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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(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, 6, and 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) & 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yamaguchi (US 20080297834 A1). The scope of these claims is very broad and reads on Yamaguchi as laid out below. Claim 1 broadly reads on in view of
Referring to claims 1 & 17:
Yamaguchi discloses a system and apparatus for producing printed products using a variable data printing (VDP) application comprising circuitry (par. 46: a computer) configured to acquire print data generated from design data including a variable area and record information included in variable input data (par. 39-41: variable editor 0104 creates variable template data for variable printing by using an edit UI provided in the VDP application and generation unit 0106 generates composite data by compositing a variable template with record information (from variable DB 0102) and generates a print job (VDP job) from the composite data).
Yamaguchi discloses the circuitry further configured to verify data read from the variable area included in the print data (represented by the printed VDP job) to check whether any error exists in the printed data based on record information and outputs a verification result based on the verification (par. 45: inspection device 0113 includes a detection unit 0114, which inspects a printed product printed by the VDP job printing unit 0112 and determines whether the printed product has an error, and result notification unit 0115, which notifies the variable data printing application 0101 of an error detected by the detection unit 0114).
Referring to claim 6:
Yamaguchi discloses the circuitry is configured to acquire the first record information corresponding to the variable area from the variable input data (VDP application and generation unit 0106 generates composite data by compositing a variable template with record information (from variable DB 0102) as noted above).
Referring to claim 16:
Yamaguchi discloses the circuitry is configured to verify consistency between the data read from the variable area included in the print data and verification data corresponding to the first record information included in the variable input data (the purpose of detecting an error in the VDP job performed by inspection device 0113 note above is to verify consistency between data read from the variable area and record information included in the variable input data).
Referring to claim 18:
This claim is the method for performing the corresponding functions of the apparatus as set forth in claim 1 and is therefore rejected for the same reasons as presented above.
Referring to claim 19:
This claim is the product or article of manufacture (i.e., a non-transitory recording medium) storing a plurality of program codes, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to performs the method according to claim 18. Yamaguchi discloses such a product for this purpose (par. 153-155). Therefore, this claim is rejected for the same reasons as presented above.
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 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaguchi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Mizoguchi et al (US 20140320923 A1).
Referring to claims 7-8:
Yamaguchi does not disclose the circuitry is further configured to control a display to display a display screen including a preview image when printing is executed based on the print data, wherein the preview image includes a front side image to be printed on a front side of a sheet and a back side image to be printed on a back side of the sheet when the printing is executed on the sheet based on the print data. However, Mizoguchi et al disclose creating display data for displaying on the computer as a print preview image based on the print data and an image corresponding to an advertisement image to be added to the image, and previewing an image on the front side and an image on the reverse side of the paper or sheet to be printed. This provides the advantage of previewing the whole print image and therefore fully grasping an image of actual printed matter, including identifying whether or not the printed matter previewed has an advertisement and creating image data in which another image is added to one image to be printed on one side of a recording paper without overlapping with each other (see abstract, summary, par. 67, and Fig. 6).
Therefore, for the reason and motivation indicated above, it would have been prima facie obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the circuitry in Yamaguchi in view of Mizoguchi et al to control a display to display a display screen including a preview image when printing is executed based on the print data, wherein the preview image includes a front side image to be printed on a front side of a sheet and a back side image to be printed on a back side of the sheet when the printing is executed on the sheet based on the print data.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaguchi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Matsushita (JP 2022-183176 A).
Referring to claim 14:
Yamaguchi does not disclose, in a case that an error is detected in the data read from the variable area included in the print data, the circuitry is configured to output the verification result indicating an error area where the error exists. However, it is well-known in the prior art for print inspection systems to identify before an/or after printing where on a page or document an error exists in order to allow the system or user to quakily and properly address the problem and generate error-free print data and print results. And Matsushita provides a particularly relevant example of an inspection device inspecting printed matter by comparing the content corresponding to the inspection object in the read image and a record value included in a database corresponding to the content and second inspection processing of inspecting the printed matter by comparing the inspection object in the read image and a corresponding portion of the correct answer image in order to correctly determines an image abnormality of a printed matter that is variably printed.
Therefore, for the reason and motivation indicated above, it would have been prima facie obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the circuitry in Yamaguchi in view of well-known prior art to output the verification result indicating an error area where the error exists in a case that an error is detected in the data read from the variable area included in the print data.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaguchi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Skaanning et al (US 20010011260 A1).
