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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 6 is objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate of claim 4. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
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) 1-6, 8-12, 15 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Morales et al. (hereinafter Morales) (US 2010/0271656 A1).
Regarding claim 1: Morales discloses detecting that a print engine (Fig. 1, print engine 4) in a printing device is not operating, wherein a plurality of print jobs is not printing at the print engine (If, however, the print engine is at risk of outpacing the rip such that printing is interrupted at the print engine, the print engine is switched from printing the first job content from the RIP to printing ready-to-print second print content, as shown in step 204., par. 45); processing a print job of the plurality of print jobs at a raster image processing (RIP) system corresponding to the printing device (Concurrent ripping of the first print content and printing of the ready-to-print second print content is performed, as shown in step 205. Once it is determined that the RIP can sufficiently keep pace with the print engine to continue printing the first job content, as shown in step 206, the print engine reverts back to printing the first print content from the RIP as indicated in step 207. If, however, it is determined that the RIP cannot still keep pace with the print engine, the process returns to step 205 and the process continues therefrom by concurrent ripping of first job content and printing ready-to-print job content., par. 45); generating at least one rendered page for the print job by the RIP system (During ripping and printing, performance information, or data associated with the throughput of the RIP 9 and printing engine 4, respectively, is tracked, preferably in real time, as shown in step 308, to help determine whether the RIP is in danger of not keeping pace with the print engine 4 such that printing of the first job content 20 will be interrupted. This process can be implemented in system 1 by the controller 8 monitoring and collecting performance data from the RIP and print engine., par. 49); storing the at least one rendered page in a first data storage accessible by a digital front end (DFE) of the printing device (Once the print engine 4 has halted printing of the first job content 20, it begins printing the ready-to-print second jobs 21 that are selected and retrieved from the memory repository 11 by the controller and sent to the print engine for printing, as shown in step 315. Once printing content from the repository is initiated, the DFE concurrently rips the first job content until the page image pipeline has filled to a given threshold, that is, until the volume of raster page images of the first print job available to the print engine from the RIP or DFE has reached a predetermined threshold, as shown in step 317., par. 55); determining that a storage threshold is reached for the first data storage (Once the print engine 4 has halted printing of the first job content 20, it begins printing the ready-to-print second jobs 21 that are selected and retrieved from the memory repository 11 by the controller and sent to the print engine for printing, as shown in step 315. Once printing content from the repository is initiated, the DFE concurrently rips the first job content until the page image pipeline has filled to a given threshold, that is, until the volume of raster page images of the first print job available to the print engine from the RIP or DFE has reached a predetermined threshold, as shown in step 317., par. 55); and storing the at least one rendered page in a second data storage accessible by the DFE (Ready-to-print print job(s) 21 that have been previously ripped is stored in a suitable memory 11 of the DFE or alternatively can be stored remotely and accessible by the DFE., par. 36).
Regarding claim 2: Morales satisfies all the elements of claim 1. Morales further discloses further comprising assigning a renderer to render the at least one rendered page by a RIP manager of the RIP system (Digital front end utilizes the RIP module 9 to perform raster image processing (ripping) of the page descriptions for print jobs from the submission clients to produce bitmaps for rendering by the print engine 4. The digital front end 3 can perform other functions including creating and managing print queues 7, managing the print engine 4, and providing bitmaps to the print engine 4., par. 33).
Regarding claim 3: Morales satisfies all the elements of claim 2. Morales further discloses further comprising releasing the assigned renderer when the at least one page is generated (The hold queue 6 and the print queue 7 may each be single queues or multiple queues. Both queues may be implemented as indexes into one queue. Alternatively, a job in the print queue 7 may simply have a held status without there actually being a hold queue 6. The digital front end 3 may include additional queues. Typically, the system controller 8 assigns jobs from submission clients 2 to the hold queue 6 and the operator schedules and releases jobs to the print queue 7. When a job is released to the print queue 7, the system controller 8 passes the released job to the raster image processor 9 for raster image processing., par. 38).
Regarding claim 4: Morales satisfies all the elements of claim 1. Morales further discloses further comprising determining that the at least one rendered page is a complex page (The print engine effectively outpaces the RIP when the speed or throughput of the print engine outpaces the rate at which the RIP is able to provide page raster images to the print engine. This results in depletion of page raster images available to the print engine, that is, the page image pipeline from the RIP to the print engine begins to "dry up" and is effectively "starved" of page image content. Eventually, printing is interrupted because the print engine no longer has raster images available to print., par. 44).
