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 08/19/2026, applicant amended claims 1 – 10, 14 and 15; and added new claims 16 – 18. Claims 1 – 18 are now 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 In view of the amendments to the title the prior objections regarding the title is hereby withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 9 – 11 of Remarks, filed on 08/19/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claims 1 - 15 under Ozaki (U.S PreGrant Publication No. 2012/0268792) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Ozaki in view of Shibamori (U.S PreGrant Publication No. 2020/0012460 A1).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1 - 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ozaki (U.S PreGrant Publication No. 2012/0268792 A1, hereinafter ‘Ozaki’ in view of Shibamori (U.S PreGrant Publication No. 2020/0012460 A1, hereinafter ‘Shibamori’).
With respect to claim 1, Ozaki teaches a non-transitory-computer readable storage medium (i.e., a memory, ¶0031) storing a printer driver program for causing a processor to receive drawing data from an application and generate print information (e.g., said memory storing a print driver for causing a CPU to receive development/rasterize data from an application 201 and generate print information, ¶0032, ¶0050, Fig. 2), wherein the printer driver program is configured to cause the processor (e.g., wherein the printer driver is configured to cause said CPU to, Fig. 2) to: obtain a print setting inputted via a setting screen for performing print setting (e.g., receive setting entered via an UI screen 300 for performing print setting, ¶0033, ¶0050); in a case where the print setting includes a spread setting, divide an original image of a page represented by the drawing data into a first image and a second image (e.g., when the print setting includes spread (enabled), split an original data into first printing area and a second printing area, ¶0033 - ¶0034, ¶0045, Fig. 3A – element 302); and control arrangement of the first image and the second image on a first sheet and a second sheet according to a binding position for binding a plurality of printed sheets using a printing material and an orientation of the original image, which are included in the print setting (e.g., arrange the first printing area and a second printing area according to a binding position for binding a plurality of sheets using paper/sheet and an orientation of the original data, which are included in the print setting, Figs. 3A, 3B, 3C, 4A, ¶0008, ¶0033 - ¶0036, ¶0039); but fails to teach that said control arrangement is for a control arrangement of the first image and the second image on a first sheet and a second sheet according to a binding position for binding a plurality of printed sheets using a printing material for binding formed on the printed sheets and an orientation of the original image, which are included in the print setting, wherein, on each printed sheet of the plurality of printed sheets, the binding position is located at a periphery of the printed sheet.
However, in the same field of endeavor of printer driver, binding position, arranging pages/images for sheets based on layout, the mentioned claimed limitations are well-known in the art as evidenced by Shibamori. In general, Shibamori teaches a control arrangement of the first image and the second image on a first sheet and a second sheet according to a binding position for binding a plurality of printed sheets using a printing material for binding formed on the printed sheets and an orientation of the original image, which are included in the print setting, wherein, on each printed sheet of the plurality of printed sheets, the binding position is located at a periphery of the printed sheet (e.g., Prepare two pages for respective sheets according to binding position for binding a plurality of printed sheets using a printing material for binding formed on the printed sheet and layout of an original data, which are entered in the print setting, wherein each printed sheets of the plurality of printed sheets, the binding position is located at a sideline/edge of the printed sheet, ¶0048, ¶0053, ¶0056 - ¶0057, Figs. 3 - 7).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify the non-transitory-computer readable storage medium (program) of Ozaki as taught by Shibamori since Shibamori suggested within ¶0048, ¶0053, ¶0056 - ¶0057, Figs. 3 – 7 that such modification would prepare/arrange images onto pages based on binding position and page layout in order to prevent object(s) to be involved in original data.
With respect to claim 2, Ozaki in view of Shibamori teaches The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein, dividing the original image, the printer driver program is configured to cause the processor to: in a case where the original image is an image in a landscape orientation, bisect the original image into left and right parts as the first image and the second image(e.g., conventional well-known in the art, based on the orientation or page layout, an original image will be split or divided according to the page layout, the original image can be split or divided into left and right, Fig. 3A, Fig. 3B with Fig. 4A); and in a case where the original image is an image in a portrait orientation, bisect the original image into top and bottom parts as the first image and the second image (e.g., conventional well-known in the art, based on the orientation or page layout, an original image will be split or divided according to the page layout, the original image can be split or divided into each half, Fig. 3A, Fig. 3B with Fig. 4A).
With respect to claim 3, Ozaki in view of Shibamori teaches the non-transitory-computer readable non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein Shibamori teaches, in the control of arrangement of the first image and the second image, the printer driver program is configured to cause the processor to: perform arrangement such that the original image is formed on a respective spread surface in a case that a where the plurality of printed sheets are bound at the binding position, wherein an area of the spread surface is greater than a respective area of any front surface or back surface of either the first sheet or the second sheet (e.g., if a “spread” checkbox 415 is selected, then original data will be spanned using 2 adjacent pages, ¶0059 - ¶0063; therefore the image spanned is greater than the original data, Figs. 5 & 16).
