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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Status of the Application
The following is a Final Office Action.
In response to Examiner's communication of 3/13/2026, Applicant responded on 6/15/2026. Amended claims 1-8. Added claims 9-17.
Claims 1-17 are pending in this application and have been examined.
Response to Amendment
Applicant's amendments to claims 1-8 are not sufficient to overcome the 35 USC 101 rejections set forth in the previous action.
Applicant's amendments to claims 1-8 are not sufficient to overcome the prior art rejections set forth in the previous action.
Response to Arguments – 35 USC § 101
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejections have been fully considered, but they are not persuasive.
Applicant submits, “…Applicants submit that under the USPTO 2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance (2019 PEG)', the instant claims are not directed towards patent ineligible subject matter because the instant claims are not directed towards "a mental process,"... Applicants dispute the conclusory allegations that the instant claims are directed towards a "mental process," and that a "human being using their mind and using pen and paper," can perform the operations recited in the instant claims as alleged by the Examiner. Office Action at p. 8. Applicants note that the instant claims specifically require the operations of a specially programmed processing circuitry and sensors included in one or more image forming apparatuses which monitor the remaining amount of a consumable item of the image forming apparatuses, such as ink, toner, a photoconductor, a part of a transfer unit, a roller, etc., to determine the improved scheduling of maintenance and print jobs assigned to the image forming apparatuses based on the expected amount of time that the print jobs will take, the expected amount of time to perform the maintenance, the number of personnel required to perform the maintenance, and whether the maintenance can be performed ahead of time or not….The claimed invention provides an improvement over conventional image forming apparatuses by improving and/or optimizing the rescheduling of print jobs and maintenance tasks by continuously monitoring the state of the consumable items, the print jobs, and the schedules of the maintenance workers, thereby improving the "uptime" of the image forming apparatuses, etc. Applicants submit that the claimed invention is not directed towards a patent ineligible mental process….Applicants note that the instant claims specifically require the operations of a specially programmed processor to perform the functionality recited in the claims, which are not performable by a human being using mental processes and/or pen and paper, as deemed to be patent eligible inventions by the 2019 PEG….These sections do not state that general purpose computers can perform the recited operations of the instant claims, but rather state that general purpose computers must be specially programmed to perform the recited operations, thus creating special purpose computer… Applicants submit that the instant claims are not directed towards a patent ineligible mental process, and the Examiner has failed to meet their prima facie burden to show that the instant claims are patent ineligible under Prong 1 of Step 2A of the 2019 PEG…. Applicants further maintain that even if the instant claims are directed towards an abstract idea, the instant claims are patent eligible under Prong 2 of Step 2A of the 2019 PEG because they are directed towards a practical application of the alleged abstract idea. As discussed above, the instant claims recite a specially programmed computer system that uses sensors and print job information from image forming apparatuses to determine the current state of the consumable items and print jobs to improve and/or optimize the scheduling of maintenance tasks, including re- scheduling the print jobs….Applicants dispute the Examiner's allegation that the instant claims do not contain additional elements that integrate the alleged abstract idea into a practical application, and note that the Examiner impermissibly makes the conclusory statement that the instant claims "are no more than applying the abstract idea using a generic computer components." Applicants note that the 2019 PEG specifically requires Examiners to "evaluate whether the claim as a whole integrates the recited judicial exception into a practical application of the exception. A claim that integrates a judicial exception into a practical application will apply, rely on, or use the judicial exception in a manner that imposes a meaningful limit on the judicial exception, such that the claim is more than a drafting effort designed to monopolize the judicial exception." In the recent PTAB Rehearing Decision in Ex parte Desjardins, the USPTO Director, John Squires, overturned the PTAB's new § 101 rejection and admonished the PTAB panel for "equat[ing] any machine learning with an unpatentable 'algorithm' and the remaining additional elements as 'generic computer components,' without adequate explanation," and specifically instructed Examiners and PTAB panels to "not evaluate claims at [] high level[s] of generality" when evaluating claims under § 101. Applicants submit that the Examiner's Step 2A - Prong 2 analysis is improper because the Examiner has failed to consider the instant claims as a whole and further fails to analyze whether the instant claims impose a "meaningful limit" on the "mental process" and/or the unidentified "certain method of organizing human activity," judicial exceptions. The Reminders memo provides further guidance regarding this issue, and states that Examiners must not evaluate the additional limitations "in a vacuum, completely separate from the recited judicial exception. Instead, the analysis should take into consideration all the claim limitations and how these limitations interact and impact each other when evaluating whether the exception is integrated into a practical application."4 The Reminders memo also instructs Examiners that "an additional limitation (or combination) that meaningfully limits the judicial exception can render it eligible."… Applicants submit that the instant claims impose a "meaningful limit" on the "mental process" and/or the unidentified "certain method of organizing human activity," because it requires specific calculations which cannot be considered to be abstract, such as "calculate an amount of the consumable item consumed by execution of a job of the one or more image forming apparatuses based on the job information to obtain a calculated amount of consumption," "calculate a remaining amount of the consumable item based on a detection result of a sensor included in the one or more image forming apparatuses," and "plan maintenance for replacement of the consumable item based on the remaining amount of the consumable item and the calculated amount of consumption to prevent the remaining amount of the consumable item from being equal to or smaller than a desired value," etc., which would not be necessary for any alleged "mental process" and/or "certain method of organizing human activity," and therefore imposes "meaningful limits" on the alleged abstract ideas…Applicants also submit that the instant claims are similar to the patent eligible claims of Example 37 of the USPTO's Subject Matter Eligibility Examples, and are patent eligible for similar reasons as claim 2 of Example 37. Applicants note that the patent eligible claims of Example 37 merely recited a method of "rearranging icons on a [GUI] of a computer system," based on a determined amount of use of each icon, and then automatically moving the most used icon to a position closer to a start icon based on the determined amount of use…Similar to claim 2 of Example 37, the instant claims recite operations that cannot be practically performed in the human mind, such as calculating a remaining amount of the consumable item based on a detection result of a sensor included in the one or more image forming apparatuses, etc. Furthermore, the instant claims do not recite one of the USPTO enumerated certain methods of organizing human behavior, and the Examiner has failed to identify which certain method of organizing human behavior the claimed invention allegedly is directed towards... Applicants submit that the instant claims are directed towards a patent eligible practical application of the alleged judicial exception under Step 2A - Prong 2 of the 2019 PEG… Applicants submit the instant claims are patent eligible under Step 2B of the 2019 PEG analysis because the instant claims recite an inventive concept/significantly more than the alleged abstract idea and the Examiner has failed to meet his factual burden under the Berkheimer Memorandum. As argued above, the instant claims clearly recite a technological improvement to conventional energy forecast systems, and therefore are "significantly more" than the alleged judicial exception. Further, Applicants note that under Step 2B of the 2019 PEG, it is the Examiner's burden to factually prove that the Applicant's claims are directed towards "well- understood, routine and conventional" technology as put forth in the USPTO's Berkheimer Memorandum. The Berkheimer Memorandum specifically states "an examiner should conclude that an element (or combination of elements) represents well- understood, routine, conventional activity only when the examiner can readily conclude that the element(s) is widely prevalent or in common use in the relevant industry.. . such a conclusion must be based upon a factual determination that is supported . . . ," which the Examiner completely fails to do… Therefore, the instant claims do not recite well- known, routine, or conventional and/or generic computer components, and therefore the instant claims are also patent eligible under Step 2B of the 2019 PEG… Finally, as stated in the Reminders memo, Examiners "should only make a rejection when it is more likely than not (i.e., more than 50%) that the claim is ineligible under 35 U.S.C. 101. A rejection of a claim should not be made simply because an examiner is uncertain as to the claim's eligibility."10 Applicants submit that the instant claims fall far below the 50% threshold for patent ineligibility for at least the reasons stated above and this rejection should be withdrawn….” The Examiner respectfully disagrees.
Unlike Desjardins, Example 37, by Applicant’s own admission, the claims, as a whole, indeed recite and direct to, …determine the improved scheduling of maintenance and print jobs assigned to the image forming apparatuses based on the expected amount of time that the print jobs will take, the expected amount of time to perform the maintenance, the number of personnel (i.e. human) required to perform the maintenance, and whether the maintenance can be performed ahead of time or not…improving and/or optimizing the rescheduling of print jobs and maintenance tasks by continuously monitoring the state of the consumable items, the print jobs, and the schedules of the maintenance workers (i.e. human)…, which is a problem directed to, a mental process, organizing human activity, as established in Step 2A Prong 1. This problem does not specifically arise in the realm of computer technology, but rather, this problem existed and was addressed long before the advent of computers. Thus, the claims do not recite a technical improvement to a technical problem. Additionally, pursuant to the broadest reasonable interpretation, as an ordered combination, each of the additional elements are computing elements recited at high level of generality implementing the abstract idea, and thus, are no more than applying the abstract idea with generic computer components, i.e. computer, sensor, printer, performing extra solution activities, gathering data and outputting data, and generally linked to a technical environment, i.e. computer, sensor, printer. Therefore, as a whole, the additional elements do not integrate the abstract ideas into a practical application in Step 2A Prong 2 (apply it and general link) or amount to significantly more in Step 2B (apply it and WURC).
Even novel and newly discovered judicial exceptions are still exceptions, despite their novelty. July 2015 Update, p. 3; see SAP America Inc. v. Investpic, LLC, No. 2017-2081, slip op. at 2 (Fed Cir. May 15, 2018).
