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 .
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-8 in the reply filed on 06/17/2026 is acknowledged.
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 9-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Minami et al. (Minami) (US 2020/0293251 A1) in view of Sun et al. (Sun) (US 10,296,268 B2).
Regarding claim 9, Minami discloses a method for managing printing operations (e.g., FIG. 2 to FIG. 5, hardware configurations of the host device 1 and the printing device 2, paragraph 20), the method comprising:
processing a print job at a raster image processing (RIP) system corresponding to a printing device, wherein the print job includes a plurality of copies of a document having at least one page (e.g., the print mechanism 23 is used to perform printing to a print medium such as copy paper. The print mechanism 23 includes, for example, when the printing device 2 is an ink jet printer, an ink jet head, a head drive mechanism for driving the ink jet head, a print medium transport mechanism for transporting a print medium (which are raster image processing), and the like, paragraph 36).
Minami does not specifically discloses rendering a page of a first copy of the plurality of copies using the RIP system;
detecting that the page from the first copy is not available for printing a subsequent copy of the document;
instructing a RIP manager of the RIP system to render the page;
assigning a RIP to the page; and
rendering the page at the assigned RIP to print with the subsequent copy.
Sun discloses rendering a page of a first copy of the plurality of copies using the RIP system (e.g., When the print data 34d is requested from the MFP 40, the data transmitting unit 35e of the data processing device 30 determines which pages included in the print data 34d are printable by the MFP 40 based on the number of pages included in the print data 34d, which is requested from the MFP 40, and the print-permission amount 34c of the user logging in the MFP 40 (Step S202), paragraph 83;
detecting that the page from the first copy is not available for printing a subsequent copy of the document (e.g., When only a part of the pages included in the print data 34d are determined to be printable by the MFP 40 at Step S202, the partial-data generating unit 35f generates the print data of the pages that are printable by the MFP 40 among the pages included in the print data 34d, which are managed by the data managing unit 35c and requested at Step S201, namely only the pages in a range of the number of pages corresponding to the print-permission amount 34c from the first page, namely, the partial-page print data (Step S204), paragraph 85);
instructing a RIP manager of the RIP system to render the page; and assigning a RIP to the page; and rendering the page at the assigned RIP to print with the subsequent copy (e.g., Subsequently, the data managing unit 35c sets the partial-page print data, which has been generated at Step S204, as the print data 34d and manages it by storing into the storage unit 34 by associating it with the user ID that is associated with the print data 34d on which this partial-page print data is based (Step S205), paragraph 86).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified Minami to include rendering a page of a first copy of the plurality of copies using the RIP system; detecting that the page from the first copy is not available for printing a subsequent copy of the document; instructing a RIP manager of the RIP system to render the page; assigning a RIP to the page; and
rendering the page at the assigned RIP to print with the subsequent copy as taught by Sun. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified Minami by the teaching of Sun to apply for particular applications.
Regarding claim 10, Sun discloses further comprising deleting the page after the first copy is printed at the printing device (e.g., the print data 34d managed by the data managing unit 35c can be deleted at any timing. For example, the data managing unit 35c may delete the print data 34d deletion of which is instructed by the user only when deletion is instructed by the user. The data managing unit 35c may automatically delete this print data 34d at the point when the printing of all the pages included in the print data 34d has been performed, paragraph 128).
Regarding claim 11, Sun discloses wherein deleting the page includes deleting the page from a storage accessible by the RIP system (e.g., When determining that the thumbnail 34e managed by being associated with the print data 34d, which is a target of deletion, is present at Step S331, the data managing unit 35c deletes the thumbnail 34e managed by being associated with the print data 34d, which is a target of deletion (Step S332), paragraph 131).
Regarding claim 12, Sun discloses further comprising storing the page of the first copy after rendering to a storage (e.g., When the print button 53 on the list display screen 50 or the print button 65 on the thumbnail display screen 60 is operated, the printing system 10 may be able to designate the pages that the user desires to print among the pages included in the print data 34d indicated in the list display screen 50 or the thumbnail display screen 60 via the operation unit 41 of the MFP 40, paragraph 118).
Regarding claim 13, Sun discloses further comprising determining that a storage threshold for the storage is reached (e.g., the storage unit 34 stores a print amount (hereinafter referred to as “a print-permission amount”) 34c that is permitted to a user for each user. A value of the print-permission amount 34c is increasable corresponding to an instruction entered from an external computer such as the user terminal 20 (see FIG. 1) or the MFP 40 (see FIG. 1) via the communication unit 33, paragraph 33).
Regarding claim 14, Sun discloses further comprising deleting the page from the storage after the first copy is printed (e.g., the print data 34d managed by the data managing unit 35c can be deleted at any timing. For example, the data managing unit 35c may delete the print data 34d deletion of which is instructed by the user only when deletion is instructed by the user, paragraph 128).
Regarding claim 15, Sun discloses wherein detecting that the page is not available includes using an engine manager within the RIP system (e.g., the data managing unit 35c may automatically delete this print data 34d at the point when the printing of all the pages included in the print data 34d has been performed, paragraph 128).
