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
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.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 4, 9, 11, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tamura (US 20070185885).
Regarding claim 1: Tamura teaches an image forming device (Fig. 8 Client Terminal 102(Y)" is an image forming device) comprising: a display device configured to display an image (Fig. 8 and [0132-0134] teach the web browser of the client terminal 101(X) creates a document list screen ... the display apparatus to display the document list screen ... Then, a user designates an arbitrary document on the screens of FIGS. 10 and 11 to perform document acquisition instruction); a communication interface configured to communicate via a network to which an external device communicated with a management server connects ([Fig.8](5teps 1,2: Client Terminal 102(Y) communicates with Document management server 100 through network), see Further [0137-0142]" ... the web browser transmits a document data acquisition request to the document management server 100", see Further [Fig.2][0063]"network interface 204"); and a processor configured to: cause the display device to display an image showing identification information ([Fig.8][0132-0140]" ... the web browser of the client terminal 101(X) creates a document list screen ... the display apparatus to display the document list screen ... Then., a user designates an arbitrary document on the screens of FIGS. 10 and 11 to perform document acquisition instruction" and" ... A user can designate an arbitrary document ... the web browser transmits a document data acquisition request to the document management server 100 to obtain document data ... The document data acquisition request includes a document ID ... "); inquire about storage place information of a document linked to the identification information, from the management server ([Fig.8][0140]" ... The document data acquisition request includes a document ID", [0142]" ... The CPU of the document management server 100 receives a document data acquisition request ... the CPU of the document management server 100 obtains storage destination ID 418, storage destination document ID 419, and security information flag 415 .... storage destination URL 432 having the same storage destination ID ... " and " the document management server 100 sends storage destination URL, storage destination document ID, user information, and security information flag to the web browser of the client terminal 101(X) ... ", and [0145]" ... The web browser of the client terminal 101(X) receives the storage destination URL, the storage destination document ID, the user information, and the security information flag ... "); and download the document stored in a storage place indicated by the storage place information in response to acquiring the storage place information of the document linked to the identification information ([Fig.8]"steps (3,6)2 [0144-0146]" ... the web browser of the client terminal 101 (X) automatically transmits, to the storage destination URL, the document ID, the storage destination document ID, the user information, and the security information flag based on the received information. Thus, a document data acquisition request can be automatically transmitted from the client terminal 101(X) to the multifunction peripheral 102(Y) that stores an electronic file (i.e., entity data of a requested document) ... " and [0153-0155]" ... the multifunction peripheral 102(Y) obtains an electronic file corresponding to the storage destination document ID with reference to the information stored in the electronic document file storage unit 510 ... Then, the core section 305 of the multifunction peripheral 102(Y) transmits the obtained electronic file to the web browser of the client terminal 101 (X) ... "[0159]" ... Through the above-mentioned processes, the client terminal 101(X) can obtain an electronic file").
Regarding claims 3 & 11: Tamura teaches further comprising: a printer configured to print the image, wherein the processor causes the printer to print the image based on the downloaded document, on a medium (Figs. 3, 8 and paragraph [0068-0075, 0153-0155]).
Regarding claims 4 & 12: Tamura teaches wherein the processor transmits an inquiry about the document linked to the identification information to the management server in a predetermined cycle while the image showing the identification information is displayed on the display device, and the processor accepts a response from the management server (Figs. 8-9 and paragraph [0132-0142], steps 1-6 of Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 9: Claim 9 recites similar claim limitations as in claim 1. Thus, all the arguments made above for claim 1 are applicable for claim 9. Claim 9 further recites a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, which is also taught by Tamura in Figs. 14, claim 19 and paragraph [0226-0240].
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 (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.
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.
Claims 2, 6, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tamura (US 20070185885) in the view of Kobayashi (US 20210211553).
Regarding claims 2, 6, and 10: Tamura does not explicitly disclose wherein the image is a two-dimensional barcode, the processor to cause the display device to display the two-dimensional barcode representing the identification information.
However, Kobayashi teaches wherein the image is a two-dimensional barcode, the processor to cause the display device to display the two-dimensional barcode representing the identification information (Figs. 1, 5 and paragraph [0028-0030, 0064, 0104] teach two-dimensional barcode as claimed). It would have been obvious for a person skilled in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Tamura’s invention by including above teachings of Kobayashi, because utilizing a two-dimensional code to display an identification information is very well-known and widely used in the art, it allows the other devices to easily scan the code and obtain information, as taught by Kobayashi. The rationale would have been to use a known method or technique to achieve predictable results.
Claims 5 and 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tamura (US 20070185885).
