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 with respect to claim(s) 1-2, 5, 7, 8-11 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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) 1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 2022029228 to Fuku in view of JP 2001134392 to Inoue.
Regarding claim 1, Fuku discloses a reading device (paragraph 35; scanner) comprising:
a scanner configured to read an image on a medium (paragraph 35; document (medium) is scanned to generate image);
a storage configured to store a template in which target area identification information identifying a target area and information related to the target are associated with each other (paragraph 28-30, 44; form data (template) is stored in server and it includes “handwritten character BS information” as “position information of handwritten string area” (target area identification information) and includes “metadata item information” (information related to the target area) related to the handwritten string area in association);
a processor configured to (paragraph 34; CPU 111)
acquire the template from the storage (paragraph 20, 44; “character information extraction unit 205 acquires form data” (template) from server); and
perform character recognition to recognize character information from the target area of the image of the medium read by the scanner based on the template (paragraph 45-46, 49; based on form data matched in layouts in s506, s507, string (character) is recognized and extracted based on string area (target area) in the read image based on form data).
However Fuku does not disclose an output configured to output, to a printer, output information, the output information including the target area identification information identifying the target area and information based on the character information associated with each other.
Inoue discloses an output configured to output, to a printer, output information, the output information including the target area identification information identifying the target area and information based on the character information associated with each other (paragraph 39, 53; printer interface control unit (printer I/F) 17 (output) transmits output information including “information about that character” including position information (target area identification information) and character code (information based on the character information) in association to the printer).
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 Fuku as taught by Inoue to provide output to printer including target area information and character data.
The motivation to combine the references is to provide high speed printing while accurately printing the character information at high quality based on the position information provided to the printer (paragraph 69-70, 79, 81).
Regarding claim 5, Fuku discloses an information processing method comprising:
acquiring template information of a template stored in a storage (paragraph 20, 44; “character information extraction unit 205 acquires form data” (template) from server; paragraph 28-30, 44; form data (template) is stored in server), the template including target area identification information identifying a target area associated with information related to the target area (paragraph 28-30, 44; form data (template) is stored in server and it includes “handwritten character BS information” as “position information of handwritten string area” (target area identification information) and includes “metadata item information” (information related to the target area) related to the handwritten string area in association);
specifying the target area from image data of an image on a medium based on the template information (paragraph 45-46, 49; when character area in form data (template) is similar in layout with area in the read image, then the target area is specified );
recognizing character information from the target area of the image on the medium read by a scanner (paragraph 45-46, 49; based on form data matched in layouts in s506, s507, string (character) is recognized and extracted based on string area (target area) in the read image based on form data).
However Fuku does not disclose outputting, to a printer, the target area identification information and information based on the character information.
Inoue discloses outputting, to a printer, the target area identification information and information based on the character information (paragraph 39, 53; printer interface control unit (printer I/F) 17 (output) transmits output information including “information about that character” including position information (target area identification information) and character code (information based on the character information) in association to the printer).
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 Fuku as taught by Inoue to provide output to printer including target area information and character data.
The motivation to combine the references is to provide high speed printing while accurately printing the character information at high quality based on the position information provided to the printer (paragraph 69-70, 79, 81).
Regarding claim 7, Fuku discloses a reading device (paragraph 35; scanner) comprising:
a scanner configured to read an image on a medium (paragraph 35; document (medium) is scanned to generate image);
a storage configured to store a template specifying at least one target area of the image on the medium (paragraph 28-30, 44, 46; form data (template) is stored in server and it includes “handwritten character BS information” as “position information of handwritten string area” specifying a target area on read image (step s507)); and
a processor configured to (paragraph 34; CPU 111)
acquire target area identification information indicating the at least one target area of the image on the medium from the template stored in the storage (paragraph 30, 32, 44, 46; acquiring from form data (template) “handwritten character BS information” such as location information 405/406 as target area identification information that indicate the target area in read image in s507); and
recognize character information from the at least one target area of the image on the medium read by the scanner (paragraph 45-46, 49; based on form data matched in layouts in s506, s507, string (character) is recognized and extracted based on string area (target area) in the read image based on form data).
