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 .
This action is responsive to the application filed June 07, 2024.
Thus, claims 1-14 are pending and are presenting for examination.
Examiner Notes
Examiner cites particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
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.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Objections
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities:
As to claim 12 recited to include the limitation “the information processing apparatus” appear to be lacking anthesis basis and should be changed to, for example, -- 12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim [[1]] 2 -- instead.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-7 and 9-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chigusa (US 9342476 B2).
As per claims 1, 13, and 14, Chigusa discloses an information processing method for an information processing apparatus in which a program of a first application is installed – (e.g., image processing apparatus 50 having updated device controlling firmware – see at least col. 5: 50-57, col. 6: 24-27, Fig. 1, , and associated text), the information processing method comprising:
performing an execution process for executing a second application different from the first application, the second application – (e.g., functions in PPD such as setting up etc. for a printer), is linked with the first application – (device controlling firmware) – (e.g., if a new function is added to the device controlling firmware, the image processing apparatus 50 adds a setting item related to the function to the PPD. The image processing apparatus 50 then reads the device controlling firmware thus updated from the storage unit 52, and executes the device controlling firmware (Step S62) including add/update functions in PPD using device controlling firmware for outputting—execution process-- images of the image processing apparatus 50—see at least col. 4: 10-25, see at least co. 10: 19-35, Fig. 1, Fig. 7, and associated text) ; and
executing an update process for updating the first application in a case where a user instruction to perform the execution process is input – (e.g., A process performed by the image processing apparatus 50 upon receiving the device controlling firmware from the information processing apparatus 10 at Step S13 illustrated in FIG. 3 will be explained with reference to FIG. 7. Upon receiving the device controlling firmware (Step S60), the image processing apparatus 50 replaces the device controlling firmware stored in storage unit 52 with the received device controlling firmware to update to the latest device controlling firmware (Step S61) -- see at least co. 10: 19-35, Fig. 1, Fig. 3B, Fig. 7, and associated text).
Further regarding to claim 1, Chigusa discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium – see at least col. 13: 25-32, containing a program of a first application for causing a computer to execute method steps as of claim 14 above.
Further regarding to claim 13, Chigusa discloses an information processing apparatus (e.g., information processing apparatus 10, Fig. 1 – see at least col. 4: 42-53) in which a program of a first application is installed, the information processing apparatus comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memories storing a program cooperating to: perform method steps as of claim 14 above.
As to claim 2, Chigusa discloses wherein the update process is a process of downloading the second application from an external apparatus and installing the second application into an information processing apparatus – (e.g., The image processing apparatus 50 updates the PPD stored in the storage unit 52 based on the device controlling firmware (Step S63). For example, if a new function is added to the device controlling firmware, the image processing apparatus 50 adds a setting item related to the function to the PPD. – See at least col. 10: 33-37).
As to claim 3, Chigusa discloses wherein the update process is a process of prompting a user to download the second application from an external apparatus and install the second application into an information processing apparatus— (e.g., A process performed by the image processing apparatus 50 upon receiving the transmission request message transmitted by the information processing apparatus 10 at Step S5 illustrated in FIG. 3 …., The image processing apparatus 50 updates the PPD stored in the storage unit 52 based on the device controlling firmware (Step S63). For example, if a new function is added to the device controlling firmware, the image processing apparatus 50 adds a setting item related to the function to the PPD. –see at least col. 9: 13-16 and col. 10: 33-37).
As to claim 4, Chigusa discloses wherein in a case where a version of the first application is not a latest version disclosed by an external apparatus, the update process for updating the first application to the latest version is executed– (e.g., A process performed by the image processing apparatus 50 upon receiving the device controlling firmware from the information processing apparatus 10 at Step S13 illustrated in FIG. 3 will be explained with reference to FIG. 7. Upon receiving the device controlling firmware (Step S60), the image processing apparatus 50 replaces the device controlling firmware stored in storage unit 52 with the received device controlling firmware to update to the latest device controlling firmware (Step S61) -- see at least co. 10: 19-35, Fig. 1, Fig. 3B, Fig. 7, and associated text).
As to claim 5, Chigusa discloses wherein the computer is further caused to function as a determination unit configured to determine whether the version of the first application is the latest version disclosed by the external apparatus based on version information about the first application --(e.g., A process performed by the image processing apparatus 50 upon receiving the device controlling firmware from the information processing apparatus 10 at Step S13 illustrated in FIG. 3 will be explained with reference to FIG. 7. Upon receiving the device controlling firmware (Step S60), the image processing apparatus 50 replaces the device controlling firmware stored in storage unit 52 with the received device controlling firmware to update to the latest device controlling firmware (Step S61) -- see at least co. 10: 19-35, Fig. 1, Fig. 3B, Fig. 7, and associated text).
