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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/09/2024, 04/21/2025, 09/04/2025 were filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 5, 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Morita (US 2023/0289120 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Morita discloses an image processing device for performing printing based on image data on a recording medium using a printing device (e.g., an image forming system according to the present invention is an image forming system including an image distribution device and a printing device, paragraph 5), the image processing device comprising:
an image region dividing means configured to divide the image data into a plurality of image regions for each of a plurality of different processes to print an image of the image data by the plurality of different processes (e.g., The image distribution device 101 manages data configuring print image (hereafter, also referred to as print image data) and information about various settings when printing the print image (hereafter, also referred to as setting information) and distributes the data and the information to another device via the network, paragraph 33);
an assigning means configured to assign the image region to a plurality of job layers for each of the different processes (e.g., Each of the printing devices 102, 111, and 112 acquires print image data from the image distribution device 101, forms a print image based on the print image data, and then prints the print image on a recording medium such as a sheet. Note that, in the following description, although the printing device 102 is focused on for various description, the same may also apply to the printing devices 111 and 112, paragraph 36); and 36
a print data generation means configured to generate print data by combining the plurality of the job layers; wherein the assigning means assigns the image region to the job layer so as not to overlap the image region of another job layer (e.g., The image distribution device 101 according to the present embodiment manages, as print image data, frame image data applied commonly to a plurality of print materials and variable data that is information changed for each print material. The frame image data may be, for example, data corresponding to a template portion such as a frame in a print material such as a POP. Further, the variable data is data including information corresponding to a portion replaced for each print material such as a product name or a price in a print material such as a POP. Further, the image distribution device 101 according to the present embodiment manages setting information in which a combination of frame image data and variable data related to formation of a print image is indicated as the above setting information. This setting information is associated with targeted frame image data and variable data and distributed to external devices (for example, the printing devices 102, 111, and 112 or the like), paragraph 34).
Regarding claim 3, Morita discloses wherein a predetermined job layer among the plurality of the job layers is replaced with the plurality of the job layers generated separately (e.g., the image distribution device 101 according to the present embodiment manages setting information in which a combination of frame image data and variable data related to formation of a print image is indicated as the above setting information. This setting information is associated with targeted frame image data and variable data and distributed to external devices (for example, the printing devices 102, 111, and 112 or the like), paragraph 34).
Regarding claim 5, claim 5 is an image processing method claim with limitations similar of limitations of claim 1. Therefore, claim 5 is rejected as set forth above as claim 1.
Regarding claim 6, Morita discloses wherein a predetermined job layer among the plurality of the job layers is replaced with the plurality of the job layers generated separately (e.g., Further, the image distribution device 101 according to the present embodiment manages setting information in which a combination of frame image data and variable data related to formation of a print image is indicated as the above setting information. This setting information is associated with targeted frame image data and variable data and distributed to external devices (for example, the printing devices 102, 111, and 112 or the like), paragraph 34).
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.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morita (US 2023/0289120 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Shibasaki (US 2016/0086067 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Morita does not specifically disclose wherein mask process is performed on a region other than the assigned image region in the job layer.
Shibasaki discloses wherein mask process is performed on a region other than the assigned image region in the job layer (e.g., In step S908, the mask processing unit 652 executes mask processing of the discharge data acquired in step S907 and acquires mask data from the discharge data. In the present exemplary embodiment, the mask processing unit 652 executes the mask processing to discharge the clear ink at the end. By executing the mask processing in the above-described manner, the clear ink can be applied on top of the other color inks applied on the recording medium. The mask processing will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, paragraph 102).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified Morita to include wherein mask process is performed on a region other than the assigned image region in the job layer as taught by Shibasaki. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified Morita by the teaching of Shibasaki to apply for particular application.
Claims 4, 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morita (US 2023/0289120 A1) as applied to claims 1, 3 above, and further in view of Iguchi (US 2010/0079798 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Morita does not specifically disclose wherein the assigning means assigns the image region overlapping the image region assigned to another job layer to some of the job layers.
Iguchi discloses wherein the assigning means assigns the image region overlapping the image region assigned to another job layer to some of the job layers (e.g., the apparatus comprising: a first determination unit configured to determine whether the fixed object overlaps another fixed object; a generation unit configured, when the first determination unit determines that the fixed object overlaps the other fixed object, to generate data by performing either first image forming processing to combine the fixed object and the other fixed object or second image forming processing to process the fixed object or the other fixed object; a storage unit configured to store the data generated by the generation unit; and an output unit configured to extract the data stored in the storage unit, combine the data with the variable object to generate print data, and output the print data, paragraph 10).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified Morita to include wherein the assigning means assigns the image region overlapping the image region assigned to another job layer to some of the job layers as taught by Iguchi. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified Morita by the teaching of Iguchi to use for particular application.
Regarding claim 8, claim 8 is the image processing device claim with limitations similar of claim 4. Therefore, claim 8 is rejected as set forth above as claim 4.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morita (US 2023/0289120 A1) and Shibasaki (US 2016/0086067 A1) as applied to claims 1, 2 above, and further in view of Iguchi (US 2010/0079798 A1).
Regarding claim 7, Morita and Shibasaki do not specifically disclose wherein the assigning means assigns the image region overlapping the image region assigned to another job layer to some of the job layers.
Iguchi discloses wherein the assigning means assigns the image region overlapping the image region assigned to another job layer to some of the job layers (e.g., the apparatus comprising: a first determination unit configured to determine whether the fixed object overlaps another fixed object; a generation unit configured, when the first determination unit determines that the fixed object overlaps the other fixed object, to generate data by performing either first image forming processing to combine the fixed object and the other fixed object or second image forming processing to process the fixed object or the other fixed object; a storage unit configured to store the data generated by the generation unit; and an output unit configured to extract the data stored in the storage unit, combine the data with the variable object to generate print data, and output the print data, paragraph 10).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified Morita to include wherein the assigning means assigns the image region overlapping the image region assigned to another job layer to some of the job layers as taught by Iguchi. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified Morita and Shibasaki by the teaching of Iguchi to use for particular application.
Conclusion
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/QUANG N VO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2683
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