Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3,5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Otsuka (U.S. 2007/0087778).
Otsuka teach a communication system (see Fig.1) including a multi-function peripheral device MFP connected to a plurality of devices 30a, 30b,40a,40b (terminal devices); a communication interface 18,19,20 which are connected to the plurality of devices via wired or wireless signal lines; an communication setting memory 16a (Fig.2) having first storage units 5 and 6 to store setting information (TCP/IP, SMTP, POP3, NetBios, Netware, Netware Control, Apple Talk, and Notifications) to be sent from the communication interfaces to the plurality of devices and a second storage unit 8 to store control information indicating the operating mode of the communication interface; a processor 11 to control operations of the communication system including the control information stored in the second memory; the first storage units 5 and 6 both store common setting information 7 to be applied in common to the plurality of devices and individual separate setting information (TCP/IP information) to be applied separately to the plurality of devices. See par. 40-46
In a case where the control information written in the second storage unit includes a first value indicating a first operation mode (expert setting mode), separate setting information which is set in the communication setting screen (Fig.8) will be read out from the first storage unit and communicated to the plurality of devices and in a case where the control information written in the second storage unit includes a second value indicating a second operation mode (easy setting mode), common setting information will be read out from the first storage unit and communicated to the plurality of devices. See par. 48-52; Fig.6 where the setting mode can be set for a common “easy” setting mode or a separate individual “expert” setting mode, and Fig.7, steps S12-S15.
Regarding claim 2, if the control information indicates the second value (common setting mode), a portion or part of any separate individual setting information previously stored will be overwritten by the common settings and the common settings and any remaining individual settings which were not overwritten (i.e. TCP/IP settings) will be sent to the plurality of devices.
Regarding claim 3, the plurality of devices will receive the setting information from storage areas 5 and 6 via the communication interfaces and are sent according to a certain format (series of data bits) which is independent/separate from which operating mode (easy or expert) the communication system is in as stored by a second value in memory area 8.
Regarding claim 5, the first storage units 5, 6 and the second storage unit 8 are different storage areas in the same register 16a (see Fig.2).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 4 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Otsuka (U.S. 2007/0087778).
Otsuka taught supra discloses all that is claimed except the common setting information is sent at a predefined signal position in the signal format and the communication interface and register (first and second memories) are implemented on a first board and the processor is implemented on a second different board.
However, it is notoriously well known in the art to send data information (which would include Otsuka’s setting information) as a signal in a binary format and that specific addresses (signal positions) in the binary signal would necessarily have to include the same type of data (i.e. setting data) so that the processor would know which data is being sent (data information cannot be sent randomly) of which the examiner takes Official Notice.
In addition, the examiner takes Official Notice that it is notoriously well known in the art to locate the processor on a separate control circuit board from other components (such as the communication interfaces and memory) so as to make the apparatus more compact (instead of one long circuit board, a number of circuit boards can be overlapped to make a more compact apparatus) and additionally, separating the components such as processor and memories on separate boards would allow easier maintenance (such as replacing the memory).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-12 are allowable over the prior art of record.
The applicant claims an image forming apparatus having a plurality of light emitting arrays in which a communication system writes common or separate information regarding settings of the plurality of light emitting arrays according to a first or second operation modes (essentially claim 1 being limited to an image forming apparatus having a plurality of light emitting arrays) which is not taught, suggested or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Tanaka and Mashimo teach image forming apparatus using light emitting arrays using a plurality of memories for setting information however they do not teach the sending of common or separate setting information according to a selected mode.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT B BEATTY whose telephone number is (571) 272-2130. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F from 7 to 3.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Stephanie Bloss, can be reached on (571) 272-3555. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-2130.
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/ROBERT B BEATTY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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