As to claim 6, Chigusa discloses wherein the first application and the second application link with each other through transmission and reception of a parameter– (e.g., A process performed by the image processing apparatus 50 upon receiving the device controlling firmware from the information processing apparatus 10 at Step S13 illustrated in FIG. 3 will be explained with reference to FIG. 7. Upon receiving the device controlling firmware (Step S60), the image processing apparatus 50 replaces the device controlling firmware stored in storage unit 52 with the received device controlling firmware to update to the latest device controlling firmware (Step S61) -- see at least co. 10: 19-35, Fig. 1, Fig. 3B, Fig. 7, and associated text).
As to claim 7, Chigusa discloses wherein the update process for updating the first application to the latest version is executed based on version information about the parameter in the first application and the second application--(e.g., A process performed by the image processing apparatus 50 upon receiving the device controlling firmware from the information processing apparatus 10 at Step S13 illustrated in FIG. 3 will be explained with reference to FIG. 7. Upon receiving the device controlling firmware (Step S60), the image processing apparatus 50 replaces the device controlling firmware stored in storage unit 52 with the received device controlling firmware to update to the latest device controlling firmware (Step S61) -- see at least co. 10: 19-35, Fig. 1, Fig. 3B, Fig. 7, and associated text).
As to claim 9, Chigusa discloses wherein the execution process is a process of downloading a latest version of the second application from an external apparatus, installing the second application into an information processing apparatus, and activating the second application--(e.g., A process performed by the image processing apparatus 50 upon receiving the device controlling firmware from the information processing apparatus 10 at Step S13 illustrated in FIG. 3 will be explained with reference to FIG. 7. Upon receiving the device controlling firmware (Step S60), the image processing apparatus 50 replaces the device controlling firmware stored in storage unit 52 with the received device controlling firmware to update to the latest device controlling firmware (Step S61) -- see at least co. 10: 19-35, Fig. 1, Fig. 3B, Fig. 7, and associated text).
As to claim 10, Chigusa discloses wherein in a case where the first application of a version that is a target for the update by the update process is already downloaded in an information processing apparatus, the downloaded first application is activated without downloading the first application—(e.g., step 12 of Fig. 3B and col. 10: 26-32, and associated text) .
As to claim 11, Chigusa discloses wherein in a case where the second application of a version that is a target for the execution by the execution process is already downloaded in an information processing apparatus, the downloaded second application is activated without downloading the second application—(e.g., See at least step s43 of Fig. 5, col. 4: 10-25, col. 10: 19-35, and associated text) .
As to claim 12, Chigusa discloses wherein the information processing apparatus is a printer – (e.g., Each of the image processing apparatuses 50 is assigned with a printer
identification (ID), for example, for identifying each of the image processing apparatuses 50 ... .The image processing apparatus 50 is a printer that executes printing by outputting an image onto a recording medium, such as paper, using the print data received from the information processing apparatus 10.– see at least col. 4: 4-7 and 19-22, Fig. 1, and associated text).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
9. 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.
10. Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chigusa in view of Kikuchi (US 20170185358 A1).
As to claim 8, it is to note that Chigusa does not explicitly disclose; however, Kikuchi, in an analogous art, discloses wherein the update process for updating the first application to a latest version available for an update on an operating system (OS) of an information processing apparatus is executed – (e.g., using the installer to determine which latest printer driver matching the OS version capability and then processing/executing the driver as such “The installer 1110 obtains capability information which includes the version information of the OS 1031 and the like in a case when it is …The installer 1110 determines the architecture of a driver that can be installed to the OS 1031 based on the capability information obtained in step S703 (step S704). Conversely, the capability information is information based on which determination of an architecture of a driver that can be installed to the OS 1031 is possible. The version information of the OS is included in the capability information because the architecture of a driver which can be installed to the OS is determined by the version of the OS. The installer 1110 can perform the determination of step S704 if the installer 1110 has in advance information relating to an association of the version of the OS and of the architecture of a driver that can be installed.. Note, “install” as recited here indicates that the set-up information is designated to the OS 1031 and that the driver is put under management of the OS 1031. A printer object (also called a printer queue) is further generated by plug and play processing (illustrated in FIG. 8) by the OS for a driver under management of the OS 1031—see Kikuchi, at least 0049-0050, Fig. 7, and associated text).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated Kikuch’s teaching into Chigusa’s teaching for further optimizing and maintaining the updating of device controlling firmware of the printer; accordingly, promoting efficiencies and avoiding delaying in updating.
Conclusion
11. The prior art made of record and not relied upon (cited on 892 form) is considered pertinent to application disclosure.
Okajima et al. (US-10310781-B2) disclosed image-processing apparatus capable of executing image processes and notifying users of information about update of firmware for executing image process.
Tokuda (US-10089102-B2) disclosed an operating system to be installed on a host computer to control the operation of the host computer, and to update processing for various types of application software installed on a host computer.
12. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARINA LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-1648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday (8 am to 4: 30 pm ET).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Hyung S. Sough can be reached on (571)-272-6799. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MARINA LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2192
Prosecution Insights