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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/29/2025 regarding the prior art rejections of Claims 1 and 10
have been fully considered, but they are not persuasive.
The Examiner acknowledges the informality in claim 5 “processor” has been corrected.
The Examiner disagrees Sugita does disclose that communication is disconnected and thus no response is received to the transmissions. (Sugita: 15, if data reception is not completed in a predetermined time period, the data reception is finished as an error.) Although Sugita and Shelton does not teach the presented invention individually, in combination, one skilled in the art could conclude the invention.
For at least the same reasons discussed with respect to claim 1, all claims are considered but also rejected.
Claims 1 – 2 & 4 – 9 which depend from amended claim 1, have been considered and rejected.
Claim 10 has been considered and rejected.
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 – 2 & 4 - 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SUGITA (US 9197778 B2) in view of SHELTON (US 2017/0202605 A1). Claim 3 has been cancelled.
With regards to claim 1, SUGITA teaches:
An electronic apparatus comprising: a wireless communication unit performing wireless communication; and a communication controller controlling communication of the wireless communication unit (15, The printing apparatus 401 includes a control unit 500, an operation unit 520, a printer 530, a scanner 540, a wired communication unit 550, and a wireless communication unit 560); wherein the communication controller periodically transmits a packet to a predetermined device, determines that an error has occurred in the wireless communication when no response is received from the predetermined device, (6 & 15, the access point transmits a signal called a beacon at a certain interval to a peripheral device; if data reception is not completed in a predetermined time period, the data reception is finished as an error.); and disables a predetermined power saving function that affects the wireless communication (7, In the doze state, the power supply to the wireless communication unit is stopped or reduced. Accordingly, when the wireless communication unit is in the doze state, the printing apparatus cannot transmit data to the external device or receive data transmitted from the external device via wireless communication).
SUGITA fails to teach:
determines that an error;
However, SHELTON teaches:
determines that an error (0838: The processor may be further configured to determine an error condition; determined by the one or more plurality of sensors fails to satisfy at least one predetermined threshold);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was
effectively filed to modify the system of wireless communication including a predetermined power saving function of SUGITA with the teaching of SHELTON, which teaches restart and error correction in order to correct or reboot signals from receiving circuit to the user as suggested by SHELTON (0459, 1706 steps through 232 possible outputs before it overflows and restarts).
With regards to claim 2, SUGITA in view of SHELTON teaches the electronic apparatus of claim 1.
SUGITA teaches:
wherein, when the electronic apparatus is restarted, the communication controller enables the predetermined power saving function (8, When the power saving mode is enabled, the wireless communication unit intermittently transitions from the doze state to the awake state at timing 201 through timing 203 in synchronization with the beacon interval of the access point).
With regards to claim 4, SUGITA in view of SHELTON teaches the electronic apparatus of claim 1.
SUGITA fails to teach:
wherein the communication controller executes a plurality of pieces of predetermined processing for resolving the error in ascending order of processing time until the error is resolved.
However, SHELTON teaches:
wherein the communication controller executes a plurality of pieces of predetermined processing for resolving the error in ascending order of processing time until the error is resolved (0748, Energy conservation is achieved based on transitioning circuit segments with lower power consumption requirements to circuit segments with higher power consumption, in the order of ascending power consumption requirements; Consequently, when the energization sequence restarts after interruption, the voltage control circuit 1408 can skip the previously completed steps of the energization sequence to further conserve energy).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was
effectively filed to modify the system of wireless communication including a predetermined power saving function of SUGITA with the teaching of SHELTON, which teaches ascending order error correction in order to improve system efficiency as suggested by SHELTON (0748, Energy conservation is achieved based on transitioning circuit segments with lower power consumption requirements to circuit segments with higher power consumption).
With regards to claim 5, SUGITA in view of SHELTON teaches the electronic apparatus of claim 1.
SUGITA teaches:
wherein the communication controller performs control to prevent communication connection between a processor including the communication controller and the wireless communication unit from transitioning to a power saving mode as control to disable the predetermined power saving function (5, FIG. 1 illustrates processing executed when the power saving mode is disabled. In FIG. 1, a printing apparatus is described as a device having a wireless LAN capability. When the power saving mode in the printing apparatus is disabled).
