DETAILED ACTION
This communication is responsive to RCE/Amendment filed 11/03/2025.
Claims 1 and 3-21 are pending in this application. Claim 1 is amended.
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 11/03/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
A) Applicant argued Anderson teaches content regions, but does not dictate the simultaneous display of two distinct categories of content (songs vs. collections) as adjacent, separable horizontal scrollable regions.
Per A), the Examiner respectfully disagrees as Anderson teaches two distinct categories adjacently displayed (Anderson, Fig.12, TOP SONGS and TOP ALBUMS) as well as the teaching of various permutations possible (Anderson, para.107, 111, 119, 131, display panels may be in various permutations; Fig.12, TOP SONGS and TOP ALBUMS sections are adjacent and may be displayed horizontally in the middle panels). Furthermore, aesthetic design changes cannot be relied upon to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. See MPEP § 2144.04(I).
B) Applicant argued Fornacht does not disclose "the first plurality of user-selectable song objects is visually identified as grouped according to a cost in credits for respective user-selectable songs." Fosnacht only teaches generally sorting media into broad "Free" or "Purchase" grouping. It fails to teach or suggest applying a specific currency value ("credits") as the organizing principle.
Per B), the Examiner respectfully disagrees as Fosnacht teaches wherein a plurality of user-selectable song objects are visibly listed according to a cost in credits where “Free” indicates zero credits and “For Purchase” indicates some cost for respective user-selectable songs (Fosnacht, para.214-215, For Purchase objects listed first then free objects).
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 1, 3-13 and 19-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Anderson et al. (“Anderson”, US 2009/0064056) in view of Myers, JR. (“Myers”, US 2002/0113824) in view of Robbin (US 2002/0089529) and further in view of Fosnacht et al. (“Fosnacht”, US 2009/0271283).
As per claim 1, Anderson teaches a digital jukebox device, comprising:
a display (Anderson, para.163, Fig.28, display 2810); and
processing resources including at least one processor and a memory (Anderson, para.160, Fig.28, processor 2802, memory 2804), the processing resources being configured to control the digital jukebox device to present, in connection with the display, a user interface (Anderson, para.95, 109, 163, Fig.28, display 2810), the user interface including separate screens (Anderson, para.144, Fig.19, interfaces 1901, 1903, 1905) that are selectively presented at respective times on the display in response to user manipulations of the user interface (Anderson, Figs.14-16, control elements 1441, 1541, 1641; para.117, 125, 138, each element corresponds to a different interface screen displayed at respective times), the separate screens presented at respective times being divided into a set of standard interface screens (Anderson, para.144, Fig.19, browse level interfaces 1903) and a set of simplified interface screens (Anderson, para.144, Fig.19, preview/buy level interfaces 1905);
wherein the user interface is programmed to enable songs to be selected (Anderson, para.159, media playback) and played back at a venue (Anderson, para.52, 57, establishments; media may be played back at store location);
wherein a first one of the standard interface screens is a home screen (Anderson, Fig.19, home screens 1907, 1909; para.144, root of interface; Fig.21, Starbuck home screen), the processing resources arranging on the home screen:
a plurality of user-operable control elements arranged in a single line formed of respective said user-operable control elements along a first axis (Anderson, Figs.14-16, control elements 1441, 1541, 1641; para.117, 125, 138), at least a first one of these user-operable control elements being selectable to initiate display of a search screen enabling user-input of a search string (Anderson, para.144, 151; Fig.19, search results 1915, Fig.24, search element displays search results of user entered search term), at least a second one of these user-operable control elements being selectable to initiate display of a curated list of songs and/or artists via a first selection screen (Anderson, para.144, 149; Fig.19, featured content 1913, Fig.22, featured element displays list of songs), and at least a third one of these user-operable control elements being selectable to initiate display of a curated list of a plurality of curated lists of songs via a second selection screen (Anderson, para.144, 150; Fig.19, collections 1911, Fig.23, top ten element displays list of genres containing a list of particular songs);
a first plurality of user-selectable song objects arranged in a scrollable list along a second axis, the second axis being generally perpendicular to the first axis (Anderson, para.111, 116, 119, 124, 131, 139, 144, 148; Fig.14a, 14d, 15a, 15d, 16a, 16c, display panels 1401, 1501, 1601 may contain scrollable list of songs perpendicular to control elements 1441, 1541, 1641);