Regarding claim 5: Tamura teaches a document management system comprising an image forming device and a management server (Fig. 8 Client Terminal 102(Y)" is an image forming device and a document management server 100), the image forming device comprising: a display device configured to display an image (Fig. 8 and [0132-0134] teach the web browser of the client terminal 101(X) creates a document list screen ... the display apparatus to display the document list screen ... Then, a user designates an arbitrary document on the screens of FIGS. 10 and 11 to perform document acquisition instruction); a first communication interface configured to connect to a network to which an external device communicated with the management server is connected ([Fig.8](5teps 1,2: Client Terminal 102(Y) communicates with Document management server 100 through network), see Further [0137-0142]" ... the web browser transmits a document data acquisition request to the document management server 100", see Further [Fig.2][0063]"network interface 204"); and a first processor configured to: cause the display device to display an image showing identification information ([Fig.8][0132-0140]" ... the web browser of the client terminal 101(X) creates a document list screen ... the display apparatus to display the document list screen ... Then., a user designates an arbitrary document on the screens of FIGS. 10 and 11 to perform document acquisition instruction" and" ... A user can designate an arbitrary document ... the web browser transmits a document data acquisition request to the document management server 100 to obtain document data ... The document data acquisition request includes a document ID ... "); inquire about storage place information of a document linked to the identification information, from the management server ([Fig.8][0140]" ... The document data acquisition request includes a document ID", [0142]" ... The CPU of the document management server 100 receives a document data acquisition request ... the CPU of the document management server 100 obtains storage destination ID 418, storage destination document ID 419, and security information flag 415 .... storage destination URL 432 having the same storage destination ID ... " and " the document management server 100 sends storage destination URL, storage destination document ID, user information, and security information flag to the web browser of the client terminal 101(X) ... ", and [0145]" ... The web browser of the client terminal 101(X) receives the storage destination URL, the storage destination document ID, the user information, and the security information flag ... "); and download the document stored in a storage place indicated by the storage place information if the storage place information of the document linked to the identification information is acquired ([Fig.8]"steps (3,6)2 [0144-0146]" ... the web browser of the client terminal 101 (X) automatically transmits, to the storage destination URL, the document ID, the storage destination document ID, the user information, and the security information flag based on the received information. Thus, a document data acquisition request can be automatically transmitted from the client terminal 101(X) to the multifunction peripheral 102(Y) that stores an electronic file (i.e., entity data of a requested document) ... " and [0153-0155]" ... the multifunction peripheral 102(Y) obtains an electronic file corresponding to the storage destination document ID with reference to the information stored in the electronic document file storage unit 510 ... Then, the core section 305 of the multifunction peripheral 102(Y) transmits the obtained electronic file to the web browser of the client terminal 101 (X) ... "[0159]" ... Through the above-mentioned processes, the client terminal 101(X) can obtain an electronic file"), the management server comprising: a second communication interface configured to communicate via the network; a memory configured to link and store the identification information and the storage place information of the document acquired from an external device communicating via the second communication interface; and a second processor configured to transmit, to the image forming device, the storage place information of the document linked to the identification information saved in the memory, in response to receiving an inquiry from the image forming device designating the identification information (Similarly, as explained above the management server 100 comprises similar components and communicating with network, an external device, as explained in above detailed rejection for the image forming apparatus, Figs. 8-9 and related description as cited above in claims rejection).
Tamura do not explicitly disclose a portable terminal.
However, Tamura teaches in paragraph [0087]" ... storage type 417 indicates the type of a storage place of an electronic file (i.e., entity of document). The storage type 417 includes two types, i.e., "LOCAL" indicating a document managed in the document management server 100 and "REMOTE" indicating a document managed in the multifunction peripheral 102(Y). [0012]" ... Copy machines, multifunction peripherals, and scanners ... to obtain an electronic file (containing image data that is registered as a document in a document management system ... ". However, the alternative solution claimed, which as no unexpected effect, encompass smartphones and similar devices, and is nowadays one well known option for acquiring document images (e.g. see Adobe scan, Microsoft lens and the like) falling within the customary practice of a skilled person willing to register new documents in a file management system (e.g. see the registered .jpg images in Tamura [Fig.10]), and is therefore regarded as one arbitrary measure lacking the inventive step starting from D1 taken with the common general knowledge. The rationale would have been to use a known method or technique to achieve predictable results.
Regarding claim 7: Tamura teaches further comprising: a printer configured to print the image, wherein the first processor is configured to cause the printer to print, on a medium, the image based on the downloaded document (Figs. 3, 8 and paragraph [0068-0075, 0153-0155]).
Regarding claim 8: Tamura teaches wherein the first processor is configured to transmit the inquiry about the document linked to the identification information to the management server in a predetermined cycle while the image showing the identification information is displayed on the display device, and accept a response from the management server (Figs. 8-9 and paragraph [0132-0142], steps 1-6 of Fig. 9).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMIT CHATLY whose telephone number is (571)270-1610. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9-5.
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/AMIT CHATLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2624
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