Simply reciting specific limitations that narrow the abstract idea does not make an abstract idea non-abstract. 79 Fed. Reg. 74631; buySAFE Inc. v. Google, Inc., 765 F.3d 1350, 1355 (2014); see SAP America at p. 12. As discussed in SAP America, no matter how much of an advance the claims recite, when “the advance lies entirely in the realm of abstract ideas, with no plausibly alleged innovation in the non-abstract application realm,” “[a]n advance of that nature is ineligible for patenting.” Id. at p. 3.
Claims can recite a mental process even if they are claimed as being performed on a computer. The Supreme Court recognized this in Benson, determining that a mathematical algorithm for converting binary coded decimal to pure binary within a computer’s shift register was an abstract idea. The Court concluded that the algorithm could be performed purely mentally even though the claimed procedures “can be carried out in existing computers long in use, no new machinery being necessary.” 409 U.S at 67, 175 USPQ at 675. See also Mortgage Grader, 811 F.3d at 1324, 117 USPQ2d at 1699 (concluding that concept of “anonymous loan shopping” recited in a computer system claim is an abstract idea because it could be “performed by humans without a computer”).
Use of a computer or other machinery in its ordinary capacity for economic or other tasks (e.g., to receive, store, or transmit data) or simply adding a general purpose computer or computer components after the fact to an abstract idea (e.g., a fundamental economic practice or mathematical equation) does not integrate a judicial exception into a practical application or provide significantly more. See Affinity Labs v. DirecTV, 838 F.3d 1253, 1262, 120 USPQ2d 1201, 1207 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (cellular telephone); TLI Communications LLC v. AV Auto, LLC, 823 F.3d 607, 613, 118 USPQ2d 1744, 1748 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (computer server and telephone unit). Similarly, “claiming the improved speed or efficiency inherent with applying the abstract idea on a computer” does not integrate a judicial exception into a practical application or provide an inventive concept. Intellectual Ventures I LLC v. Capital One Bank (USA), 792 F.3d 1363, 1367, 115 USPQ2d 1636, 1639 (Fed. Cir. 2015).
TLI Communications provides an example of a claim invoking computers and other machinery merely as a tool to perform an existing process. The court stated that the claims describe steps of recording, administration and archiving of digital images, and found them to be directed to the abstract idea of classifying and storing digital images in an organized manner. 823 F.3d at 612, 118 USPQ2d at 1747. The court then turned to the additional elements of performing these functions using a telephone unit and a server and noted that these elements were being used in their ordinary capacity (i.e., the telephone unit is used to make calls and operate as a digital camera including compressing images and transmitting those images, and the server simply receives data, extracts classification information from the received data, and stores the digital images based on the extracted information). 823 F.3d at 612-13, 118 USPQ2d at 1747-48. In other words, the claims invoked the telephone unit and server merely as tools to execute the abstract idea. Thus, the court found that the additional elements did not add significantly more to the abstract idea because they were simply applying the abstract idea on a telephone network without any recitation of details of how to carry out the abstract idea.
The programmed computer or “special purpose computer” test of In re Alappat, 33 F.3d 1526, 31 USPQ2d 1545 (Fed. Cir. 1994) (i.e., the rationale that an otherwise ineligible algorithm or software could be made patent-eligible by merely adding a generic computer to the claim for the “special purpose” of executing the algorithm or software) was also superseded by the Supreme Court’s Bilski and Alice Corp. decisions. Eon Corp. IP Holdings LLC v. AT&T Mobility LLC, 785 F.3d 616, 623, 114 USPQ2d 1711, 1715 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (“[W]e note that Alappat has been superseded by Bilski, 561 U.S. at 605–06, and Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank Int’l, 573 U.S. 208, 110 USPQ2d 1976 (2014)”); Intellectual Ventures I LLC v. Capital One Bank (USA), N.A., 792 F.3d 1363, 1366, 115 USPQ2d 1636, 1639 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (“An abstract idea does not become nonabstract by limiting the invention to a particular field of use or technological environment, such as the Internet [or] a computer”). Lastly, eligibility should not be evaluated based on whether the claimed invention has utility, because “[u]tility is not the test for patent-eligible subject matter.” Genetic Techs. Ltd. v. Merial LLC, 818 F.3d 1369, 1380, 118 USPQ2d 1541, 1548 (Fed. Cir. 2016).
Response to Arguments – Prior Art
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejections have been fully considered, but they are not persuasive. However, Applicant’s remarks are moot in light of new grounds of rejections necessitated by Applicant’s amendments.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter.
Claim 1 (similarly 7) recites, “An information processing …, comprising:
a first … configured to that records job information of one or more image forming apparatuses including a replaceable consumable item;
… configured to:
calculate an amount of the consumable item consumed by execution of a job of the one or more image forming apparatuses based on the job information to obtain a calculated amount of consumption,
calculate a remaining amount of the consumable item based on a detection result of a …, and
plan maintenance for replacement of the consumable item based on the remaining amount of the consumable item and the calculated amount of consumption to prevent the remaining amount of the consumable item from being equal to or smaller than a desired value; and
a second … configured to store a maintenance information value table including, for each type of the maintenance, a time required for the maintenance, required number of maintenance performers, and whether the maintenance is performable ahead of schedule,
the … being further configured to plan maintenance performable ahead of schedule in a case where number of users available to perform the maintenance is smaller than the required number of maintenance performers at a time when a plurality of maintenance schedules overlap and the maintenance performable ahead of schedule is present, based on the maintenance information value table.”
Claim 8 recites: “An information processing …, comprising:
a first … configured to record print job information of a plurality of image forming apparatuses including a replaceable consumable item;
… configured to,
calculate an amount of the consumable item consumed by execution of a print job of the plurality of image forming apparatuses based on the print job information to obtain a calculated amount of consumption consumed by the execution of the print job;
calculate a remaining amount of the consumable item based on a detection results obtained from a …;
plan maintenance for replacement of the consumable item based on the remaining amount of the consumable item and the calculated amount of consumption to prevent the remaining amount of the consumable item from being equal to or smaller than a desired value; and
a second … configured to stores a maintenance information value table including, for each type of the maintenance, a time required for the maintenance, required number of maintenance performers, and whether the maintenance is performable ahead of schedule, and
the … being further configured to plan maintenance performable ahead of schedule in a case where number of users available to perform the maintenance is smaller than the required number of maintenance performers at a time when a plurality of maintenance schedules overlap and the maintenance performable ahead of schedule is present, based on the maintenance information value table.”
Analyzing under Step 2A, Prong 1:
The limitations regarding, …a first … configured to that records job information of one or more image forming apparatuses including a replaceable consumable item; … configured to: calculate an amount of the consumable item consumed by execution of a job of the one or more image forming apparatuses based on the job information to obtain a calculated amount of consumption, calculate a remaining amount of the consumable item based on a detection result of a …, and plan maintenance for replacement of the consumable item based on the remaining amount of the consumable item and the calculated amount of consumption to prevent the remaining amount of the consumable item from being equal to or smaller than a desired value; and a second … configured to store a maintenance information value table including, for each type of the maintenance, a time required for the maintenance, required number of maintenance performers, and whether the maintenance is performable ahead of schedule, the … being further configured to plan maintenance performable ahead of schedule in a case where number of users available to perform the maintenance is smaller than the required number of maintenance performers at a time when a plurality of maintenance schedules overlap and the maintenance performable ahead of schedule is present, based on the maintenance information value table… a first … configured to record print job information of a plurality of image forming apparatuses including a replaceable consumable item; … configured to, calculate an amount of the consumable item consumed by execution of a print job of the plurality of image forming apparatuses based on the print job information to obtain a calculated amount of consumption consumed by the execution of the print job; calculate a remaining amount of the consumable item based on a detection results obtained from a …; plan maintenance for replacement of the consumable item based on the remaining amount of the consumable item and the calculated amount of consumption to prevent the remaining amount of the consumable item from being equal to or smaller than a desired value; and a second … configured to stores a maintenance information value table including, for each type of the maintenance, a time required for the maintenance, required number of maintenance performers, and whether the maintenance is performable ahead of schedule, and the … being further configured to plan maintenance performable ahead of schedule in a case where number of users available to perform the maintenance is smaller than the required number of maintenance performers at a time when a plurality of maintenance schedules overlap and the maintenance performable ahead of schedule is present, based on the maintenance information value table..., under the broadest reasonable interpretation, can include a human using their mind and using pen and paper to perform the above identified limitations, therefore, the claims recite a mental process.
