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 09/08/2026, applicant amended claims 1 – 3, 5 – 9, 11 and 12. Claims 1 – 12 are still pending in this application.
Response to Arguments
In the remarks on page 7 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 In view of the amendments to the title the prior objections regarding the title is hereby withdrawn.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 page 7 the Applicant notes that claims have been amended to overcome the prior 35 USC §112 (f) interpretations. In view of the amendments the prior 35 USC §112 (f) interpretations are hereby withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 - 12 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.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1 - 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Shiohara (U.S PreGrant Publication No. 2023/0251806 A1, cited as considered pertinent to application dated 06/06/2026, hereinafter 'Shiohara') .
The applied reference has a common applicant with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
With respect to claim 1, Shiohara teaches a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, ¶0004) storing printing settings application causing an information processing apparatus to perform a control method (e.g., storing an application causing an information processing apparatus (hereinafter ‘host’) to perform a control method, ¶0004 with ¶0019), the control method comprising: causing a display of the information processing apparatus to display a printing settings screen for setting a printing settings value provided to a printer driver that generates printing settings information in accordance with Internet Printing Protocol (e.g., display printing settings screen for inputting/entering print settings value provided to a printer driver that generates printing setting information according to IPP, ¶0031 - ¶0032 & ¶0038); acquiring to-be-printed intermediate image data provided by an operating system of the information processing apparatus, the printer driver being provided by a vendor of the operating system (e.g., acquiring intermediate data provided by an OS of the host, said printer driver provided by a vendor of the OS, ¶0032 - ¶0034, ¶0039); editing the acquired intermediate image data based on a first setting value of a specific setting item set on the printing settings screen, setting values of the specific setting item including the first setting value and a second setting value (e.g., editing the acquired intermediate data based on setting value of a specific setting item inputted/entered on the printing settings screen, the setting values of said setting item including functions, ¶0040 - ¶0044, ¶0050 - ¶0051); and outputting, to the operating system, print data based on the edited intermediate image data and the second setting value being different from the first setting value, the second setting value being a setting value for suppressing a printer from additionally performing processing corresponding to the specific setting item (e.g., based on the edited intermediate data, a print data is outputted to the OS when a second of the functions is going to be used as extended function, ¶0026 - ¶0027, ¶0036, ¶0043 - ¶0046).
With respect to claim 2, Shiohara teaches the non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to Claim 1, wherein the specific setting item is a setting item corresponding to a function of laying out the intermediate image data of a plurality of pages onto a single page (e.g., conventional prior art where setting items corresponding to a function of arranging N-up printing is for a layout for a single page, ¶0040).
With respect to claim 3, Shiohara teaches the non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to Claim 1, wherein the printer driver is a printer driver provided by the operating system of the information processing apparatus (e.g., the printer driver is a printer driver provided by said OS of the host, ¶0024, ¶0032).
With respect to claim 4, Shiohara teaches the non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to Claim 1, wherein the printer driver is a printer driver that generates print data that can be printed by printers of a plurality of models from a plurality of printer vendors (e.g., said printer driver can generate print data that can be printed by printers of plurality of models from different vendors, abstract, ¶0024, ¶0032).
With respect to claim 5, Shiohara teaches the non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to Claim 1, wherein the second setting value is an attribute value defined in Internet Printing Protocol (e.g. the extended function is from a cloud in which is related to IPP, ¶0031 - ¶0032, ¶0052, ¶0086).
With respect to claim 6, Shiohara teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to Claim 1, the control method further comprising: displaying a preview screen based on the first setting value set via the printing settings screen and to-be-printed intermediate image data provided by an operating system of the information processing apparatus; accepting, via the preview screen, a change from the first setting value to a third setting value; and outputting print data based on the intermediate image data and the third setting value accepted via the preview screen (e.g., A print preview should be displayed for the print data in order to accept edit/change of setting and continue printing, abstract, ¶0004, ¶0040, ¶0050, ¶0058, ¶0068).
With respect to claim 7, this is a control method claim corresponding to the program claim 1. Therefore, this is rejected for the same reasons as the program claim 1.
With respect to claims 8 - 11, these are control method claims corresponding to the program claim 2 – 5, respectively. Therefore, these are rejected for the same reasons as the program claim 2 – 5, respectively.
With respect to claim 12, this is an apparatus claim corresponding to the program claim 1. Therefore, this is rejected for the same reasons as the program claim 1.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Benny Q TIEU can be reached at 571-272-7490. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JUAN M GUILLERMETY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2682
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