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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 6 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. Reasons for allowance will be provided in the event the application becomes in condition for allowance.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 3, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Suzuki (U.S.P.G. Pub. No. 2017/0255428).
Regarding claim 1, Suzuki (U.S.P.G. Pub. No. 2017/0255428) discloses:
An image forming apparatus configured to form an image based on a first print job transmitted from a first type information processing device, and form an image based on a second print job transmitted from a second type information processing device different from the first type information processing device (paragraphs [0083]-[0085], [0087]-[0093], [0117], the job can either be transmitted from the client 100 or via the server 200 when the user instructs the preview image by specifying a job on the operation receiving part of image forming apparatus), the image forming apparatus comprising:
a memory configured to store a plurality of print jobs including the first print job and the second print job (paragraph [0082], the system manages multiple queues of print jobs); and
a controller configured to control the image forming apparatus to execute image formation based on the plurality of print jobs in an order stored in the memory (see, for example, paragraphs [0042], [0132] regarding the image forming apparatus printing the print data using a printing part),
wherein the controller is configured to control, in a case where an instruction for executing image formation based on a selected print job, which is one of the first print job and the second print job, prior to image formation based on another print job is received, based on a type of an information processing device that has transmitted the another print job, whether to execute the image formation based on the selected print job (paragraphs [0083]-[0085], [0087]-[0093], [0117], based on whether or not the job is transmitted from the client or via server after request from the user using the operation receiving part of the image forming apparatus, the job is either given priority queue for earlier processing or the normal queue; priority jobs are executed earlier)
Regarding claim 2, Suzuki additionally discloses:
wherein the controller is further configured to prevent, in a case where the instruction is received and the another print job has been transmitted from the first type information processing device, the image formation based on the selected print job from being executed prior to the image formation based on the another print job (paragraphs [0083]-[0085], [0087]-[0093], [0117], based on whether or not the job is transmitted from the client or via server after request from the user using the operation receiving part of the image forming apparatus, the job is either given priority queue for earlier processing or the normal queue; priority jobs are executed earlier)
Regarding claim 3, Suzuki additionally discloses:
wherein the controller is further configured to permit, in a case where the instruction is received and the another print job has been transmitted from the second type information processing device, the image formation based on the selected print job to be executed prior to the image formation based on the another print job (paragraphs [0083]-[0085], [0087]-[0093], [0117], based on whether or not the job is transmitted from the client or via server after request from the user using the operation receiving part of the image forming apparatus, the job is either given priority queue for earlier processing or the normal queue; priority jobs are executed earlier)
Regarding claim 7, Suzuki additionally discloses:
further comprising an operation unit for inputting the instruction (paragraphs [0083]-[0085], [0087]-[0093], [0117], the job is transmitted from the client or via server after request from the user using the operation receiving part of the image forming apparatus; the client 100 contains an operation input receiving part 154 and the image forming apparatus contains an operation receiving part)
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(s) 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki (U.S.P.G. Pub. No. 2017/0255428) in view of Boldt et al. (U.S.P.G. Pub. No. 2017/0206043).
Regarding claim 5, Suzuki discloses the apparatus of the parent claim (claim 1).
As previously noted, Suzuki discloses:
a first print job transmitted from a first type information processing device, and form an image based on a second print job transmitted from a second type information processing device different from the first type information processing device (paragraphs [0083]-[0085], [0087]-[0093], [0117], the job can either be transmitted from the client 100 or via the server 200 when the user instructs the preview image by specifying a job on the operation receiving part of image forming apparatus),
Suzuki does not explicitly disclose:
wherein a number of types of information included in the first print job transmitted is greater than a number of types of information included in the second print job transmitted
Boldt et al. (U.S.P.G. Pub. No. 2017/0206043) discloses:
wherein a number of types of information included in the first print job transmitted is greater than a number of types of information included in the second print job transmitted (paragraph [0024], print jobs may be text only or also include images)
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the system of Boldt with the system of Suzuki such that a number of types of information included in the first print job transmitted was greater than a number of types of information included in the second print job transmitted as described in Boldt. The suggestion/motivation would have been in order to implement a system capable of “prevent[ing] the problematic memory overflow problems…[by] ensur[ing] that [job] segments are dynamically sized for their assigned printers” (paragraph [0005] of the Boldt reference).
Claim(s) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki in view of Khafizova (U.S. Patent No. 8,559,036).
Regarding claim 8, Suzuki discloses the apparatus of the parent claim (claim 1).
Although Suzuki discloses a plurality of print queues, Suzuki does not explicitly disclose:
a display unit configured to display the plurality of print jobs stored in the memory such that the plurality of print jobs are arranged in order of execution of the image formation.
Khafizova (U.S. Patent No. 8,559,036) discloses:
a display unit configured to display the plurality of print jobs stored in the memory such that the plurality of print jobs are arranged in order of execution of the image formation (column 10, line 63 to column 11, line 6, the user is shown the execution order of the jobs)
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the system of Khafizova with the system of Suzuki such that the system would display the plurality of print jobs stored in the memory such that the plurality of print jobs are arranged in order of execution of the image formation as described in Khafizova. The suggestion/motivation would have been in order to implement a system in which “those controlling a network printing environment…[can] manage incoming print jobs according to his or her preferences” (column 1, lines 50-55 of the Khafizova reference).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN R WALLACE whose telephone number is (571)270-1577. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday from 8:30-5 PM.
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/JOHN R WALLACE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2682
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