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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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 1-8, 11 and 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morales (US 20230221909) in view of Ohkawa (US 20190377529).
Regarding claim 1, Morales teaches a method for managing printing operations at a printing device, the method comprising: querying a job queue at a digital front end (DFE) of the printing device to determine a plurality of print jobs within the job queue (p00126:determine if there are print jobs 110 already in job queue 108 that are having the same actions taken as those specified for print job 302), wherein the plurality of print jobs is in an order within the job queue (p0050: job queue 108 may include print job 1, print job 2, print job 3, and print... may be processed in a certain order and p0129: step 608);
Morales does not teach estimating a production time to print each print job of the plurality of print jobs in the job queue at the printing device; defining a shift in a defined printing schedule for using the printing device to print the plurality of print jobs, wherein the shift includes a start time and a stop time for printing operations at the printing device and wherein the shift includes a plurality of time slots between the start time and the stop time; scheduling the plurality of print jobs within the shift of the defined printing schedule using the plurality of time slot according to the production time for each print job within the DFE, wherein the order within the job queue is modified based on the plurality of time slots for the plurality of print jobs; indicating a first print job is not able to be printed within the shift based on the scheduled plurality of print jobs; adjusting the shift within the defined printing schedule; inserting the first print job into a time slot within the shift, wherein an amount of unused time within the shift is reduced; and reordering the first print job within the job queue of the DFE.
Ohkawa teaches estimating a production time to print each print job of the plurality of print jobs in the job queue at the printing device (p0046:The printing time calculation unit 115 calculates, for each print job, the time expected to be taken to print the print job ); defining a shift in a defined printing schedule for using the printing device to print the plurality of print jobs (fig. 4B: ), wherein the shift includes a start time and a stop time for printing operations at the printing device and wherein the shift includes a plurality of time slots between the start time and the stop time (fig. 5); scheduling the plurality of print jobs within the shift of the defined printing schedule using the plurality of time slot according to the production time for each print job within the DFE (fig. 4b: s109 – s113).wherein the order within the job queue is modified based on the plurality of time slots for the plurality of print jobs (fig. 9a: printing order is a, c, b d); indicating a first print job is not able to be printed within the shift based on the scheduled plurality of print jobs (p0089: The printing time of the job A fits within the vacant time slot in the high-image-quality-guaranteed time period prior to the deadline.. p0090-92); adjusting the shift within the defined printing schedule (p0097:The printing time of the job B is 1 hour and the deadline of the job B is March 12. At this point in time, the operating hours on March 12 have a vacant time slot from 11:15 to 12:00 and from 13:00 to 18:00..assigns the printing time of the job B to a time frame from 13:00 to 14:00 on March 12); inserting the first print job into a time slot within the shift (fig. 9a), wherein an amount of unused time within the shift is reduced (p0094:job M is assigned, the time frame from 11:15 to 12:00… job P is assigned to a time frame from 11:15 to 11:45 on March 12); and reordering the first print job within the job queue of the DFE (fig. 9A).
Morales and Ohkawa are combinable because they both deal with management servers with a printing apparatus. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to combine the teachings of Morales with the teaching of Morales for manage printing device.
Regarding claim 2, Morales in view of Ohkawa teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising generating the defined printing schedule for the printing device, wherein the defined printing schedule includes a first portion identified as at least one time slot for processing print jobs at the printing device and a second portion identified as at least one time slot for not processing print jobs at the printing device (Ohkawa: fig. 5: Target day).
The rational applied to the rejection of claim 1 has been incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 3, Morales in view of Ohkawa teaches the method of claim 2, wherein the shift is defined in the first portion of the defined printing schedule (Ohkawa: p0089:print job with the earliest deadline).
The rational applied to the rejection of claim 1 has been incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 4, Morales in view of Ohkawa teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising determining a gap between a first time slot and a second time slot in the shift; and reordering the plurality of print jobs within the shift to reduce a size of the gap (Ohkawa: p0094).
The rational applied to the rejection of claim 1 has been incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 5, Morales in view of Ohkawa teaches the method of claim 4, further comprising reordering the plurality of print jobs within the job queue to match the order of print jobs within the shift (Ohkawa: fig. 9).
The rational applied to the rejection of claim 1 has been incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 6, Morales in view of Ohkawa teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising printing the plurality of print jobs at the printing device according to the defined printing schedule (Ohkawa: fig. 9).
The rational applied to the rejection of claim 1 has been incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 7, Morales in view of Ohkawa teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising printing the first print job at the printing device as specified within the defined printing schedule(Ohkawa: fig. 9 and p0051:the assignment of print job schedules is performed also by using information such as the deadline for completion of printing each print job and the printing time of each print job).
The rational applied to the rejection of claim 1 has been incorporated herein.
.
Regarding claim 8, Morales in view of Ohkawa teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising determining a second print job of the plurality of print jobs uses a fixed time slot within the defined printing schedule (Ohkawa: fig. 11a: s205), wherein the fixed time slot does not change if the first print job being reordered causes a reordering of the plurality of print jobs (Ohkawa: fig. 11a: s208).
The rational applied to the rejection of claim 1 has been incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 11, claim 1 recites same limitations ad claim 11, therefore it is rejected for the same reason as claim 1, except wherein the scheduling includes determining a first print job and a second print job of the plurality of print jobs include an attribute, scheduling the first print job in a first time slot within the shift, scheduling the second print job in a second time slot immediately following the first time slot, and reordering the second print job within the job queue of the DFE. However, Ohkawa teaches wherein the scheduling includes determining a first print job and a second print job of the plurality of print jobs include an attribute, scheduling the first print job in a first time slot within the shift, scheduling the second print job in a second time slot immediately following the first time slot, and reordering the second print job within the job queue of the DFE (p0050:the two groups are a group of print jobs that are printed exclusively in the high-image-quality-guaranteed time period (hereinafter referred to as a “high-image-quality group” and fig. 9a).