Further, …a first … configured to that records job information of one or more image forming apparatuses including a replaceable consumable item; … configured to: calculate an amount of the consumable item consumed by execution of a job of the one or more image forming apparatuses based on the job information to obtain a calculated amount of consumption, calculate a remaining amount of the consumable item based on a detection result of a …, and plan maintenance for replacement of the consumable item based on the remaining amount of the consumable item and the calculated amount of consumption to prevent the remaining amount of the consumable item from being equal to or smaller than a desired value; and a second … configured to store a maintenance information value table including, for each type of the maintenance, a time required for the maintenance, required number of maintenance performers, and whether the maintenance is performable ahead of schedule, the … being further configured to plan maintenance performable ahead of schedule in a case where number of users available to perform the maintenance is smaller than the required number of maintenance performers at a time when a plurality of maintenance schedules overlap and the maintenance performable ahead of schedule is present, based on the maintenance information value table… a first … configured to record print job information of a plurality of image forming apparatuses including a replaceable consumable item; … configured to, calculate an amount of the consumable item consumed by execution of a print job of the plurality of image forming apparatuses based on the print job information to obtain a calculated amount of consumption consumed by the execution of the print job; calculate a remaining amount of the consumable item based on a detection results obtained from a …; plan maintenance for replacement of the consumable item based on the remaining amount of the consumable item and the calculated amount of consumption to prevent the remaining amount of the consumable item from being equal to or smaller than a desired value; and a second … configured to stores a maintenance information value table including, for each type of the maintenance, a time required for the maintenance, required number of maintenance performers, and whether the maintenance is performable ahead of schedule, and the … being further configured to plan maintenance performable ahead of schedule in a case where number of users available to perform the maintenance is smaller than the required number of maintenance performers at a time when a plurality of maintenance schedules overlap and the maintenance performable ahead of schedule is present, based on the maintenance information value table…, are human monitoring consumable items and scheduling human maintenance performers to perform maintenance on image forming apparatus to refill consumable items, which are managing interactions and relationship between people, therefore the claims recite certain methods of organizing human activities.
Accordingly, the claims recite a mental process, certain methods of organizing human activities, and thus, the claims are directed to an abstract idea under the first prong of Step 2A.
Analyzing under Step 2A, Prong 2:
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application under the second prong of Step 2A.
In particular, the claims recite the additional elements beyond the recited abstract idea identified under Step 2A, Prong 1, such as:
Claim 1, 7, 8: system, memory, processing circuitry, device, image forming apparatuses, sensor included in the one or more image forming apparatuses, a sensor included in the plurality of image forming apparatuses
Claim 15, 17: a weight sensor, a distance sensor, an optical sensor, a camera
, and pursuant to the broadest reasonable interpretation, as an ordered combination, each of the additional elements are computing elements recited at high level of generality implementing the abstract idea, and thus, are no more than applying the abstract idea with generic computer components.
Further, these additional elements generally link the abstract idea to a technical environment, namely the environment of a computer.
Additionally, with respect to, “…records…”, “…stores…”, “…register…”, “…a detection results obtained…”, “…display…”, “…warn…”, these elements do not add a meaningful limitations to integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because they are extra-solution activity, pre and post solution activity - i.e. data gathering – “…records…”, “…stores…, “…a detection results obtained…”, data output – “…register…”, “…display…”, “…warn…”
Analyzing under Step 2B:
The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception under Step 2B.
As noted above, the aforementioned additional elements beyond the recited abstract idea are not sufficient to amount to significantly more than the recited abstract idea because, as an order combination, the additional elements are no more than mere instructions to implement the idea using generic computer components (i.e. apply it).
Additionally, as an order combination, the additional elements append the recited abstract idea to well-understood, routine, and conventional activities in the field as individually evinced by the applicant’s own disclosure, as required by the Berkheimer Memo, in at least:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an information processing system according to the present embodiment. The information processing system according to the present embodiment includes an information processing device 1, multiple image forming apparatuses 2A and 2B, and multiple terminal devices 3A and 3B used individually by multiple users A and B. In the following description, the multiple image forming apparatuses 2A and 2B may be collectively referred to as the image forming apparatuses 2 whereas the multiple terminal devices 3A and 3B may be collectively referred to as the terminal devices 3.
In a case where the consumable supplies (consumable item) is a liquid such as toner or ink, "the remaining amount of the consumable supplies being empty" may be a weight or level of the liquid measured by a weight sensor or a distance sensor being equal to or smaller than a predetermined value (e.g., the weight or level of the liquid being 90% or less of a default value). In a case where the consumable supplies (consumable item) is a photoconductor or a part of a transfer unit, "the remaining amount of the consumable supplies being empty" may be a difference between a use limit value and a recorded value of the number of rotations used, a distance used, a time used, and the number of days used of the photoconductor or the part of the transfer unit being equal to or smaller than a predetermined value. In a case where the consumable supplies (consumable item) is a roller, "the remaining amount of the consumable supplies being empty" may be the remaining amount of the roller based on the amount of wear of the roller measured by a distance sensor being equal to or smaller than a predetermined value. The remaining amount calculating unit of the image forming apparatus 2 calculates the remaining amount based on, for example, the weight of a consumable item in a replenishment unit of the image forming apparatuses 2 measured by a weight sensor disposed in the replenishment unit. Alternatively, the remaining amount calculating unit may calculate the remaining amount based on, for example, the thickness or liquid level of a consumable item in the replenishment unit of the image forming apparatus 2 measured by an optical sensor or a camera disposed in the replenishment unit.
The above-described embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the present invention. Thus, numerous additional modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, elements and/or features of different illustrative embodiments may be combined with each other and/or substituted for each other within the scope of the present invention.
Any one of the above-described operations may be performed in various other ways, for example, in an order different from the one described above.
The functionality of the elements disclosed herein may be implemented using circuitry or processing circuitry which includes general purpose processors, special purpose processors, integrated circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field- programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and/or combinations thereof which are configured or programmed, using one or more programs stored in one or more memories, to perform the disclosed functionality. Processors are considered processing circuitry or circuitry as they include transistors and other circuitry therein. In the disclosure, the circuitry, units, or means are hardware that carry out or are programmed to perform the recited functionality. The hardware may be any hardware disclosed herein which is programmed or configured to carry out the recited functionality.
There is a memory that stores a computer program which includes computer instructions. These computer instructions provide the logic and routines that enable the hardware (e.g., processing circuitry or circuitry) to perform the method disclosed herein. This computer program can be implemented in known formats as a computer-readable storage medium, a computer program product, a memory device, a record medium such as a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or digital versatile disk (DVD), and/or the memory of an FPGA or ASIC.
Furthermore, as an ordered combination, these elements amount to generic computer components receiving or transmitting data over a network, performing repetitive calculations, electronic record keeping, and storing and retrieving information in memory, which, as held by the courts, are well-understood, routine, and conventional. See MPEP 2106.05(d).
Moreover, the remaining elements of dependent claims do not transform the recited abstract idea into a patent eligible invention because these remaining elements merely recite further abstract limitations that provide nothing more than simply a narrowing of the abstract idea recited in the independent claims.
Looking at these limitations as an ordered combination adds nothing additional that is sufficient to amount to significantly more than the recited abstract idea because they simply provide instructions to use a generic arrangement of generic computer components to “apply” the recited abstract idea, perform insignificant extra-solution activity, and generally link the abstract idea to a technical environment. Thus, the elements of the claims, considered both individually and as an ordered combination, are not sufficient to ensure that the claim as a whole amounts to significantly more than the abstract idea itself. Since there are no limitations in these claims that transform the exception into a patent eligible application such that these claims amount to significantly more than the exception itself, claims 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 as being directed to non-statutory subject matter.
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable by US Patent Publication to US20200057998A1 to Ophardt et al., (hereinafter referred to as “Ophardt”) in view of US Patent Publication to US20020077979A1 to Nagata., (hereinafter referred to as “Nagata”) in view of US Patent Publication to US20190377528A1 to Hotokeishi., (hereinafter referred to as “Hotokeishi”)
As per Claim 1, Ophardt teaches: (Currently Amended) An information processing system, comprising: ([0257][0303])
a first memory configured to record job information of one or more image forming apparatuses including a replaceable consumable item; (in at least [0303][0182] a dispenser with real time sensing of the amount of consumable product in the dispenser is known with the passage of time and, at any time, the rate at which consumable product has been dispensed with time can be used to predict based on historical data when the consumable product in the dispenser at any time may be expected to be reduced to nil at some future time. [0241] A dispenser (12) transfers usage data with time preferably after each activation. A quality of service message including equipment status information of the dispenser (12) preferably is sent at regular time intervals.)
processing circuitry configured to, ([0257][0303])
calculate an amount of the consumable item consumed by execution of a job of the one or more … apparatuses based on the job information to obtain a calculated amount of consumption, and (in at least [0182] a dispenser with real time sensing of the amount of consumable product in the dispenser is known with the passage of time and, at any time, the rate at which consumable product has been dispensed with time can be used to predict based on historical data when the consumable product in the dispenser at any time may be expected to be reduced to nil at some future time. [0241] A dispenser (12) transfers usage data with time preferably after each activation. A quality of service message including equipment status information of the dispenser (12) preferably is sent at regular time intervals.)
calculate a remaining amount of the consumable item based on a detection result of a sensor included in the one or more … apparatuses, and (in at least [0023] Dispensers, in accordance with the present invention, preferably have a system for monitoring the amount of consumable product available for use in the dispenser. Preferably, the sensors for monitoring the supply of consumable products in each dispenser is a real time sensor which can provide preferably by wireless communication information to a server regarding the consumable product in the dispenser. [0182] For each dispenser, the consumable product in the dispenser is determined at a point in time. For example, preferably, the dispenser has a sensor that measures the amount of the consumable product in the dispenser at a known time and, for example, communicates this data to a central computer or processor. Preferably, the sensor measures the amount of consumable product in the dispenser in real time and communicates to the computer in real time. As another example, the dispenser may be filled to a known level with the consumable product by a service personnel, often to the maximum capacity for the dispenser and the service personnel communicates the filling, the level to which there is filling and the time of filling to the computer. For each dispenser, the consumption of its consumable product is determined at different points in time. The consumption represents the reduction of the consumable product in the dispenser with time. With a dispenser with real time sensing of the amount of consumable product in the dispenser is known with the passage of time and, at any time, the rate at which consumable product has been dispensed with time can be used to predict based on historical data when the consumable product in the dispenser at any time may be expected to be reduced to nil at some future time. [0355] Various dispensers and dispenser arrangements are well known which provide for sensing as of the consumable product in a dispenser, for example, fluid remaining in a fluid dispenser and the amount of paper remaining as in a paper towel dispenser or a toilet paper dispenser.)
