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 .
In amendments dated 07/14/2026, applicant(s) amended claims 1 – 20. Claims 1 – 20 are still pending in this application.
Response to Arguments
In the remarks on page 9 the applicant notes that the title have been amended to overcome the prior objections. In view of the amendments to the title the prior objections regarding the title is hereby withdrawn.
In the Remarks on pages 9 - 10 the Applicant notes that claims 1 - 20 have been amended to overcome the prior 35 USC §101 judicial rejections. In view of the amendments and updated Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance (January 7th, 2019) the prior 35 USC §101 judicial rejections are hereby withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 - 20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 05/03/2026 was filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Applicants have not provided an explanation of relevance of cited document(s) discussed below.
Tanibe (U.S Patent No. 11853621 B2) teaches a system including a client terminal, a cloud printing services and an image forming apparatus; wherein select and send printing job to services and issue serial number to identify the printing job.
Megafusion (JP 2002073616 A) teaches an image storing base station 1, automatic photographic motion picture cameras 2, a game device 3 corresponding to a network, a personal computer 5, a mobile communication portable terminal device 14 connected to the base station 13 of a mobile communication network NW2 by radio, etc., are mutually connected through the wide are network NW1. The base station 1 is provided with a communication controlling part 20 for following the protocol of the wide area network NW1 and transmitting and receiving data, an image information database 21 for storing a received image, sound accompanying the image, etc., and an identification code issuing means 25 for issuing an identification code.
Kyocera Mita Corp (JP 2011199337 A) teaches an image forming apparatus that includes: a password issuing means 507 for issuing a password for each document data, and storing, in a storing means 509, the password and the document data in association with identification information when receiving the document data; a password notifying means 510 for notifying a transmission destination of the identification information of the password; a user authenticating means 513 for determining whether inputted identification information coincides with the identification information of the storing means; a password receiving means 514 for receiving the input of the password associated with coincident identification information; a password determining means 515 for determining whether the inputted password coincides with the password of the identification information; and a document data outputting means 511 for outputting document data corresponding to the coincident password.
Ricoh Co (JP 2011243094 A) provides an image processor 100 with: a means 21 for acquiring user setting information R for setting a plurality of users who use a print job J from the analysis of a received print job J; a means 231 for specifying the plurality of users as the use object of the print job J based on the user setting information R; a means 232 for duplicating the received print job J in association with each of the specified users; a means 41 for storing the duplicated print job J in association with user identification information for identifying each of the plurality of users; and a means 26 for executing the stored print job J based on the result of collation between the user identification information of the user who has requested the execution of the print job J and user identification information associated with the print job J whose execution has been requested.
Canon (JP 2023050687 A) teaches a cloud printing service, connected to an information processing apparatus through a network, that is allowed to receive a print job from a client terminal administered by a tenant thereof and, if setting is made on a plurality of users capable of executing a print job received, send the print job to other cloud printing services using respective pieces of approval information of the plurality of users.
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.
Claims 1 - 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park et al. (U.S PreGrant Publication No. 2016/0219575 A1, hereinafter ‘Park’).
With respect to claim 1, Park teaches a print system terminal (e.g., a mobile terminal 10, ¶0074, ¶0084), comprising: a communication interface to connect to a print system server (e.g., communication means to connect to a printing server 130, ¶0074, ¶0315, Fig. 1); and a processing circuit (e.g., said mobile terminal should have an inherent circuit in order to receive input, request, process and/or transmits instructions, ¶0074 - ¶0079 with ¶0326) configured to: receive, from a user input unit, a selection of a selected file to be printed by a printer of a print system (e.g., receiving, via the mobile terminal, a selection of files/documents to be printed by a MFP, ¶0084, ¶0097, Figs. 1 - 3); acquire, from the user input unit, print release setting information for the selected file, the print release setting information including a release code setting indicating which information must be entered by a user of the print system for the selected file to be printed at the printer of the print system (e.g., acquiring, from the mobile terminal 10, a unique management number for the selected files/documents, the unique management number including a release code to release selected files/documents to be printed at the MFP, Fig. 3A, Fig. 10A, ¶0027 - ¶0028, ¶0222); and output the print release setting information and other information corresponding to the selected file to the print system server to be stored until the selected file is printed at the printer of the print system (e.g., output print setting and other information corresponding the selected files/documents to the printing server to be held until the selected file(s) is/are printed at the MFP, Fig. 3B, ¶0065 - ¶0067, ¶0103 & ¶0173).
With respect to claim 2, Park teaches the print system terminal according to claim 1, wherein the print release setting information includes a job unique release code setting indicating indicates whether print release of a job corresponding to the selected file requires input of a job unique code by the user of the print system (e.g., this corresponds to print setting/options upon input of the release code required to release files/documents to print, Fig. 3B, ¶0065 - ¶0067, ¶0103 & ¶0173).
