DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/04/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding the amendments, Applicant argues:
“As described in paragraph [0036] of Kuroki, "Further, a user inputting unit 205 performs a process of accepting an input from the user of the still image/moving image sharing service according to the present embodiment when the user wishes to set a new sorting rule." (Emphasis added.) That is, the input is accepted when a new sorting rule is generated. Paragraphs [0038]- [0042] describe that sorting conditions are "input" into input fields 401-404 in the sorting rule settings window 400. Therefore, as understood by Applicant, the sorting rule settings window 400 shown in Figure 4 of Kuroki is designed to accept user input when generating a new sorting rule. Furthermore, the sorting rule setting window 400 includes "IMAGE IS SENT TO" portion where the image's destination can be designated. Applicant submits that the sorting rule setting window 400 in Figure 4 of Kuroki is described as a screen where both the generation of sorting conditions and the association of those conditions to be generated with a destination are performed within a single screen. Kuroki does not describe a screen that allows the selection of sorting condition generated in advance by the user.
Kuroki fails to disclose or suggest at least a screen that includes an area representing a sortation condition generated in advance by a user and which is a screen on which the user can select a sortation condition to be associated with a transfer destination from among a plurality of sortation conditions including the sortation condition generated in advance by the user, as is recited in independent Claims 1, 19, and 20.” (see page 11 -13 of the remarks); the Examiner respectfully disagrees.
While paragraph [0037] discloses use of a displayed interface for setting a new sorting rule, the Examiner disagrees that KUROKI fails to disclose sortation conditions including the sortation condition generated in advance by the user. As shown of paragraph [0042], “[t]he user designates the conditions for transmitting both or one of the image and the analysis result to the external web service, by designating one or more of the conditions input to the fields 401 to 404.” (i.e. defined sorting conditions are set in advance by the user). This is further seen on paragraph [0067] “[w]hen the sorting rule has already been set by the user to the relevant external web service, the external web service having the next highest utilization ratio is selected, and finally one external web service is selected.”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Regarding claim 1, KUROKI discloses an image transfer apparatus for transferring a received image to a transfer destination (abstract), the image transfer apparatus comprising: a management unit 204, 207,604, 607 configured to manage first information in which sortation conditions to sort the received image are held (Figure 3, 6; paragraph 36-40,51-53, 81-85); a display control unit configured to display a screen configured to associate a sortation condition selected by a user from among the plurality sortation conditions included in the first information with a transfer destination selected by the user (Figure 4-6; paragraph 36-40,51-53, 81-85); and a transfer unit 206 configured to transfer the received image to a specified transfer destination (paragraph 42-47, 51, 81), wherein the screen includes an area representing a sortation condition generated in advance by the user and is a screen on which the user can select a sortation condition to be associated with the transfer destination from among the plurality of sortation conditions including the sortation condition generated in advance by the user (paragraph 36-40, 49-51, 66-68; “[w]hen the sorting rule has already been set by the user to the relevant external web service, the external web service having the next highest utilization ratio is selected, and finally one external web service is selected).
Regarding claim 2, see the rejections of the parent claim concerning the subject matter this claim is dependent upon. KUROKI further discloses wherein the transfer unit transfers the received image to the specified transfer destination in a case where the received image matches a sortation condition associated with the specified transfer destination, or does not transfer the received image to the specified transfer destination in a case where the received image does not match the sortation condition associated with the specified transfer destination (paragraph 49-51, 66-68).
Regarding claim 3, see the rejections of the parent claim concerning the subject matter this claim is dependent upon. KUROKI further discloses wherein the management unit further manages second information in which values representing transfer destinations are held, and associates a sortation condition selected by the user from among the plurality of sortation conditions included in the first information is associated with a value representing a transfer destination selected by the user from among values representing transfer destinations included in the second information. (paragraph 49-51, 66-68).
Regarding claim 4, see the rejections of the parent claim concerning the subject matter this claim is dependent upon. KUROKI further discloses wherein the management unit further manages second information in which relational information is held, the relational information being combination of a sortation condition selected by the user from among the sortation conditions held in the first information and a transfer destination selected by the user (paragraph 49-51, 66-68).
Regarding claim 5, see the rejections of the parent claim concerning the subject matter this claim is dependent upon. KUROKI further discloses wherein the management unit further manages a value representing a user who uses the image transfer apparatus, and the relational information in the second information is further associated with the value representing the user (paragraph 24-30, 38-40).