With respect to claim 4, Ozaki in view of Shibamori teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein, in the control of arrangement of the first image and the second image, the printer driver program is configured to cause the processor to: in a case where the original image is an image in a landscape orientation and the binding position is left-side binding, arrange the first image and the second image for which the original image has been bisected into left and right parts on a back surface of the first sheet and a front surface of the second sheet, respectively (e.g., well-known in the art; if landscape and left setting is selected, arrange all pages into a landscape orientation and in left side at bookbinding printing or double-sided printing, ¶0033, ¶0036 - ¶0037, ¶0053 - ¶0054).
With respect to claim 5, Ozaki in view of Shibamori teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4, wherein, in the control of arrangement of the first image and the second image, the printer driver program is configured to cause the processor to: in a case where the original image is an image in a landscape orientation and the binding position is right-side binding, arrange the first image on the front surface of the second sheet and arrange the second image on the back surface of the first sheet (e.g., well-known in the art; if landscape and right setting is selected, arrange all pages into a landscape orientation and in left side at bookbinding printing or double-sided printing, ¶0033, ¶0036 - ¶0037, ¶0053 - ¶0054).
With respect to claim 6, Ozaki in view of Shibamori teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein, in the control of arrangement of the first image and the second image, the printer driver program is configured to cause the processor to: in a case where the original image is an image in a portrait orientation and the binding position is top binding, arrange the first image and the second image for which the original image has been bisected into top and bottom parts on a back surface of the first sheet and a front surface of the second sheet, respectively (e.g., well-known in the art; if portrait and any upper setting is selected, arrange all pages into a portrait orientation and in half at bookbinding printing or double-sided printing, ¶0033, ¶0036 - ¶0037, ¶0053 - ¶0054).
With respect to claim 7, Ozaki in view of Shibamori teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein Shibamori teaches the print setting further includes a setting as to whether to perform arrangement from an inner surface for the spread setting, and in the control of arrangement of the first image and the second image, the printer driver program is configured to cause the processor to: switch images to be arranged on the first sheet and the second sheet between a case where the setting is a setting for performing arrangement from the inner surface and a case where the setting is not the setting for performing arrangement from the inner surface (Examiner’s approach: If margin and the setting “spread” 415 are selected, then original data will be spanned using 2 adjacent pages with a margin set; otherwise, if margin is not selected, then original data will be spanned using the adjacent pages without margin set, ¶0057 - ¶0063, Figs. 4, 5 & 16).
With respect to claim 8, this is an apparatus claim corresponding to program claim 1. Therefore, this is rejected for the same reasons as the program claim 1.
With respect to claim 9 - 13, these are apparatus claims corresponding to the program claims 2 - 6. Therefore, these are rejected for the same reasons as the program claims 2 – 6, respectively.
With respect to claim 14, this is an apparatus claim corresponding to the program claim 7. Therefore, this is rejected for the same reasons as the program claim 7.
With respect to claim 15, this is a method claim corresponding to the program claim 1. Therefore, this is rejected for the same reasons as the program claim 1.
With respect to claim 16, Ozaki in view of Shibamori teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein Shibamori, teaches no additional image corresponding to another page of the drawing data is arranged on a first surface of the first sheet on which the first image arranged, and no additional image corresponding to another page of the drawing data is arranged on a second surface of the second sheet on which the second image is arranged (e.g., this corresponds to a blank page, as another page, to be allocated based on layout of pages, abstract, ¶0063 - ¶0065, ¶0090 & ¶0103 - ¶0104, Figs. 16A – 16C).
With respect to claim 17, Ozaki in view of Shibamori teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein Shibamori teaches the first image and the second image are arranged on the first sheet and the second sheet such that a combined total of an area of the first image and an area of the second image is greater than a respective area of any front surface and a respective area of any back surface of either the first sheet or the second sheet (e.g., images are arranged on sheets according to N-in-1 printing setting, and the images can even be laid out as spread if adjacent pages are front and back surfaces, ¶0070 - ¶0071, ¶0074).
With respect to claim 18, Ozaki in view of Shibamori teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein Shibamori teaches the first image and the second image, when combined, form a spread surface that depicts the original image of the page, and wherein an area of the original image of the page, as depicted by the first image and the second image on the spread surface, is greater than a respective area of any front surface and a respective area of any back surface of either the first sheet or the second sheet (Fig. 5 – pages 2 and 3 are combined to be spanned as one “spread surface”; the “spread surface” is visually greater in size than any of the surfaces).
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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