Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED ACTION
2. Claims 1-21 are pending in the Application, of which Claims 1 and 8 are independent.
Claims 12-21 were withdrawn, previously. No claims are being amended, added, or cancelled.
No new matter is being added by way of this Reply.
3. This office action is in response to the Claims filed 08/25/2025.
4. In view of the Applicant Arguments/Remarks Made in an Amendment filed on 08/25/2025, PROSECUTION IS HEREBY REOPENED.
5. The office action is made non-final.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 101
6. 35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
7. Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
Step 1: This part of the eligibility analysis evaluates whether the claim falls within any statutory category. See MPEP 2106.03.
Claims 1, and 8 are System claims, so product/apparatus claims), and falls within one of the statutory categories of invention. (Step 1: YES).
Step 2A, Prong One: This part of the eligibility analysis evaluates whether the claim recites a judicial exception. As explained in MPEP 2106.04, subsection II, a claim “recites” a judicial exception when the judicial exception is “set forth” or “described” in the claim.
Claims 1 recites in part the steps: “provide access to the digital content by other users and to enable the other users to provide feedback related to the digital content in a similar format as the digital content”, “control, based on a distribution control indicator, which of the other users can access the digital content, the control including enabling a given user of the users to release specific content of the digital content on or after the given user's death and to limit viewership of the specific content released to a specific group of individuals from the other users” and provide the users with controlled access to the feedback.
Claims 8 recites in part the steps: “provide access to the digital content by other users and to enable the other users to provide feedback to the digital content”, “control, based on a distribution control indicator, which of the other users can access the digital content, the control including enabling a given user of the users to release specific content of the digital content on or after the given user's death and to limit viewership of the specific content released to a specific group of individuals from the other users”, “update content simultaneously across all parts of the interface” and “when providing the digital content to the interface, access one or more of the databases to determine additional content that is feedback to the digital content.”.
Those steps fall within the mental process groupings of abstract ideas because they cover concepts performed in the human mind, including observation, evaluation, judgment, and opinion. See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2), subsection III.
Claims 1 and 8 appear to recite an abstract idea as a form of mental process groupings of abstract ideas. (Step 2A, Prong One: YES).
Step 2A, Prong Two: This part of the eligibility analysis evaluates whether the claim as a whole integrates the recited judicial exception into a practical application of the exception or whether the claim is “directed to” the judicial exception. This evaluation is performed by (1) identifying whether there are any additional elements recited in the claim beyond the judicial exception, and (2) evaluating those additional elements individually and in combination to determine whether the claim as a whole integrates the exception into a practical application. See MPEP 2106.04(d).
The claims recite the additional elements of “a content database”, “an organizational database”, “an interface”, “the interface providing access via a) a uniform resource locator (URL) link to a website associated with the organizational database or b) embedded code on a website that is remote from the URL and used to create content or generate related embeddable code tracked by one or more organizational databases” “a processor in communication with the databases and the interface” provide nothing more than mere instructions to implement an abstract idea on a generic computer. See MPEP 2106.05(f).
The claims recite the additional elements of “store digital content created by users”, “store representations of relationships between the digital content stored in the content database and the users”, “store in the databases the feedback from the other users in a manner that is associated with the digital content”, “store the feedback in the databases in a parent-child relationship with video content”.
Storing data is considered an abstract idea under patent law, specifically in the context of the Alice/Mayo test for patent eligibility. This means that simply claiming the ability to store data, without more, may not be sufficient for patent protection, as it could be seen as reciting a fundamental concept rather than an inventive application.
Those additional elements are mere data storing recited at a high level of generality, and thus are insignificant extra-solution activity. See MPEP 2106.05(g).
Even when viewed in combination, these additional elements do not integrate the recited judicial exception into a practical application (Step 2A, Prong Two: NO), and the claim is directed to the judicial exception. (Step 2A: YES).
Step 2B: This part of the eligibility analysis evaluates whether the claim as a whole amount to significantly more than the recited exception i.e., whether any additional element, or combination of additional elements, adds an inventive concept to the claim. See MPEP 2106.05.
