses (paragraph 23-24, 55, 61-62, 65-66; address stored storage 16 in association with authenticated user (logged) (step s101) is displayed in Fig. 7b as list 332 for either reply or FROM address based on whether user selects the “From” address and Reply address 327 and selects change 328).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Other Prior Art Cited
14. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 6466330 to Mori.
JP 2012108705 to Morioka.
JP H11146007 to Shibahara.
Conclusion
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
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Patent Examiner
Beniyam Menberu
/BENIYAM MENBERU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2681
02/13/2026