plan maintenance for replacement of the consumable item based on the remaining amount of the consumable item and the calculated amount of consumption to prevent the remaining amount of the consumable item from being equal to or smaller than a desired value; and (in at least [0019] establishing for each dispenser a refill time when the consumable product available in each dispenser is expected to reach the refill value as a function of the predictive consumption profile for that dispenser, [0146] “establishing a route for each service personnel by selecting successive pathways for each service personnel to travel along to service dispensers as a function which (a) minimizes the sum of the travel times of the pathways of the route and the service times for each dispenser serviced, (b) provides for service of each of the dispensers either: before the consumable product available in any dispenser is expected to reach the refill value, or to minimize the length of time that all dispensers of the same type in the same washroom are simultaneously in the refill value or below.)
a second memory configured to store a maintenance information value table including, for each type of the maintenance, a time required for the maintenance, required number of maintenance performers, and whether the maintenance is performable ahead of schedule, and (in at least [0303][0025] Prior to the special event, the method may on the mere criteria of servicing each dispenser before their respective fill time, not require filling of one of the key dispensers during the special event. In accordance with the present invention, the service function can, for example, shortly prior to the special event, require refilling of the key dispensers with a view to ensuring the key dispensers will, for a longer period of time during the special event and preferably for a time until after the special event, not require refilling. For example, prior to the special event, a key dispenser may be provided which has a refill value representing 20% of the capacity of the dispenser. Prior to the special event, the key dispenser may have 75% of its capacity available. While such key dispensers would not on the basis of a mere service function that provides for a filling of that dispenser before its respective refill time, select the key dispenser for refilling before the special event, due to the existence of the special event with the service function requiring refilling of the key dispenser to a 100% level as with a view to having the key dispenser have additional consumable product which may let the key dispenser have product for dispensing through the special event, or as far as possible in the special event or, preferably, until after the special event or at least with minimizing the number of times that that key dispenser might need to be refilled during the special event. [0203] selecting the number of service personnel, and selecting a work shift schedule which establishes a start time and stop time of a work shift for each service personnel when each service personnel will be available for servicing, and periodically establishing a cost per shift of each service personnel, and in a calculation step performing an optimizing calculation which over a selected period of time for the servicing of all dispensers determines the routes required to service all dispensers and a sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel, having regard to a selected input matrix of values for the capacity of each dispenser, the refill value for each dispenser, the number of service personnel, the shifts, and the start and stop times for the shifts. The calculation step includes repeatedly varying the selected input matrix values and repeating the calculation step, with a comparing of the sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel for each calculation step and identifying one of the selected input matrix values as an optimum input matrix values that minimizes the sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel. Preferably, the method includes modifying the method to adopt the optimum input matrix values including modifying the dispensers to provide for the optimum capacity of each dispenser if different than the then existing capacity of each dispenser, and operating the facility with the selected input matrix values for the refill value for each dispenser, number of service personnel, the shifts, and the start and stop times for the shifts. [0219] Calculations can be performed with a modified hypothetical matrix values including the additional capacity of the one dispenser and/or the additional dispensers, calculations of routes required and the time of personnel and costs recalculated to determine if more favourable servicing results as to cost or personnel required or other factors and functions. Similarly, by the selective varying of the matrix values of a facility by trial and error calculations, not only can optimized servicing routes, personnel and costing be selected by the location and number of dispensers and the like can be selected towards optimization as desired.)
the processing circuitry being further configured to, plan maintenance performable ahead of schedule in a case where number of users available to perform the maintenance is smaller than the required number of maintenance performers at a time when a plurality of maintenance schedules … and the maintenance performable ahead of schedule is present, based on the maintenance information value table. (in at least [0025] Prior to the special event, the method may on the mere criteria of servicing each dispenser before their respective fill time, not require filling of one of the key dispensers during the special event. In accordance with the present invention, the service function can, for example, shortly prior to the special event, require refilling of the key dispensers with a view to ensuring the key dispensers will, for a longer period of time during the special event and preferably for a time until after the special event, not require refilling. For example, prior to the special event, a key dispenser may be provided which has a refill value representing 20% of the capacity of the dispenser. Prior to the special event, the key dispenser may have 75% of its capacity available. While such key dispensers would not on the basis of a mere service function that provides for a filling of that dispenser before its respective refill time, select the key dispenser for refilling before the special event, due to the existence of the special event with the service function requiring refilling of the key dispenser to a 100% level as with a view to having the key dispenser have additional consumable product which may let the key dispenser have product for dispensing through the special event, or as far as possible in the special event or, preferably, until after the special event or at least with minimizing the number of times that that key dispenser might need to be refilled during the special event. [0203] selecting the number of service personnel, and selecting a work shift schedule which establishes a start time and stop time of a work shift for each service personnel when each service personnel will be available for servicing, and periodically establishing a cost per shift of each service personnel, and in a calculation step performing an optimizing calculation which over a selected period of time for the servicing of all dispensers determines the routes required to service all dispensers and a sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel, having regard to a selected input matrix of values for the capacity of each dispenser, the refill value for each dispenser, the number of service personnel, the shifts, and the start and stop times for the shifts. The calculation step includes repeatedly varying the selected input matrix values and repeating the calculation step, with a comparing of the sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel for each calculation step and identifying one of the selected input matrix values as an optimum input matrix values that minimizes the sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel. Preferably, the method includes modifying the method to adopt the optimum input matrix values including modifying the dispensers to provide for the optimum capacity of each dispenser if different than the then existing capacity of each dispenser, and operating the facility with the selected input matrix values for the refill value for each dispenser, number of service personnel, the shifts, and the start and stop times for the shifts. [0219] The optimization may be arranged with the trial and error calculations including minimizing the number of personnel and/or the cost. Preferably, the method includes periodically establishing a cost per shift of each service personnel, and a calculation step of performing an optimizing calculation which over a selected period of time for the servicing of all dispensers or other service operations determines the routes required to service all dispensers and/or perform all desired service operations and a sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel, having regard to a selected input matrix of values including at least some of the capacity of each dispenser, the refill value for each dispenser, the number of service personnel, the shifts, and the start and stop times for the shifts…Calculations can be performed with a modified hypothetical matrix values including the additional capacity of the one dispenser and/or the additional dispensers, calculations of routes required and the time of personnel and costs recalculated to determine if more favourable servicing results as to cost or personnel required or other factors and functions. Similarly, by the selective varying of the matrix values of a facility by trial and error calculations, not only can optimized servicing routes, personnel and costing be selected by the location and number of dispensers and the like can be selected towards optimization as desired. [0301] Special events include time periods when the facility (30) is subjected to different usage than normal, for example, high usage of the consumable products (13). Special events are estimated in advance and placed into the schedule in the back office application (18). If desired, the configuration of a facility (30) or the available range of dispensers (12) can be changed for a specific time frame relevant to a special event.)
Although implied, Ophardt does not expressly disclose the following limitations, which however, are taught by Nagata,
…image forming apparatuses… (in at least [1235] In the collating process of the present embodiment, it is determined if the toner cartridge 60 installed in the image forming apparatus 2 by the contract signer 1 is original or imitative in the terminal station of the service provider 10 via the network. As a result of the foregoing collating process performed at the terminal station 12, if it is determined that the toner cartridge 60 installed in the image forming apparatus 2 is original, the image forming apparatus 2 is permitted to perform a printing operation)
… calculate a remaining amount of the consumable item based on a detection result of a sensor included in the one or more image forming apparatuses… (in at least [0754] The following describes a structure of an image forming apparatus 2 on the side of a contract signer 1, with reference to FIG. 35. The image forming apparatus 2 includes, in addition to the structure described in FIG. 1, a sensor circuit 91 and a remaining amount detecting section 92 for detecting the amount of remaining toner in the cartridge 60. The controller section 3 controls both the sensor circuit 91 and the remaining amount detecting section 92. [0757] The remaining amount detecting section 92 is for detecting the amount of toner being used. For example, detection may be carried out by directly measuring the amount of remaining toner, for example, by measuring a change in mass using a mass sensor, or by measuring a change in thickness of a toner layer using a displacement sensor. Alternatively, the amount of toner being used may be detected indirectly by measuring test toner density on a photosensitive drum or a developing roller, or by estimating the amount of consumed toner by calculation, using such data as the number of prints made.)
At the time the invention was filed, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the teachings of Ophardt as taught by Nagata, with a reasonable expectation of success if arriving at the claimed invention. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification to the teachings of Ophardt with the motivation of, … to improve performance of the recycled material than to improve durability of the developing roller, and the former requires more capital investment and manufacturing cost, a change Δ in fee involving the number of prints made… reuse of remaining toner contributes as a whole to improving efficiency of using toner, in addition to being resource-efficient and energy-efficient in a toner manufacturing process…. to improve efficiency of operation…the quantity of the toner currently in use can be detected with improved precision…., as recited in Nagata.
