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 .
Response to filed Amendments
Applicant’s Amendments/Remarks filed on 09/03/2026 have been received and made of record.
Claims 2-18 have been amended.
Claims 2-18 remained pending.
Outstanding double patenting rejection outstanding claim objection of claim 7 have been withdrawn based at least the filed amendments/remarks of 09/03/2026.
Please refer to the action below.
Examiner Notes
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. However, the claimed subject matter, not the specification, is the measure of the invention.
Response to Remarks/Arguments
Regarding the applicant’s remarks/amendments of 09/03/2026 of pages 8-12 corresponding to the previous prior arts of USC 102 rejection of Aritomi and USC 103 rejection of Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi as currently illustrated in the amended independent claims 1, 10, and 18, have been considered, however, they are moot in light of the currently applied prior arts of Aritomi in view of Suzuki, and further in view of Caton and the prior arts in view of Aritomi and further in view of Suzuki as pertained the currently amended independent claims 1, 10, and 18. Please refer to the action below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 2, 10, and 18 is/are further rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Kakitsuba et al. (US 2011/0286022, previously cited), in view of Aritomi et al. (US 2008/0240815, previously cited), and further in view of Suzuki et al. (JP 2014134992, A1).
Regarding claim 2, Kakitsuba teaches a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a print setting application configured to be executed by one or more processors of an information processing apparatus (non-transitory computer-readable medium of at least para. 0019 storing at least implied print setting application as noted further in at least Figs. 3-10 within the universal printer driver 110 configured to be executed by one or more processors of an information processing apparatus),
the print setting application of further para. 0019 and Fig. 4 including instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors,
cause the information processing apparatus to perform a control method comprising:
causing a display of the information processing apparatus to display an input field, the input field being provided by the print setting application (display of at least Figs. 3-7 further illustrate display an input field, the input field being provided by the print setting application); and
the information processing apparatus storing a printer driver which is compatible with printing apparatuses of a plurality of vendors, and the print setting application (Fig. 1 further illustrates information processing apparatus 100 storing a printer driver 110 which is compatible with printing apparatuses 201-203 of a plurality of vendors corresponding to the print setting application),
and receiving designation of one or more characters from a user via the input field, the designated one or more characters being included in print data .
Kakitsuba is silent regarding the above lined-out items such as citing specifically received the said designated one or more characters being included in print data as a watermark and the printer driver being not able to display the input field; and the print setting application being different from the printer driver.
Aritomi teaches at least in Figs. 2-14 and para. 0076-0098 a print system employing at least a general print driver 203 which is compatible with printing apparatuses of a plurality of vendors, and associated with a print setting application, the system further configured in at least Figs. 3-14 to comprise a display setting field adapted to receive user sets and selected of one or more characters being included in a PDL print data or the like and wherein said one or more characters being input by a user using the input field of at least Figs. 3-4, and being a copy forgery inhibited watermark where a configuration of Figs. 3-13 illustrates a case where the printing software being not able to receive the one or more characters via a screen displayed by the printing software as contrasted to Figs. 4, and 14 where the printing software being able by means of an added printer setting extended/extensibility function of at least para. 0085-0087 to receive at least custom input setting being not previously able to receive via a screen displayed of Fig. 13, the printer extended/extensibility setting function of further para. 0085-0087 may in the art be a separate function of the printer driver 203 or may be a part of the driver 203. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi to include wherein received the said designated one or more characters being included in print data as a watermark and the printer driver being not able to display the input field, as discussed above, as Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi are in the same of endeavor employing a universal printer driver in addition to pre-installed operating software to provide methods and system of generating and transmitting print data and user selected print settings printable by printers of a plurality of printer vendors, Aritomi’s added printer setting extended/extensibility function associated with the general purpose printing driver software combination further complements the print methods and system of Kakitsuba, in a sense that when combined with the combination architecture of the added printer setting extended/extensibility function associated with the general purpose printing driver software of Aritomi, it further enable extended the setting functions capabilities of the general purpose driver of Kakitsuba further making possible certain custom and/or vendor unique functions of the printers being capable of being inputted with use of the general purpose driver as said added printer setting extended/extensibility function is known in the art to be in a case part of a package of the printer driver of the computing device an/or may be separately provided wherein received inputted one or more characters being included in second print data such as extended function watermark may be selected to prevent copy forgery via an extended screen setting function whereby further supplementing the methods and systems of Kakitsuba according to further known methods to yield predictable results since known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art as said combination is thus the adaptation of an old idea or invention using newer technology that is either commonly available and understood in the art thereby a variation on already known art (See MPEP 2143, KSR Exemplary Rationale F).
However, Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi are silent regarding wherein the print setting application being specifically different from the printer driver.
Suzuki teaches a printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 where as cited in the disclosure “The printer extension 310 is installed in conjunction with the printer driver 1052, but is installed as an application different from the printer driver 1052” similar to the Applicant’s disclosure extending the capability of the general purpose printer driver. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi, and further in view of Suzuki to include wherein the print setting application being specifically different from the printer driver, as discussed above, as Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi, and further in view of Suzuki are in the same of endeavor employing a universal printer driver in addition to pre-installed operating software to provide methods and system of generating and transmitting print data and user selected print settings printable by printers of a plurality of printer vendors, Suzuki’s added printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 associated with the provided printing driver software configuration further complements the print methods and system of Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi, in a sense that when combined with the separately provided printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 of Suzuki, it further enables the vendor unique setting capabilities of Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi according to a separately provided extensibility setting function which extensibility understoodly in the art may be in a case be part of the printer driver configuration/package according to in a case design preference for further making possible certain custom and/or vendor unique functions of the printers being capable of being inputted with use of the general purpose driver according to further known methods to yield predictable results since known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art as said combination is thus the adaptation of an old idea or invention using newer technology that is either commonly available and understood in the art thereby a variation on already known art (See MPEP 2143, KSR Exemplary Rationale F).
Regarding claim 10, Kakitsuba teaches in in at least para. 0008-0009 a control method for controlling an information processing apparatus,
the control method being performed based on execution of a print setting application stored in the information processing apparatus (Figs. 3-10 further illustrates an universal printer driver 110 associated with at least an added printer setting function stored in the information processing apparatus 100),
the control method comprising:
causing a display of the information processing apparatus to display an input field, the input field being provided by the print setting application (display of at least Figs. 3-7 further illustrate display an input field, the input field being provided by the print setting application); and
the information processing apparatus storing a printer driver which is compatible with printing apparatuses of a plurality of vendors, and the print setting application (Fig. 1 further illustrates information processing apparatus 100 storing a printer driver 110 which is compatible with printing apparatuses 201-203 of a plurality of vendors corresponding to the print setting application),
and receiving designation of one or more characters from a user via the input field, the designated one or more characters being included in print data (receiving further in Figs. 4-7 said one or more characters being input by a user using the input field, the received one or more characters being included in second print data); .
Kakitsuba is silent regarding the above lined-out items such as citing specifically received the said designated one or more characters being included in print data as a watermark and the printer driver being not able to display the input field; and the print setting application being different from the printer driver.
Aritomi teaches at least in Figs. 2-14 and para. 0076-0098 a print system employing at least a general print driver 203 which is compatible with printing apparatuses of a plurality of vendors, and associated with a print setting application, the system further configured in at least Figs. 3-14 to comprise a display setting field adapted to receive user sets and selected of one or more characters being included in a PDL print data or the like and wherein said one or more characters being input by a user using the input field of at least Figs. 3-4, and being a copy forgery inhibited watermark where a configuration of Figs. 3-13 illustrates a case where the printing software being not able to receive the one or more characters via a screen displayed by the printing software as contrasted to Figs. 4, and 14 where the printing software being able by means of an added printer setting extended/extensibility function of at least para. 0085-0087 to receive at least custom input setting being not previously able to receive via a screen displayed of Fig. 13, the printer extended/extensibility setting function of further para. 0085-0087 may in the art be a separate function of the printer driver 203 or may be a part of the driver 203. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi to include wherein received the said designated one or more characters being included in print data as a watermark and the printer driver being not able to display the input field, as discussed above, as Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi are in the same of endeavor employing a universal printer driver in addition to pre-installed operating software to provide methods and system of generating and transmitting print data and user selected print settings printable by printers of a plurality of printer vendors, Aritomi’s added printer setting extended/extensibility function associated with the general purpose printing driver software combination further complements the print methods and system of Kakitsuba, in a sense that when combined with the combination architecture of the added printer setting extended/extensibility function associated with the general purpose printing driver software of Aritomi, it further enable extended the setting functions capabilities of the general purpose driver of Kakitsuba further making possible certain custom and/or vendor unique functions of the printers being capable of being inputted with use of the general purpose driver as said added printer setting extended/extensibility function is known in the art to be in a case part of a package of the printer driver of the computing device an/or may be separately provided wherein received inputted one or more characters being included in second print data such as extended function watermark may be selected to prevent copy forgery via an extended screen setting function whereby further supplementing the methods and systems of Kakitsuba according to further known methods to yield predictable results since known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art as said combination is thus the adaptation of an old idea or invention using newer technology that is either commonly available and understood in the art thereby a variation on already known art (See MPEP 2143, KSR Exemplary Rationale F).
However, Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi are silent regarding wherein the print setting application being specifically different from the printer driver.
Suzuki teaches a printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 where as cited in the disclosure “The printer extension 310 is installed in conjunction with the printer driver 1052, but is installed as an application different from the printer driver 1052” similar to the Applicant’s disclosure extending the capability of the general purpose printer driver. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi, and further in view of Suzuki to include wherein the print setting application being specifically different from the printer driver, as discussed above, as Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi, and further in view of Suzuki are in the same of endeavor employing a universal printer driver in addition to pre-installed operating software to provide methods and system of generating and transmitting print data and user selected print settings printable by printers of a plurality of printer vendors, Suzuki’s added printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 associated with the provided printing driver software configuration further complements the print methods and system of Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi, in a sense that when combined with the separately provided printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 of Suzuki, it further enables the vendor unique setting capabilities of Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi according to a separately provided extensibility setting function which extensibility understoodly in the art may be in a case be part of the printer driver configuration/package according to in a case design preference for further making possible certain custom and/or vendor unique functions of the printers being capable of being inputted with use of the general purpose driver according to further known methods to yield predictable results since known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art as said combination is thus the adaptation of an old idea or invention using newer technology that is either commonly available and understood in the art thereby a variation on already known art (See MPEP 2143, KSR Exemplary Rationale F).
Regarding claim 18, Kakitsuba teaches an information processing apparatus (the system 500 of at least Fig. 1 comprises said information processing apparatus 100), comprising: one or more processors (the CPU 51 comprises the one or more processors); and at least one memory storing one or more programs including a printer driver and a print setting application (Kakitsuba further teaches in at least para. of para. 0019 and Figs 1-4 stored general printer driver 110 associated with at least a built-in print setting application),
the print setting application of further Figs. 4 including instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors,
cause the information processing apparatus to:
cause a display of the information processing apparatus to display an input field, the input field being provided by the print setting application (display of at least Figs. 3-7 further illustrate display an input field, the input field being provided by the print setting application); and
the information processing apparatus storing a printer driver which is compatible with printing apparatuses of a plurality of vendors, and the print setting application (Fig. 1 further illustrates information processing apparatus 100 storing a printer driver 110 which is compatible with printing apparatuses 201-203 of a plurality of vendors corresponding to the print setting application),
and receive designation of one or more characters from a user via the input field, the designated one or more characters being included in print data
Kakitsuba is silent regarding the above lined-out items such as citing specifically received the said designated one or more characters being included in print data as a watermark and the printer driver being not able to receive the one or more characters via a screen displayed by the printing software display the input field; and the print setting application being different from the printer driver.
Aritomi teaches at least in Figs. 2-14 and para. 0076-0098 a print system employing at least a general print driver 203 which is compatible with printing apparatuses of a plurality of vendors, and associated with a print setting application, the system further configured in at least Figs. 3-14 to comprise a display setting field adapted to receive user sets and selected of one or more characters being included in a PDL print data or the like and wherein said one or more characters being input by a user using the input field of at least Figs. 3-4, and being a copy forgery inhibited watermark where a configuration of Figs. 3-13 illustrates a case where the printing software being not able to receive the one or more characters via a screen displayed by the printing software as contrasted to Figs. 4, and 14 where the printing software being able by means of an added printer setting extended/extensibility function of at least para. 0085-0087 to receive at least custom input setting being not previously able to receive via a screen displayed of Fig. 13, the printer extended/extensibility setting function of further para. 0085-0087 may in the art be a separate function of the printer driver 203 or may be a part of the driver 203. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi to include wherein received the said designated one or more characters being included in print data as a watermark and the printer driver being not able to display the input field, as discussed above, as Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi are in the same of endeavor employing a universal printer driver in addition to pre-installed operating software to provide methods and system of generating and transmitting print data and user selected print settings printable by printers of a plurality of printer vendors, Aritomi’s added printer setting extended/extensibility function associated with the general purpose printing driver software combination further complements the print methods and system of Kakitsuba, in a sense that when combined with the combination architecture of the added printer setting extended/extensibility function associated with the general purpose printing driver software of Aritomi, it further enable extended the setting functions capabilities of the general purpose driver of Kakitsuba further making possible certain custom and/or vendor unique functions of the printers being capable of being inputted with use of the general purpose driver as said added printer setting extended/extensibility function is known in the art to be in a case part of a package of the printer driver of the computing device an/or may be separately provided wherein received inputted one or more characters being included in second print data such as extended function watermark may be selected to prevent copy forgery via an extended screen setting function whereby further supplementing the methods and systems of Kakitsuba according to further known methods to yield predictable results since known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art as said combination is thus the adaptation of an old idea or invention using newer technology that is either commonly available and understood in the art thereby a variation on already known art (See MPEP 2143, KSR Exemplary Rationale F).
However, Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi are silent regarding wherein the print setting application being specifically different from the printer driver.
Suzuki teaches a printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 where as cited in the disclosure “The printer extension 310 is installed in conjunction with the printer driver 1052, but is installed as an application different from the printer driver 1052” similar to the Applicant’s disclosure extending the capability of the general purpose printer driver. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi, and further in view of Suzuki to include wherein the print setting application being specifically different from the printer driver, as discussed above, as Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi, and further in view of Suzuki are in the same of endeavor employing a universal printer driver in addition to pre-installed operating software to provide methods and system of generating and transmitting print data and user selected print settings printable by printers of a plurality of printer vendors, Suzuki’s added printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 associated with the provided printing driver software configuration further complements the print methods and system of Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi, in a sense that when combined with the separately provided printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 of Suzuki, it further enables the vendor unique setting capabilities of Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi according to a separately provided extensibility setting function which extensibility understoodly in the art may be in a case be part of the printer driver configuration/package according to in a case design preference for further making possible certain custom and/or vendor unique functions of the printers being capable of being inputted with use of the general purpose driver according to further known methods to yield predictable results since known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art as said combination is thus the adaptation of an old idea or invention using newer technology that is either commonly available and understood in the art thereby a variation on already known art (See MPEP 2143, KSR Exemplary Rationale F).
Claims 2-5, 7, 9-13, 15, and 17-18 is/are further rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Aritomi et al. in view of Suzuki et al.
Regarding claim 2, Aritomi teaches a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a print setting application configured to be executed by one or more processors of an information processing apparatus (non-transitory computer-readable medium of at least para. 00214 configured with at least as noted in Fig. 14 and para. 0076-0098 with an added printing setting extended/extensibility function further including said print setting application configured to be executed by one or more processors of an information processing apparatus),
the print setting application 205 of further Figs. 2-4 and para. 0034 including instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the information processing apparatus to perform a control method comprising:
causing a display of the information processing apparatus to display an input field, the input field being provided by the print setting application (Figs. 3-4 further illustrate an advanced setting application selection and input means 205 of Figs. 2-4 configured for causing a display of the information processing apparatus to display further in Figs. 3-4 an input field, the input field being provided by the print setting application);
the information processing apparatus storing a printer driver which is compatible with printing apparatuses of a plurality of vendors, and the print setting application (Figs. 1-14 and para. 0098 further illustrates said information processing apparatus storing a general purpose printer driver which is compatible with printing apparatuses of a plurality of vendors corresponding to the print setting application),
and receiving designation of one or more characters from a user via the input field, the designated one or more characters being included in print data as a watermark (receiving editing and input of further Figs. 3-4, of said one or more characters being input by a user using the input field, the received one or more characters being included in second print data for a copy forgery inhibition and being a watermark image pattern to be printed in addition to the first print data);
and the printer driver being not able to display the input field (at least Fig. 14 and para. 0085-0087 further illustrates a case of extending at least the function of at least fig. 13 when the general purpose printing software being not able to receive the one or more characters via a screen displayed by the printing software as contrasted to Fig. 14 and para. 0085-0087 thereby enabling said printing software as shown in at least para. 0085-0087 being able to receive the one or more characters via a screen displayed by the printing software).
Aritomi is silent regarding the above lined-out items such as citing said print setting application being specifically different from the printer driver.
