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 .
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.
(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.
Claims 1-5, 7-8, and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) / 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Suzuki (US 20210117135 A1).
Referring to claim 1:
Suzuki discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (105) storing computer-readable instructions that are executable by a computer (or control unit 120 using CPU 101) of an information processing device (or computer 100) and compatible with a particular printer (200), the computer-readable instructions realizing a support program (summary / par. 52, 70-77, 80-88, 109, 131-133: device app 1052, an extension application) that supports a general-purpose print program incorporated in advance in an operating system of the information processing device (par. 46, 53: V4 print architecture 10531 / common print driver 1054 as a standard function of OS 1053), the support program being configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the information processing device to:
in response to receiving a particular processing request from the general-purpose print program when a print instruction to cause the particular printer to print a target image has been output from an application program (application 1051) incorporated in the information processing device to the general-purpose print program, obtain image data representing the target image from the general-purpose print program (S602), and send a print command (S617) based on the obtained image data to the particular printer (Fig.6, par. 88-101); and
in response to receiving a specific processing request from the general-purpose print program when the operating system has received an activation instruction to activate the support program with the particular printer selected (S606), obtain main body information of the particular printer from the particular printer (S610-S611), and send to the particular printer a main body command to cause the particular printer to perform a process based on the obtained main body information (S615-S617).
The steps above refer to both the first embodiment in Susuki, described with respect to Fig.6 (generating a PDL by the common printer driver 1054, and extending print settings using the device app 1052) and the second embodiment described with respect to Fig. 11.
Referring to claim 2:
Susuki disclose wherein the obtained main body information includes capability information representing capabilities of the particular printer (S610-S611), and wherein the support program is further configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the information processing device to:
specify a process executable by the particular printer based on the capability information included in the obtained main body information (S614); and
send to the particular printer the main body command to cause the particular printer to perform the specified process (S615-S617).
Referring to claim 3:
Susuki disclose wherein the support program is further configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the information processing device to:
after obtaining the main body information, perform an output instruction reception process to receive an output instruction to output the main body command (S614); and
send the main body command to the particular printer in response to receiving the output instruction in the output instruction reception process (S615-S617).
Referring to claim 4:
Susuki disclose wherein the support program is further configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the information processing device to:
when there are a plurality of processes identified as executable by the particular printer based on the obtained main body information, accept selection of a process to be executed by the particular printer from among the plurality of processes (S614 / selections in Figs.8-9 for example); and
send to the particular printer the main body command to cause the particular printer to perform the selected process (S615-S617).
Referring to claim 5:
Susuki disclose wherein the support program is further configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the information processing device to:
in response to receiving the specific processing request from the general-purpose print program when the operating system has received the activation instruction with the particular printer selected, display at least part of the obtained main body information (S613 / S1301).
Referring to claim 7:
Susuki disclose wherein the support program is further configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the information processing device to:
send, as the main body command, a setting value print command that instructs the particular printer to print a setting value set for the particular printer to the particular printer (S615-S617), thereby causing the particular printer to print the setting value in response to receiving the setting value print command.
Referring to claim 8:
Susuki disclose wherein the obtained main body information includes information on a setting value set for the particular printer, and wherein the support program is further configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the information processing device to:
after obtaining the main body information, display the information on the setting value set for the particular printer that is included in the obtained main body information, and perform a setting value reception process to receive a change instruction to change the setting value set for the particular printer, and a new setting value (S614 / par. 110, 114-115); and
in response to receiving the change instruction, send, as the main body command, a change command that instructs the particular printer to change the setting value to the particular printer in association with the new setting value received in the setting value reception process (S615-S617), thereby causing the particular printer to set the new setting value associated with the change command in response to receiving the change command.
Referring to claim 13:
Susuki discloses an information processing device (or computer 100) comprising: a communication interface (106); and a controller comprising: a computer (or control unit 120 using CPU 101) and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (105) that performs the functions as set forth in claim 1. Therefore, claim 13 is rejected as indicated above with respect to claim 1.
Referring to claim 14:
Susuki discloses a method implementable by a computer executing computer-readable instructions on an information processing device (or computer 100) that performs the steps as set forth in claim 1. Therefore, claim 14 is rejected as indicated above with respect to claim 1.