Although implied, Ophardt in view of Nagata does not expressly disclose the following limitations, which however, are taught by Hotokeishi,
…a plurality of maintenance schedules overlap…(in at least [0062] in FIG. 5A, “maintenance” is set between 10:00 and 11:00 on Mar. 13, 2018 as a schedule item of a printer A as a result of the operator performing the input process as in FIG. 4. Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIG. 5B, schedule items of the printer A for Mar. 13, 2018 are registered as a result of the operator setting other schedule items outside the operation period. In the example shown in FIG. 5B, “operation stoppage” is set between 0:00 and 8:00, “maintenance” is set between 8:00 and 9:00, 13:00 and 14:00, and 18:00 and 19:00, and “recess” is set between 12:00 and 13:00. The operation-period registration unit 111 registers the periods from 9:00 to 12:00, 14:00 to 18:00, and 19:00 to 24:00 as the operation periods of the printer A. [0074] in step S101, the operator performs an operation for changing a schedule item of step processing or an operation for adding a schedule item of step processing, so that the schedule allocation unit 113 acquires a new schedule item of step processing. Then, in step S102, the schedule allocation unit 113 determines whether or not the new schedule item partially or entirely overlaps with an already-registered existing schedule item. The existing schedule item includes a schedule item outside the step operation period and an already-registered schedule item of step processing. [0088] in FIGS. 8A to 8C, registered schedule items of the printer A include maintenance between 10:00 and 11:00 outside the operation period and printing based on job 1 between 13:00 and 14:00, as in FIG. 8A. [0093] in FIGS. 9A to 9C, registered schedule items of the printer A include maintenance between 11:00 and 12:00 outside the operation period and printing based on job 1 between 13:00 and 14:00, as in FIG. 9A. In a case where the operator changes the print schedule item for job 1 from the period between 13:00 and 14:00 to the period between 11:00 and 12:00 by performing a setting process as in the screen shown in FIG. 9B, the changed print schedule item overlaps with the maintenance schedule item between 11:00 and 12:00. In this case, it is determined whether to prioritize the print schedule item or the maintenance schedule item based on whether or not a checkmark exists in the checkbox 13.)
At the time the invention was filed, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the teachings of Ophardt in view of Nagata as taught by Hotokeishi, with a reasonable expectation of success if arriving at the claimed invention. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification to the teachings of Ophardt in view of Nagata with the motivation of, …easier management of processing related to generation of a printed material, as compared with a configuration that invariably prioritizes a new schedule item when the new schedule item partially or entirely overlaps with an existing schedule item.…provided a print management apparatus including an allocation unit, a schedule reception unit, and a command reception unit. The allocation unit allocates a schedule item for processing related to generation of a printed material to an operation period of a process for generating the printed material based on print information. The schedule reception unit receives a change of the allocated schedule item from an operator or receives an addition of a schedule item for processing related to the generation of the printed material from the operator. The command reception unit receives a command for prioritizing one of a new schedule item obtained as a result of the change or the addition and an existing schedule item as a command for processing to be performed when the new schedule item partially or entirely overlaps with the existing schedule item.…., as recited in Hotokeishi.
As per Claim 2, Ophardt teaches: (Currently Amended) The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein,
in a case where the number of users available to perform the maintenance is smaller than the required number of maintenance performers at the time when the plurality of maintenance schedules … and the maintenance performable ahead of schedule is …, the processing circuitry is further configured to plan a forward movable job before the maintenance, the forward movable job being planned after the time when the plurality of maintenance schedules overlap and not emptying the remaining amount of the consumable item when executed before the maintenance. (in at least [0025] Prior to the special event, the method may on the mere criteria of servicing each dispenser before their respective fill time, not require filling of one of the key dispensers during the special event. In accordance with the present invention, the service function can, for example, shortly prior to the special event, require refilling of the key dispensers with a view to ensuring the key dispensers will, for a longer period of time during the special event and preferably for a time until after the special event, not require refilling. For example, prior to the special event, a key dispenser may be provided which has a refill value representing 20% of the capacity of the dispenser. Prior to the special event, the key dispenser may have 75% of its capacity available. While such key dispensers would not on the basis of a mere service function that provides for a filling of that dispenser before its respective refill time, select the key dispenser for refilling before the special event, due to the existence of the special event with the service function requiring refilling of the key dispenser to a 100% level as with a view to having the key dispenser have additional consumable product which may let the key dispenser have product for dispensing through the special event, or as far as possible in the special event or, preferably, until after the special event or at least with minimizing the number of times that that key dispenser might need to be refilled during the special event. [0203] selecting the number of service personnel, and selecting a work shift schedule which establishes a start time and stop time of a work shift for each service personnel when each service personnel will be available for servicing, and periodically establishing a cost per shift of each service personnel, and in a calculation step performing an optimizing calculation which over a selected period of time for the servicing of all dispensers determines the routes required to service all dispensers and a sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel, having regard to a selected input matrix of values for the capacity of each dispenser, the refill value for each dispenser, the number of service personnel, the shifts, and the start and stop times for the shifts. The calculation step includes repeatedly varying the selected input matrix values and repeating the calculation step, with a comparing of the sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel for each calculation step and identifying one of the selected input matrix values as an optimum input matrix values that minimizes the sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel. Preferably, the method includes modifying the method to adopt the optimum input matrix values including modifying the dispensers to provide for the optimum capacity of each dispenser if different than the then existing capacity of each dispenser, and operating the facility with the selected input matrix values for the refill value for each dispenser, number of service personnel, the shifts, and the start and stop times for the shifts. [0219] The optimization may be arranged with the trial and error calculations including minimizing the number of personnel and/or the cost. Preferably, the method includes periodically establishing a cost per shift of each service personnel, and a calculation step of performing an optimizing calculation which over a selected period of time for the servicing of all dispensers or other service operations determines the routes required to service all dispensers and/or perform all desired service operations and a sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel, having regard to a selected input matrix of values including at least some of the capacity of each dispenser, the refill value for each dispenser, the number of service personnel, the shifts, and the start and stop times for the shifts…Calculations can be performed with a modified hypothetical matrix values including the additional capacity of the one dispenser and/or the additional dispensers, calculations of routes required and the time of personnel and costs recalculated to determine if more favourable servicing results as to cost or personnel required or other factors and functions. Similarly, by the selective varying of the matrix values of a facility by trial and error calculations, not only can optimized servicing routes, personnel and costing be selected by the location and number of dispensers and the like can be selected towards optimization as desired. [0301] Special events include time periods when the facility (30) is subjected to different usage than normal, for example, high usage of the consumable products (13). Special events are estimated in advance and placed into the schedule in the back office application (18). If desired, the configuration of a facility (30) or the available range of dispensers (12) can be changed for a specific time frame relevant to a special event.)
Although implied, Ophardt in view of Nagata does not expressly disclose the following limitations, which however, are taught by Hotokeishi,
…plurality of maintenance schedules overlap and the maintenance performable ahead of schedule is absent…(in at least [0062] in FIG. 5A, “maintenance” is set between 10:00 and 11:00 on Mar. 13, 2018 as a schedule item of a printer A as a result of the operator performing the input process as in FIG. 4. Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIG. 5B, schedule items of the printer A for Mar. 13, 2018 are registered as a result of the operator setting other schedule items outside the operation period. In the example shown in FIG. 5B, “operation stoppage” is set between 0:00 and 8:00, “maintenance” is set between 8:00 and 9:00, 13:00 and 14:00, and 18:00 and 19:00, and “recess” is set between 12:00 and 13:00. The operation-period registration unit 111 registers the periods from 9:00 to 12:00, 14:00 to 18:00, and 19:00 to 24:00 as the operation periods of the printer A. [0074] in step S101, the operator performs an operation for changing a schedule item of step processing or an operation for adding a schedule item of step processing, so that the schedule allocation unit 113 acquires a new schedule item of step processing. Then, in step S102, the schedule allocation unit 113 determines whether or not the new schedule item partially or entirely overlaps with an already-registered existing schedule item. The existing schedule item includes a schedule item outside the step operation period and an already-registered schedule item of step processing. [0090] A “device” indicates a device that is to execute step processing. In the example shown in FIG. 8B, a list of printers is displayed. Although there is no change from the printer A in this case, if the printer that is to execute print processing is to be changed, the operator may select a printer after the change from among the printers displayed in the list.)
The reason and rationale to combine Ophardt, Nagata and Hotokeishi is the same as recited above.