Suzuki teaches a printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 where as cited in the disclosure “The printer extension 310 is installed in conjunction with the printer driver 1052, but is installed as an application different from the printer driver 1052” similar to the Applicant’s disclosure extending the capability of the general purpose printer driver. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Aritomi in view of Suzuki to include wherein the print setting application being specifically different from the printer driver, as discussed above, as Aritomi in view of Suzuki are in the same of endeavor employing a universal printer driver in addition to pre-installed operating software to provide methods and system of generating and transmitting print data and user selected print settings printable by printers of a plurality of printer vendors, Suzuki’s separately added printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 associated with the provided printing driver software configuration further complements the print methods and system of Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi, in a sense that when combined with the separately provided printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 of Suzuki, it further enables the setting vendor unique setting capabilities of Aritomi according to the said separately provided extensibility setting function which extensibility understoodly in the art may be in a case be part of the printer driver configuration/package instead of being separate according to in a case design preference for further making possible certain custom and/or vendor unique functions of the printers being capable of being inputted with use of the general purpose driver according to further known methods to yield predictable results since known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art as said combination is thus the adaptation of an old idea or invention using newer technology that is either commonly available and understood in the art thereby a variation on already known art (See MPEP 2143, KSR Exemplary Rationale F).
Regarding claim 3 (according to claim 2), Aritomi further teaches at least in Figs. 1-4 wherein the print data is to be transmitted to a target printer which is one of the printing apparatuses, and
Aritomi is silent regarding the above lined-out items such as wherein the print setting application is an application identified by an application identifier corresponding to identification information of the target printer.
Suzuki further teaches at least in the disclosure deploying of a separately provided printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 associate with the printer driver citing “The printer extension 310 is installed in conjunction with the printer driver 1052, but is installed as an application different from the printer driver 1052” where said printer extension 310 comprises understoodly a print setting application with vendor unique features further identified obviously by an application identifier corresponding to identification information of the target printer. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Aritomi in view of Suzuki to include wherein print setting application is an application identified by an application identifier corresponding to identification information of the target printer, as discussed above, as Aritomi in view of Suzuki are in the same of endeavor utilizing a generic printer driver and extending the function of the general printer driver, Suzuki’s combination of separately provided printer extensibility function associated with provided printer driver further complements the universal printer driver of Aritomi, in a sense that when combined with the printing driver and the print extended function of Aritomi, it further enables the separately provided printer extensibility function of Suzuki to be called up in a case by an understood print setting application identifier corresponding to unique vendor identification information of the target printer further extending the capabilities of the general purpose driver according to further known methods to yield predictable results since known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art as said combination is thus the adaptation of an old idea or invention using newer technology that is either commonly available and understood in the art thereby a variation on already known art (See MPEP 2143, KSR Exemplary Rationale F).
Regarding claim 4 (according to claim 2), Aritomi further teaches wherein the control method further comprising: generating intermediate image data using original image data and the received one or more characters (generated original print data of at least para. 0002 is converted further in para. 0075 to intermediate PDL image data using original image data and the received one or more characters).
Regarding claim 5 (according to claim 4), Aritomi further teaches wherein the control method further comprising: providing the intermediate image data to the printing software, wherein the printing software generates the second print data from the provided intermediate image data (the system of at least Fig. 2 is further configured for providing the PDL intermediate image data of para. 0075 as understood in the art to the OS printing software of para. 0062, wherein the OS printing software as would be appreciated by one skill in the art generates the second print data from the provided intermediate image data).
Regarding claim 7 (according to claim 2), Aritomi further teaches wherein the control method further comprising: receiving a setting regarding a size of the received one or more characters (Fig. 4A).
Regarding claim 9 (according to claim 2), Aritomi further teaches wherein the printing software is a pre-installed operating system of the information processing apparatus (the OS of further para. 0062 further comprises said printing software and is a pre-installed operating system of the information processing apparatus).
Regarding claim 10, Aritomi teaches a control method for controlling an information processing apparatus (the CPU 1 of at least Fig. 1 for controlling an information processing apparatus storing a printer driver 203 of para. 0076 and 0098 and a stored pre-installed OS of para. 0062 collectively understood as the printing software that is configured to generate further the universal printer driver first print data printable by printers of Figs. 1 and 13-15 of a plurality of printer vendors and is able to cause the information processing apparatus to transmit the first print data to at least one of the printers),
the control method being performed based on execution of a print setting application stored in the information processing apparatus (print setting application 205 of further Figs. 2-4 and para. 0034 including instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the information processing apparatus to perform a control method);
the control method comprising:
causing a display of the information processing apparatus to display an input field, the input field being provided by the print setting application (Figs. 3-4 further illustrate an advanced setting application selection and input means 205 of Figs. 2-4 configured for causing a display of the information processing apparatus to display further in Figs. 3-4 an input field, the input field being provided by the print setting application);
the information processing apparatus storing a printer driver which is compatible with printing apparatuses of a plurality of vendors, and the print setting application (Figs. 1-14 and para. 0098 further illustrates said information processing apparatus storing a general purpose printer driver which is compatible with printing apparatuses of a plurality of vendors corresponding to the print setting application),
and receiving designation of one or more characters from a user via the input field, the designated one or more characters being included in print data as a watermark (receiving editing and input of further Figs. 3-4, of said one or more characters being input by a user using the input field, the received one or more characters being included in second print data for a copy forgery inhibition and being a watermark image pattern to be printed in addition to the first print data);
and the printer driver being not able to display the input field (at least Fig. 14 and para. 0085-0087 further illustrates a case of extending at least the function of at least fig. 13 when the general purpose printing software being not able to receive the one or more characters via a screen displayed by the printing software as contrasted to Fig. 14 and para. 0085-0087 thereby enabling said printing software as shown in at least para. 0085-0087 being able to receive the one or more characters via a screen displayed by the printing software).