Regarding claim 6, see the rejections of the parent claim concerning the subject matter this claim is dependent upon. KUROKI further discloses wherein each sortation condition is constituted by at least one sortation item, and an image matches the sortation condition in a case where a value of the sortation item constituting the sortation condition matches an analysis result of the image (paragraph 47, 68-72).
Regarding claim 7, see the rejections of the parent claim concerning the subject matter this claim is dependent upon. KUROKI further discloses wherein the sortation item constituting the sortation condition includes at least one of an item for sorting an image including an object of a specified classification, an item related to image capturing information, and an item related to an image state (paragraph 47, 68-72).
Regarding claim 11, see the rejections of the parent claim concerning the subject matter this claim is dependent upon. KUROKI further discloses further comprising a generation unit configured to generate sortation conditions in advance based on an input from a user, wherein the plurality of sortation conditions generated based on the input from the user are held in the first information (paragraph 36-42, 67).
Regarding claim 12, see the rejections of the parent claim concerning the subject matter this claim is dependent upon. KUROKI further discloses further comprising a control unit configured to control a display unit 209 to display a first screen that accepts an input from the user to generate the sortation conditions in advanced, wherein the first screen is a screen on which the user can input values of a predestinated subset of specified sortation items or a screen on which the user can input a value of a sortation item selected by the user from among the specified sortation items (Figure 4; paragraph 35-41).
Regarding claim 13, see the rejections of the parent claim concerning the subject matter this claim is dependent upon. KUROKI further discloses wherein the specified sortation item includes an item for sorting an image including an object of a specified classification, an item related to image capturing information, and an item related to an image state (paragraph 47, 68-72).
Regarding claim 14, see the rejections of the parent claim concerning the subject matter this claim is dependent upon. KUROKI further discloses further comprising a sortation unit configured to determine whether the received image matches a sortation condition held in the first information (paragraph 22, 28-30, 36).
Regarding claim 15, see the rejections of the parent claim concerning the subject matter this claim is dependent upon. KUROKI further discloses further comprising a writing unit configured to write information for identifying a sortation condition that matches the received image to metadata of the received image (paragraph 20-22, 37-45).
Regarding claim 16, see the rejections of the parent claim concerning the subject matter this claim is dependent upon. KUROKI further discloses further comprising a writing unit configured to write information of a sortation item constituting a sortation condition that matches the received image to metadata of the received image (paragraph 20-22, 37-45).
Regarding claim 18, see the rejections of the parent claim concerning the subject matter this claim is dependent upon. KUROKI further discloses wherein the image is a still image or a moving image (abstract).
Regarding claim 19, KUROKI discloses a control method for an image transfer apparatus for transferring a received image to a transfer destination (abstract), the control method comprising: managing first information in which a plurality of sortation conditions to sort the received image are held (Figure 3, 6; paragraph 36-40,51-53, 81-85); displaying a screen to associate a sortation condition selected by a user from among the plurality of sortation conditions included in the first information with a transfer destination selected by the user (Figure 3, 6; paragraph 36-40,51-53, 81-85); and transferring the received image to a specified transfer destination (paragraph 42-47, 51, 81, wherein the screen includes an area representing a sortation condition generated in advance by the user and is a screen on which the user can select a sortation condition to be associated with the transfer destination from among the plurality of sortation conditions including the sortation condition generated in advance by the user (paragraph 36-40, 49-51, 66-68; “[w]hen the sorting rule has already been set by the user to the relevant external web service, the external web service having the next highest utilization ratio is selected, and finally one external web service is selected).
Regarding claim 20, KUROKI disclose a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program which causes a computer to perform a control method for an image transfer apparatus for transferring a received image to a transfer destination (abstract), the control method comprising: managing first information in which a plurality of sortation conditions to sort the received image are held (Figure 3, 6; paragraph 36-40,51-53, 81-85); displaying a screen to associate a sortation condition selected by a user from among the plurality of sortation conditions included in the first information with a transfer destination selected by the user (Figure 3, 6; paragraph 36-40,51-53, 81-85); and transferring the received image to a specified transfer destination (paragraph 42-47, 51, 81, wherein the screen includes an area representing a sortation condition generated in advance by the user and is a screen on which the user can select a sortation condition to be associated with the transfer destination from among the plurality of sortation conditions including the sortation condition generated in advance by the user (paragraph 36-40, 49-51, 66-68; “[w]hen the sorting rule has already been set by the user to the relevant external web service, the external web service having the next highest utilization ratio is selected, and finally one external web service is selected).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 8, 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KUROKI et al (US 2013/0051687) in view of MATSUSHITA et al (US 2021/0250449).