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 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Morton (US 20070086034 A1).
Referring to claim 9:
While a general test print function is known for V4 print architecture, Suzuki does not disclose the support program being configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the information processing device to send, as the main body command, a test printing command that instructs the particular printer to perform test printing based on the obtained main body information to the particular printer, thereby causing the particular printer to print a test image including an image used for the test printing in response to receiving the test printing command.
However, Morton discloses updating a test print page 17 for a particular printer 16, the test print page including areas of content that can be modified. Computer 10 using print driver 14 causes the particular printer 16 to perform test printing (fig. 3, par. 54: the test print page is retrieved and printed by the printer driver) based on the capabilities of the particular printer (configuration of the system), thereby causing the particular printer to print a test image including an image used for the test printing. Morton provides the advantage of providing an updated test print page based on the system configuration.
Therefore, to achieve the above advantage of providing a test print page, it would have been prima facie obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Suzuki in view of Morton to have the support program configured to, when executed by the computer, cause the information processing device to send, as the main body command, a test printing command that instructs the particular printer to perform test printing based on the obtained main body information to the particular printer, thereby causing the particular printer to print a test image including an image used for the test printing in response to receiving the test printing command.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 10-12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Referring to these claims, the prior art searched and of record neither anticipates nor suggests the limitations added in the claimed combinations.
Information Disclosure Statement (IDS)
The information disclosure statements submitted on 9/30/24, 12/18/24, and 1/12/26 were filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. Accordingly, the statements have been considered by the examiner.
The noted relevance of documents cited on the first IDS, in addition to the Suzuki reference applied above, can be found in the International Search Report and/or Written Opinion from the ISA dated 1/13/23 and 9/24/24 for PCT/JP2023/011792 (of record).
Applicant has not provided an explanation of relevance of cited document(s) summarized below.
JP 2008-015246 A discloses a printer that outputs a test pattern to an output paper based on set fixing conditions. An image control unit adjusts output density of object image, based on output result of the test pattern in the output paper. Favorable fixing is provided irrespective of type of output paper even when fixing performance is limited.
JP 2013-089119 A discloses a printer driver for enabling the user of a computer to designate a range in which the colors of pixels are adjusted in an image.
JP 2013208812 A discloses an apparatus that includes a calibration control unit (6) which performs pattern printing calibration by sending a calibration operation command to a thermal printer (1) to form several patches, such that color density is changed with a predetermined gradation to obtain color density information.
JP 2021093079 A discloses a support program that reduces a random variation in print quality due to a printer's specific characteristic in an information processing device in which an OS-standard general-purpose printing program is installed. An auxiliary program 42 (support program) is used for printing by a printer 2 connected to a PC 1. The PC 1 acquires characteristic data from the printer 2 that indicates the characteristic specific to the printer 2 and stores the acquired characteristic data in a memory 12. When a print instruction for causing image printing to be performed by the printer 2 is made to a general-purpose printing program 41 previously installed in an OS 21, using the auxiliary program 42, the PC 1 generates, for the image that is the object to be printed by the print indication, correction print data having been corrected on the basis of the characteristic data stored in the memory 12 and outputs the generated correction print data so as to be transmitted from the PC 1 to printer 2 designated as the destination by PC 1.
Hosomizo (US 20200249881 A1 / JP 2020126364 A) discloses a supporting program (42) for an application program implemented in the information processing apparatus that obtains capability information of the printer (2) and provides that capability information for a general-use printing program (41) implemented in an operating system of the information processing apparatus.
Cited Art
The prior art and other references made of record and not relied upon are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hosomizo (US 11861252 B2) , filed later than the priority data by Applicant, discloses supporting program corresponding to the printer causes an information processing device to obtain user identification information and a usage condition associated with the user identification information when a general-use printing program receives a print instruction. The usage condition is a condition that determines whether printing is executable by a printer. The supporting program determines whether the printing is executable by the printer based on print settings of the print instruction and the obtained usage condition. The supporting program 42 may not provide a notification indicating the changes of the print settings before executing a process to transmit the print job to the printer 2.