Aritomi is silent regarding the above lined-out items such as citing said print setting application being specifically different from the printer driver.
Suzuki teaches a printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 where as cited in the disclosure “The printer extension 310 is installed in conjunction with the printer driver 1052, but is installed as an application different from the printer driver 1052” similar to the Applicant’s disclosure extending the capability of the general purpose printer driver. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Aritomi in view of Suzuki to include wherein the print setting application being specifically different from the printer driver, as discussed above, as Aritomi in view of Suzuki are in the same of endeavor employing a universal printer driver in addition to pre-installed operating software to provide methods and system of generating and transmitting print data and user selected print settings printable by printers of a plurality of printer vendors, Suzuki’s separately added printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 associated with the provided printing driver software configuration further complements the print methods and system of Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi, in a sense that when combined with the separately provided printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 of Suzuki, it further enables the setting vendor unique setting capabilities of Aritomi according to the said separately provided extensibility setting function which extensibility understoodly in the art may be in a case be part of the printer driver configuration/package instead of being separate according to in a case design preference for further making possible certain custom and/or vendor unique functions of the printers being capable of being inputted with use of the general purpose driver according to further known methods to yield predictable results since known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art as said combination is thus the adaptation of an old idea or invention using newer technology that is either commonly available and understood in the art thereby a variation on already known art (See MPEP 2143, KSR Exemplary Rationale F).
Regarding claim 11 (according to claim 10), Aritomi further teaches at least in Figs. 1-4 wherein the print data is to be transmitted to a target printer which is one of the printing apparatuses, and
Aritomi is silent regarding the above lined-out items such as wherein the print setting application is an application identified by an application identifier corresponding to identification information of the target printer.
Suzuki further teaches at least in the disclosure deploying of a separately provided printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 associate with the printer driver citing “The printer extension 310 is installed in conjunction with the printer driver 1052, but is installed as an application different from the printer driver 1052” where said printer extension 310 comprises understoodly a print setting application with vendor unique features further identified obviously by an application identifier corresponding to identification information of the target printer. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Aritomi in view of Suzuki to include wherein print setting application is an application identified by an application identifier corresponding to identification information of the target printer, as discussed above, as Aritomi in view of Suzuki are in the same of endeavor utilizing a generic printer driver and extending the function of the general printer driver, Suzuki’s combination of separately provided printer extensibility function associated with provided printer driver further complements the universal printer driver of Aritomi, in a sense that when combined with the printing driver and the print extended function of Aritomi, it further enables the separately provided printer extensibility function of Suzuki to be called up in a case by an understood print setting application identifier corresponding to unique vendor identification information of the target printer further extending the capabilities of the general purpose driver according to further known methods to yield predictable results since known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art as said combination is thus the adaptation of an old idea or invention using newer technology that is either commonly available and understood in the art thereby a variation on already known art (See MPEP 2143, KSR Exemplary Rationale F).
Regarding claim 12 (according to claim 10), Aritomi further teaches wherein the control method further comprising: generating intermediate image data using original image data and the received one or more characters (generated original print data of at least para. 0002 is converted further in para. 0075 to intermediate PDL image data using original image data and the received one or more characters).
Regarding claim 13 (according to claim 12), Aritomi further teaches wherein the control method further comprising: providing the intermediate image data to the printing software, wherein the printing software generates the second print data from the provided intermediate image data (the system of at least Fig. 2 is further configured for providing the PDL intermediate image data of para. 0075 as understood in the art to the OS printing software of para. 0062, wherein the OS printing software as would be appreciated by one skill in the art generates the second print data from the provided intermediate image data).
Regarding claim 15 (according to claim 10), Aritomi further teaches wherein the control method further comprising: receiving a setting regarding a size of the received one or more characters (Fig. 4A).
