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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1, 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugimoto US 6571072 in view of DeHority US 5129639 and Obata US 20060133842.
Regarding claim 1: Sugimoto teaches an image forming apparatus (digital copying machine, column 3, lines 14-15) comprising:
an image forming device (image forming section 103, column 3, lines 43-45) including a fixing device (fixing unit 107, column 3, lines 45-50) that fixes an image onto a sheet (toner image column 3, lines 60-65), and configured to print the image on the sheet (e.g., paper P column 3, lines 60-65);
an input device to which an instruction from a user is inputted (display 20, ten key board 30, column 3, lines 20-15);
a display device that displays an image (LCD 20, column 3, lines 40-41);
a display controller (image controller, column 3, lines 39-40) that controls a displaying operation of the display device;
a controller (image processing section 19, column 3, lines 34-38) that causes the print job to be executed, according to the print setting,
Sugimoto does not teach: a storage device containing a combination table, indicating prespecified appropriate combinations of a sheet size and a sheet type to be used for a print job;
a print setting controller that changes, when detail of print setting inputted to the input device includes a combination of the sheet size and the sheet type not contained in the combination table, the combination of the sheet size and the sheet type specified as the print setting to the appropriate combination, according to the combination table;
wherein, when the print setting controller changes the print setting, the display controller causes the display device to display a screen notifying the user that the print setting has been changed.
DeHority teaches a storage device containing a combination table (column 12, lines 55-60, all the possible combinations of printer configuration to be used to create a table …abstract, printer’s paper capability or stock, note: a table in computer to be used for processing inherently requires a memory to store the table), indicating prespecified appropriate combinations (all possible combinations, column 12, lines 55-60; note: each unique combination is prespecified appropriate combination) of a sheet size (size of the paper, column 2, lines 55-60) and a sheet type (color and type for each supply, column 2, lines 55-60; note paper with specific color can also be view as a type of paper) to be used for a print job (print job, column 2, line 65);
a print setting controller that changes (column 10 line 20 best available match, column 2, lines 18-22, determining a mismatch magnitude between job requirement and the printers paper capabilities or stock. The paper with lowest mismatch magnitude is selected), when detail of print setting inputted to the input device includes a combination of the sheet size and the sheet type not contained in the combination table (mismatch, fig. 2b; note: mismatch implies the print job entry is not matching printer configuration including paper. Since the table include all possible combinations of printer including paper configuration, mismatch also implies print job setting (paper settings including selecting paper type and paper size) entered by the user for the print job is not in the combination table), the combination of the sheet size (dimension mismatch, column 10, lines 65-69) and the sheet type (color mismatch, column 10, lines 65-69; note the color of the paper can be used as a type of paper) specified as the print setting to the appropriate combination, according to the combination table (also see paper structures of fig. 3A and fig. 3B, column 2, lines 37-40 note: the paper with lowest mismatch (that was selected) is paper that is within the configuration of the printer that can be used and hence, included in the combination of paper type and size in the combination table);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Sugimoto to include: a storage device containing a combination table, indicating prespecified appropriate combinations of a sheet size and a sheet type to be used for a print job;
a print setting controller that changes, when detail of print setting inputted to the input device includes a combination of the sheet size and the sheet type not contained in the combination table, the combination of the sheet size and the sheet type specified as the print setting to the appropriate combination, according to the combination table;
The reason of doing so would have created a print job with the best possible quality by using best match method as desired by the user based on user entered print settings.
Sugimoto as modified still does not teach: wherein, when the print setting controller changes the print setting, the display controller causes the display device to display a screen notifying the user that the print setting has been changed.
Obata teaches: wherein, when the print setting controller changes the print setting, the display controller causes the display device to display a screen notifying the user that the print setting has been changed (paragraph 0047, notifies a user of the change of the printing settings…This notification is made by sending information for pop-up displaying the changed printing settings on the display…).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Sugimoto as modified to further include: wherein, when the print setting controller changes the print setting, the display controller causes the display device to display a screen notifying the user that the print setting has been changed.
The reason of doing so would ensure the final print product is desired by the user and to further protect the print service from having unsatisfied customers from customer unnotified of the change of the customer entered print settings.
Regarding claim 3: Sugimoto as modified teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
Sugimoto teaches wherein the input device receives an input of an instruction to start the print job (upon receiving a setting termination signal, outputs a signal based on the setting data previously input into the image forming section 103. In this manner, the image forming section prints a desired tab),
Sugimoto does not teach the controller is configured to: suspend the print job, when the print setting controller detects, after starting the print job according to the inputted instruction to start the print job, and before the image forming device prints the image on the sheet, that the print setting includes the combination of the sheet size and the sheet type not contained in the combination table, and resume the print job, after the print setting controller changes, when the input device receives an instruction to change the print setting, the combination of the sheet size and the sheet type in the print setting to the appropriate combination, according to the combination table, and cause the image forming device to execute the print job according to the print setting.