Regarding claim 5: Morales satisfies all the elements of claim 4. Morales further discloses further comprising storing the at least one rendered page in a second data storage accessible by the DFE (Ready-to-print print job(s) 21 that have been previously ripped is stored in a suitable memory 11 of the DFE or alternatively can be stored remotely and accessible by the DFE., par. 36).
Regarding claim 6: Morales satisfies all the elements of claim 1. Morales further discloses further comprising determining that the at least one rendered page is a complex page (The print engine effectively outpaces the RIP when the speed or throughput of the print engine outpaces the rate at which the RIP is able to provide page raster images to the print engine. This results in depletion of page raster images available to the print engine, that is, the page image pipeline from the RIP to the print engine begins to "dry up" and is effectively "starved" of page image content. Eventually, printing is interrupted because the print engine no longer has raster images available to print., par. 44).
Regarding claim 8: Morales satisfies all the elements of claim 1. Morales further discloses further comprising detecting that the print engine resumed operating, wherein the plurality of print jobs is printing at the print engine (As indicated in step 203, if the RIP can keep pace with the print engine, the process returns to and continues from step 201 so that ripping and printing first print content continues., par. 45).
Regarding claim 9: Morales satisfies all the elements of claim 8. Morales further discloses further comprising retrieving the at least one rendered page from the first data storage (Once the print engine 4 has halted printing of the first job content 20, it begins printing the ready-to-print second jobs 21 that are selected and retrieved from the memory repository 11 by the controller and sent to the print engine for printing, as shown in step 315., par. 55).
Regarding claim 10: Morales satisfies all the elements of claim 9. Morales further discloses further comprising processing the at least one rendered page at the print engine (When a job is released to the print queue 7, the system controller 8 passes the released job to the raster image processor 9 for raster image processing., par. 38).
Regarding claim 11: Morales satisfies all the elements of claim 5. Morales further discloses further comprising detecting that the print engine resumed operating, wherein the plurality of print jobs is printing at the print engine (As indicated in step 203, if the RIP can keep pace with the print engine, the process returns to and continues from step 201 so that ripping and printing first print content continues., par. 45).
Regarding claim 12: Morales satisfies all the elements of claim 11. Morales further discloses further comprising retrieving the at least one rendered page from the second data storage (Ready-to-print print job(s) 21 that have been previously ripped is stored in a suitable memory 11 of the DFE or alternatively can be stored remotely and accessible by the DFE., par. 36); and processing the at least one rendered page at the print engine (When a job is released to the print queue 7, the system controller 8 passes the released job to the raster image processor 9 for raster image processing., par. 38).
Regarding claim 15: Morales discloses detecting that a print engine (Fig. 1, print engine 4) in a printing device is not operating, wherein a plurality of print jobs is not printing at the print engine (If, however, the print engine is at risk of outpacing the rip such that printing is interrupted at the print engine, the print engine is switched from printing the first job content from the RIP to printing ready-to-print second print content, as shown in step 204., par. 45); processing a print job of the plurality of print jobs at a raster image processing (RIP) system corresponding to the printing device (Concurrent ripping of the first print content and printing of the ready-to-print second print content is performed, as shown in step 205. Once it is determined that the RIP can sufficiently keep pace with the print engine to continue printing the first job content, as shown in step 206, the print engine reverts back to printing the first print content from the RIP as indicated in step 207. If, however, it is determined that the RIP cannot still keep pace with the print engine, the process returns to step 205 and the process continues therefrom by concurrent ripping of first job content and printing ready-to-print job content., par. 45); generating at least one rendered page for the print job by the RIP system (During ripping and printing, performance information, or data associated with the throughput of the RIP 9 and printing engine 4, respectively, is tracked, preferably in real time, as shown in step 308, to help determine whether the RIP is in danger of not keeping pace with the print engine 4 such that printing of the first job content 20 will be interrupted. This process can be implemented in system 1 by the controller 8 monitoring and collecting performance data from the RIP and print engine., par. 49); determining whether the at least one rendered page is a complex page (The print engine effectively outpaces the RIP when the speed or throughput of the print engine outpaces the rate at which the RIP is able to provide page raster images to the print engine. This results in depletion of page