a second plurality of user-selectable song list objects arranged in a scrollable list along a third axis, the third axis being generally parallel to the second axis (Anderson, Fig.12, TOP SONGS and TOP ALBUMS sections, para.111, 116, 119, 124, 131, 139, 144, 148; Fig.14a, 14d, 15a, 15d, 16a, 16c, display panels 1401, 1501, 1601 may contain scrollable list of songs list/collections perpendicular to control elements 1441, 1541, 1641 along same/parallel axis as song axis in another display panel), and the plurality of user-selectable song list objects corresponding at least to genre-based playlists (Anderson, para.144, 150; Fig.19, genre/collections 1911, Fig.21), wherein the first plurality of user-selectable song objects and the second plurality of user-selectable song list objects are arranged in adjacent horizontal rows on the home screen (Anderson, para.107, 111, 119, 131, display panels may be in various permutations; Fig.12, TOP SONGS and TOP ALBUMS sections are adjacent and may be displayed horizontally in the middle panels); and
a status area extending along a peripheral edge of the home screen, wherein the status area includes a first indication of a song being currently played by the jukebox (Anderson, para.99, 102, 148, Figs.9B, 12, 21, ‘Now Playing’ module has a specific configuration or placement); and
wherein the search screen, first selection screen, second selection screen, and third selection screen correspond to different respective standard interface screens of said set of standard interface screens (Anderson, para.144, Fig.19, browse level interfaces 1903; Figs.14-16, control elements 1441, 1541, 1641; para.117, 125, 138, each element corresponds to a different interface screen).
While Anderson teaches displaying the plurality of user-operable control elements, the first plurality of user-selectable song objects and the second plurality of user-selectable song list objects in various permutations and combinations (Anderson, para.111, 119, 131), Anderson does not explicitly teach simultaneously displaying them on the home screen; wherein the status area is included in each screen of the user interface in a first position that is common across all of the screens and a second indication of a number of credits available for use in the digital jukebox; and wherein in response to selecting the second one of the user-operable control elements on the home screen, displaying a third selection screen in which a second plurality of user-selectable song objects, including the first plurality of user-selectable song objects and not including the plurality of user-selectable song list objects, is arranged in a scrollable list along the second axis and the third axis, wherein the first plurality of user-selectable song objects, when displayed in the second selection screen, is scrollable in a direction parallel to the second axis, and, the second plurality of user-selectable song objects, when displayed in the third screen, is scrollable in a direction perpendicular to the second axis. Myers teaches a jukebox device wherein control elements (Myers, Fig.4, elements 321, 322, 323), a plurality of scrollable playlists (Myers, Fig.4, song objects 275, song list objects 271) and a status area (Myers, Fig.4, current song 351) are displayed simultaneously on the home screen (Myers, Fig.4, home screen 400; para.53-69); wherein the status area is included in each screen of the user interface in a first position that is common across all of the screens (Myers, Fig.4, current song 351, para.43, 73, control panel always visible) and a second indication of a number of credits available for use in the digital jukebox (Myers, para.70; Fig.4, selections remaining 353); and wherein in response to selecting the second one of the user-operable control elements on the home screen (Myers, para.66, 73, 88; Fig.4, selection of element genre 323), displaying a third selection screen in which a second plurality of user-selectable song objects, including the first plurality of user-selectable song objects, is arranged in a scrollable list along the second axis and the third axis (Myers, para.85, Fig.7, selection of element 323 displays plurality of song objects 704,705 where object 704 is same object from Fig.4), wherein the first plurality of user-selectable song objects, when displayed in the second selection screen, is scrollable in a direction parallel to the second axis, and, the second plurality of user-selectable song objects, when displayed in the third screen, is scrollable in a direction perpendicular to the second axis (Myers, para.54, 84, Fig.7, scroll buttons 702/703 perpendicular to buttons 315/316). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include Myers’ teaching with Anderson’s device to reduce switching of views and to keep the user informed of the current playing status and available credits at all times.