DeHority teaches: suspend the print job (fig. 2b can be considered as suspend a print job as the print job would not started printing until return go step; also see claim 1, step d, actual printing is the last step), when the print setting controller detects, after starting the print job (receiving the print job, column 2, lines 50-55; note receiving the print job can be viewed as starting the print job), and before the image forming device prints the image on the sheet (claim 1, print the document is the last step after all the mismatch ash been corrected), that the print setting includes the combination of the sheet size and the sheet type not contained in the combination table (see rejection of claim 1), and resume the print job (see claim 1 Dehority, actual printing after correcting the mismatch), after the print setting controller changes, when the input device receives an instruction to change the print setting, the combination of the sheet size and the sheet type in the print setting to the appropriate combination, according to the combination table rejection of claim), and cause the image forming device to execute the print job according to the print setting (see claim 1 Dehority, actual printing after correcting the mismatch).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified Sugimoto to include: the controller is configured to:
suspend the print job, when the print setting controller detects, after starting the print job according to the inputted instruction to start the print job, and before the image forming device prints the image on the sheet, that the print setting includes the combination of the sheet size and the sheet type not contained in the combination table, and resume the print job, after the print setting controller changes, when the input device receives an instruction to change the print setting, the combination of the sheet size and the sheet type in the print setting to the appropriate combination, according to the combination table, and cause the image forming device to execute the print job according to the print setting.
The reason of doing so would have created a print job with the best possible quality by using best match method as desired by the user based on user entered print settings.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugimoto US 6571072 in view of DeHority US 5129639 and Obata US 20060133842 and further in view of Hube US 5229814.
Regarding claim 2: Sugimoto as modified teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
DeHority further teaches: the print setting controller changes the sheet type or the sheet size included in the print setting inputted to the input device, to the sheet type or the sheet size designated by a selection instruction inputted by the user to the input device (80, operator response, fig. 2B under mismatch situation).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to further modify Sugimoto to include: the print setting controller changes the sheet type or the sheet size included in the print setting inputted to the input device, to the sheet type or the sheet size designated by a selection instruction inputted by the user to the input device.
The reason of doing so would ensure the final print product is desired by the user and to further protect the print service from having unsatisfied customers from customer uninvolved of the change of the customer entered print settings.
Sugimoto as modified does not teach: wherein, when a plurality of the appropriate combinations are contained in the combination table, the display controller causes the display device to display details indicated by the plurality of the appropriate combinations, and
Hube, fig. 5 teaches to display details indicated by the plurality of the appropriate combinations (fig. 7 showing possible combinations of paper type, size, color).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have further modified Sugimoto as modified to include: the display controller causes the display device to display details indicated by the plurality of the appropriate combinations.
The reason of doing so would have assisted the user to understand the different possible combinations with respect to paper color/type and size.
Note: After the modification, in Sugimoto, a plurality of the appropriate combinations are contained in the combination table and the display controller causes the display device to display details indicated by the plurality of the appropriate combinations.
Since the display device to display details indicated by the plurality of the appropriate combinations can only happen before, when or after a plurality of the appropriate combinations are contained in the combination table (finite possible solution for the timing of displaying details indicated by the plurality of the appropriate combinations), it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have when/before or after a plurality of the appropriate combinations are contained in the combination table, the display controller causes the display device to display details indicated by the plurality of the appropriate combinations.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DeHority US 5129639 in view of Obata US 20060133842.
Regarding claim 7: DeHority teaches a print setting changing method comprising: a print setting changing process including changing (column 10 line 20 best available match, column 2, lines 18-22, determining a mismatch magnitude between job requirement and the printers paper capabilities or stock. The paper with lowest mismatch magnitude is selected), when detail of print setting for a print job (print job, column 2, lines 50-60) to be executed by an image forming device (printer column 2, lines 50), input by a user (claim 1, print job requirements of a user, user requests a blue cover, column 1, lines 20-25), includes a combination of the sheet size and the sheet type not contained in combination table (column 12, lines 55-60, all the possible combinations of printer configuration to be used to create a table …abstract, printer’s paper capability or stock, mismatch, fig. 2b; note: mismatch implies the print job entry is not matching printer configuration including paper. Since the table include all possible combinations of printer including paper configuration, mismatch also implies print job setting (paper settings including selecting paper type and paper size) entered by the user for the print job is not in the combination table) containing prespecified appropriate combinations (all possible combinations, column 12, lines 55-60; note: each unique combination is prespecified appropriate combination) of a sheet size (size of the paper, column 2, lines 55-60) and a sheet type (color and type for each supply, column 2, lines 55-60; note paper with specific color can also be view as a type of paper) to be used for printing (print job, column 2, line 65), the combination of the sheet size (dimension mismatch, column 10, lines 65-69) and the sheet type (color mismatch, column 10, lines 65-69; note the color of the paper can be used as a type of paper) specified as the print setting to the appropriate combination, according to the combination table (also see paper structures of fig. 3A and fig. 3B, column 2, lines 37-40 note: the paper with lowest mismatch (that was selected) is paper that is within the configuration of the printer that can be used and hence, included in the combination of paper type and size in the combination table).
DeHority does not teach a display process causing a display, when the print setting is changed at the print setting process, to display a screen notifying the user that the print setting has been changed.
Obata teaches: a display process causing a display, when the print setting is changed at the print setting process, to display a screen notifying the user that the print setting has been changed (paragraph 0047, notifies a user of the change of the printing settings…This notification is made by sending information for pop-up displaying the changed printing settings on the display…).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to have modified DeHority to include: a display process causing a display, when the print setting is changed at the print setting process, to display a screen notifying the user that the print setting has been changed.
The reason of doing so would ensure the final print product is desired by the user and to further protect the print service from having unsatisfied customers from customer unnotified of the change of the customer entered print settings.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6 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.
Conclusion
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/KING Y POON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2617
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