Regarding claim 17 (according to claim 10), Aritomi further teaches wherein the printing software is a pre-installed operating system of the information processing apparatus (the OS of further para. 0062 further comprises said printing software and is a pre-installed operating system of the information processing apparatus).
Regarding claim 18, Aritomi teaches in Figs. 1 and 13-16 an information processing apparatus 3000 comprising: one or more processors (the at least one or more computer of para. 0214-0217); and at least one memory of para. 0214-0217 storing one or more programs including printer driver and a print setting application (Aritomi teaches in at least para. 0076-0098 a built-in module 205 and an extended printing setting function associated with the printer driver 203 further comprising the at least print setting application),
the print setting application of further Figs. 3-4 and para. 0034 including instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the information processing apparatus to:
cause a display of the information processing apparatus to display an input field, the input field being provided by the print setting application (Figs. 3-4 further illustrate an advanced setting application selection and input means 205 of Figs. 2-4 configured for causing a display of the information processing apparatus to display further in Figs. 3-4 an input field, the input field being provided by the print setting application);
the information processing apparatus storing a printer driver which is compatible with printing apparatuses of a plurality of vendors, and the print setting application (Figs. 1-14 and para. 0098 further illustrates said information processing apparatus storing a general purpose printer driver which is compatible with printing apparatuses of a plurality of vendors corresponding to the print setting application),
and receive designation of one or more characters from a user via the input field, the designated one or more characters being included in print data as a watermark (receiving editing and input of further Figs. 3-4, of said one or more characters being input by a user using the input field, the received one or more characters being included in second print data for a copy forgery inhibition and being a watermark image pattern to be printed in addition to the first print data);
and the printer driver being not able to receive the one or more characters via a screen displayed by the printing software display the input field (at least Fig. 14 and para. 0085-0087 further illustrates a case of extending at least the function of at least fig. 13 when the general purpose printing software being not able to receive the one or more characters via a screen displayed by the printing software as contrasted to Fig. 14 and para. 0085-0087 thereby enabling said printing software as shown in at least para. 0085-0087 being able to receive the one or more characters via a screen displayed by the printing software).
Aritomi is silent regarding the above lined-out items such as citing said print setting application being specifically different from the printer driver.
Suzuki teaches a printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 where as cited in the disclosure “The printer extension 310 is installed in conjunction with the printer driver 1052, but is installed as an application different from the printer driver 1052” similar to the Applicant’s disclosure extending the capability of the general purpose printer driver. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Aritomi in view of Suzuki to include wherein the print setting application being specifically different from the printer driver, as discussed above, as Aritomi in view of Suzuki are in the same of endeavor employing a universal printer driver in addition to pre-installed operating software to provide methods and system of generating and transmitting print data and user selected print settings printable by printers of a plurality of printer vendors, Suzuki’s separately added printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 associated with the provided printing driver software configuration further complements the print methods and system of Kakitsuba in view of Aritomi, in a sense that when combined with the separately provided printer setting extended/extensibility function 310 of Suzuki, it further enables the setting vendor unique setting capabilities of Aritomi according to the said separately provided extensibility setting function which extensibility understoodly in the art may be in a case be part of the printer driver configuration/package instead of being separate according to in a case design preference for further making possible certain custom and/or vendor unique functions of the printers being capable of being inputted with use of the general purpose driver according to further known methods to yield predictable results since known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art as said combination is thus the adaptation of an old idea or invention using newer technology that is either commonly available and understood in the art thereby a variation on already known art (See MPEP 2143, KSR Exemplary Rationale F).
Claims 6, 8, 14, and 16 is/are further rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over in view of Aritomi in view of Suzuki, and further in view of Caton et al. (US 2013/0215474, previously cited).
Regarding claim 6 (according to claim 4), Aritomi in view of Suzuki are silent regarding wherein the intermediate image data is XPS data and the print data is PDF data.
Caton teaches a processor of at least para. 0097 configured for generating print data targeted to one or more printers where the print data may rendered by a generic printer driver of para. 0031 in an intermediate XPS format which may be further converted in para. 0080 converted to PDF print data. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Aritomi in view of Suzuki, and further in view of Caton to include wherein the intermediate image data is XPS data and the print data is PDF data, as discussed above, as Aritomi in view of Suzuki, and further in view of Caton are in the same of endeavor utilizing a printer driver in addition to pre-installed operating software to generate and transmit print data and user selected print settings printable by printers of a plurality of printer vendors, Caton’s combination of processor functions and the printing software further complements the universal printer driver of Aritomi in view of Suzuki, in a sense that when combined with the printing software and processor combinations of Caton, it enables the system of Aritomi in view of Suzuki to generate optimized data specific to certain printer vendor, the converted data may be further optimized for storage and/or printing for facilitating printing of documents containing hidden security features according to further known methods to yield predictable results since known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art as said combination is thus the adaptation of an old idea or invention using newer technology that is either commonly available and understood in the art thereby a variation on already known art (See MPEP 2143, KSR Exemplary Rationale F).