Regarding claim 16, Sun discloses wherein instructing the RIP manager includes sending an instruction from the engine manager to the RIP manager (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 1, the printing system 10 includes: a user terminal 20 that transmits print data described in page description language such as Printer Control Language (PCL); a data processing device 30 that processes the print data transmitted by the user terminal 20; and a Multifunction Peripheral (MFP) 40 as an image forming apparatus that performs a printing based on the print data processed by the data processing device 30, paragraph 22).
Regarding claim 17, Sun discloses wherein the engine manager exchanges data with a print engine of the printing device (e.g., a data processing device 30 that processes the print data transmitted by the user terminal 20; and a Multifunction Peripheral (MFP) 40 as an image forming apparatus that performs a printing based on the print data processed by the data processing device 30, paragraph 22).
Regarding claim 18, Minami discloses a printing device (e.g., FIG. 2 to FIG. 5, hardware configurations of the host device 1 and the printing device 2, paragraph 20) comprising:
a print engine to perform printing operations (e.g., printing device 2, paragraph 16); and
a digital front end (DFE) having a processor and a memory, wherein the DFE manages the printing operations in conjunction with the print engine (e.g., In this embodiment, the printing system SY includes the host device 1 comprising a host device 1 having a host device ID “H001” and a host device 1 having a host device ID “H002”. In this embodiment, the printing system SY includes the printing device 2 comprising a printing device 2 having a printing device ID “P001” and a printing device 2 having a printing device ID “P002”, paragraph 17),
wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed on the processor, configures the processor to perform the operations of processing a print job at a raster image processing (RIP) system corresponding to the DFE, wherein the print job includes a plurality of copies of a document having at least one page (e.g., the print mechanism 23 is used to perform printing to a print medium such as copy paper. The print mechanism 23 includes, for example, when the printing device 2 is an ink jet printer, an ink jet head, a head drive mechanism for driving the ink jet head, a print medium transport mechanism for transporting a print medium (which are raster image processing), and the like, paragraph 36);
Minami does not specifically discloses rendering a page of a first copy of the plurality of copies using the RIP system;
detecting that the page from the first copy is not available for printing a subsequent copy of the document;
instructing a RIP manager of the RIP system to render the page; assigning a RIP to the page; and
rendering the page at the assigned RIP to print with the subsequent copy.
Sun discloses rendering a page of a first copy of the plurality of copies using the RIP system (e.g., When the print data 34d is requested from the MFP 40, the data transmitting unit 35e of the data processing device 30 determines which pages included in the print data 34d are printable by the MFP 40 based on the number of pages included in the print data 34d, which is requested from the MFP 40, and the print-permission amount 34c of the user logging in the MFP 40 (Step S202), paragraph 83; detecting that the page from the first copy is not available for printing a subsequent copy of the document (e.g., When only a part of the pages included in the print data 34d are determined to be printable by the MFP 40 at Step S202, the partial-data generating unit 35f generates the print data of the pages that are printable by the MFP 40 among the pages included in the print data 34d, which are managed by the data managing unit 35c and requested at Step S201, namely only the pages in a range of the number of pages corresponding to the print-permission amount 34c from the first page, namely, the partial-page print data (Step S204), paragraph 85); instructing a RIP manager of the RIP system to render the page; and assigning a RIP to the page; and rendering the page at the assigned RIP to print with the subsequent copy (e.g., Subsequently, the data managing unit 35c sets the partial-page print data, which has been generated at Step S204, as the print data 34d and manages it by storing into the storage unit 34 by associating it with the user ID that is associated with the print data 34d on which this partial-page print data is based (Step S205), paragraph 86).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified Minami to include rendering a page of a first copy of the plurality of copies using the RIP system; detecting that the page from the first copy is not available for printing a subsequent copy of the document; instructing a RIP manager of the RIP system to render the page; assigning a RIP to the page; and
rendering the page at the assigned RIP to print with the subsequent copy as taught by Sun. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified Minami by the teaching of Sun to apply for particular applications.
Regarding claim 19, Sun discloses wherein the instructions further configure the processor to perform the operations of deleting the page after the first copy is printed at the printing device (e.g., the print data 34d managed by the data managing unit 35c can be deleted at any timing. For example, the data managing unit 35c may delete the print data 34d deletion of which is instructed by the user only when deletion is instructed by the user. The data managing unit 35c may automatically delete this print data 34d at the point when the printing of all the pages included in the print data 34d has been performed, paragraph 128).
Regarding claim 20, Sun discloses wherein the DFE includes a storage, wherein the page is stored in the storage (e.g., When the print button 53 on the list display screen 50 or the print button 65 on the thumbnail display screen 60 is operated, the printing system 10 may be able to designate the pages that the user desires to print among the pages included in the print data 34d indicated in the list display screen 50 or the thumbnail display screen 60 via the operation unit 41 of the MFP 40, paragraph 118).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUANG N VO whose telephone number is (571)270-1121. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7AM-4PM, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abderrahim Merouan can be reached at 571-270-5254. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/QUANG N VO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2683
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