Furthermore, the device of Anderson and Myers does not teach displaying the first plurality of user-selectable song objects and not including the plurality of user-selectable song list objects. Robbin teaches a media player device wherein in response to selection of an element, displaying a second plurality of user-selectable song objects, including the first plurality of user-selectable song objects and not including the plurality of user-selectable song list objects (Robbin, Fig.1-2; para.12-13, selection of browse 40a element displays Song objects and not Artist/Album objects). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include Robbin’s teaching with the device of Anderson and Myers in order to declutter the screen.
Additionally, the device of Anderson, Myers and Robbin does not explicitly teach wherein the first plurality of user-selectable song objects is visually identified as grouped according to a cost in credits for respective user-selectable songs. Fosnacht teaches a media device wherein a plurality of user-selectable song objects is visually identified as grouped according to a cost in credits for respective user-selectable songs (Fosnacht, para.214-215, For Purchase objects listed first then free objects). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include Fosnacht’s teaching with the device of Anderson, Myers and Robbin in order to locate desired objects quickly.
As per claim 3, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin and Fosnacht teaches the digital jukebox device of claim 1, wherein some or all of the standard interface screens include the user-operable control elements of the home screen in a second position that is common across all such screens (Anderson, Figs.14-16, control elements 1441, 1541, 1641 across bottom position; para.117, 125, 138; Myers, Fig.4, elements 321-323, para.43, 73, control panel always visible).
As per claim 4, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin and Fosnacht teaches the digital jukebox device of claim 3, wherein the simplified interface screens lack the user-operable control elements of the home screen (Myers, para.127, 176-180 ; Figs.10, 17, confirmation dialog 1000 does not include elements).
Claim 5 is similar to claim 4, and is therefore rejected under similar rationale.
As per claim 6, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin and Fosnacht teaches the digital jukebox device of claim 5, wherein at least some of the simplified interface screens are usable in confirming song selection just prior to enqueueing selected song(s) in a queue maintained by the digital jukebox device and from which songs are played (Anderson, para.141, confirmation of purchase; Myers, para.71, 127, 176-180, Figs.10, 17, confirmation dialog 1000).
As per claim 7, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin and Fosnacht teaches the digital jukebox device of claim 1, wherein: only a partial subset of the first plurality of user-selectable song objects are visible along the second axis at one time (Anderson, para.116, 124, 139, 144, 151; Fig.24, scrollable song list); and only a partial subset of the plurality of user-selectable song list objects are visible along the third axis at one time (Anderson, para.116, 124, 142, 144, 151; Fig.23, scrollable collections list).
As per claim 8, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin and Fosnacht teaches the digital jukebox device of claim 7, wherein: the partial subset of the first plurality of user-selectable song objects that is visible is changeable in dependence on a user panning operation performed with respect to the second axis (Anderson, para.116, 124, 139, 144, 151; Fig.24, scrollable song list); and the partial subset of the plurality of user-selectable song list objects that is visible is changeable in dependence on a user panning operation performed with respect to the third axis (Anderson, para.116, 124, 142, 144, 151; Fig.23, scrollable collections list).
As per claim 9, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin and Fosnacht teaches the digital jukebox device of claim 1, wherein the home screen further includes a listing of song objects representing songs that are popular across an entertainment network, this listing of song objects being provided along a fourth axis that is generally parallel to the second axis (Anderson, Fig.20, “What’s Hot”, para.144; Myers, para.79-80, Fig.6, Popular songs 601).
As per claim 10, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin and Fosnacht teaches the digital jukebox device of claim 9, further comprising a network connection over which data specifying members of the listing of song objects representing songs that are popular across the entertainment network is electronically retrievable (Anderson, Fig.20, “What’s Hot”, para.144; Myers, para.79-80, Fig.6, Popular songs 601).
As per claim 11, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin and Fosnacht teaches the digital jukebox device of claim 9, wherein the fourth axis is made visible on the home screen only if at least one of the second and third axes is made invisible (Anderson, Fig.20, “What’s Hot” displayed while Top Ten/Search elements are invisible, para.144).
As per claim 12, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin and Fosnacht teaches the digital jukebox device of claim 9, wherein the fourth axis is made visible on the home screen only after a user panning operation performed along a direction generally perpendicular to the second axis (Anderson, Figs.11-12, arrow controls above Now Playing; Figs.19-20, collections 1911, controls New Releases, What’s Hot, Genres perpendicular to second axis displayed by user scrolling along collections control panel; para. 117, 125).