The rational applied to the rejection of claim 1 has been incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 15, Morales in view of Ohkawa teaches the method of claim 11, wherein the attribute of the first print job and the second print job is a job setting (Ohkawa: p0089:print job with the earliest deadline).
The rational applied to the rejection of claim 1 has been incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 16, Morales in view of Ohkawa teaches the method of claim 11, further comprising generating the defined printing schedule for the printing device, wherein the defined printing schedule includes a first portion identified as at least one time slot for processing print jobs at the printing device and a second portion identified as at least one time slot for not processing print jobs at the printing device (Ohkawa: fig. 5: Target day).
The rational applied to the rejection of claim 1 has been incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 17, claim 1 recites the same limitation as claim 17, therefore it is rejected for the same reason as claim 1, except determining at least one gap having an amount of time between at least two time slots within the plurality of time slots based on an order of the plurality of print jobs within the job queue of the DFE; automatically reordering the plurality of print jobs within the plurality of time slots of the defined printing schedule to reduce the amount of time of the at least one gap between the at least two time slots; and changing the order of the plurality of print jobs within the job queue of the DFE to correspond to the reordered plurality of print jobs within the defined printing schedule.
Morales in view of Ohkawa further teaches determining at least one gap having an amount of time between at least two time slots within the plurality of time slots based on an order of the plurality of print jobs within the job queue of the DFE (Ohkawa: p0094); automatically reordering the plurality of print jobs within the plurality of time slots of the defined printing schedule to reduce the amount of time of the at least one gap between the at least two time slots (Ohkawa: p0094); and changing the order of the plurality of print jobs within the job queue of the DFE to correspond to the reordered plurality of print jobs within the defined printing schedule (Ohkawa: fig. 9).
The rational applied to the rejection of claim 1 has been incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 18, Morales in view of Ohkawa teaches the method of claim 17, further comprising generating the defined printing schedule for the printing device, wherein the defined printing schedule includes a first portion identified as at least one time slot for processing print jobs at the printing device and a second portion identified as at least one time slot for not processing print jobs at the printing device(Ohkawa: fig. 5: Target day).
The rational applied to the rejection of claim 1 has been incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 19, Morales in view of Ohkawa teaches the method of claim 17, wherein automatically reordering the plurality of print jobs includes determining a first print job and a second print job of the plurality of print jobs include an attribute (Ohkawa: p0094), scheduling the first print job in a first time slot within the shift, scheduling the second print job in a second time slot immediately following the first time slot, and reordering the second print job within the job queue of the DFE (Ohkawa: fig. 9).
The rational applied to the rejection of claim 1 has been incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 20, Morales in view of Ohkawa teaches the method of claim 17, further comprising printing the plurality of print jobs at the printing device according to the defined printing schedule (Ohkawa:fig. 9).
The rational applied to the rejection of claim 1 has been incorporated herein.
Claims 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morales in view of Ohkawa as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Lodwick et al. (US 6978299).
Regarding claim 9, Morales in view of Ohkawa does not teach the method of claim 1, wherein the first print job is a fixed print job such that a start time for the time slot is fixed to a specified time within the printing schedule.
Lodwick teaches wherein the first print job is a fixed print job such that a start time for the time slot is fixed to a specified time within the printing schedule (col.10, lines: 10-15:specific time for printing a print job may be designated).
Morales in view of Ohkawa and Lodwick are combinable because they both deal with management servers with a printing apparatus. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to combine the teachings of Morales in view of Ohkawa with the teaching of Lodwocl for for forwarding a print job over a communications network.
Regarding claim 10, Morales in view of Ohkawa and Lodwick teaches the method of claim 9, wherein the first print job is set as the fixed print job when placed within the shift (Lodwick: col.10, lines: 10-15).
The rational applied to the rejection of claim 1 has been incorporated herein.
Claims 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morales in view of Ohkawa as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Saito (US 20120176645).
Regarding claim 12, Morales in view of Ohkawa does not teach the method of claim 11, wherein the attribute of the first print job and the second print job is a paper media.
Saito teaches wherein the attribute of the first print job and the second print job is a paper media (p0079: a print job ticket for each part (a part job ticket) based on the paper information (the paper color information, the paper type information, and the paper size information) for a print job).
Morales in view of Ohkawa and Saito are combinable because they both deal with management servers with a printing apparatus. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to combine the teachings of Morales in view of Ohkawa with the teaching of Saito for controlling the order of processing of print jobs of one job group based on the processing order of a print job included in another job group (p0011).
Regarding claim 13, Morales in view of Ohkawa and Saito teaches the method of claim 11, wherein the attribute of the first print job and the second print job is a paper size (Saito: p0079).
Claim 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morales in view of Ohkawa as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Imoto (US 20130100490).
Regarding claim 14, Morales in view of Ohkawa does not teach the method of claim 11, wherein the attribute of the first print job and the second print job is an output bin of the printing device.
Imoto teaches wherein the attribute of the first print job and the second print job is an output bin of the printing device (p0105: "output bin information" of the print job 017).
Morales in view of Ohkawa and Imoto are combinable because they both deal with management servers with a printing apparatus. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to combine the teachings of Morales in view of Ohkawa with the teaching of Imoto to provides a status management method which efficiently generates cache data upon acquisition of status data (p0006),
Conclusion
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HELEN ZONG
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2683
/HELEN ZONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2683