As per Claim 3, Ophardt teaches: (Currently Amended) The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein,
in a case where execution of the maintenance performable ahead of schedule or the forward movable job is planned ahead of schedule, the processing circuitry is configured to: … to be displayed on a display device. (in at least [0025] The service function may, however, include additional considerations. As one example, it may be expected that there is, for example, in a future period, for example, a special event at a church facility during a weekday in which there will be increased usage of certain key dispensers of the dispensers in the facility. During the time that the special event is occurring, difficulties may arise in respect of the service personnel servicing the key dispenser. Prior to the special event, the method may on the mere criteria of servicing each dispenser before their respective fill time, not require filling of one of the key dispensers during the special event. In accordance with the present invention, the service function can, for example, shortly prior to the special event, require refilling of the key dispensers with a view to ensuring the key dispensers will, for a longer period of time during the special event and preferably for a time until after the special event, not require refilling. For example, prior to the special event, a key dispenser may be provided which has a refill value representing 20% of the capacity of the dispenser. Prior to the special event, the key dispenser may have 75% of its capacity available. While such key dispensers would not on the basis of a mere service function that provides for a filling of that dispenser before its respective refill time, select the key dispenser for refilling before the special event, due to the existence of the special event with the service function requiring refilling of the key dispenser to a 100% level as with a view to having the key dispenser have additional consumable product which may let the key dispenser have product for dispensing through the special event, or as far as possible in the special event or, preferably, until after the special event or at least with minimizing the number of times that that key dispenser might need to be refilled during the special event. [0248] In the facility (30) of FIG. 8, certain of the dispensers (12) are designated as key dispensers (12) and these dispensers are indicated as key dispensers (12) in FIG. 8 by having the upper case letter for each followed by an asterisk “*”. The key dispensers (12) may be selected as dispensers for which there might be expected to be increased usage during a period of time and for which it is desired that the key dispenser (12) have product as through the time of a special event or for as long as possible during the special event towards preventing or at least minimizing the key dispenser (12) becoming empty or needing to be refilled during the time of the special event. The facility (30) also has certain of the dispensers indicated as critical dispensers indicated on FIG. 8 at the placement of a plus sign “+” following the upper case letter for that dispenser as, for example, with the critical toilet paper dispenser being indicated as P+. These critical dispensers may be selected to cover emergency situations as which may arise, for example, to ensure there is at least toilet paper at some of the toilet paper dispensers in some of the washrooms. [0301] Special events include time periods when the facility (30) is subjected to different usage than normal, for example, high usage of the consumable products (13). Special events are estimated in advance and placed into the schedule in the back office application (18). If desired, the configuration of a facility (30) or the available range of dispensers (12) can be changed for a specific time frame relevant to a special event. [0305] The back office application (18) provides a real time status quo about the monitored entities. Facilities (30), washrooms (31), dispensers (12), service personnel (22), the consumable product used and accordingly the consumable product (13) at hand are preferably tracked and prepared for interactive analysis. [0306] The back room application (18) is preferably tailor-made for any facility manager (24) to provide the facility manager (24) with a simple web frontend to serve all their needs. For example, user-friendly configuration masks are used to show and configure each individual washroom (31) and/or dispenser (12) and to show the actual predicted or desired service levels for each. For example, reference is made to FIG. 6 showing a mask that shows two hypothetical washrooms WR1 and WR2, each with two dispensers D1 and D2 dispensing liquid soap and disinfectant, respectively, one paper towel dispenser T, one toilet paper dispenser P and one waste bin B and showing in a table for a given time the extent the consumable product in each dispenser, if full, as a percent. The table also shows the number of visitors to each washroom in a time period.)
Although implied, Ophardt in view of Nagata does not expressly disclose the following limitations, which however, are taught by Hotokeishi,
…in a case where execution of the maintenance performable ahead of schedule or the forward movable job is planned ahead of schedule, the processing circuitry is configured to: cause a plan change notification to be displayed on a display device…(in at least [0122] FIG. 12B illustrates an example of a warning output by the warning output unit 116. In the example shown in FIG. 12B, a message screen indicating that an existing schedule item exceeds a preset deadline as a result of an addition of a new schedule item is displayed as a warning. Specifically, the new schedule item is a schedule item for job A and the existing schedule item is either one of a schedule item for job 6 and a schedule item for job 7. When the operator selects a “NO” button 16 on the screen, the new schedule item is allocated, whereas the existing schedule item is not allocated, and the operation reception unit 115 becomes in a state where it accepts a change of schedule item. If the operator selects a “YES” button 17 on the screen, the existing schedule item is allocated in a state where it exceeds the preset deadline.)
The reason and rationale to combine Ophardt, Nagata and Hotokeishi is the same as recited above.
As per Claim 4, Ophardt teaches: (Currently Amended) The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein,
in a case where the number of users available to perform the maintenance is smaller than the required number of maintenance performers at the time when the plurality of maintenance schedules … and neither the maintenance performable ahead of schedule nor the forward movable job is present or execution of the maintenance performable ahead of schedule or the forward movable job is planned ahead of schedule, the processing circuitry is further configured to: … that a time during which the number of maintenance performers is insufficient is present. (in at least [0030] provide for servicing operations to cover emergency situations in which there may be a shortage of supply of product, unusual usage considerations, failure of certain dispensers to operate, the unavailability of service staff or the inability to reach certain of the dispensers. Such factors can be used to adapt these service functions so as, for example, to merely provide service operations to service critical dispensers. For example, critical dispensers might be characterized as being toilet paper dispensers in some or all of the washrooms being refilled by the refilled time yet letting other dispensers not being refilled and becoming empty.)
Although implied, Ophardt does not expressly disclose the following limitations, which however, are taught by Nagata,
… transmit a warning notification indicating … (in at least [0733] it is possible to recognize as a purchase action of the product-in-circulation on the basis of a notification of the data of the installed product-in-circulation if the data is new. Therefore, the arithmetic processing section does not need to execute charging and other unnecessary processes when the data indicates that the same product-in-circulation is installed again. [0830] The service provider 10 recovers the toner cartridge 60 which was used and replaced. For example, when the terminal station 12 detects from the data collecting section the toner cartridge (No. 1) which was used, instructions for recovering the toner cartridge (No. 1) are displayed on the output section 125 such as a CRT. Alternatively, the detection is notified to a terminal (not shown) which is connected to the local network 22. In this case, examples of a displayed message include “JUNE 1, USE OF TONER CARTRIDGE (0000 0000 0101 0000) BY THE CLIENT (USER ID: 000125) DETECTED”, and “RECOVER THE TONER CARTRIDGE”.)
The reason and rationale to combine Ophardt, and Nagata is the same as recited above.
Although implied, Ophardt in view of Nagata does not expressly disclose the following limitations, which however, are taught by Hotokeishi,
…plurality of maintenance schedules overlap…(in at least [0062] in FIG. 5A, “maintenance” is set between 10:00 and 11:00 on Mar. 13, 2018 as a schedule item of a printer A as a result of the operator performing the input process as in FIG. 4. Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIG. 5B, schedule items of the printer A for Mar. 13, 2018 are registered as a result of the operator setting other schedule items outside the operation period. In the example shown in FIG. 5B, “operation stoppage” is set between 0:00 and 8:00, “maintenance” is set between 8:00 and 9:00, 13:00 and 14:00, and 18:00 and 19:00, and “recess” is set between 12:00 and 13:00. The operation-period registration unit 111 registers the periods from 9:00 to 12:00, 14:00 to 18:00, and 19:00 to 24:00 as the operation periods of the printer A. [0074] in step S101, the operator performs an operation for changing a schedule item of step processing or an operation for adding a schedule item of step processing, so that the schedule allocation unit 113 acquires a new schedule item of step processing. Then, in step S102, the schedule allocation unit 113 determines whether or not the new schedule item partially or entirely overlaps with an already-registered existing schedule item. The existing schedule item includes a schedule item outside the step operation period and an already-registered schedule item of step processing. [0088] in FIGS. 8A to 8C, registered schedule items of the printer A include maintenance between 10:00 and 11:00 outside the operation period and printing based on job 1 between 13:00 and 14:00, as in FIG. 8A. [0093] in FIGS. 9A to 9C, registered schedule items of the printer A include maintenance between 11:00 and 12:00 outside the operation period and printing based on job 1 between 13:00 and 14:00, as in FIG. 9A. In a case where the operator changes the print schedule item for job 1 from the period between 13:00 and 14:00 to the period between 11:00 and 12:00 by performing a setting process as in the screen shown in FIG. 9B, the changed print schedule item overlaps with the maintenance schedule item between 11:00 and 12:00. In this case, it is determined whether to prioritize the print schedule item or the maintenance schedule item based on whether or not a checkmark exists in the checkbox 13.)
The reason and rationale to combine Ophardt, Nagata and Hotokeishi is the same as recited above.
As per Claim 5, Ophardt teaches: (Currently Amended) The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
register a schedule of the maintenance in a schedule of a user assigned as a user who performs maintenance work. (in at least [0219] The method preferably includes selecting the number of service personnel, and selecting a work shift schedule which establishes the start time and stop time of a work shift for each service personnel when each service personnel will be available for servicing. For example, the routes that are to be calculated and selected can have a one variable the number of service personnel available at any time. The calculation of any route may be performed firstly assuming but one service personnel, or with two personnel or with any number of personnel. The trial and error route calculations will be able to determine, for example, if it may be possible or impossible to service all dispensers for refilling before the refill times with calculations based on the availability of one, two or more service personnel over selected time periods. These time periods may be considered comprised of a work shift for each service personnel which work shifts have a shift start time and a shift end time and may be unique for each service personnel or may be similar time periods, for example, standard work shifts for a facility. The calculation of routes will provide for route selection preferably with an optimization of the number of service personnel working selected shifts with selected start and finish times. [0309] a forecast algorithm determines when the next refill/service route is needed and keep the service personnel (22) efficiently utilized.)