As per claim 13, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin and Fosnacht teaches the digital jukebox device of claim 1, wherein the home screen further includes a generally linear arrangement of icons that respectively represent user-activatable services provided by the digital jukebox device, at least some of the services being not directly music related (Myers, Figs.2A, 4; login 324; logon screen 800; Fosnacht, para.96-97; Fig.4, links 410, 412).
As per claim 19, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin and Fosnacht teaches the digital jukebox device of claim 1, wherein: the second selection screen includes a plurality of user-selectable options that down-select the curated list of curated lists of songs in accordance with a visual cue (Anderson, Fig.23, only songs of selected genre displayed); and wherein the second selection screen is programmed to initiate display of a modified version of the first selection screen in response to user selection of one of curated lists of songs displayed therein, the modified version of the first selection screen including only those song and/or artist options associated with the selected curated list (Anderson, Fig.23, only songs of selected genre displayed).
As per claim 20, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin and Fosnacht teaches the digital jukebox of claim 1, wherein the curated list of songs and/or artists displayed in the first selection screen comprises the first plurality of user-selectable song objects (Anderson, para.144, 149; Fig.19, featured content 1913, Fig.22, featured element displays list of songs), and wherein the curated list of the plurality of curated lists of songs displayed in the second selection screen comprises said plurality of user-selectable song list objects (Anderson, para.144, 150; Fig.19, collections 1911, Fig.23, top ten element displays list of genres containing a list of particular songs).
As per claim 21, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin and Fosnacht teaches the digital jukebox of claim 1, wherein the displayed first plurality of user-selectable song objects is filtered according to a user-selected cost in credits for respective user-selectable songs (Fosnacht, para.150, filters media according to Any, Free, Purchase).
Claims 14-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Anderson et al. (“Anderson”, US 2009/0064056), Myers, JR. (“Myers”, US 2002/0113824), Robbin (US 2002/0089529) and Fosnacht et al. (“Fosnacht”, US 2009/0271283) in view of Skeen et al. (“Skeen”, US 2013/0339877).
As per claim 14, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin and Fosnacht teaches the digital jukebox device of claim 1, wherein: the first selection screen includes the plurality of user-operable control elements and the curated list of songs and/or artists (Anderson, Fig.22, featured element displays list of songs). However, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin and Fosnacht does not teach the curated list of songs and/or artists to be displayable in the first selection screen in a user-specifiable format, the user-specifiable format being one of a tile format and a list format. Skeen teaches a device for playing music wherein user may set viewing preferences to either list or tile views (Skeen, para.136, user viewing preferences). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to include Skeen’s teaching with the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin and Fosnacht in order to display selections to user preferences.
As per claim 15, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin, Fosnacht and Skeen teaches the digital jukebox device of claim 14, wherein the curated list of songs and/or artists is displayable in the first selection screen in a user-specifiable order, the user-specifiable order being one of an alphabetical order and a popularity order (Skeen, para.430, sorting functionality alphabetical sort).
As per claim 16, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin, Fosnacht and Skeen teaches the digital jukebox device of claim 14, wherein the second selection screen includes a plurality of user-selectable options that down-select the curated list of curated lists of songs in accordance with a visually cue (Anderson, Fig.23, only songs of selected genre displayed).
As per claim 17, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin, Fosnacht and Skeen teaches the digital jukebox device of claim 16, wherein user-selectable options are provided for down-selecting based on collection of promoted songs, genre, and predefined playlist (Anderson, Fig.23, only songs of selected genre displayed).
As per claim 18, the device of Anderson, Myers, Robbin, Fosnacht and Skeen teaches the digital jukebox device of claim 16, wherein the second selection screen is programmed to initiate display of a modified version of the first selection screen in response to user selection of one of curated lists of songs displayed therein, the modified version of the first selection screen including only those song and/or artist options associated with the selected curated list (Anderson, Fig.23, only songs of selected genre displayed).
Inquiries
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAJEDA MUHEBBULLAH whose telephone number is (571)272-4065. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Tue/Thur-Fri 10am-8pm.
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/S. M./
Sajeda Muhebbullah
Examiner, Art Unit 2174
/WILLIAM L BASHORE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2174