raster images available to the print engine, that is, the page image pipeline from the RIP to the print engine begins to "dry up" and is effectively "starved" of page image content. Eventually, printing is interrupted because the print engine no longer has raster images available to print., par. 44); and storing the at least one rendered page at a first data storage accessible by a digital front end (DFE) of the printing device (Once the print engine 4 has halted printing of the first job content 20, it begins printing the ready-to-print second jobs 21 that are selected and retrieved from the memory repository 11 by the controller and sent to the print engine for printing, as shown in step 315. Once printing content from the repository is initiated, the DFE concurrently rips the first job content until the page image pipeline has filled to a given threshold, that is, until the volume of raster page images of the first print job available to the print engine from the RIP or DFE has reached a predetermined threshold, as shown in step 317., par. 55) if the at least one rendered page is not the complex page (Fig. 2, NO output of step 203), or storing the at least one rendered page at a second data storage accessible by the DFE of the printing device (Ready-to-print print job(s) 21 that have been previously ripped is stored in a suitable memory 11 of the DFE or alternatively can be stored remotely and accessible by the DFE., par. 36) if the at least one rendered page is the complex page (The print engine effectively outpaces the RIP when the speed or throughput of the print engine outpaces the rate at which the RIP is able to provide page raster images to the print engine. This results in depletion of page raster images available to the print engine, that is, the page image pipeline from the RIP to the print engine begins to "dry up" and is effectively "starved" of page image content. Eventually, printing is interrupted because the print engine no longer has raster images available to print., par. 44).
Regarding claim 18: Morales satisfies all the elements of claim 15. Morales further discloses further comprising detecting that the print engine resumed operation, wherein the plurality of print jobs is printing at the print engine (As indicated in step 203, if the RIP can keep pace with the print engine, the process returns to and continues from step 201 so that ripping and printing first print content continues., par. 45); retrieving the at least one rendered page from the first data storage (Once the print engine 4 has halted printing of the first job content 20, it begins printing the ready-to-print second jobs 21 that are selected and retrieved from the memory repository 11 by the controller and sent to the print engine for printing, as shown in step 315., par. 55) or the second data storage; and processing the at least one rendered page at the print engine of the printing device (When a job is released to the print queue 7, the system controller 8 passes the released job to the raster image processor 9 for raster image processing., par. 38).
Regarding claim 19: Morales discloses a processor (Fig. 1, RIP 9); a memory (Fig. 1, repository memory 11) coupled to the processor (Fig. 1, RIP 9), the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configures the printing device to perform the operations of detecting that a print engine (Fig. 1, print engine 4) in a printing device is not operating, wherein a plurality of print jobs is not printing at the print engine (If, however, the print engine is at risk of outpacing the rip such that printing is interrupted at the print engine, the print engine is switched from printing the first job content from the RIP to printing ready-to-print second print content, as shown in step 204., par. 45); processing a print job of the plurality of print jobs at a raster image processing (RIP) system corresponding to the printing device (Concurrent ripping of the first print content and printing of the ready-to-print second print content is performed, as shown in step 205. Once it is determined that the RIP can sufficiently keep pace with the print engine to continue printing the first job content, as shown in step 206, the print engine reverts back to printing the first print content from the RIP as indicated in step 207. If, however, it is determined that the RIP cannot still keep pace with the print engine, the process returns to step 205 and the process continues therefrom by concurrent ripping of first job content and printing ready-to-print job content., par. 45); generating at least one rendered page for the print job by the RIP system (During ripping and printing, performance information, or data associated with the throughput of the RIP 9 and printing engine 4, respectively, is tracked, preferably in real time, as shown in step 308, to help determine whether the RIP is in danger of not keeping pace with the print engine 4 such that printing of the first job content 20 will be interrupted. This process can be implemented in system 1 by the controller 8 monitoring and collecting performance data from the RIP and print engine., par. 49); and storing the at least one rendered page in a first data storage accessible by a digital front end (DFE) of the printing device (Ready-to-print print job(s) 21 that have been previously ripped is stored in a suitable memory 11 of the DFE or alternatively can be stored remotely and accessible by the DFE., par. 36).