As explained with respect to Step 2A, Prong Two, the additional element of a content database”, “an organizational database”, “an interface”, “a processor in communication with the databases and the interface” are recited at a high level of generality and were found to represent no more than mere instructions to apply the judicial exception on a computer using generic computer components.
The additional element of “store digital content created by users”, “store representations of relationships between the digital content stored in the content database and the users”, “store in the databases the feedback from the other users in a manner that is associated with the digital content” and “store the feedback in the databases in a parent-child relationship with video content” are well-understood, routine, conventional activity of storing data. See MPEP 2106.05(d), subsection II.
Even when considered in combination, these additional elements represent insignificant extra-solution activity, which do not provide an inventive concept. (Step 2B: NO). The claim is not eligible.
The dependent claims merely incorporate additional elements that narrow the abstract idea without yielding an improvement to any technical field, the computer itself, or limitations beyond merely linking the idea to a particular technological environment.
Claims 2-3 (mere instructions to implement an abstract idea), Claims 6, 9 (insignificant extra-solution activity).
Examiner Note
8. The Examiner cites particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the Applicant(s). Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the Applicant fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
9. 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 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.
10. 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) A patent may not be obtained through the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
11. Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C.103 as being unpatentable over Tzonis et al (US 20120110429 A1) hereinafter as Tzonis in view of Narasimhan et al (US 8768744 B2) hereinafter as Narasimhan and further in view of Luber (US 20130297710 A1)
hereinafter as Luber.
12. Regarding claim 1, Tzonis teaches A system for providing interactive collaboration over a computer network (Fig 3A shown multiple users interact with the document and with each other, 5A, [0003], “multimedia sharing and related social interaction amongst users on the Internet”, [0012], “It is an objective of the invention to provide an improved user experience for digital multimedia sharing (interactive collaboration over a computer network)”), the system comprising:
a content database configured to store digital content created by users (Fig 1, element 100, storage media (a content database store digital content created by users), [0040-0041], “the client is provided with tools by which he can, on the client side, modify or create the digital multimedia document 150… software instructions include instructions for cooperating with the server 130 to enable editing, modifying or manipulating the contributed content in the online document 150, where modifications and records of user interactions such as voting, rating or gameplay are sent to the server by the client and stored by the server 130 in an online data storage repository 100”, Fig 3A, database 320, [0014], “communicating the modifications of the digital multimedia document via the network from the client to the server and recording the digital multimedia document to a database so they can be retrieved by other users”);
an organizational database configured to store representations of relationships between the digital content stored in the content database and the users (Fig 1, element 110, database online doc users (an organizational database), [0041], “server computer 130 maintains a data storage repository 110 (an organizational database) containing metadata about online documents of the type described by the invention, including but not limited to information necessary to access and process the online documents, their modification history as well as metadata describing the users that can access them…. record the user's activities in data storage repository 110 and in media storage repository 100.);
an interface configured to provide access to the digital content by other users and to enable the other users to provide feedback related to the digital content ([0040], “The system 10 provides a platform for web-based interpersonal communications on a computer network 140 (an interface) through shared content objects comprising a combination of text, audio, still images, animation, video, services, applications, social components such as chat and comments and their interfaces. Instructions control access and edit privileges depending on the class of user.”, [0046], “This digital content may be content of any type that can be accessed via the web and interpreted by a web browser, such as media or applications (an interface), and it may include social data such as comments, ratings, recommendations and other user-generated data from service 440.”, more specific see Fig 6, [0048], “a screen display of a multimedia document 500 (an interface) contains a plenitude of content, application service and social interactivity elements: still image 510, audio music service 520, video 530, interactive poll 540, voting application 550, textual element 560, threaded discussion element 570, and hand drawing 580. Threaded discussion element 570 is updated in real-time with commentary 571 contributed by user 572.” And Fig 7, [0049], “a screen display of the interactive social elements (an interface) contains photograph 610 contributed by users 611 and associated commentary 620 and 630, video 640 and associated comment 650, which is a response to commentary 630. Voting application 670 is associated with photo 660 and threaded discussion 690 is associated with photo 680. Individual comments in discussion 690 are contributed by users 691 and 692 in real-time.”); and