As per Claim 6, Ophardt teaches: (Currently Amended) The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
calculate the remaining amount of the consumable item immediately before a job is added to the one or more apparatuses to obtain a calculated remaining amount; and (in at least [0025] During the time that the special event is occurring, difficulties may arise in respect of the service personnel servicing the key dispenser. Prior to the special event, the method may on the mere criteria of servicing each dispenser before their respective fill time, not require filling of one of the key dispensers during the special event. In accordance with the present invention, the service function can, for example, shortly prior to the special event, require refilling of the key dispensers with a view to ensuring the key dispensers will, for a longer period of time during the special event and preferably for a time until after the special event, not require refilling. For example, prior to the special event, a key dispenser may be provided which has a refill value representing 20% of the capacity of the dispenser. Prior to the special event, the key dispenser may have 75% of its capacity available. While such key dispensers would not on the basis of a mere service function that provides for a filling of that dispenser before its respective refill time, select the key dispenser for refilling before the special event, due to the existence of the special event with the service function requiring refilling of the key dispenser to a 100% level as with a view to having the key dispenser have additional consumable product which may let the key dispenser have product for dispensing through the special event, or as far as possible in the special event or, preferably, until after the special event or at least with minimizing the number of times that that key dispenser might need to be refilled during the special event.)
plan the maintenance based on the calculated remaining amount and the calculated amount of consumption. (in at least [0025] During the time that the special event is occurring, difficulties may arise in respect of the service personnel servicing the key dispenser. Prior to the special event, the method may on the mere criteria of servicing each dispenser before their respective fill time, not require filling of one of the key dispensers during the special event. In accordance with the present invention, the service function can, for example, shortly prior to the special event, require refilling of the key dispensers with a view to ensuring the key dispensers will, for a longer period of time during the special event and preferably for a time until after the special event, not require refilling. For example, prior to the special event, a key dispenser may be provided which has a refill value representing 20% of the capacity of the dispenser. Prior to the special event, the key dispenser may have 75% of its capacity available. While such key dispensers would not on the basis of a mere service function that provides for a filling of that dispenser before its respective refill time, select the key dispenser for refilling before the special event, due to the existence of the special event with the service function requiring refilling of the key dispenser to a 100% level as with a view to having the key dispenser have additional consumable product which may let the key dispenser have product for dispensing through the special event, or as far as possible in the special event or, preferably, until after the special event or at least with minimizing the number of times that that key dispenser might need to be refilled during the special event.)
As per Claim 8, Ophardt teaches: (Currently Amended) An information processing device, comprising: ([0257][0303])
a first memory configured to record … job information of a plurality of … apparatuses including a replaceable consumable item; (in at least [0303][0182] a dispenser with real time sensing of the amount of consumable product in the dispenser is known with the passage of time and, at any time, the rate at which consumable product has been dispensed with time can be used to predict based on historical data when the consumable product in the dispenser at any time may be expected to be reduced to nil at some future time. [0241] A dispenser (12) transfers usage data with time preferably after each activation. A quality of service message including equipment status information of the dispenser (12) preferably is sent at regular time intervals.)
processing circuitry configured to, ([0257][0303])
calculate an amount of the consumable item consumed by execution of a … job of the plurality of … apparatuses based on the … job information to obtain a calculated amount of consumption consumed by the execution of the … job; (in at least [0182] a dispenser with real time sensing of the amount of consumable product in the dispenser is known with the passage of time and, at any time, the rate at which consumable product has been dispensed with time can be used to predict based on historical data when the consumable product in the dispenser at any time may be expected to be reduced to nil at some future time. [0241] A dispenser (12) transfers usage data with time preferably after each activation. A quality of service message including equipment status information of the dispenser (12) preferably is sent at regular time intervals.)
calculate a remaining amount of the consumable item based on a detection results obtained from a sensor included in the plurality of … apparatuses; (in at least [0023] Dispensers, in accordance with the present invention, preferably have a system for monitoring the amount of consumable product available for use in the dispenser. Preferably, the sensors for monitoring the supply of consumable products in each dispenser is a real time sensor which can provide preferably by wireless communication information to a server regarding the consumable product in the dispenser. [0182] For each dispenser, the consumable product in the dispenser is determined at a point in time. For example, preferably, the dispenser has a sensor that measures the amount of the consumable product in the dispenser at a known time and, for example, communicates this data to a central computer or processor. Preferably, the sensor measures the amount of consumable product in the dispenser in real time and communicates to the computer in real time. As another example, the dispenser may be filled to a known level with the consumable product by a service personnel, often to the maximum capacity for the dispenser and the service personnel communicates the filling, the level to which there is filling and the time of filling to the computer. For each dispenser, the consumption of its consumable product is determined at different points in time. The consumption represents the reduction of the consumable product in the dispenser with time. With a dispenser with real time sensing of the amount of consumable product in the dispenser is known with the passage of time and, at any time, the rate at which consumable product has been dispensed with time can be used to predict based on historical data when the consumable product in the dispenser at any time may be expected to be reduced to nil at some future time. [0355] Various dispensers and dispenser arrangements are well known which provide for sensing as of the consumable product in a dispenser, for example, fluid remaining in a fluid dispenser and the amount of paper remaining as in a paper towel dispenser or a toilet paper dispenser.)
plan maintenance for replacement of the consumable item based on the remaining amount of the consumable item and the calculated amount of consumption to prevent the remaining amount of the consumable item from being equal to or smaller than a desired value; and (in at least [0019] establishing for each dispenser a refill time when the consumable product available in each dispenser is expected to reach the refill value as a function of the predictive consumption profile for that dispenser, [0146] “establishing a route for each service personnel by selecting successive pathways for each service personnel to travel along to service dispensers as a function which (a) minimizes the sum of the travel times of the pathways of the route and the service times for each dispenser serviced, (b) provides for service of each of the dispensers either: before the consumable product available in any dispenser is expected to reach the refill value, or to minimize the length of time that all dispensers of the same type in the same washroom are simultaneously in the refill value or below.)
a second memory configured to stores a maintenance information value table including, for each type of the maintenance, a time required for the maintenance, required number of maintenance performers, and whether the maintenance is performable ahead of schedule, and (in at least [0303][0025] Prior to the special event, the method may on the mere criteria of servicing each dispenser before their respective fill time, not require filling of one of the key dispensers during the special event. In accordance with the present invention, the service function can, for example, shortly prior to the special event, require refilling of the key dispensers with a view to ensuring the key dispensers will, for a longer period of time during the special event and preferably for a time until after the special event, not require refilling. For example, prior to the special event, a key dispenser may be provided which has a refill value representing 20% of the capacity of the dispenser. Prior to the special event, the key dispenser may have 75% of its capacity available. While such key dispensers would not on the basis of a mere service function that provides for a filling of that dispenser before its respective refill time, select the key dispenser for refilling before the special event, due to the existence of the special event with the service function requiring refilling of the key dispenser to a 100% level as with a view to having the key dispenser have additional consumable product which may let the key dispenser have product for dispensing through the special event, or as far as possible in the special event or, preferably, until after the special event or at least with minimizing the number of times that that key dispenser might need to be refilled during the special event. [0203] selecting the number of service personnel, and selecting a work shift schedule which establishes a start time and stop time of a work shift for each service personnel when each service personnel will be available for servicing, and periodically establishing a cost per shift of each service personnel, and in a calculation step performing an optimizing calculation which over a selected period of time for the servicing of all dispensers determines the routes required to service all dispensers and a sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel, having regard to a selected input matrix of values for the capacity of each dispenser, the refill value for each dispenser, the number of service personnel, the shifts, and the start and stop times for the shifts. The calculation step includes repeatedly varying the selected input matrix values and repeating the calculation step, with a comparing of the sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel for each calculation step and identifying one of the selected input matrix values as an optimum input matrix values that minimizes the sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel. Preferably, the method includes modifying the method to adopt the optimum input matrix values including modifying the dispensers to provide for the optimum capacity of each dispenser if different than the then existing capacity of each dispenser, and operating the facility with the selected input matrix values for the refill value for each dispenser, number of service personnel, the shifts, and the start and stop times for the shifts. [0219] Calculations can be performed with a modified hypothetical matrix values including the additional capacity of the one dispenser and/or the additional dispensers, calculations of routes required and the time of personnel and costs recalculated to determine if more favourable servicing results as to cost or personnel required or other factors and functions. Similarly, by the selective varying of the matrix values of a facility by trial and error calculations, not only can optimized servicing routes, personnel and costing be selected by the location and number of dispensers and the like can be selected towards optimization as desired.)