With respect to claim 3, Park teaches the print system terminal according to claim 2, wherein the print release setting information further includes a permitted account setting indicating whether the print release of the job corresponding to the selected file additionally requires input of an account unique code by the user of the print system in addition to the job unique code (e.g., since Park teaches multiple users and user authentication using password, inherently should have a profile or an account to ensure if the user is permitted to proceed with the job, ¶0088, ¶0094).
With respect to claim 4, Park teaches the print system terminal according to claim 1, wherein the print release setting information further includes a permitted account setting indicating whether print release of a job corresponding to the selected file requires input of an account unique code by the user of the print system (e.g., since Park teaches multiple users and user authentication using password, inherently should have a user account to ensure if the user is permitted to proceed with the job, ¶0088, ¶0094).
With respect to claim 5, Park teaches the print system terminal according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: receive, from the user input unit, a selection of a plurality of selected files to be printed, and the print release setting information includes a job unique code release code setting indicates print release of individual jobs corresponding to the each of the plurality of selected files can be performed by input of a same job unique code for each of the plurality of selected files (e.g., several files or documents can be selected and use the same release code in order to release and print them, ¶0088 - ¶0097 & ¶0222).
With respect to claim 6, Park teaches the print system terminal according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: receive, from the user input unit, a selection of a plurality of selected files to be printed, and the print release setting information includes a job unique code release code setting indicates print release of individual jobs corresponding to the each of the plurality of selected files requires input of a different job unique code for each of the plurality of selected files (e.g., several files or documents can be selected and input, and a different release code included in each reply email is received, ¶0027 - ¶0028, ¶0060 - ¶0064, ¶0250 - ¶0254).
With respect to claim 7, Park teaches the print system terminal according to claim 1, wherein the print release setting information release code setting designates a particular account unique code that is permitted to perform print release of a job corresponding to the selected file (e.g., input/assign management number to be further be release, Fig. 3B, ¶0098).
With respect to claim 8, Park teaches the print system terminal according to claim 7, wherein the particular account unique code is for a registered user of the print system and is different from the account unique code of the user of the print system terminal (e.g., corresponds to user account (e.g., already set in the system), ¶0075; and it’s different to the management number that’s need to release the files/documents to be printed, ¶0094 - ¶0100).
With respect to claim 9, Park teaches a print system (e.g., a security network system, Fig. 1, ¶0074), comprising: a print system terminal (e.g., a mobile terminal 10, ¶0074, ¶0084); a print system server (e.g., a printing server 130, ¶0074, Fig. 1); and a printer networked with the print system server (e.g. a MFP connected with said printing server 130, Fig. 1), wherein the print system terminal includes: a communication interface to connect to a print system server (e.g., communication means to connect to said printing server 130, ¶0074, ¶0315, Fig. 1); and a processing circuit (e.g., said mobile terminal should have an inherent circuit in order to receive input, request, process and/or transmits instructions, ¶0074 - ¶0079 with ¶0326) configured to: receive, from a user input unit, a selection of a selected file to be printed by the printer (e.g., receiving, via the mobile terminal, a selection of files/documents to be printed by a MFP, ¶0084, ¶0097, Figs. 1 - 3), acquire, from the user input unit, print release setting information for the selected file, the print release setting information including a release code setting indicating which information must be entered by a user of the print system for the selected file to be printed at the printer (e.g., acquiring, from the mobile terminal 10, a unique management number for the selected files/documents, the unique management number including a release code to release selected files/documents to be printed at the MFP, Fig. 3A, Fig. 10A, ¶0027 - ¶0028, ¶0222), and output the print release setting information and other information corresponding to the selected file to the print system server to be stored until the selected file is printed at the printer e.g., output print setting and other information corresponding the selected files/documents to the printing server to be held until the selected file(s) is/are printed at the MFP, Fig. 3B, ¶0065 - ¶0067, ¶0103 & ¶0173, Fig. 6); the print system server includes a storage unit configured to store information related to the selected file, the information related to the selected file including the print release setting information (e.g., storing information related to the selected file/document, the information is associated with release code and settings, ¶0122 - ¶0128); and the printer (e.g., said MFP, Fig. 1, ¶0127 - ¶0132) is configured to: acquire the information related to the selected file from the print system server, and execute a job corresponding to the selected file according to the print release setting information for the selected file (e.g., retrieve the information related to the selected file from the printing server so that the MFP can execute a job associated with the selected file/document according to the print setting for the selected file/document, ¶0127 - ¶0132, Fig. 3A & Fig. 6).
With respect to claims 10 - 16, these are system claims corresponding to the apparatus claims 2 – 8, respectively. Therefore, these are rejected for the same reasons as the apparatus claims 2 – 8, respectively.
With respect to claim 17, this is a method claim corresponding to the system claim 9. Therefore, this is rejected for the same reasons as the system claim 9.
With respect to claim 18 - 20, these are method claims corresponding to the system claim 2 – 4, respectively. Therefore, these are rejected for the same reasons as the system claim 2 – 4, respectively.
Conclusion
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUAN M GUILLERMETY whose telephone number is (571)270-3481. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00AM - 5:00PM.
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/JUAN M GUILLERMETY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2682
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