Hosomizo (US 11880619 B2), filed later than the priority data by Applicant, discloses a supporting program configured to support a printing program of an operating system of the information processing apparatus. A print queue for each of a plurality of printers is provided in the operating system. The printing program is capable of making a request to the supporting program for processing in a state in which the print queue for any one of the plurality of printers is selected. The supporting program causes the information processing apparatus to execute identifying a printer of the plurality of printers to which processing is requested, reading setting data into which a common setting value indicating a setting value of a print setting commonly used by the plurality of printers is written, and changing a setting value of the print setting of an identified printer based on the common setting value written into the read setting data.
Hosomizo (US 11880622 B2), filed later than the priority data by Applicant, discloses a supporting program executable by a computer of an information processing apparatus. The supporting program causes the information processing apparatus to execute obtaining a print setting, generating a character string for displaying indicating at least a part of the obtained print setting, obtaining image data indicating the image of a selected print job, and transmitting the print job and the generated character string for displaying in a state in which the print job and the character string for displaying are associated with each other. The job name and the character string for displaying are displayed on a display of a connected printer in the state in which the job name and the character string for displaying are associated with each other.
Narita (US 20230236782 A1), filed later than the priority data by Applicant, discloses a support program for an information processing device connectable to a printer. The information processing device includes: a display; a computer; and a memory. The memory stores an operating system in which a general-purpose printing program corresponding to the printer and supported by the support program is embedded. The general-purpose printing program is configured to manage data for displaying a print settings screen on the display. The support program, when executed by the computer, causes the information processing device to perform: when a request is issued from the general-purpose printing program in response to the printer being selected: acquiring; generating; and transferring. The acquiring acquires status information indicating a status of the printer. The generating generates notification data indicating a notification content to be provided to a user. The transferring transfers the notification data to display the notification content on the print settings screen.
Eguchi et al (US 20240311064 A1), filed later by Applicant, discloses a supporting program executable by a computer of an information processing apparatus. The supporting program is configured to support a printing program of an operating system and conforms to a printer connected to the information processing apparatus. In response to receiving the print instruction of B05, the supporting program 42 obtains the capability information of the printer 2. Specifically, the supporting program 42 makes a request to the general-purpose printing program 41 for obtaining the capability information (C01), and obtains the capability information of the printer 2 (C03) through the general-purpose printing program 41 (C02). The processes at C01-C03 are the same as the processes at A13-A15 in the steps of the print setting (see FIG. 2). The process at C03 is an example of an obtaining process (par. 85).
Sato (US 20250238170 A1), filed later by Applicant, discloses a support program supporting a generic print program standardly implemented with an operating system of an information processing device. The support program, when executed by a computer of the information processing device, causes the information processing device to, in a case where a first launch instruction to launch the support program has been received by the operating system, acquire printer identification information for identifying a particular printing device, and in a case where a second launch instruction to launch a specific application program incorporated in the information processing device has been received via a user interface of the information processing device, provide the specific application program with an instruction to launch the specific application program and the printer identification information. The printer identification information is used for the specific application program to select the particular printing device.
Mase (US 20260119090 A1) discloses a program for extending a general-purpose driver causes a computer to execute acquiring processing of acquiring, from a printing apparatus, main body information of the printing apparatus, and first generation processing of generating, based on the main body information, a setting file including data to be used for setting one or more linked applications.
Narita et al (JP 2023-141759 A) provides a technology for easily managing various applications that can use a printer in an information processing device in which an OS standard general-purpose printing program is installed. An auxiliary program 42 is requested to perform processing from a general-purpose printing program 41 in response to a print instruction output from an editing application 43 or the like. Further, the auxiliary program 42 is requested to process by the general-purpose printing program 41 when the OS 21 receives a startup instruction while the printer 2 is selected. The auxiliary program 42 causes the CPU 11 of the PC 1 to acquire capability information indicating the capabilities of the printer 2 via the general-purpose printing program 41 when a process is requested by the OS 21 accepting a startup instruction, and Among the plurality of applications, information indicating the applications that utilize the ability indicated in the acquired ability information is displayed in a list, and an execution instruction for the displayed application is accepted.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Scott Rogers whose telephone number is 571-272-7467. The examiner can normally be reached 8 am to 7 pm flex.
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 on 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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/Scott A Rogers/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2683
24 July 2026
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