DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
2. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
4. 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
5. Claims 2-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by NAGAI U.S. Patent Application No. 2018/0349074 (hereinafter NAGAI).
Regarding claim 2, NAGAI discloses an image forming system (an image forming system, Figures 1, 3) including
a plurality of image forming apparatuses, each of which is capable of forming an image on a sheet (Multiple image forming apparatuses are connected to one network that the print data capable of being printed using an image forming unit 103; paragraphs 31-34, Figures 1-2);
a wireless operation unit which is wirelessly connected to each of said plurality of image forming apparatuses and accepts user operation (A communication device 101 is a network interface circuit and is used to communicate with an external device connected to the main apparatus 100 via the network. The communication may be wireless communication; paragraph 33, Figures 2-3), and which has a display unit displaying information regarding image forming (An operation unit 105 is a circuit used by the main apparatus 100 to receive an instruction from the user. The operation unit 105 is exemplified as various operation including a power switch or a touch panel disposed on the surface of a display apparatus; paragraph 39 and paragraphs 45-49, Figures 5-6 indicating that the main apparatus 100 and the sub apparatuses 200, 201, and 202 are displayed as options of the destination of the transmission of the print data on a selection screen of a printer. Upon selection of any of the main apparatus 100 and the sub apparatuses 200, 201, and 202 by the user, the print data is transmitted to the selected image forming apparatus); and
wherein the display unit displays the plurality of image forming apparatuses which can be wirelessly connected (A network interface circuit and is used to communicate with an external device connected to the main apparatus 100 via the network of wireless communication; paragraph 33), and among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, the display unit displays an image forming apparatus in a state in which it is capable to form an image on a sheet is displayed as in a first display (an image forming unit that prints out the print data stored in the storage device; and a control unit that performs control so as to select any of a plurality of power states at least including a quick response available state in which the image forming apparatus is capable of communication and is accessible to the print data; paragraphs 12, 45, Figure 9), and an image forming apparatus in a state in which it is not capable to form an image on a sheet is displayed as in a second display (a response available state in which the image forming apparatus is not accessible to the print data although being capable of communication and has power consumption smaller than that in the quick response available state; paragraphs 12-13, Figure 9).
Regarding claim 3, NAGAI discloses the image forming system according to claim 2,
wherein each of the plurality of image forming devices operates in a plurality of power modes with different power consumption (a control unit that performs control so as to select any of multiple power states at least including a quick response available state in which the image forming apparatus is capable of communication and is accessible to the print data and a response available state in which the image forming apparatus is not accessible to the print data although being capable of communication; paragraphs 10-13).
Regarding claim 4, NAGAI discloses the image forming system according to claim 3,
wherein a user can select the image forming device displayed in the first display among the plurality of image forming devices displayed on the display (In this case, the main apparatus 100 and the sub apparatuses 200, 201, and 202 are displayed as options of the destination of the transmission of the print data on a selection screen of a printer. Upon selection of any of the main apparatus 100 and the sub apparatuses 200, 201, and 202 by the user, the print data is transmitted to the selected image forming apparatus; paragraph 45, Figure 5-6), and
the image forming devices selected by the user among the plurality of image forming devices changes their power modes (Control unit 104 may sequentially monitor the presence of an operation serving as a trigger to turn on the main apparatus and the working states of the sub apparatuses; paragraphs 90-91, Figure 9).
Regarding claim 5, NAGAI discloses the image forming system according to claim 4,
wherein the wireless operation unit sends a control signal to the selected image forming device among the plurality of image forming devices to change the power mode, and the image forming device selected among the plurality of image devices changes the power mode in response to the control signal (A control unit that performs control so as to select any of a plurality of power states at least including a quick response available state in which the image forming apparatus is capable of communication and is accessible to the print data and a response available state in which the image forming apparatus is not accessible to the print data although being capable of communication and has power consumption smaller than that in the quick response available state; paragraphs 11-14, Figures 8-9).
