Detailed Action
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . See 35 U.S.C. § 100 (note).
Oath/Declaration
The receipt of Oath/Declaration is acknowledged.
Drawings
The drawing(s) filed on May 27, 2024 are accepted by the Examiner.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on May 27, 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Embodiment 11, without traverse directed to claims 1–10 is acknowledged.
Art Rejections
Obviousness 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.
Claim 1–10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of US Patent US 10,761,796 B (“Yokoohji”) in view of US Patent Application Publication 2006/0193006 (published Aug. 31, 2006) (Lawrence et al. hereinafter referred to as “Lawerence”).
With respect to claim 1, Yokoohji discloses a method for managing printing operations (Abstract, Col. 4, lines 3–35; a method and system for efficient job scheduling by collecting job and device status data from multiple sources, estimating pre-processing and processing times for each print job, assigning jobs to printers, and automatically rescheduling jobs to minimize idle time and maximize printer usage …), the method comprising:
querying a job queue at a digital front end (DFE) (Fig. 1 – a system for efficient job scheduling by collecting data from multiple sources …) of a printing device to determine a number of print jobs within the job queue (Col. 4, lines 9–22; the method and system is configured to collect information from multiple sources. For example, the information from the multiple sources can include job input, for example, job product information; pre-processing information, which can include processing time per product type, volume, etc.; pressing (i.e., printing time), for one or more printers, which can include printer status, maintenance schedule, printing duration, and printer capabilities, for example, types of printing that can be executed by the printer, color printing and/or monochrome printing, printable paper size, and finishing options, etc.; and post-pressing (i.e., after printing), which can include device status (for example, finishers), maintenance schedule, and print duration …);
estimating a production time for each print job of the number of print jobs within the job queue at the DFE (Col. 2, lines 18–40 – calculate a pre-processing time for the new print job; calculate a processing time for the new print job; determine at least one printer of the plurality of printers to execute the new print job …);
scheduling each print job of a number of print jobs within a defined printing schedule at the DFE according to the estimated production time for the respective print job (Col 2, lines 23–35, col. 4, lines 23-31 and col. 14, lines 35-38 – "the print job is placed in a queue for printing and the corresponding time period in which the print job is scheduled to be printed is displayed" and "estimate press time and scheduling of the job to maximize productivity" …);
determining a delay in processing a first print job of the number of print jobs according to a status within the printing device, wherein the delay causes a processing time of the first print job to exceed the estimated production time (Col. 5, lines 6-9 and Col. 15, lines 45-52, "dashboard manager 710 determines if the assigned printer 30α, 30β will be in maintenance", where maintenance includes "machine failure, machine error status, for example, out of paper". storing and comparing calculated times and actual times, which is interpreted as determining a delay based on device status that causes the actual processing time to exceed the estimated production time.…); and
automatically rescheduling, within the DFE, [ a second ] print job within the defined printing schedule to accommodate the processing time of the first print job (Col. 5, lines. 20-37 and Col. 14, lines 12-14 – "if job completion time of listing of pending jobs... the method and system will re-scheduling the waiting jobs until the entire schedule is minimized" and "another appropriate printer is found for the previous job and the previous jobs are rescheduled". This is interpreted as automatically rescheduling a second print job to accommodate the processing time of the first print job …).
While Yokoohji describes rescheduling and reassigning jobs due to device status or delays, Yokoohji does not explicitly disclose that the rescheduling of the second print job is performed as defined in the claim.
Lawrence, working in the same field of endeavor, recognizes this problem and teaches the rescheduling of the second print job (¶¶ [0042], [0049], [0055], [0057], [0083]-[0084], [0095]-[0097], [0105]-[0108], [0115]-[0119] – a print job scheduling system that employs programmable prioritizer objects associated with each print queue, allowing for flexible assignment of weights and times to jobs, holding or boosting jobs, and dynamic reordering of the queue based on device status, job attributes, or administrator-defined policies. Lawrence also teaches the use of device status (e.g., printer error or maintenance) to trigger automatic rescheduling and reordering of jobs within and across queues …).
At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the real-time, device-status-aware job scheduling and automatic rescheduling of Yokoohji with the programmable prioritizer and advanced queue management techniques of Lawrence, since doing so would have predictably and advantageously allows to improve scheduling accuracy, adaptability, and system performance (see at least Lawrence, ¶ 0137).
Therefore, the claimed subject matter would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made.
With respect to claim 2, which claim 1 is incorporated, Yokoohji discloses generating the defined printing schedule for the printing device, wherein the defined printing schedule includes a first portion identified as at least one slot of processing print jobs at the printing device and a second portion identified as at least one slot for not processing print jobs at the printing device (Col. 13, lines 4-14; col. 16, lines 25-34 – generating a job scheduling screen that includes active slots for processing normal print jobs, cluster printing jobs, and rescheduled print jobs , and inactive slots designated for "maintenance (Printer 6, for example, between 7 am and 8 am)" . This is interpreted as a schedule having a first portion for processing print jobs and a second portion for not processing print jobs …)
With respect to claim 3, which claim 1 is incorporated, Yokoohji discloses wherein determining the delay in processing the first print job includes determining the status within the printing device is that printing is paused (Col. 15, lines 45-54) – "dashboard manager 710 determines if the assigned printer 30α, 30β will be in maintenance", and defines maintenance to include "machine error status, for example, out of paper or print media". A machine error status such as being out of paper is interpreted as determining that the printing device status is that printing is paused …)
With respect to claim 4, which claim 1 is incorporated, Yokoohji discloses wherein determining the delay in processing the first print job includes determining an estimated speed of the printing device is below a specified speed corresponding to the estimated production time (Col. 15, lines 3-21 – estimating press processing times based on print volume and settings and evaluating if a previously assigned job can finish printing before an appropriate finisher becomes available. This evaluation of processing times and finisher availability is interpreted as determining whether the estimated speed of the printing device is below a specified speed corresponding to the estimated production time …).