Referring to claim 15:
Yamaguchi does not disclose, in a case that an error is detected in the data read from the variable area included in the print data, the circuitry is further configured to infer a cause of the error and output the verification result including an inference result obtained by inferring the cause of the error. However, inferring or identifying the probable cause of errors in printing systems is generally known in the prior art as taught for example by Skaanning et al, who disclose the identification of the causes and subcauses of issues or errors in printing systems and estimating the probabilities for those causes and subcauses in order to have a clear and well-structured knowledge acquisition process that enable selection of diagnostic actions with precise estimates of costs (see abstract and summary).
Therefore, for the reason and motivation indicated above, it would have been prima facie obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the circuitry in Yamaguchi in view of Skaanning et al to infer a cause of the error and output the verification result including an inference result obtained by inferring the cause of the error in a case that an error is detected in the data read from the variable area included in the print data.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 9-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 9-13 recites the limitation "the second record information" in line 3 of claim 9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 1, 6, and 16-19 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-10 of copending Application No. 19/039,224 (reference application). Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the application claims are broader than the patent claims and are therefore anticipated.
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the patentably indistinct claims have not in fact been patented.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 9-13 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Referring to claims 2-5 and 9-13, the prior art searched and of record neither anticipates nor suggests the limitations added in the claimed combinations.
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 (i.e., a descriptive title that distinguishes the invention and is not a generic or general description). The new title should take into account any amendments to the claims to best indicate the claimed invention.
The title must be as short and specific as possible (see 37 CFR 1.72(a)). Applicant should distill a description of the claimed invention into as few words as possible to capture the essence of the claimed invention. Rather than reciting statutory categories (apparatus, method, product) and some generic descriptor (e.g., information processing), a title that is specific, but characterizes the essence or key aspect(s) of the claimed invention, should be submitted.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08 August 2024 was filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. Accordingly, the statement(s) (has / have) been considered by the examiner as indicated below.
Applicant has not provided an explanation of relevance of cited document(s) summarized below.
Yukumoto et al (US 20110310409 A1 / JP 2012-008662 A) discloses an image forming apparatus connected to an image forming system in which a plurality of image forming apparatuses is linked. The image forming apparatus comprises: a user environment information acquiring unit that acquires user environment information; a user environment information reflecting unit that generates the screen representing the settings by using the user environment information; a capability acquiring unit that acquires capability information representing capabilities; a settability determining unit that determines the settability of various settings; a display control unit that is a unit displaying the screen on the display unit and further displays the screen that represents a determination result of the settability determining unit on the display unit; a search unit that searches for a first image forming apparatus; and a search result output unit that further displays the screen representing a search result of the search unit on the display unit through the display control unit.
Matsushita (JP 2022-183176 A) disclose an image inspection device comprises: acquisition means which acquires a read image obtained by reading a printed image; generation means which generates a correct answer image on the basis of on the read image; display means which displays the read image; and a control unit which executes first inspection processing of inspecting the printed matter by comparing the content corresponding to the inspection object in the read image and a record value included in a database corresponding to the content and second inspection processing of inspecting the printed matter by comparing the inspection object in the read image and a corresponding portion of the correct answer image. The control unit can set the inspection processing so as to execute the first inspection processing on a first object corresponding to different images in all the pages on the basis of the operation of a user to a display screen of the display means based on the read image, and execute the second inspection processing on a second object corresponding to the image repeatedly used in all the pages. The inspection device correctly determines an image abnormality of a printed matter that is variably printed.
Cited Art
The prior art and other references made of record and not relied upon are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Tsuchiya (US 8089644 B2) discloses an image-processing device having a receiving unit that receives first variable print data including a plurality of records and designation information designating a rendering program; an image generation unit that performs the image generation process in which the rendering program is executed with regard to the plurality of records included in the first variable print data to generate output images corresponding to each of the plurality of records, wherein when an error occurs because of a first record of the plurality of records during generation of an output image corresponding to the first record, the image generation unit continues the image generation process by changing a record to be processed from the first record to a record which is to be processed later than the first record; and a variable print data generation unit that generates second variable print data including the first record.
Kodera (US 20100079787 A1) discloses a variable data printing (VDP) method in which different types of contents on each piece of the VDP production, such as color form contents and black and white contents, are printed using different types of printers, such as color printers and black and white printers, respectively. The color form content is printed first to form partially printed sheets. Partially printed sheet carrying different color contents are loaded into different input trays of the black and white printers. The black and white content is printed on the partially printed sheets using the black and white printers. When printing the black and white content, the color data in the input VDP data is excluded. The job tickets for the black and white print jobs specify the input trays to be used so that the appropriate partially printed sheet is selected for each black and white print job.
Hopper et al (US 20110007343 A1) disclose a system having a printer to print a type of data on paper medium, and to print a barcode on the medium including variable data to be printed on the paper. Another printer prints the variable data on the paper based on the barcode, and prints another barcode in a known position on the paper for verification that the variable data has been accurately printed on the paper, where the latter printer decrypts the variable data from the barcode prior to printing the variable data on the paper. The system enables accurate verification of variable data printed on the paper.