Regarding claim 8, see the rejections of the parent claim concerning the subject matter this claim is dependent upon. However, KUROKI does not expressly disclose wherein the item related to an image state includes a sortation item related to at least one of image blur, exposure degree, and image tilt. In a similar field of endeavor, MATSUSHITA discloses wherein the item related to an image state includes a sortation item related to at least one of image blur, exposure degree, and image tilt (paragraph 79). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify KUROKI to include the teachings of MATSUSHITA, since MATSUSHITA states that such modification would allow candidate images to be sent based on a defined image characteristic. Furthermore, as both inventions are analogous, such a modification would provide additional sorting based on those disclosed by MATSUSHITA.
Regarding claim 9, see the rejections of the parent claim concerning the subject matter this claim is dependent upon. However, KUROKI does not expressly disclose wherein the item related to image capturing information includes a sortation item related to at least one of type of image capturing device, type of image, rating information, start date and time of an image capturing time range, end date and time of the image capturing time range, multiple exposure image capturing, continuous image capturing, lens used, scene mode, image capturing mode, strobe light emission state, recording quality, DPRAW, aspect ratio, exposure metering mode, white balance, and color reproduction parameter. In a similar field of endeavor, MATSUSHITA discloses wherein the item related to image capturing information includes a sortation item related to at least one of type of type of image, rating information, image capturing mode, recording quality, white balance, and color reproduction parameter (paragraph 79). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify KUROKI to include the teachings of MATSUSHITA, since MATSUSHITA states that such modification would allow candidate images to be sent based on a defined image characteristic. Furthermore, as both inventions are analogous, such a modification would provide additional sorting based on those disclosed by MATSUSHITA. However, the combination of KUROKI and MATSUSHITA does not expressly disclose image capturing device, start date and time of an image capturing time range, end date and time of the image capturing time range, multiple exposure image capturing, continuous image capturing, lens used, scene mode, strobe light emission state, recording quality, DPRAW, aspect ratio, exposure metering mode. In a similar field of endeavor, MATSUSHITA discloses wherein the item related to image capturing information includes a sortation item related to at least one of type of type of image, rating information, image capturing mode, recording quality, white balance, and color reproduction parameter. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to include such sorting characteristics, since the use of any parameter used for an image evaluation would be design choice based parameters deemed relevant by system design.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KUROKI et al (US 2013/0051687).
Regarding claim 10, see the rejections of the parent claim concerning the subject matter this claim is dependent upon. KUROKI further discloses wherein the specified classification includes at least one of person, living being, animal, dog, cat, bird, plant, vehicle, car, train, airplane, food, mountain, sea, and still object (paragraph 30, 58, 70, 71). However, KUROKI does not expressly disclose sport, building, and night scene. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to include such sorting characteristics, since the use of any parameter used for an image evaluation would be design choice based parameters deemed relevant by system design. Furthermore, as any type of scene information can be record, any known scene would be implicitly relevant within the parameters of KUROKI.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KUROKI et al (US 2013/0051687) in view of LEE et al (US 2010/0238191).
Regarding claim 17, see the rejections of the parent claim concerning the subject matter this claim is dependent upon. KOUROKI further discloses further comprising a display control unit configured to cause a display unit to display a second screen for a user to select a sortation condition to be associated with a transfer destination selected by the user (paragraph 42-47, 51, 81). However, KUROKI does not expressly disclose wherein sortation conditions displayed to be selected by the user are displayed on the screen in an order based on a history of the sortation conditions once associated with the transfer destination selected by the user. In a similar field of endeavor, LEE discloses, wherein sortation conditions displayed to be selected by the user are displayed on the second screen in an order based on a history of the sortation conditions once associated with the transfer destination selected by the user (Figure 1, 2, 5; paragraph 21, 22). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify KUROKI to include the teachings of LEE, since LEE states that such modification would allow organization of images based on extracted features. Furthermore as both inventions are analogous, such a modification would provide additional image management based on those disclosed by LEE.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARIEL A BALAOING whose telephone number is (571)272-7317. The examiner can normally be reached 8AM-4AM M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Eason can be reached at (571) 270-7230. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ARIEL A BALAOING/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2624
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