Regarding claim 8 (according to claim 2), Aritomi in view of Suzuki are silent regarding wherein the printer driver complies with an Internet Printing Protocol.
Caton further teaches in at least para. 0031 the generic printer driver may communicate and transmit print instructions to the printers via an Internet Printing Protocol and said driver printing software further complies with an Internet Printing Protocol. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Aritomi in view of Suzuki, and further in view of Caton to include wherein printing software complies with an Internet Printing Protocol, as discussed above, as Aritomi in view of Suzuki, and further in view of Caton are in the same field of endeavor utilizing a printer driver in addition to pre-installed operating software to generate and transmit print data and user selected print settings printable by printers of a plurality of printer vendors, Caton’s combination of printing software Internet Printing Protocol compliant further complements the universal printer drivers of Aritomi in view of Suzuki, in a sense that when combined with the printing software and processor combinations of Caton, it enables the system to directly communicate with the target printers and relay directly generated print data for facilitating printing of documents containing hidden security features via the compliant Internet Printing Protocol thereby prevent information leakage and further speed up processing according to further known methods to yield predictable results since known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art as said combination is thus the adaptation of an old idea or invention using newer technology that is either commonly available and understood in the art thereby a variation on already known art (See MPEP 2143, KSR Exemplary Rationale F).
Regarding claim 14 (according to claim 12), Aritomi in view of Suzuki are silent regarding wherein the intermediate image data is XPS data and the print data is PDF data.
Caton teaches a processor of at least para. 0097 configured for generating print data targeted to one or more printers where the print data may rendered by a generic printer driver of para. 0031 in an intermediate XPS format which may be further converted in para. 0080 converted to PDF print data. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Aritomi in view of Suzuki, and further in view of Caton to include wherein the intermediate image data is XPS data and the print data is PDF data, as discussed above, as Aritomi in view of Suzuki, and further in view of Caton are in the same of endeavor utilizing a printer driver in addition to pre-installed operating software to generate and transmit print data and user selected print settings printable by printers of a plurality of printer vendors, Caton’s combination of processor functions and the printing software further complements the universal printer driver of Aritomi in view of Suzuki, in a sense that when combined with the printing software and processor combinations of Caton, it enables the system of Aritomi in view of Suzuki to generate optimized data specific to certain printer vendor, the converted data may be further optimized for storage and/or printing for facilitating printing of documents containing hidden security features according to further known methods to yield predictable results since known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art as said combination is thus the adaptation of an old idea or invention using newer technology that is either commonly available and understood in the art thereby a variation on already known art (See MPEP 2143, KSR Exemplary Rationale F).
Regarding claim 16 (according to claim 10), Aritomi in view of Suzuki are silent regarding wherein the printer driver complies with an Internet Printing Protocol.
Caton further teaches in at least para. 0031 the generic printer driver may communicate and transmit print instructions to the printers via an Internet Printing Protocol and said driver printing software further complies with an Internet Printing Protocol. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Aritomi in view of Suzuki, and further in view of Caton to include wherein printing software complies with an Internet Printing Protocol, as discussed above, as Aritomi in view of Suzuki, and further in view of Caton are in the same field of endeavor utilizing a printer driver in addition to pre-installed operating software to generate and transmit print data and user selected print settings printable by printers of a plurality of printer vendors, Caton’s combination of printing software Internet Printing Protocol compliant further complements the universal printer drivers of Aritomi in view of Suzuki, in a sense that when combined with the printing software and processor combinations of Caton, it enables the system to directly communicate with the target printers and relay directly generated print data for facilitating printing of documents containing hidden security features via the compliant Internet Printing Protocol thereby prevent information leakage and further speed up processing according to further known methods to yield predictable results since known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art as said combination is thus the adaptation of an old idea or invention using newer technology that is either commonly available and understood in the art thereby a variation on already known art (See MPEP 2143, KSR Exemplary Rationale F).
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
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/MARCELLUS J AUGUSTIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2682 09/25/2026
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