Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 31, 2026
Application No. 18/832,974

PRINTING DEVICE CONSUMABLE ITEM HAVING OPTICALLY SCANNABLE AUTHORIZATION CODE AND ELECTRICALLY READABLE AUTHORIZATION CODE

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Jul 25, 2024
Priority
Jan 28, 2022 — nonprovisional of PCTUS2022014208
Examiner
ZONG, HELEN
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
79%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
1m
Est. Remaining
87%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 79% — above average
79%
Career Allowance Rate
571 granted / 722 resolved
+19.1% vs TC avg
Moderate +8% lift
Without
With
+8.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 2m
Avg Prosecution
21 currently pending
Career history
752
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.6%
-39.4% vs TC avg
§103
91.6%
+51.6% vs TC avg
§102
2.7%
-37.3% vs TC avg
§112
2.2%
-37.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 722 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . DETAILED ACTION 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 1-2, 7-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zheng (US 20210056235) in view of Wayman et al. (US 20120288287). Regarding claim 10, Zheng teaches a printing device (p0003: imaging device) comprising: printing hardware to print using a consumable item inserted into the printing device (p0002: printer); and authentication circuitry to: electrically read a second authorization code on the consumable item upon insertion of the consumable item into the printing (p0003:the consumable chip also calculates the verification code based on a pre-stored key); and authorize the printing hardware to print using the consumable item (s37 in fig. 4) upon a determination that the second authorization code matches a first authorization code optically scanned from the consumable item (device (p0003:obtains a key by reading a serial number of a consumable chip, and calculates a verification code based on the key). Zheng does not teach first authorization code optically scanned from the consumable item. Wayman teaches first authorization code optically scanned from the consumable item( p0005:When a consumable needs to be replaced, the user scans the new consumable label against a CRUM reader). Zheng and Wayman are combinable because they both deal with management servers with a printing apparatus. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to combine the teachings of Zheng with the teaching of Wayman for purpose of install valid consumable for the printing system (p0005). Regarding claim 11, Zheng in view of Wayman teaches the printing device of claim 10, further comprising: scanning hardware to optically scan the first authorization code on the consumable item prior to the insertion of the consumable item into the printing device (Wayman: p0005: When a consumable needs to be replaced, the user scans the new consumable label against a CRUM reader). The rational applied to the rejection of claim 10 has been incorporated herein. Regarding claim 12, Zheng in view of Wayman teaches the printing device of claim 10, wherein the authentication code is further to: receive the first authentication code from a computing device upon the computing device optically scanning the first authentication code (Wayman: p0005: When a consumable needs to be replaced, the user scans the new consumable label against a CRUM reader). The rational applied to the rejection of claim 10 has been incorporated herein. Regarding claim 13, Zheng teaches the printing device of claim 10, wherein the authentication circuitry is further to: transmit the second authorization code to a computing device that performs the determination; and receive the determination that the second authorization code matches the first authorization code from the computing device (s37 in fig. 4). Regarding claim 14, Zheng The printing device of claim 10, wherein the authentication code is further to: perform the determination that the second authorization code matches the first authorization code (p0003:imaging device determines whether an identity of the consumable chip matches the imaging device by comparing the verification code calculated by itself with the verification code calculated by the consumable chip). Claim 1 has been analyzed and rejected with regard to claim 10 and in accordance with Waymans’s further teaching on: A computer-readable memory that contains instructions, which when executed by a processor perform steps in a method (p0023). Regarding claim 2, Zhang teaches the non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 1, wherein the processing further comprises: in response to determining that the first and second authorization codes do not match, prohibiting the printing device from using the consumable item for printing (p0002: the matched consumable chip can be applied to the imaging device). Regarding claim 7, Zhang teaches the non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 1, wherein the device is the printing device and receives the second authorization code by electrically reading the second authorization code upon the insertion of the consumable item into the printing device (p0003:the consumable chip also calculates the verification code based on a pre-stored key). Claim 8 has been analyzed and rejected with regard to claim 11 and in accordance with Wayman’s further teaching on: A computer-readable memory that contains instructions, which when executed by a processor perform steps in a method (p0023). Claim 9 has been analyzed and rejected with regard to claim 12 and in accordance with Wayman’s further teaching on: A computer-readable memory that contains instructions, which when executed by a processor perform steps in a method (p0023). Regarding claim 15, Zheng in view of Waymen teaches a consumable item for a printing device comprising: a housing; a first authorization code on the housing that is optically scannable (Wayman: p0005: When a consumable needs to be replaced, the user scans the new consumable label against a CRUM reader); and a second authorization code on the housing that is electrically readable upon insertion of the consumable item into the printing device, wherein matching of the first and second authorization codes authorizes usage of the consumable item by the printing device for printing (p0003). The rational applied to the rejection of claim 10 has been incorporated herein. Claims 3-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zheng in view of Waymen as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Nagasaki (US 20190101864). Regarding claim 3, Zheng in view of Waymen does not teach the non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 1, wherein the device is a computing device that receives the second authorization code from the printing device. Nagasaki teaches wherein the device is a computing device that receives the second authorization code from the printing device (fig. 1: PR1 and 200 as printing device, and p0054: typing the cartridge number CNk into a portable terminal capable of communicating with the shipping server 400). Zheng in view of Wayman and Nagasaki are combinable because they both deal with management servers with a printing apparatus. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to combine the teachings of Zheng in view of Wayman with the teaching of Nagasaki for purpose of performing management of toner containers sent or shipped to users of printers (p0003). Regarding claim 4, Zheng in view of Wayman and Nagasaki teaches the non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 3, wherein the computing device is a first computing device, and wherein the first computing device receives the first authorization code from the printing device: upon the printing device optically scanning the first authorization code prior to the insertion of the consumable item into the printing device (Wayman: p0005: When a consumable needs to be replaced, the user scans the new consumable label against a CRUM reader); or upon the printing device receiving the first authorization code from a second computing device that optically scanned the first authorization code. The rational applied to the rejection of claim 3 has been incorporated herein. Regarding claim 5, Zheng in view of Wayman and Nagasaki teaches the non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 3, wherein the computing device is a first computing device, and wherein the first computing device receives the first authorization code: from a second computing device upon the second computing device optically scanning the first authorization code; or by optically scanning the first authorization code (Nagasaki:p0054:reading the cartridge number CNk from the bar code using a reading device capable of communicating with the shipping server 400). The rational applied to the rejection of claim 3 has been incorporated herein. Regarding claim 6, Zheng in view of Wayman and Nagasaki teaches the non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 3, wherein authorizing the printing device to use the consumable item for printing comprises: transmitting a notification to the printing device that the printing device is authorized to use the consumable item for printing (Wayman: 650 in fig. 7). The rational applied to the rejection of claim 3 has been incorporated herein. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HELEN Q ZONG whose telephone number is (571)270-1600. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9-6. 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, Merouan, Abderrahim can be reached on (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. HELEN ZONG Primary Examiner Art Unit 2683 /HELEN ZONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2683
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Prosecution Timeline

Jul 25, 2024
Application Filed
Jul 13, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103
Jul 21, 2026
Examiner Interview Summary
Jul 21, 2026
Applicant Interview (Telephonic)
Jul 22, 2026
Response Filed

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
79%
Grant Probability
87%
With Interview (+8.3%)
2y 2m (~1m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 722 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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