Welton et al (US 20130185317 A1) disclose a computer system for extracting address information from PDF documents to create a database of address information that can be used to generate address sheets for mail. It is preferred that the mail be accountable mail requiring feedback on the mailing process. Optional address validation may be performed with the resulting validated and corrected address information stored into database.
Inoue (US 20240397004 A1) discloses an image processing apparatus includes circuitry; and a memory storing computer-executable instructions that cause the circuitry to execute detecting an error in a character, a word, or a sentence in image data; adding, to the image data, information of the detected error when the error is detected, as invisible information that cannot be viewed or that is difficult to view in an image represented by the image data; and controlling output of the image data by changing an output method of the image data in which the error is detected, based on a detection result of detecting the error or the invisible information.
Kato (US 20250181289 A1) discloses an image forming apparatus includes a printer to print images, a display screen, and an operation panel for permitting the operator to select an image template for printing. The image template includes a fixed data region and a variable data region. The apparatus has a processor and an external interface that is connected to an external input device to receive input data to be included in the variable data region. The processor generates a preview image corresponding to the selected image template with the received input data included in the variable data region, stores the preview image in a storage location accessible by an external device, generates a code image indicating the storage location, and displays the code image on the display screen upon a request of the operator to permit the operator to confirm the preview image using the external device.
Imamura et al (US 20250298556 A1) disclose a validity verification method of verifying validity of data included in a print data file for variable printing. On a PDF generation side, for each record, variable data of a used field is extracted from a variable data file, and a first hash value is calculated according to a predetermined calculation rule. Furthermore, on the PDF generation side, the variable data of the used field in the variable data file is placed on a corresponding page to generate a print data file. Thereafter, on an inspection side, the variable data is extracted from the print data file to calculate a second hash value according to the predetermined calculation rule, and whether or not the second hash value matches the first hash value calculated on the PDF generation side is inspected.
Shimizu (JP 3698955 B2) disclose a technique relating to a print control device and a print system capable of improving the efficiency of rasterization processing. In printing a plurality of booklets including a variable page including a fixed portion having the same content over a plurality of booklets and a variable portion which may have different contents for each booklet, a page configuration of the print target is changed. The fixed data FD and the variable data VD, which are the rasterized data corresponding to the fixed part and the variable part of the variable page of the printing target, are extracted from the rasterized data storage unit 21 based on the page list (LP) to be printed and the like. By combining the fixed data FD and the variable data VD, rasterized data of a variable page in each booklet of the print target is generated. Fixed data FD for fixed part is shared, and rasterized data for each booklet is created only for the variable portion, which is efficient.
Sasaki (JP 2004-199475 A) discloses obtaining a synthetic printing result of advertisement picture data and printing information by an optimum layout based on user's setting by checking whether the layout of the advertisement picture data is optionally changed by the user and controlled to an optimum appearance or not before the execution of printing. When the addition of the advertisement picture data to the printing information to be prepared is selected at the time of a printing request to the printing information, the printing layout of the advertisement picture data is set through a user interface and a CPU 201 previews the synthetic result of the printing information and the advertisement picture data on a CRT 210 in accordance with the set printing layout.
Hyuga (JP 2012-22542 A) discloses a variable print system for optimizing the entire process and checking the consistency between layout design and variable text design is provided (checking for errors or inaccuracies). In a variable print system, a layout design apparatus outputs a data layout and data format of transaction data defined based on a layout design document as a data item list. Next, the variable text shaping device 20 reads the data item list 24, compares the data layout setting information input based on the information of the print specification 21 with the data item list 24, and the consistency of the data layout. Check. Further, the variable text shaping device 20 performs data format check and filtering based on the data item list 24 for the personal data 22 which is variable text data.
Chatwin (WO 9400298 A1) disclose method and apparatus for printing sets of security documents for assembly as pages into booklets wherein a group of the pages in each booklet carry non-variable print including security print which is the same for each page within the group, and a number of the pages carry variable print which at least differs between booklets. The apparatus comprises non-variable print printers (1-14) which print the non-variable print for each page of the said group. Variable print printers (18, 20, 22) printing the variable print. An elongate, continuous web (15) is fed past the non-variable print printers (1-14) whereby the non-variable print printers print the non-variable print for each page of the said group within respective page areas positioned along the web corresponding to each page, and the variable print printers (18, 20, 22) are adapted to print selected page areas with variable print appropriate to that page.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Scott Rogers whose telephone number is 571-272-7467. The examiner can normally be reached 8 am to 7 pm flex.
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/Scott A Rogers/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2683
30 May 2026
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