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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Species I in the reply filed on 03/24/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)). Applicant further indicated that claims 1-20 reads on the elected species.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/12/2023 is being considered by the examiner.
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 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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Klinefelter et al. (US 2004/0136768) in view of Behner et al. (US 2012/0006901).
Regarding claim 1, Klinefelter et al teaches a card printer control method (figs.1-9), comprising:
receiving, at a remote card printer controller separate from a card printer, validation data from the card printer that results from electronically reading data that is stored on a consumable supply that is usable in the card printer (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040; the remote card printer controller corresponds to 22 in figs.1,2, and 122 in figs.6,8; the consumable supply corresponds to 14 in figs.1,2, and 144 in figs.6-8; the card printer corresponds to the printing portions such as 34,14,18,26,28 in figs.1,2, and printing portion such as 124,144,186 in figs.6,8);
the remote card printer controller processing the received validation data to determine if the received validation data is valid (figs.1,2,6,8; paragraphs 0023,0027,0033,0039,0041);
if the received validation data is determined to be valid, permitting the remote card printer controller to control operation of the card printer to print a card (figs.1,2,6,8; paragraphs 0005,0006,0024,0035,0038,0041).
Klinefelter et al, assuming the term “remote” means at a different remote location than the printing portion, does not explicitly state the card controller is a remote card controller.
However, Behner et al teaches arranging a card printer at one location and card controller server at a location remote from the card printer (figs.1,2; claim 28; paragraphs 0024,0041).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use such remote card controller in printer controlling method of Klinefelter et al based on the teachings of Behner et al to enable controlling of printer stations from different locations.
Regarding claim 2, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches comprising automatically electronically reading the data that is stored on the consumable supply upon installing the consumable supply in the card printer, and transmitting the validation data to the remote card printer controller if the card printer authenticates the consumable supply (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040,0041 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2 of Behner et al).
Regarding claim 3, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches comprising electronically reading the data from a data storage device on the consumable supply using an electronic reader in the card printer (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040,0041 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2 of Behner et al).
Regarding claim 4, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches further comprising: receiving, at the remote card printer controller, a print request from a user interface device; the remote card printer controller processing the print request to generate at least one print command that is sent from the remote card printer controller to the card printer to print a card (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040,0041 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2 of Behner et al).
Regarding claim 5, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches further comprising: receiving, at the remote card printer controller, cardholder data to be printed onto the card from the user interface device (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040,0041 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2 of Behner et al).
Regarding claim 6, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches further comprising preventing the remote card printer controller from controlling the card printer upon detection of a consumable supply event (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040,0041 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2 of Behner et al).
Regarding claim 7, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches wherein the consumable supply event comprises removal of the consumable supply from the card printer, the consumable supply is spent, a predetermined date has been reached, or the consumable supply has been used a predetermined number of times (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040,0041 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2 of Behner et al).
Regarding claim 8, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches a card printer control system (figs.1-9 of Klinefelter et al), comprising:
a remote card printer controller separate from a card printer, the remote card printer controller is configured to (figs.1-9; the remote card printer controller as modified corresponds to 22 in figs.1,2, and 122 in figs.6,8; the consumable supply corresponds to 14 in figs.1,2, and 144 in figs.6-8; the card printer corresponds to the printing portions such as 34,14,18,26,28 in figs.1,2, and printing portion such as 124,144,186 in figs.6,8 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2, paragraphs 0024,0041 of Behner et al as applied above):
receive validation data from the card printer that results from electronically reading data that is stored on a consumable supply that is usable in the card printer; process the received validation data to determine if the received validation data is valid (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040 of Klinefelter et al);
if the received validation data is determined to be valid, thereafter send at least one print command to the card printer to cause the card printer to print a card (figs.1,2,6,8; paragraphs 0005,0006,0024,0035,0038,0041 of Klinefelter et al).
Regarding claim 9, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches wherein the remote card printer controller is further configured to: receive a print request from a user interface device; process the print request to generate the at least one print command (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040,0041 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2 of Behner et al).
Regarding claim 10, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches wherein the remote card printer controller is further configured to receive cardholder data to be printed onto the card from the user interface device (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040,0041 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2 of Behner et al).
Regarding claim 11, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches wherein the remote card printer controller is in communication with the card printer via the internet (paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040,0041 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2, paragraphs 0027,0029 of Behner et al).
