DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Agrawal et al. (US 20240331426 A1, hereafter Agrawal).
Regarding claim 1, Agrawal teaches an image processing apparatus that generates connection information for a connection to an access point as a code image that is readable by a terminal device (Figs. 1 and 2, [0011], [0021], [0028]-[0029], where the device captures code images and displays the processed code images), the image processing apparatus comprising:
a display (104) that displays the generated code image (Figs. 1 and 2, [0011], [0021], [0028]-[0029], where the display 104 captures code images and displays the code image); and
one or more controllers that control display of the code image on the display (Figs. 1 and 2, [0016]-[0017], where the display 104 displays the code images, being controlled by the processing system 106),
wherein the one or more controllers display, on the display, a first code image (306) including connection information for the terminal device to connect to the image processing apparatus serving as an access point and a second code image (308) including connection information for the terminal device to connect to an access point other than the image processing apparatus, regardless of whether the function of the image processing apparatus as an access point is enabled or disabled (Fig. 3, [0042], where the computing device displays code images 306 and 308, which acts as access points to retrieve data from an online store and where the second code image is tied to an access point that is disabled because of incompatibility).
Regarding claim 2, Agrawal teaches the image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers display the first code image and the second code image in a distinguishable manner according to the access point set as a connection destination of the terminal device (Fig. 3, [0042], [0059]-[0060], where the QR codes 306 and 308 may be labeled with additional display information based on context).
Regarding claim 3, Agrawal teaches the image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an additional image is added to the code image and displayed, and the one or more controllers display the first code image and the second code image in a distinguishable manner, based on a display mode of the additional image (Fig. 3, [0042], [0059]-[0060], where the QR codes 306 and 308 may be labeled with additional display information based on context).
Regarding claim 4, Agrawal teaches the image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the additional image is a frame image forming a display frame of the code image, and the one or more controllers display the first code image and the second code image in a distinguishable manner, based on a size of the frame image as a display mode of the additional image (Figs. 6 and 7, [0058]-[0059], [0062]-[0063], where tiles framing the code image are displayed and the tiles may be of different sizes for different code images).
Regarding claim 5, Agrawal teaches the image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the one or more controllers display the frame image added to the first code image to be larger than the frame image added to the second code image when the connection destination of the terminal device is set to the image processing apparatus serving as an access point, and display the frame image added to the second code image to be larger than the frame image added to the first code image when the connection destination of the terminal device is set to an access point other than the image processing apparatus (Figs. 6 and 7, [0058]-[0059], [0062]-[0063], where tiles framing the code image are displayed and the tiles may be of different sizes for different code images, where the area afforded to a tile expands to hold more information).
Regarding claim 6, Agrawal teaches the image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the one or more controllers display the frame image added to the first code image and the frame image added to the second code image at different display positions (Figs. 6 and 7, where the tiles are displayed at different display positions).
Regarding claim 7, Agrawal teaches a system comprising:
an image processing apparatus (Figs. 1 and 2, [0015], [0019]-[0020], where there is a camera and display for processing and displaying images); and
a terminal device capable of connecting to the image processing apparatus via an access point (Figs. 1, 2, and 10, [0017], [0022], [0076], where the device uses the processed image to connect to an external access point such as an online store or payment processor),
wherein the image processing apparatus includes
a generator that generates connection information for a connection to the access point as a code image (Figs. 1 and 2, [0011], [0021], [0028]-[0029], where the device captures code images and displays the processed code images),
a display (104) that displays the generated code image (Figs. 1 and 2, [0011], [0021], [0028]-[0029], where the display 104 captures code images and displays the code image), and
one or more controllers that control display of the code image on the display (Figs. 1 and 2, [0016]-[0017], where the display 104 displays the code images, being controlled by the processing system 106),
the one or more controllers display, on the display, a first code image (306) including connection information for the terminal device to connect to the image processing apparatus serving as an access point and a second code image (308) including connection information for the terminal device to connect to an access point other than the image processing apparatus, regardless of whether the function of the image processing apparatus as an access point is enabled or disabled (Fig. 3, [0042], where the computing device displays code images 306 and 308, which acts as access points to retrieve data from an online store and where the second code image is tied to an access point that is disabled because of incompatibility),
the terminal device includes
a connection controller that reads the code image displayed on the display and connects to the access point based on the decoded connection information (Figs. 1, 2, and 10, [0017], [0022], [0076], where the device uses the processed image to connect to an external access point such as an online store or payment processor), and
the connection controller stores the decoded connection information regardless of whether a connection to the access point, based on the first code image or the second code image is successful (Figs. 1, 2, and 10, [0025]-[0026], where the operations of the device are stored on local storage 116).
Regarding claim 8, Agrawal teaches a control method comprising:
generating connection information for a connection to an access point as a code image that is readable by a terminal device (Figs. 1 and 2, [0011], [0021], [0028]-[0029], where the device captures code images and displays the processed code images);
displaying the generated code image (Figs. 1 and 2, [0011], [0021], [0028]-[0029], where the display 104 captures code images and displays the code image); and
controlling display of the code image (Figs. 1 and 2, [0016]-[0017], where the display 104 displays the code images, being controlled by the processing system 106),
wherein a first code image including connection information for the terminal device to connect to an image processing apparatus serving as an access point and a second code image including connection information for the terminal device to connect to an access point other than the image processing apparatus are displayed regardless of whether the function of the image processing apparatus as an access point is enabled or disabled (Fig. 3, [0042], where the computing device displays code images 306 and 308, which acts as access points to retrieve data from an online store and where the second code image is tied to an access point that is disabled because of incompatibility).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER D MCLOONE whose telephone number is (571)272-4631. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 AM - 5 PM.
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/PETER D MCLOONE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2621