Notice of Pre-AlA 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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
Receipt is acknowledged of a request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) and a submission, filed on August 25, 2025.
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on August 25, 2025 has been entered.
This Final action is in reply to the application 17/491,962 request for continuing examination filed on August 25, 2025
Claims 1 and 16 previously presented
Claims 2 and 3 are cancelled
Claims 1, 4-17 and 22 are elected, examined and pending.
Response to Arguments
Response to 103
No claim has been amended and only similar arguments that was presented in the response filed on April 22, 2024, have been presented, in regards to the rejections that were previously presented. The examiner states the applicant’s arguments are not persuasive and states that GREENBURG discloses the claim elements as currently present in the application. The examiner states that the applicant’s argument that GREENBURG does not disclose the claim limitations is not persuasive.
In addition, for additional clarity the examiner states that GREENBURG does disclose of deploying an ad file (Content) to the social media platform. To clarify, the examiner states based on broadest reasonable interpretation, an ad deploying (Content) can be interpreted as a distribution of the content. The examiner states that the displaying the wrap within a social media feed, the examiner states that there is a distribution of content on a social media site. But the examiner additionally stated that since it was not explicitly disclosed as a social media browser, the examiner brought in the reference RASHWAN to disclose that particular limitation of the social media browser. RASHWAN discloses in para. 0028 – wherein the website utilizes a social media platform browser that obviates leaving the social network. addressing the applicant’s claimed limitation of preventing the user from seeking ad content outside the social media browser, at least initially.
The examiner further notes that RASHWAN discloses transmitting wrap packages (ad packages including metadata) that contain cards, and those cards include widgets of content (advertisements or related information) (para. 245). The widgets contain parameters (fig. 6F) used to determine targeting. The examiner finds that the applicant has evaluated GREENBURG in isolation and has not adequately considered the combined teachings of RASHWAN and GREENBURG.
Accordingly, the examiner remains unpersuaded because GREENBURG, when read in view of RASHWAN, discloses the claimed limitations as described above.
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.
Claim 1, 4-17 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US PG Pubs 20160104202 - Greenburg et al. hereinafter as GREENBURG in view of US PG Pubs 20130290149 — Rashwanet al. hereinafter as RASHWAN
Regarding Claim 1:
GREENBURG discloses:
— A method for displaying an ad file within a social media platform, comprising the steps of: — deploying the ad file to the social media platform; (para. 0112 without the need to navigate to other sites)
— wherein the ad file comprises metadata enabling a social media browser to deploy the ad file based on the metadata. (Where in a widget, which is a part of a card that is wrapped, contains parameters of associated advertisement data, i.e. may specify any number of parameters to be passed to the server that may be helpful to the server in determining the specific content that is appropriate para. 0245)
— Displaying, based on the metadata in the file, (may specify any number of parameters to be passed to the server that may be helpful to the server in determining the specific content that is appropriate, para. 0245) rich content (video or image, para. 0334) of the ad file within a social media browser, (para. 0152) and an interaction element within the social media browser includes a transaction URL for a dedicated transactional resource associated with the ad file (para. 0175, fig. 7F),
wherein the transaction URL comprises a dedicated transaction resource subdomain hosted on behalf of the ad owner by a third-party platform, wherein content associated with the dedicated transaction resource subdomain relates to the rich media content of the ad file; (Fig 5B, 0431)
— detecting a user input associated with the interaction element; (para. 175 — user input selection of the trigger links the user to a mechanism)
— in response to detecting user input, redirecting the social media browser to the transaction URL for receiving user input details and completing a transaction within the social media browser. (para. 0489)
GREENBURG discloses of display custom content without the need to navigate to other sites of which can fill within a social media feed. (para. 0112) also has a social media browser but GREENBURG does not explicitly disclose:
- social media platform browser
- Wherein the transaction URL is a third-party subdomain
- redirecting the social media platform to the transaction URL to display the dedicated transactional resource within the social media platform browser for receiving user input details and completing a transaction within the social media browser
RASHWAN discloses:
- social media platform browser (wherein the website utilizes a social media platform browser to alleviate from leaving the social network, para. 0028)
- Wherein the transaction URL is a third-party subdomain (URI sub domain, para. 0033)
- redirecting the social media platform browser to the transaction URL to display the dedicated transactional resource within the social media platform browser (checking out, alleviate from leaving social network para. 0028) for receiving user input details and completing a transaction within the social media browser (checking out, alleviate from leaving social network para. 0028)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for GREENBURG’s method of transactional advertising with mobile application to utilize RASHWAN’s method of determining the transactions URL is a third party subdomain and social media platform browser to the transaction URL to display the dedicated transactional resource within the social media platform browser through a subdomain such that this would allow GREENBURG to improve marketing efforts, customer support, and user experiences (GREENBURG - para. 0100) Therefore, the claimed invention would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention in view of the disclosures of GREENBURG / RASHWAN
2. (Canceled)
3. (Canceled)
Regarding Claim 4:
GREENBURG / RASHWAN discloses of claim 1:
GREENBURG discloses:
- wherein the transactional resource provides options for transaction fulfilment from two or more third party systems. (para. 0495, fig.38)
Regarding Claim 5:
GREENBURG / VENNA discloses of claim 1:
GREENBURG discloses:
- comprising the step of uploading the ad file (upload para. 0295) to multiple social media platforms (para. 0438 social media) via a single interface.