Regarding claim 12, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches a card printing system (figs.1-9 of Klinefelter et al), comprising:
a card printer having a card input, a card output, a print station, a local card printer controller that controls operation of the card printer, and an electronic reader that is capable of electronically reading data stored on a consumable supply (figs.1,2,6,8; the card printer controller to 22 in figs.1,2, and 122 in figs.6,8; the consumable supply corresponds to 14 in figs.1,2, and 144 in figs.6-8; the card printer corresponds to the printing portions such as 34,14,18,26,28 in figs.1,2, and printing portion such as 124,144,186 in figs.6,8 of Klinefelter et al; see also fig.1, paragraphs 0024,0041 of Behner et al);
the card printer having at least one default printer parameter that is controllable by the local card printer controller (figs.1,2,6,8; 22 in figs.1,2, and 122 in figs.6,8; printing portions such as 34,14,18,26,28 in figs.1,2, and printing portion such as 124,144,186 in figs.6,8 of Klinefelter et al; see also fig.1, paragraphs 0024,0041 of Behner et al);
a consumable supply that is installable in the card printer, the consumable supply including a data storage device with data stored thereon that is readable by the electronic reader (figs.1-9; the consumable supply corresponds to 14 in figs.1,2, and 144 in figs.6-8 of Klinefelter et al; see also fig.1, paragraphs 0024,0041 of Behner et al);
the card printer is configured to read data from the data storage device and authenticate the consumable supply, and if the consumable supply is determined to be authentic automatically temporarily change the at least one default printer parameter to a second, temporary printer parameter, and when the card printer detects a consumable supply event automatically restore the at least one default printer parameter (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2, paragraphs 0024,0041 of Behner et al).
Regarding claim 13, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches wherein the at least one default printer parameter comprises software disabled, and the second, temporary printer parameter comprises software enabled (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040,0041 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2 of Behner et al).
Regarding claim 14, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches wherein the at least one default printer parameter and the second, temporary printer parameter are non-supply parameters that are not directly related to the consumable supply (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040,0041 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2 of Behner et al).
Regarding claim 15, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches wherein the consumable supply event comprises removal of the consumable supply from the card printer, the consumable supply is spent, a predetermined date has been reached, or the consumable supply has been used a predetermined number of times (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040,0041 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2 of Behner et al).
Regarding claim 16, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches wherein the print station comprises a direct to card thermal print station, and the consumable supply comprises a thermal print ribbon (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020, 0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040,0041 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2 of Behner et al).
Regarding claim 17, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches a card printing system (figs.1-9 of Klinefelter et al), comprising:
a card printer having a card input, a card output, a print station, a local card printer controller that controls operation of the card printer, and an electronic reader that is capable of electronically reading data stored on a consumable supply (figs.1,2,6,8; the card printer controller to 22 in figs.1,2, and 122 in figs.6,8; the consumable supply corresponds to 14 in figs.1,2, and 144 in figs.6-8; the card printer corresponds to the printing portions such as 34,14,18,26,28 in figs.1,2, and printing portion such as 124,144,186 in figs.6,8 of Klinefelter et al; see also fig.1, paragraphs 0024,0041 of Behner et al);
the card printer having at least one default non-supply parameter that is controllable by the local card printer controller (figs.1,2,6,8; 22 in figs.1,2, and 122 in figs.6,8; printing portions such as 34,14,18,26,28 in figs.1,2, and printing portion such as 124,144,186 in figs.6,8 of Klinefelter et al; see also fig.1, paragraphs 0024,0041 of Behner et al);
a consumable supply that is installable in the card printer, the consumable supply including a data storage device with data stored thereon that is readable by the electronic reader (figs.1-9; the consumable supply corresponds to 14 in figs.1,2, and 144 in figs.6-8 of Klinefelter et al; see also fig.1, paragraphs 0024,0041 of Behner et al);
the card printer is configured to automatically temporarily change the at least one default non-supply parameter to a second, temporary non-supply parameter upon installation of the consumable supply in the card printer, and to restore the at least one default non-supply parameter upon detection of a consumable supply event (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2, paragraphs 0024,0041 of Behner et al).
Regarding claim 18, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches wherein the consumable supply event comprises removal of the consumable supply from the card printer, the consumable supply is spent, a predetermined date has been reached, or the consumable supply has been used a predetermined number of times (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040,0041 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2 of Behner et al).
Regarding claim 19, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches wherein the print station comprises a direct to card thermal print station, and the consumable supply comprises a thermal print ribbon (figs.1-9; paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039,0040,0041 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2 of Behner et al).
Regarding claim 20, Klinefelter et al as modified by Behner et al further teaches wherein the at least one default non-supply parameter comprises cloud-based software disabled, and the second, temporary non-supply parameter comprises cloud-based software enabled (paragraphs 0016-0020,0023,0025-0033,0038,0039, 0040, 0041 of Klinefelter et al; figs.1,2, paragraphs 0057,0058 of Behner et al).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HENOK D LEGESSE whose telephone number is (571)270-1615. The examiner can normally be reached General Schedule 9:00 am- 5:00 pm, IFP.
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/HENOK D LEGESSE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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