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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
IDS filed 11/4/24 is acknowledged, the reference therein relating to the general background of applicant’s invention.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claims currently state “capability information about image processing setting” where “an image processing setting” has already been defined in the parent claims. It is unclear as to whether it is the same image processing setting (in this case “the” should proceed “image processing setting”) or a different image processing setting (in which case “a” should proceed “image processing setting”). Appropriate correction is required.
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)(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.
1) Claim(s) 1-3, 6-9, 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. patent application publication 2025/0013405 by Hosomizo et al.
2) Regarding claim 1, Hosomizo teaches a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an application program (fig. 2, item 42; an auxiliary program for example) which causes an information processing apparatus to perform a control method, the information processing apparatus having printing software, the control method comprising: receiving an image processing setting (figure 4; paragraph 63; setting for print data processing can be made); storing data to which image processing corresponding to the image processing setting is applied into a predetermined storage area of the information processing apparatus (paragraph 24; print data can be processed into an intermediate format and stored) in response to acceptance of an instruction to perform processing in a state where a virtual printer for which data is set to be generated using the printing software is selected (paragraph 47; print data is processed into generic format such as PDF when a virtual printer is selected); and transmitting the data to which the image processing corresponding to the image processing setting is applied to a physical printer for which data is set to be generated using the printing software in response to acceptance of an instruction to perform processing in a state where the physical printer is selected as a printing destination (paragraphs 50 and 57; job can be output to a real printer from the virtual queue), wherein the printing software is configured to output data printable by a plurality of printing apparatuses of a plurality of different manufacturers (paragraphs 24 and 59; intermediate format and PDF can be output by a wide variety of printers) to one printing apparatus based on an Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) (paragraph 40; IPP communication is disclosed), the one printing apparatus being selected by a user from the plurality of printing apparatuses (figure 5; paragraph 38; real and virtual printers can be selected by user).
3) Regarding claim 2, Hosomizo teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the virtual printer is generated in response to installation of the application program (paragraphs 45 and 46; virtual printer can be generated during installation of an extension program).
4) Regarding claim 3, Hosomizo teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, the control method further comprising notifying an operating system of the information processing apparatus of a file path where capability information about image processing setting to be set for the virtual printer is store (paragraph 45; capability information can be stored to memory [i.e. a file path for an accessible stored object is inherent] when a virtual printer is installed).
5) Regarding claim 6, Hosomizo teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the data to which the image processing is applied is Portable Document Format (PDF) data (paragraph 17; PDF can be utilized).
6) Claims 7-9 and 12 are taught in the same manner as described in the rejections of claims 1-3 and 6 above, respectively.
7) Claim 13 is taught in the same manner as described in the rejections of claim 1 above.
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.
8) Claim(s) 4 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. patent application publication 2025/0013405 by Hosomizo et al. as applied to claims 3 and 9 above, and further in view of U.S. patent application publication 2024/0402957 by Hosomizo (hereinafter “Hoso”).
9) Regarding claim 4, Hosomizo does not specifically teach the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3, wherein the application program includes a file storing the capability information.
Hoso teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3, wherein the application program includes a file storing the capability information (paragraphs 40 and 45; capability information can be stored as a settings file).
Hosomizo and Hoso are combinable because they are both from the network printing field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to combine Hosomizo and Hoso to add a capability information settings file. The motivation for doing so would have been to customize the operations of printers (paragraph 45). Therefore it would have been obvious to combine Hosomizo with Hoso to obtain the invention of claim 4.
10) Claim 10 is taught in the same manner as described in the rejections of claim 4 above.
11) Claim(s) 5 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. patent application publication 2025/0013405 by Hosomizo et al. as applied to claims 1 and 7 above, and further in view of U.S. patent application publication 2021/0200492 by Kawasaki.
12) Regarding claim 5, Hosomizo does not specifically teach the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the printing software is a class driver provided by a supplier of an operating system of the information processing apparatus.
Kawasaki teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the printing software is a class driver provided by a supplier of an operating system of the information processing apparatus (paragraph 32; printing software can be IPP class driver included in the OS).
Hosomizo and Kawasaki are combinable because they are both from the network printing field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to combine Hosomizo and Kawasaki to add an IPP class driver. The motivation for doing so would have been so that the driver could be used by a plurality of kinds of printers (paragraph 32). Therefore it would have been obvious to combine Hosomizo with Kawasaki to obtain the invention of claim 5.
13) Claim 11 is taught in the same manner as described in the rejections of claim 5 above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BENJAMIN O DULANEY whose telephone number is (571)272-2874. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10-6.
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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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BENJAMIN O. DULANEY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2676
/BENJAMIN O DULANEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2683
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