With regards to claim 6, SUGITA in view of SHELTON teaches the electronic apparatus of claim 1.
SUGITA teaches:
wherein the communication controller performs control to prevent the communication connection from transitioning to the power saving mode when a transition frequency between a non-power saving mode and the power saving mode in the communication connection is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold in a predetermined period until a time when the error occurs (7 & 10, In the doze state, the power supply to the wireless communication unit is stopped or reduced; When the power saving mode is enabled, the wireless communication unit transitions from the awake state to the doze state on condition that data is not transmitted or received between the printing apparatus and the access point for a predetermined time period).
With regards to claim 7, SUGITA in view of SHELTON teaches the electronic apparatus of claim 1.
SUGITA teaches:
wherein the communication controller performs control to prohibit a clock frequency of a processor that performs processing related to the wireless communication from decreasing from a first frequency to a second frequency as control to disable the predetermined power saving function (7 & 13, In the doze state, the power supply to the wireless communication unit is stopped or reduced. Accordingly, when the wireless communication unit is in the doze state, the printing apparatus cannot transmit data to the external device or receive data transmitted from the external device via wireless communication.
If the power saving mode were disabled, the access point could immediately transmit the data 1 to the printing apparatus. However, since the power saving mode is enabled, the access point needs to wait until timing of a next beacon and transmits the data 1. That is, the communication delay of a time period 302 occurs compared to a case where the power saving mode is disabled).
With regards to claim 8, SUGITA in view of SHELTON teaches the electronic apparatus of claim 7.
SUGITA teaches:
when a load rate of the processor at the time when the error occurs is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold (14, After receiving the data 1, the wireless communication unit of the printing apparatus transitions from the awake state to the doze state at timing 303 if any data is not transmitted or received for a predetermined time period).
SUGITA fails to teach:
wherein the communication controller performs control to prohibit the clock frequency from decreasing from the first frequency to the second frequency;
However, SHELTON teaches:
wherein the communication controller performs control to prohibit the clock frequency from decreasing from the first frequency to the second frequency (0300), Another aspect slows down one or more of the microcontrollers to conserve power when not in use. For example, the clock frequencies of both microcontrollers can be reduced to save power. To maintain synchronized operation, the microcontrollers coordinate the changing of their respective clock frequencies to occur at about the same time, both the reduction and, then, the subsequent increase in frequency when full speed operation is required)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was
effectively filed to modify the system of wireless communication using a predetermined threshold of SUGITA with the teaching of SHELTON, which teaches decreasing clock frequencies when the error occurs is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold in order to conserve power as suggested by SHELTON (0300, the clock frequencies of both microcontrollers can be reduced to save power).
With regards to claim 9, SUGITA in view of SHELTON teaches the electronic apparatus of claim 1.
SUGITA teaches:
wherein the communication controller performs control to operate the wireless communication unit in a non-power saving mode as control to disable the predetermined power saving function (7 & 10, In the doze state, the power supply to the wireless communication unit is stopped or reduced; the wireless communication unit transitions from the awake state to the doze state on condition that data is not transmitted or received between the printing apparatus).
With regards to claim 10, SUGITA teaches:
A control method for an electronic apparatus that performs wireless communication by a wireless communication unit, comprising (15, The printing apparatus 401 includes a control unit 500, an operation unit 520, a printer 530, a scanner 540, a wired communication unit 550, and a wireless communication unit 560): periodically transmitting a packet to a predetermined device;determining that an error has occurred in the wireless communication when no response is received from the predetermined device; (6 & 15, the access point transmits a signal called a beacon at a certain interval to a peripheral device; if data reception is not completed in a predetermined time period, the data reception is finished as an error.) and disabling a predetermined power saving function that affects the wireless communication (7, In the doze state, the power supply to the wireless communication unit is stopped or reduced. Accordingly, when the wireless communication unit is in the doze state, the printing apparatus cannot transmit data to the external device or receive data transmitted from the external device via wireless communication).
