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 § 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 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nishida Takayori WO 2017013835 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Nishida Takayori discloses an image forming apparatus (e.g., image forming apparatus 20, figure 1), comprising:
one or more controllers (e.g., controller 21, figure 3); and
an image former, wherein: when information for giving additional information to image information is included in print job data transmitted from an information processing device, the one or more controllers generate the additional information (e.g., The data management unit 17 is configured to acquire from the print data storage unit 111 print data in response to reception of a print data request corresponding to a job information item selected from the job information items of the job list by the user on the image forming apparatus 20. The data management unit 17 is further configured to send the acquired print data to the image forming apparatus 20 originating the print data request, paragraph 31), and
In another embodiment, Nishida Takayori discloses when the image information is related to a document that certifies authenticity of contents and a setting of the image forming apparatus satisfies a provision condition for giving the additional information, the one or more controllers control the image former to give the additional information to the image information and to form an image (e.g., When one or more job information items are selected from the displayed job list and a print job execution instruction is input by the user (YES in S208), the print data request unit 224 sends a print data request including job IDs of the selected job information items to the client terminal 10 which is the job information transmitting source terminal (S209). The print data request unit 224 receives the print data sent by the client terminal 10 in response to the print data request (S210). Subsequently, the job execution unit 225 controls the image forming apparatus 20 to perform the print job based on the received print data (S211), paragraph 63).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified Nishida Takayori from one embodiment to include when the image information is related to a document that certifies authenticity of contents and a setting of the image forming apparatus satisfies a provision condition for giving the additional information, the one or more controllers control the image former to give the additional information to the image information and to form an image as taught by another embodiment. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified Nishida Takayori from one embodiment by the teaching of another embodiment to use for particular application.
Regarding claim 2, Nishida Takayori discloses wherein, when the image information is related to the document that certifies the authenticity of the contents, the one or more controllers generate the additional information including organization information regarding an organization to which a user who executes a job regarding image formation of the document belongs (e.g., Subsequently, the job execution unit 225 transmits printing result information indicating a result of the print job performed to the client terminal 10 which is the print data transmitting source terminal (S212). For example, the printing result information includes the job ID of the print job, and information indicating the success or failure of the print job, paragraph 63).
Regarding claim 3, Nishida Takayori discloses wherein, when the image information is related to the document that certifies the authenticity of the contents and the information for giving the additional information is included in the print job data, the one or more controllers notify the information processing device of an error when the setting of the image forming apparatus does not satisfy the provision condition (e.g., Subsequently, the job execution unit 225 transmits printing result information indicating a result of the print job performed to the client terminal 10 which is the print data transmitting source terminal (S212). For example, the printing result information includes the job ID of the print job, and information indicating the success or failure of the print job, paragraph 63).
Regarding claim 4, Nishida Takayori discloses wherein the provision condition is a condition in which a user authentication function is enabled (e.g., Subsequently, the job execution unit 225 transmits printing result information indicating a result of the print job performed to the client terminal 10 which is the print data transmitting source terminal (S212). For example, the printing result information includes the job ID of the print job, and information indicating the success or failure of the print job, paragraph 63).
Regarding claim 5, Nishida Takayori discloses further comprising: a permitter that receives input of a response content with respect to a permission request from the information processing device, wherein the one or more controllers control the image former to form the image when the input of the response content indicating that the permission request is accepted is received via the permitter from an administrator having administrative privileges over the image forming apparatus (e.g., The login control unit 221 is configured to send an authentication request to the authentication server 30 so that the authentication server 30 is requested to perform authentication of a login user based on a user ID and a password which are input to the image forming apparatus 20 by the user. When the authenticity of the login user is successfully verified by the authentication server 30, the login control unit 221 is configured to identify the login user based on the input user ID, paragraph 38).
Regarding claim 6, Nishida Takayori discloses wherein the one or more controllers generate the additional information as encoded information, and control the image former to perform the image formation by giving a code based on the encoded information to the image based on the image information (e.g., The proxy information acquisition unit 222 is configured to acquire from the authentication server 30 an owner ID associated with the proxy ID which accords with the user ID of the login user. Namely, the proxy information acquisition unit 222 acquires the user ID of another user (owner) who has requested the login user to perform the proxy printing, paragraph 39).