However Fuku does not disclose an output configured to output, to a printer, information based on the character information of the target area in association with the target area identification information.
Inoue discloses an output configured to output, to a printer, information based on the character information of the target area in association with the target area identification information (paragraph 39, 53; printer interface control unit (printer I/F) 17 (output unit) transmits output information including “information about that character” including position information (target area identification information) and character code (information based on the character information) in association to the printer).
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 Fuku as taught by Inoue to provide output to printer including target area information and character data.
The motivation to combine the references is to provide high speed printing while accurately printing the character information at high quality based on the position information provided to the printer (paragraph 69-70, 79, 81).
Regarding claim 8, Fuku discloses the device according to claim 1, wherein the reading device includes a multifunction peripheral (paragraph 10-11; MFP including reader device (scanner)).
Regarding claim 10, Fuku discloses the device according to claim 1, wherein the information based on the character information includes numerical values (paragraph 53; “phone number” is character information extracted).
Regarding claim 11, Inoue discloses the device according to claim 1, wherein the storage includes at least one of a hard disk drive or a solid state drive (paragraph 39, 42; HDD storage).
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 2022029228 to Fuku in view of JP 2001134392 to Inoue further in view of JP 2009053239 to Imoto.
Regarding claim 9, Fuku does not disclose the device according to claim 1, wherein the scanner includes a line sensor.
Imoto discloses wherein the scanner includes a line sensor (paragraph 9; line sensor used to read image).
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 Fuku as taught by Imoto to provide line sensor as image reading device.
The motivation to combine the references is to provide higher accuracy and higher speed in image reading by using line sensors versus other type of sensors such as area sensors (paragraph 23).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4, 6, 12-13 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
With regards to independent claim 3, the closest prior art of JP 2004315116 to Tanaka discloses a label dispensing device comprising (page 6, lines 8-9; label printer):
a processor configured to (page 4, line 24; computer)
acquire, from a reader, information including information based on character information (page 6, lines 7-9, 27-29; page 7, lines 3-14; delivery management center acquires from scanner (reader) order information including character code information);
register label element information based on the character information corresponding to a label element (page 12, lines 9-12; label element include the section 133 for delivery information (label element) and other label element such as section 134 as shown in label in Fig. 10; page 7, lines 11-16; page 11, lines 11-17; delivery management database registers the order information (character information) which is used as delivery data to be associated with label element such as section 133 which corresponds to delivery data that includes order information); and
create a label based on the registered label element information (page 7, lines 11-14, 16-21; shipping label is created based on registered order information that are associated with label element section 133).
US 20020044686 to Yamazaki discloses to acquire, information including information based on character information and information identifying a target area of an image on a medium corresponding to the character information associated with each other (paragraph 37, 40, 42; acquiring from the character recognition unit 11 character position information (information identifying the target area) of character image and the character code (character information) in association with character position; character image based on scanning via image input unit (reader) a document (medium)).
In addition to the teachings of the claim 3 as a whole, the closest prior art of record failed to teach or suggest,
“acquire, from a reader, information including information based on character information and target area identification information identifying a target area of an image on a medium corresponding to the character information;
register label element information based on the character information corresponding to the label element based on a correspondence between the target area identification information and the label element in the label format”
In addition to the teachings of the claim 6 as a whole, the closest prior art of record failed to teach or suggest,
“acquiring, from a reader, information based on character information associated with target area identification information identifying a target area of an image on a medium corresponding to the character information;
registering the information based on the character information corresponding to the label element based on a correspondence between the target area identification information and the label element in the label format”
Therefore, claims 4, 12, 13 are allowable for depending on claim 3 respectively.
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.
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
09/04/2026
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