SUGITA fails to teach:
determining that an error has occurred;
However, SHELTON teaches:
determining that an error has occurred; (0838: The processor may be further configured to determine an error condition; determined by the one or more plurality of sensors fails to satisfy at least one predetermined threshold);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was
effectively filed to modify the system of wireless communication including a predetermined power saving function of SUGITA with the teaching of SHELTON, which teaches restart and error correction in order to correct or reboot signals from receiving circuit to the user as suggested by SHELTON (0459, 1706 steps through 232 possible outputs before it overflows and restarts).
Prior Art Made of Record
The prior art mode of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to
Applicant’s disclosure:
WATANABE (JP 2009/246597 A): A communication system capable of making a call between a parent device and a child device via wireless communication.
Response to Arguments
The Remarks argue that:
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. §103 as being unpatentable over Sugita (US Pat. No. 9,197,778) in view of Shelton (US 2017/0202605). Of these rejected claims, Claims 1 and 10 are the independent claims, and are both amended herein. Applicant requests withdrawal of the 35 U.S.C. § 103 rejection on the grounds that the references - either individually or in combination
- fail to teach or suggest each and every element of the rejected Claims 1 and 10 and any other dependent claim depending therefrom (including Claims 2-9).
Claims 1 and 10
Claim 1 (as amended) recites an electronic apparatus comprising a wireless communication unit and a communication controller. The wireless communication unit performs wireless communication. The communication controller controls communication of the wireless communication unit.
To do this, the communication controller periodically transmits a packet to a predetermined device, and determines that an error has occurred in the wireless communication when no response is received from the predetermined device. When such an error occurs in the wireless communication, the communication controller executes predetermined processing for resolving the error and disables a predetermined power saving function that affects the wireless communication.
Claim 10 (as amended) recites control method for an electronic apparatus that performs wireless communication by a wireless communication unit. The control method also comprises: periodically transmitting a packet to a predetermined device; and determining that an error has occurred in the wireless communication when no response is received from the predetermined device. Here also, when an error occurs in the wireless communication, the control method includes executing predetermined processing for resolving the error; and disabling a predetermined power saving function that affects the wireless communication.
Thus, in all of the independent claims, an error occurs when no response is received to periodic transmission of packets to a predetermined device. In that error case, predetermined processor for resolving the error is executed, in addition to disabling a predetermined power saving function that affects the wireless communication.
In contrast, Sugita only discloses that power-saving mode causes communication delays, but does not disclose that communication is disconnected and thus no response is received to the transmissions. In addition, Sugita merely switches the power-saving mode on and off based on the submission of a print job in order to address the problem that communication delay is likely to occur when a print job is received while the power-save mode is enabled. By contrast, the invention described in the present application is directed to suppressing communication errors (disconnection) caused again by switching between the non-power-saving mode and the power- saving mode after recovery from a communication error, by executing both a communication-error recovery process and a control for disabling the power-saving function, when the communication is disconnected. That is, Sugita describes the prevention of communication errors at the time a print job is submitted, whereas the present invention is directed to an invention for suppressing e errors after a communication error has already occurred, and that the two inventions are therefore based on different design concepts
Shelton does not describe the features of Claims 1 and 10 missing from Sugita - that the error is detected based on a lack of a response from the predetermined device. Accordingly, even the combination of Sugita and Shelton do not teach or suggest Claims 1 and 10, nor any claim that depends therefrom (including Claims 2-9). Thus, Applicant requests withdrawal of the rejection.
CONCLUSION
In view of the foregoing, Applicant believes the claims as amended are in allowable form. In the event that the Examiner finds remaining impediment to a prompt allowance of this application that may be clarified through a telephone interview, or which may be overcome by an Examiner's Amendment, the Examiner is requested to contact the undersigned attorney. In view of the recent USPTO initiative regarding compact prosecution, Applicant respectfully invites the Examiner to contact the undersigned at his earliest convenience in the instance that additional impediment exists to the prompt allowance of this case.
Conclusion
Applicant's arguments filed 12/29/2025 regarding the prior art rejections of Claims 1 and 10
have been fully considered, but they are not persuasive.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/V.P./Examiner, Art Unit 2111
/GUERRIER MERANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2111
2/18/2026