Regarding claim 7, Nishida Takayori discloses wherein, when the image information is related to the document that certifies the authenticity of the contents, the one or more controllers generate the encoded information including login information with respect to the image forming apparatus or a character string including date and time information of printing, as a content in addition to the organization information, and cause the character string represented by decoding the code to be connected without a delimiter (e.g., The job list acquisition unit 223 is configured to acquire a job list from the client terminal 10 of the login user. Further, when the owner ID is acquired by the proxy information acquisition unit 222, the job list acquisition unit 223 is configured to acquire from the client terminal 10 of the owner ID a job list including the job information in which the user ID of the login user accords with the proxy ID, paragraph 40).
Regarding claim 8, Nishida Takayori discloses wherein, when an image forming position of the code overlaps an image forming position of the image, which is different from the code, the one or more controllers control the image former to perform the image formation while prioritizing the code (e.g., The job list acquisition unit 223 is configured to acquire a job list from the client terminal 10 of the login user. Further, when the owner ID is acquired by the proxy information acquisition unit 222, the job list acquisition unit 223 is configured to acquire from the client terminal 10 of the owner ID a job list including the job information in which the user ID of the login user accords with the proxy ID, paragraph 40).
Regarding claim 9, Nishida Takayori discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium of a device coupled to at least one processor of the device and storing one or more computer-executable driver instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor (e.g., Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing system 1 according to a first embodiment. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the printing system 1 includes one or more client terminals 10, such as a client terminal 10a and a client terminal 10b, an authentication server 30, and one or more image forming apparatuses 20. These devices of the printing system 1 are interconnected by an in-company network such as a local area network (LAN) and configured to communicate with one another, paragraph 14), cause the device to:
display an input screen for receiving input of a print setting related to a print job, and output print job data that includes information for giving additional information to image information received from a user via the input screen, and the image information (e.g., The client terminal 10 may be an information processing apparatus which is operated directly by a user of the printing system 1. Examples of the client terminal 10 may include a personal computer (PC), a smart phone, a tablet terminal, and a personal digital assistant (PDA). A user may input to the client terminal 10 a print instruction in which arbitrary data is designated as a printing target. In response to the print instruction, the client terminal 10 generates print data based on the data designated as the printing target and stores the print data in the client terminal 10, paragraph 15).
Regarding claim 10, Nishida Takayori discloses wherein the input screen includes a selection screen for receiving a selection of a type of the additional information by the use (e.g., Subsequently, the job execution unit 225 transmits printing result information indicating a result of the print job performed to the client terminal 10 which is the print data transmitting source terminal (S212). For example, the printing result information includes the job ID of the print job, and information indicating the success or failure of the print job, paragraph 63).
Regarding claim 11, Nishida Takayori discloses wherein as the type of the additional information for the user to select, the selection screen displays any of first additional information regarding image information of a document that certifies authenticity of contents, second additional information regarding image information of a document different from the document that certifies the authenticity of the contents, and no additional information in a selectable manner (e.g., The authentication server 30 may be a computer configured to manage user IDs and passwords of users of the printing system 1, address information of client terminals 10 of the users, and information to associate an owner with a proxy in proxy printing. The information to associate the owner with the proxy in the proxy printing may be information indicating which user identifier is designated as the proxy user and which user identifier is designated as the owner user in connection with the proxy user, paragraph 17).
Regarding claim 12, Nishida Takayori discloses wherein, when the first additional information is selected as the type of the additional information, the input screen receives input of the first additional information (e.g., The information to associate the owner with the proxy in the proxy printing may be information indicating which user identifier is designated as the proxy user and which user identifier is designated as the owner user in connection with the proxy user. This information is transmitted from the client terminal 10 to which the proxy printing instruction is input, paragraph 17).
Regarding claim 13, Nishida Takayori discloses wherein the input screen displays an input confirmation button in a non-selectable state until the input of the first additional information is completed (e.g., In response to an input operation by a user, the image forming apparatus 20 transmits to the client terminal 10 of the user a request for acquiring a list of job information (or bibliographic information) items of print data associated with a user ID of the user. The image forming apparatus 20 acquires, from the client terminal 10, print data generated based on a job information item selected by the user from the list of job information items obtained in response to the request, and performs a print job based on the acquired print data, paragraph 18).
Regarding claim 14, claim 14 is a printing method claim with limitations similar of limitations of claim 1. Therefore, claim 14 is rejected as set forth above as claim 1.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 QUANG N VO whose telephone number is (571)270-1121. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7AM-4PM, EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abderrahim Merouan can be reached at 571-270-5254. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/QUANG N VO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2683
Prosecution Insights