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
Response to Amendment
1. Applicant’s amendment filed on 08/27/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-15 are still pending in this application.
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 10-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zheng (US 20210056235) in view of Ormond (US 20120176636)
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 scanning hardware comprising a charge-coupled device (CCD) or contact-image scanner (CIS) scanner configured to scan digital images from print media, the scanning hardware to optically scan a first authorization code from the consumable item prior to the insertion of the consumable item into the printing device
Ormond teaches scanning hardware comprising a charge-coupled device (CCD) or contact-image scanner (CIS) scanner configured to scan digital images from print media, the scanning hardware to optically scan a first authorization code from the consumable item prior to the insertion of the consumable item into the printing device (p0080:an individual may manually scan the consumable using the MFP's scanning equipment prior to installation of the consumable)
Zheng and Ormond 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 Ormond for purpose of maintain a database of each, specific consumable shipped to one or more customers in addition to the specific consumable inserted into a group of MFPs associated with one or more customers (p0022).
Regarding claim 11, Zheng in view of Ormond teaches the printing device of claim 10, wherein the scanning hardware comprises a flatbed scanner having a transparent plate, and the consumable item is placed on the transparent plate to optically scan the first authorization code prior to the insertion of the consumable item into the printing device ( Ormond: p0080:an individual may manually scan the consumable using the MFP's scanning equipment prior to installation of the consumable).
The rational applied to the rejection of claim 10 has been incorporated herein.
Regarding claim 12, Zheng in view of Ormond 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 (Ormond: p0080).
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).
Regarding claim 15, Zheng in view of Ormond teaches a consumable item for a printing device comprising: a housing; a first authorization code on the housing that is optically scannable (Ormond:0080); 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.
Allowable Subject Matter
3. Claims 1-9 are allowed over the prior art of record.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The prior art fails to teach Claim 1, alone or in reasonable combination, which specifically comprise the following limitations (in consideration of the claim as a whole):
0determining whether the first and second authorization codes match, wherein the first and second authorization codes are each digitally signed with a private cryptographic key of an asymmetric public-private key pair of a manufacturer; and verifying, using a public cryptographic key of the asymmetric public-private key pair, that the first and second authorization codes originated from the manufacturer; and in response to verifying that the first and second authorization codes originated from the manufacturer and determining that the first and second authorization codes match, authorizing the printing device to use the consumable item for printing.
The closest prior art, Zheng (US 20210056235) reveals a similar system, but fails to anticipate or render obvious, either singularly or in combination with the other cited references, the above limitations (as combined with the other claimed limitations).
The claims 2-9 depend on the claim 1 and are thus allowed for the same reasons as for the 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 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, Abderrahim Merouan can be reached at 5712705254. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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HELEN ZONG
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2683
/HELEN ZONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2683
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