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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-27 are pending.
Claims 2-27 are withdrawn.
Claim 1 is examined on the merits below.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statements filed on 09/30/2024 and 04/07/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and have been considered. An initialed copy of the Form 1449 is enclosed herewith.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of species I encompassing claim 1 in the reply filed on 08/17/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yanase, US 2017/0063875 in view of Sato, US 2017/0264760.
Regarding claim 1, Yanase discloses an image forming apparatus (image processing apparatus 300 has engine unit 47 for image forming, figs. 1, 4 and paragraph 55) comprising:
a communication interface (communication I/F 45 with LAN 6000, fig. 4);
a user interface (operation panel 57 is a display device employing a touch input system obtained by providing a touch panel integrally with the display panel, wherein, operation panel 57 generates various types of operation information according to touch operations performed by the user B on the display panel via the touch panel, paragraph 60);
and a controller (CPU 41, 51, fig. 4) configured to, when the image forming apparatus (image processing apparatus 300) is remotely connected with an information processing device (PC 200, fig. 1, 5) via the communication interface (image forming apparatus 300 is remotely connected with PC 200 via communication I/F 45 using LAN 6000, where user A of PC 200 remotely operates apparatus 300, paragraphs 42, 44, 90),
perform: transmitting, to the information processing device (remote screen transmitter 402 of apparatus 300 transmits the screen information that is received from the display screen generator 401 to the remote screen receiver 206 of PC 200, paragraph 90, fig. 5), screen data for causing the information processing device to display a screen similar/comparable to a display screen being displayed on the user interface (paragraphs 105-110, 139, 150, data is transmitted to PC 200 which is displayed on the LCD 24 of the PC 200 (serving as first UI display unit) similar/comparable to the one being displayed at the operation panel 57 (serving as second UI display unit) of the image forming apparatus 300 when remote connection is established between the two);
in response to receiving remote access indicating an operable object displayed on the display screen from the information processing device (based on user operations on the LCD screen such as operating to switch between address book and manager settings (operable object) and provided authority information, display on user interface display screen is either permitted or restricted, paragraphs 87, 188-197),
changing a first display mode in which the operable object indicated by the remote access is displayed on the user interface to a second display mode indicating that the operable object has been operated (while the screen of the address book G1 is being displayed on the PC 200, a screen G5 is being displayed on the image processing apparatus, wherein, the display screen may be changed to a screen colored in red, a pattern screen, or a screen containing a message, for example, G5 screen is changed to another screen, where a message M1 representing the reason for the display restriction is displayed in a part of an area G7 in which the display information of the “address book” is concealed or yet another screen, where a message M2 representing the reason for the display restriction is displayed in a blank area G8 of the “address book”, paragraphs 190-197, 237),
and performing processing according to the remote access (image forming apparatus 300 is remotely connected with PC 200 via communication I/F 45 using LAN 6000, where user A of PC 200 remotely operates apparatus 300, paragraphs 42, 44, 90 and based on restriction being imposed on displayed information, the information is transmitted between PC and apparatus 300 with making PC display data in accordance with established authority and permissibility);
and when the operable object indicated by the remote access received from the information processing device is for entering a password (paragraph 113, password in inputted for login screen for authority establishing), not changing the first display mode in which the operable object indicated by the remote access is displayed on the user interface to the second display mode indicating that the operable object has been operated (paragraphs 113, 147, screen for login (entering a password) by administrator from the PC defines authority such that based on authority, restriction is not imposed on displayed screen [i.e., first display mode is not changed to second mode (i.e., where restriction is imposed)], paragraphs 110, 119, 223).
Yanase fails to explicitly discloses transmitting/causing, to the information processing device , screen data for causing the information processing device to display a screen corresponding to a display screen being displayed on user interface.
However, Sato teaches transmitting/causing, to the information processing device (call center terminal 102), screen data for causing the information processing device to display a screen corresponding to a display screen being displayed on user interface (during remote operation between image forming apparatus 101 and terminal 102, same screen is displayed on displays of both apparatuses where operator operates keys remotely from the same screen as displayed on both apparatuses, paragraphs 68, 61-62).
Yanase and Sato are combinable because they both teach image forming apparatus with remotely connected to image processing apparatuses.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to combine the teachings of Yanase with the teachings of Sato for the benefit of enabling effective remote control of the image forming apparatus from the external apparatus by displaying the exact same screen between the displays of both the apparatuses as taught by Sato at paragraph 68.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yamaguchi, US 2021/0042082 – teaches remote connection and controlling between devices with displaying same screens, paragraphs 74-82, 103 and transitioning between screens, paragraph 108.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAWANDEEP DHINGRA whose telephone number is (571) 270-1231. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00-5:00.
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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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/PAWAN DHINGRA/Examiner, Art Unit 2683
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/ABDERRAHIM MEROUAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2683
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