the processing circuitry being further configured to plan maintenance performable ahead of schedule in a case where number of users available to perform the maintenance is smaller than the required number of maintenance performers at a time when a plurality of maintenance schedules … and the maintenance performable ahead of schedule is present, based on the maintenance information value table. (in at least [0025] Prior to the special event, the method may on the mere criteria of servicing each dispenser before their respective fill time, not require filling of one of the key dispensers during the special event. In accordance with the present invention, the service function can, for example, shortly prior to the special event, require refilling of the key dispensers with a view to ensuring the key dispensers will, for a longer period of time during the special event and preferably for a time until after the special event, not require refilling. For example, prior to the special event, a key dispenser may be provided which has a refill value representing 20% of the capacity of the dispenser. Prior to the special event, the key dispenser may have 75% of its capacity available. While such key dispensers would not on the basis of a mere service function that provides for a filling of that dispenser before its respective refill time, select the key dispenser for refilling before the special event, due to the existence of the special event with the service function requiring refilling of the key dispenser to a 100% level as with a view to having the key dispenser have additional consumable product which may let the key dispenser have product for dispensing through the special event, or as far as possible in the special event or, preferably, until after the special event or at least with minimizing the number of times that that key dispenser might need to be refilled during the special event. [0203] selecting the number of service personnel, and selecting a work shift schedule which establishes a start time and stop time of a work shift for each service personnel when each service personnel will be available for servicing, and periodically establishing a cost per shift of each service personnel, and in a calculation step performing an optimizing calculation which over a selected period of time for the servicing of all dispensers determines the routes required to service all dispensers and a sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel, having regard to a selected input matrix of values for the capacity of each dispenser, the refill value for each dispenser, the number of service personnel, the shifts, and the start and stop times for the shifts. The calculation step includes repeatedly varying the selected input matrix values and repeating the calculation step, with a comparing of the sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel for each calculation step and identifying one of the selected input matrix values as an optimum input matrix values that minimizes the sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel. Preferably, the method includes modifying the method to adopt the optimum input matrix values including modifying the dispensers to provide for the optimum capacity of each dispenser if different than the then existing capacity of each dispenser, and operating the facility with the selected input matrix values for the refill value for each dispenser, number of service personnel, the shifts, and the start and stop times for the shifts. [0219] The optimization may be arranged with the trial and error calculations including minimizing the number of personnel and/or the cost. Preferably, the method includes periodically establishing a cost per shift of each service personnel, and a calculation step of performing an optimizing calculation which over a selected period of time for the servicing of all dispensers or other service operations determines the routes required to service all dispensers and/or perform all desired service operations and a sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel, having regard to a selected input matrix of values including at least some of the capacity of each dispenser, the refill value for each dispenser, the number of service personnel, the shifts, and the start and stop times for the shifts…Calculations can be performed with a modified hypothetical matrix values including the additional capacity of the one dispenser and/or the additional dispensers, calculations of routes required and the time of personnel and costs recalculated to determine if more favourable servicing results as to cost or personnel required or other factors and functions. Similarly, by the selective varying of the matrix values of a facility by trial and error calculations, not only can optimized servicing routes, personnel and costing be selected by the location and number of dispensers and the like can be selected towards optimization as desired. [0301] Special events include time periods when the facility (30) is subjected to different usage than normal, for example, high usage of the consumable products (13). Special events are estimated in advance and placed into the schedule in the back office application (18). If desired, the configuration of a facility (30) or the available range of dispensers (12) can be changed for a specific time frame relevant to a special event.)
Although implied, Ophardt does not expressly disclose the following limitations, which however, are taught by Nagata,
…print job… (in at least [1235] In the collating process of the present embodiment, it is determined if the toner cartridge 60 installed in the image forming apparatus 2 by the contract signer 1 is original or imitative in the terminal station of the service provider 10 via the network. As a result of the foregoing collating process performed at the terminal station 12, if it is determined that the toner cartridge 60 installed in the image forming apparatus 2 is original, the image forming apparatus 2 is permitted to perform a printing operation)
…image forming apparatuses… (in at least [1235] In the collating process of the present embodiment, it is determined if the toner cartridge 60 installed in the image forming apparatus 2 by the contract signer 1 is original or imitative in the terminal station of the service provider 10 via the network. As a result of the foregoing collating process performed at the terminal station 12, if it is determined that the toner cartridge 60 installed in the image forming apparatus 2 is original, the image forming apparatus 2 is permitted to perform a printing operation)
…calculate a remaining amount of the consumable item based on a detection results obtained from a sensor included in the plurality of image forming apparatuses… (in at least [0754] The following describes a structure of an image forming apparatus 2 on the side of a contract signer 1, with reference to FIG. 35. The image forming apparatus 2 includes, in addition to the structure described in FIG. 1, a sensor circuit 91 and a remaining amount detecting section 92 for detecting the amount of remaining toner in the cartridge 60. The controller section 3 controls both the sensor circuit 91 and the remaining amount detecting section 92. [0757] The remaining amount detecting section 92 is for detecting the amount of toner being used. For example, detection may be carried out by directly measuring the amount of remaining toner, for example, by measuring a change in mass using a mass sensor, or by measuring a change in thickness of a toner layer using a displacement sensor. Alternatively, the amount of toner being used may be detected indirectly by measuring test toner density on a photosensitive drum or a developing roller, or by estimating the amount of consumed toner by calculation, using such data as the number of prints made.)
The reason and rationale to combine Ophardt and Nagata is the same as recited above.
Although implied, Ophardt in view of Nagata does not expressly disclose the following limitations, which however, are taught by Hotokeishi,
…a plurality of maintenance schedules overlap…(in at least [0062] in FIG. 5A, “maintenance” is set between 10:00 and 11:00 on Mar. 13, 2018 as a schedule item of a printer A as a result of the operator performing the input process as in FIG. 4. Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIG. 5B, schedule items of the printer A for Mar. 13, 2018 are registered as a result of the operator setting other schedule items outside the operation period. In the example shown in FIG. 5B, “operation stoppage” is set between 0:00 and 8:00, “maintenance” is set between 8:00 and 9:00, 13:00 and 14:00, and 18:00 and 19:00, and “recess” is set between 12:00 and 13:00. The operation-period registration unit 111 registers the periods from 9:00 to 12:00, 14:00 to 18:00, and 19:00 to 24:00 as the operation periods of the printer A. [0074] in step S101, the operator performs an operation for changing a schedule item of step processing or an operation for adding a schedule item of step processing, so that the schedule allocation unit 113 acquires a new schedule item of step processing. Then, in step S102, the schedule allocation unit 113 determines whether or not the new schedule item partially or entirely overlaps with an already-registered existing schedule item. The existing schedule item includes a schedule item outside the step operation period and an already-registered schedule item of step processing. [0088] in FIGS. 8A to 8C, registered schedule items of the printer A include maintenance between 10:00 and 11:00 outside the operation period and printing based on job 1 between 13:00 and 14:00, as in FIG. 8A. [0093] in FIGS. 9A to 9C, registered schedule items of the printer A include maintenance between 11:00 and 12:00 outside the operation period and printing based on job 1 between 13:00 and 14:00, as in FIG. 9A. In a case where the operator changes the print schedule item for job 1 from the period between 13:00 and 14:00 to the period between 11:00 and 12:00 by performing a setting process as in the screen shown in FIG. 9B, the changed print schedule item overlaps with the maintenance schedule item between 11:00 and 12:00. In this case, it is determined whether to prioritize the print schedule item or the maintenance schedule item based on whether or not a checkmark exists in the checkbox 13.)
The reason and rationale to combine Ophardt, Nagata, Hotokeishi is the same as recited above.
As per Claim 16, Although implied, Ophardt does not expressly disclose the following limitations, which however, are taught by Nagata, (New) The information processing system according to claim 1,
wherein the consumable item is at least one of: toner, ink, a photoconductor, a part of a transfer unit, a roller, or any combinations thereof. (in at least [0754] The following describes a structure of an image forming apparatus 2 on the side of a contract signer 1, with reference to FIG. 35. The image forming apparatus 2 includes, in addition to the structure described in FIG. 1, a sensor circuit 91 and a remaining amount detecting section 92 for detecting the amount of remaining toner in the cartridge 60. The controller section 3 controls both the sensor circuit 91 and the remaining amount detecting section 92. [0757] The remaining amount detecting section 92 is for detecting the amount of toner being used. For example, detection may be carried out by directly measuring the amount of remaining toner, for example, by measuring a change in mass using a mass sensor, or by measuring a change in thickness of a toner layer using a displacement sensor. Alternatively, the amount of toner being used may be detected indirectly by measuring test toner density on a photosensitive drum or a developing roller, or by estimating the amount of consumed toner by calculation, using such data as the number of prints made.)
The reason and rationale to combine Ophardt and Nagata is the same as recited above.
As per Claim 17, Although implied, Ophardt does not expressly disclose the following limitations, which however, are taught by Nagata, (New) The information processing system according to claim 1,
wherein the sensor is at least one of: a weight sensor, a distance sensor, an optical sensor, a camera, or any combinations thereof. (in at least [0754] The following describes a structure of an image forming apparatus 2 on the side of a contract signer 1, with reference to FIG. 35. The image forming apparatus 2 includes, in addition to the structure described in FIG. 1, a sensor circuit 91 and a remaining amount detecting section 92 for detecting the amount of remaining toner in the cartridge 60. The controller section 3 controls both the sensor circuit 91 and the remaining amount detecting section 92. [0757] The remaining amount detecting section 92 is for detecting the amount of toner being used. For example, detection may be carried out by directly measuring the amount of remaining toner, for example, by measuring a change in mass using a mass sensor, or by measuring a change in thickness of a toner layer using a displacement sensor. Alternatively, the amount of toner being used may be detected indirectly by measuring test toner density on a photosensitive drum or a developing roller, or by estimating the amount of consumed toner by calculation, using such data as the number of prints made.)
The reason and rationale to combine Ophardt and Nagata is the same as recited above.
As per Claim 7, 9-15 for a method (see at least Ophardt [0196]), respectively, substantially recite the subject matter of Claim 1-6, 16-17 and are rejected based on the same reasoning and rationale.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PO HAN MAX LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-3821. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Thurs 8:00 am - 7:00 pm.
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/PO HAN LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3623
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