With respect to claim 5, which claim 1 is incorporated, Yokoohji discloses wherein the second print job is scheduled at a specific time within the defined printing schedule so that the specific time is changed based on the delay in processing the first print job (Col. 14, lines 35-38 and col. 15, lines 16-21 – "the print job is placed in a queue for printing and the corresponding time period in which the print job is scheduled to be printed is displayed" and "the dashboard manager 710 reschedules jobs to complete (i.e., print) other jobs first" when a delay or conflict occurs. This is interpreted as changing the specific scheduled time of a second print job based on a delay in processing a first print job …).
With respect to claim 6, which claim 1 is incorporated, Yokoohji discloses determining that the second print job cannot be completed in slots remaining within the defined printing schedule (Col. 15, lines 61-67 – a decision-making process where the system evaluates if a job can fit within remaining scheduled slots, disclosing that "if another job cannot be moved to another available printer 30α, 30β, the new job is assigned to the printer 30α, 30β" and evaluating if rescheduling can minimize the printing schedule of all jobs . This is interpreted as determining that a second print job cannot be completed in the remaining slots of the defined printing schedule …).
With respect to claim 7, which claim 6 is incorporated, Yokoohji discloses splitting processing of the second print job between different slots within the defined printing schedule (Col. 12, lines 15-25 and Claim 2: "splitting the new print job into two or more print jobs" and determining "if the new job can be split into two or more jobs and assigned to two or more printers". The scheduling of these split portions across the system's resources is interpreted as splitting processing of the second print job between different slots within the defined printing schedule …).
With respect to claim 8, which claim 6 is incorporated, Yokoohji discloses reducing a processing time for the second print job within the defined printing schedule (Col. 11, lines 38-41 and col. 13, lines 66-8 – "dashboard manager 710 reschedules other Pre-processing jobs" and "rescheduling and/or reassigning of the previous jobs to another printer can minimize printing schedule of all previous jobs". Minimizing the printing schedule of previous jobs is interpreted as reducing a processing time for the second print job within the defined printing schedule …).
With respect to claim 9, which claim 6 is incorporated, Yokoohji teaches rescheduling and removing print jobs from the queue at the DFE (Col. 15, lines 35-68), however, Yokoohji fails to explicitly disclose cancelling the second print job at the DFE of the printing device.
Lawrence, working in the same field of endeavor, recognizes this problem and teaches cancelling the second print job at the DFE of the printing device (see [0084]: “the controller may cancel jobs that cannot be completed”; [0097]: “jobs may be cancelled or removed from the queue automatically”).
At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the real-time, device-status-aware job scheduling and automatic rescheduling of Yokoohji with the programmable prioritizer and advanced queue management techniques of Lawrence, since doing so would have predictably and advantageously allows to improve scheduling accuracy, adaptability, and system performance (see at least Lawrence, ¶ 0137).
Therefore, the claimed subject matter would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made.
With respect to claim 10, which claim 9 is incorporated, Yokoohji teaches rescheduling and removing print jobs from the queue at the DFE (Col. 15, lines 35-68), however, Yokoohji fails to explicitly disclose alerting an operator of the printing device that the second print job is cancelled.
Lawrence, working in the same field of endeavor, recognizes this problem and teaches alerting an operator of the printing device (¶ [0090] – the prioritizer user interface 244 displays this information in the event that the print job is in a hold state. This is intended to reduce user confusion if their job is held in the queue. For example, if a prioritizer delays large print jobs to print between 2 A.M. and 6 A.M., the user information that is returned to the client could cause the following message to be displayed for the user …) that the second print job is cancelled (see [0084]: “the controller may cancel jobs that cannot be completed”; [0097]: “jobs may be cancelled or removed from the queue automatically”).
At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the real-time, device-status-aware job scheduling and automatic rescheduling of Yokoohji with the programmable prioritizer and advanced queue management techniques of Lawrence, since doing so would have predictably and advantageously allows to improve scheduling accuracy, adaptability, and system performance (see at least Lawrence, ¶ 0137).
Therefore, the claimed subject matter would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made.
Summary
Claims 1–10 are rejected under at least one of 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 and 103 as being unpatentable over the cited prior art. 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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 C.F.R. § 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. § 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
ADDITIONAL CITATIONS
The following table lists several references that are relevant to the subject matter claimed and disclosed in this Application. The references are not relied on by the Examiner, but are provided to assist the Applicant in responding to this Office action.
Citation
Relevance
Butala et al. (2019/0012126)
Describes a method for scheduling print jobs for printing on a printer by utilizing a printing system e.g. ink jet printing system. The method enables prints actual content of image to extend constraint times, thus reducing frequency of maintenance treatments by arranging print jobs.
Price (2012/0236342)
Describes print job completion estimation mechanism for managing print job in printing system. The mechanism efficiently provides accurate time estimates to complete a print job by transmitting query to two or more printers. Repeated transmission of job across the network is prevented since the printing software product commands for the job to be submitted to the print queue only upon selection of the printer.
Tan (7,646,505)
Describes optimizing printing process of an electronic document. The print data and the additional print data are re-ordered in the processing queue based on the estimated time to process the electronic document, thus placing the print data with the shortest estimated processing time at the head of the processing queue, and hence improving the printing process..
Table 1
CONCLUSION
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HENOK A. SHIFERAW
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2676
/Henok Shiferaw/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2676
1 Applicant Arguments/Remarks Made in Amendment (5/4/2026)
Prosecution Insights