Regarding Claim 6:
GREENBURG / RASHWAN discloses of claim 1:
GREENBURG discloses:
- wherein the interaction element is defined by one or more parameters/requirements of the social media platform browser. (para. 0453, 460)
Regarding Claim 7:
GREENBURG / RASHWAN discloses of claim 1:
GREENBURG discloses:
- wherein the interaction element is defined by the one or more parameters stored within in the ad file. (para. 0511, 0512)
Regarding Claim 8:
GREENBURG / RASHWAN discloses of claim 1:
GREENBURG discloses:
- wherein the transactional resource relates to a transaction consisting of one or more of: a data submission form, purchasing an item, making a booking, making a donation, and registering for a service. (purchase data submission, para. 0498)
Regarding Claim 9:
GREENBURG / RASHWAN discloses of claim 1:
GREENBURG discloses:
- wherein the ad file is served on one of: an ad server; a dedicated content delivery network (CDN); a dedicated database; and, a social media post. (para. 0137, 140, 152)
Regarding Claim 10:
GREENBURG / RASHWAN discloses of claim 1:
GREENBURG discloses:
- wherein the dedicated transactional resource is an e-commerce transaction interface. (para. 0174, 0175)
Regarding Claim 11:
GREENBURG / RASHWAN discloses of claim 1:
GREENBURG discloses:
- whereinthe ad file comprises one or more of a music video, a film, an advertisement, a video clip, and a social media post. (para. 0129, para. 479)
Regarding Claim 12:
GREENBURG / RASHWAN discloses of claim 1:
GREENBURG discloses:
- whereinthe ad file includes information relating to the location of and type of interaction icon to be displayed to the user. (para. 0453, 0460)
Regarding Claim 13:
GREENBURG / RASHWAN discloses of claim 1:
GREENBURG discloses:
- wherein the ad file is defined using one of: a HTML5 language; and, JavaScript. (para. 0245, 0246)
Regarding Claim 14:
GREENBURG / RASHWAN discloses of claim 1:
GREENBURG discloses:
- wherein the dedicated transactional resource is configured to communicate with one or more external transaction services. (para. 0495, fig. 3B)
Regarding Claim 15:
GREENBURG / RASHWAN discloses of claim 1
GREENBURG discloses of payment methods (fig. 38).
GREENBURG does not disclose:
- wherein the one or more external transaction services includes one or more of: a payment provider; an order fulfilment provider; and, a manufacturer.
RASHWAN discloses:
- wherein the one or more external transaction services includes one or more of: a payment provider (para. 0056, payment); an order fulfilment provider; and, a manufacturer.
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for GREENBURG’s method of transactional advertising with mobile application of which utilizes payment method but does not explicitly disclose payment providers to utilize RASHWAN’s method of external transaction services such as payment providers such that this would allow GREENBURG to improve marketing efforts, customer support, and user experiences (GREENBURG - para. 0100). Therefore, the claimed invention would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention in view of the disclosures of GREENBURG / RASHWAN
Regarding Claim 16:
GREENBURG / RASHWAN discloses of claim 14:
GREENBURG discloses:
- wherein displaying the ad file comprises loading the rich media content from the ad file or retrieving the rich media content from a content delivery network as defined within the ad file. (para. 0290 — 0292)
Regarding Claim 17:
GREENBURG / RASHWAN discloses of claim 1:
GREENBURG discloses:
17. A computer program product comprising instructions for performing the method of claim 1. (instruction, para. 0012)
Regarding Claim 22:
GREENBURG / RASHWAN discloses of claim 1:
GREENBURG discloses:
22. The method according to claim 1, wherein redirecting the social media platform browser to the transaction URL includes redirecting the social media platform browser to the transaction URL to display the dedicated transactional resource within an ad or a post of the social media platform browser. (purchase within the social network, para. 0028)
CONCLUSION
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US-20140229270-A1 — Rashwan - SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELLING A PRODUCT THROUGH AN ADAPTABLE PURCHASE INTERFACE
AUTHOR(S): Adami Title: Social semiotic framework Journal: Sage Journals [online]. Publication date: 2015. [retrieved on: 09/01/2024]. < URL:https://journals.sagepub. com/doi/abs/10.1177/1470357214565583> (Year: 2015)
All claims are identical to or patentably indistinct from, or have unity of invention with claims in the application prior to the entry of the submission under 37 CFR 1.114 (that is, restriction (including a lack of unity of invention) would not be proper) and all claims could have been finally rejected on the grounds and art of record in the next Office action if they had been entered in the application prior to entry under 37 CFR 1.114. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL even though it is a first action after the filing of a request for continued examination and the submission under 37 CFR 1.114. See MPEP § 706.07(b). 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.
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/KAMBIZ ABDI/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3685