Regarding claim 6, NAGAI discloses the image forming system according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of power modes includes a first power mode capable of forming an image on a sheet and a second power mode consuming less power than the first power mode, and the control signal is a signal to control that the image forming device selected among the plurality of image forming devices shifts from the second power mode to the first power mode (a control unit that performs control so as to select any of a plurality of power states at least including a quick response available state in which the image forming apparatus is capable of communication and is accessible to the print data and a response available state in which the image forming apparatus is not accessible to the print data although being capable of communication and has power consumption smaller than that in the quick response available state, wherein the control unit transmits the print data to an external image forming apparatus in response to a request from the external image forming apparatus; paragraphs 11-14, 48-52, Figures 5-6).
Regarding claim 7, NAGAI discloses the image forming system according to claim 3,
wherein a user can select the image forming device displayed in the first display among the plurality of image forming devices displayed on said display (An operation unit 105 is a circuit used by the main apparatus 100 to receive an instruction from the user. The operation unit 105 is exemplified as various operation switches including a power switch or a touch panel disposed on the surface of a display apparatus; paragraph 39, Figures 5-6),
the plurality of power modes includes a first power mode capable of forming an image on a sheet and a second power mode consuming less power than the first power mode, and the image forming device selected by the user among the plurality of image forming devices shifts from the second power mode to the first power mode (an image forming apparatus to perform receiving print data from an external information device and storing the print data in a storage device; transmitting, upon reception of a request from an external image forming apparatus, the print data to the image forming apparatus; and changing one power state to another power state, among multiple power states at least including a quick response available state in which the image forming apparatus is capable of communication and is accessible to the print data and a response available state; paragraphs 12-14, Figure 9).
Information Disclosure Statement
6. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/25/2024 and 10/10/2024 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.
Cited Art
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
IMAMURA (US 2022/0229618) discloses a method for controlling an image forming system including a first image forming apparatus that has a first wireless communication unit configured to perform wireless communication and a first image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet based on image data, and is capable of shifting to a first sleep state in which the first image forming unit does not perform image formation, and a first ready state in which power consumption is higher than that in the first sleep state and the first image forming unit does not perform image formation, a second image forming apparatus that has a second wireless communication unit configured to perform wireless communication and a second image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet based on image data, and is capable of shifting to a second sleep state in which the second image forming unit does not perform image formation, and a second ready state in which power consumption is higher than that in the second sleep state and the second image forming unit does not perform image formation, a wireless operation unit that has a third wireless communication unit capable of performing wireless communication with the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit, a command generating unit configured to generate a first execution command to cause the first image forming unit to start performing image formation, a second execution command to cause the second image forming unit to start performing image formation, a first return command to cause the first image forming apparatus to return from the first sleep state to the first ready state, and a second return command to cause the second image forming apparatus to return from the second sleep state to the second ready state, and a touch panel display configured to receive a touch operation by a user and capable of displaying a first execution icon to transmit the first execution command to the first image forming apparatus, a second execution icon to transmit the second execution command to the second image forming apparatus, a first return icon to transmit the first return command to the first image forming apparatus, and a second return icon to transmit the second return command to the second image forming apparatus, and is capable of shifting to a third sleep state in which power is predetermined power, and a third ready state in which power consumption is higher than the predetermined power, the method comprising: a shifting process in which the wireless operation unit shifts from the third sleep state to the third ready state in response to a touch on the touch panel display when the wireless operation unit is in the third sleep state; a connection process in which the third wireless operation unit connects individually to the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit via wireless communication without a wireless LAN router in response to the shift of the wireless operation unit from the third sleep state to the third ready state in the shifting process; and a display process in which the touch panel display displays the first return icon and the second return icon side by side in response to the execution of the wireless communication between the third wireless communication unit and the first wireless communication unit and the wireless communication between the third wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit in the connection process, wherein the connection process includes a first connection process in which the third wireless communication unit and the first wireless communication unit connect to each other via wireless communication, and a second connection process in which the third wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit connect to each other via wireless communication, and after the third wireless communication unit and the first wireless communication unit connect to each other via wireless communication in the first connection process and before the second connection process is started, the wireless communication connection between the third wireless communication unit and the first wireless communication unit is disconnected.
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALLEN H NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1229. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7 am-4 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ABDERRAHIM MEROUAN can be reached at (571) 270-5254. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALLEN H NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2683
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