Regarding claim 20: Morales satisfies all the elements of claim 19. Morales further discloses wherein the operations further include determining that a storage threshold is reached for the first data storage (Once the print engine 4 has halted printing of the first job content 20, it begins printing the ready-to-print second jobs 21 that are selected and retrieved from the memory repository 11 by the controller and sent to the print engine for printing, as shown in step 315. Once printing content from the repository is initiated, the DFE concurrently rips the first job content until the page image pipeline has filled to a given threshold, that is, until the volume of raster page images of the first print job available to the print engine from the RIP or DFE has reached a predetermined threshold, as shown in step 317., par. 55); determining that the at least one rendered page (During ripping and printing, performance information, or data associated with the throughput of the RIP 9 and printing engine 4, respectively, is tracked, preferably in real time, as shown in step 308, to help determine whether the RIP is in danger of not keeping pace with the print engine 4 such that printing of the first job content 20 will be interrupted. This process can be implemented in system 1 by the controller 8 monitoring and collecting performance data from the RIP and print engine., par. 49) is a complex page (The print engine effectively outpaces the RIP when the speed or throughput of the print engine outpaces the rate at which the RIP is able to provide page raster images to the print engine. This results in depletion of page raster images available to the print engine, that is, the page image pipeline from the RIP to the print engine begins to "dry up" and is effectively "starved" of page image content. Eventually, printing is interrupted because the print engine no longer has raster images available to print., par. 44); and storing the at least one rendered page in a second data storage accessible by the DFE (Ready-to-print print job(s) 21 that have been previously ripped is stored in a suitable memory 11 of the DFE or alternatively can be stored remotely and accessible by the DFE., par. 36).
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) 7 and 13-14 and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morales in view of Okada (US 2017/0026538 A1).
Regarding claim 7: Morales satisfies all the elements of claim 1. Morales further discloses further comprising storing the at least one rendered page in a second data storage (Ready-to-print print job(s) 21 that have been previously ripped is stored in a suitable memory 11 of the DFE or alternatively can be stored remotely and accessible by the DFE., par. 36), wherein the second data storage (Ready-to-print print job(s) 21 that have been previously ripped is stored in a suitable memory 11 of the DFE or alternatively can be stored remotely and accessible by the DFE., par. 36) can be stored remotely and accessible by the DFE., par. 36).
Morales fails to specifically address is a hard disk.
Okada discloses is a hard disk (Fig. 2, HDD 209).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include is a hard disk in order to provide a choice of types of storage.
Regarding claim 13: Morales satisfies all the elements of claim 1. Morales further discloses wherein the first data storage (Fig. 1, repository memory 11)
Morales fails to specifically address is a random access memory data storage.
Okada discloses is a random access memory data storage (The storage medium may include, for example, one or more of a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a storage of distributed computing systems, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD™), a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like., par. 76).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include is a random access memory data storage in order to provide a choice of types of storage.
Regarding claim 14: Morales satisfies all the elements of claim 1. Morales further discloses wherein the second data storage (Ready-to-print print job(s) 21 that have been previously ripped is stored in a suitable memory 11 of the DFE or alternatively can be stored remotely and accessible by the DFE., par. 36)
Morales fails to specifically address is a hard disk.
Okada discloses is a hard disk (Fig. 2, HDD 209).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include is a hard disk in order to provide a choice of types of storage.
Regarding claim 16: Morales satisfies all the elements of claim 15. Morales further discloses wherein the first data storage (Once the print engine 4 has halted printing of the first job content 20, it begins printing the ready-to-print second jobs 21 that are selected and retrieved from the memory repository 11 by the controller and sent to the print engine for printing, as shown in step 315. Once printing content from the repository is initiated, the DFE concurrently rips the first job content until the page image pipeline has filled to a given threshold, that is, until the volume of raster page images of the first print job available to the print engine from the RIP or DFE has reached a predetermined threshold, as shown in step 317., par. 55)
Morales fails to specifically address is a random access memory storage or a read/write memory storage.
Okada discloses is a random access memory storage (The storage medium may include, for example, one or more of a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a storage of distributed computing systems, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD™), a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like. , par. 76) or a read/write memory storage.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include is a random access memory storage or a read/write memory storage in order to provide a choice of types of storage.
Regarding claim 17: Morales in view of Okada satisfy all the elements of claim 16. Morales further discloses wherein the second data storage (Ready-to-print print job(s) 21 that have been previously ripped is stored in a suitable memory 11 of the DFE or alternatively can be stored remotely and accessible by the DFE., par. 36) can be stored remotely and accessible by the DFE., par. 36).
Morales fails to specifically address is a hard disk.
Okada discloses is a hard disk (Fig. 2, HDD 209).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include is a hard disk in order to provide a choice of types of storage.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLOTTE M BAKER whose telephone number is (571)272-7459. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8:00-5:00.
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/CHARLOTTE M BAKER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2664
07 April 2026
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