and a processor in communication with the databases and the interface, the processor configured to implement an intermediary layer between the databases and the interface, the intermediary layer configured to i) control based on a distribution control indicator, which of the other users can access the digital content ([0040], “Instruction’s control access and edit privileges depending on the class of user”, [0042], “JavaScript element 220 initializes all the application controllers 240…the document controllers 240 will allow the user to interact with the document. Communication with the browser is managed by a JavaScript element 280 that implements the browser's API (an intermediary layer).”, Fig 5A, [0046], “API provides access to data or content specific to that service, can be added to the online document. This digital content may be content of any type that can be accessed via the web and interpreted by a web browser, such as media or applications, and it may include social data such as comments, ratings, recommendations and other user-generated data from service 440... the user may perform searches inside the application of the invention, in order to find suitable or compatible content (e.g. searching for a specific song, video, presentation, map, polling, data feed, application, . . . ), Fig 10, [0052]”),
ii) store in the databases the feedback from the other users in a manner that is associated with the digital content (Fig 5A, [0046], “API provides access to data or content specific to that service, can be added to the online document. This digital content may be content of any type that can be accessed via the web and interpreted by a web browser, such as media or applications, and it may include social data such as comments, ratings, recommendations and other user-generated data from service 440... the user may perform searches inside the application of the invention, in order to find suitable or compatible content (e.g. searching for a specific song, video, presentation, map, polling, data feed, application, . . . ), Fig 10, [0052]”), and
iii) provide the users with controlled access to the feedback ([0040], “Instruction’s control access and edit privileges depending on the class of user”, [0042], “JavaScript element 220 initializes all the application controllers 240…the document controllers 240 will allow the user to interact with the document. Communication with the browser is managed by a JavaScript element 280 that implements the browser's API (an intermediary layer).”, Fig 5A, [0046], “API provides access to data or content specific to that service, can be added to the online document. This digital content may be content of any type that can be accessed via the web and interpreted by a web browser, such as media or applications, and it may include social data such as comments, ratings, recommendations and other user-generated data from service 440... the user may perform searches inside the application of the invention, in order to find suitable or compatible content (e.g. searching for a specific song, video, presentation, map, polling, data feed, application, . . . ), Fig 10, [0052]”).
Examiner interpretation: in line with applicant Pre-Grant Pub ([0091], “an intermediary layer (e.g., application programming interface (API)) 2220 between the databases 2210, 2212 and the interface 2230, 2240. The intermediary layer 2220 is configured to control which users can access the digital content, to store the feedback from the other users in the databases 2210, 2212 in a manner that is associated with the digital content, and to provide users with controlled access to the feedback.”), Tzonis reference teaches the limitation of an intermediary layer (e.g., application programming interface (API)) which control access to the digital content store feedback and provide users with control access to the feedback.
Tzonis did not specifically teach enable the other users to provide feedback related to the digital content in a similar format as the digital content; the control including enabling a given user of the users to release specific content of the digital content on or after the given user's death and to limit viewership of the specific content released to a specific group of individuals from the other users.
However, Narasimhan teaches an interface configured to provide access to the digital content by other users and to enable the other users to provide feedback related to the digital content (Fig 2, “communication interface 260”) in a similar format as the digital content (Fig 4, step 4300, “the review is created using the same modality as the played content. For example, the user creates an audio review for audio content and a video review for video content. As a result, the created review is in a format that enables it to be consumed readily on the same devices on which the related content is normally consumed.”, claim 1, “the review received from the user is in at the same format as that of the played media content”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the concept of teachings suggested in Narasimhan’s system into Tzonis’s and by incorporating Narasimhan into Tzonis because both systems are related to automated user review of media content would automatically create reviews of media content on a mobile communication device.
Further, Luber teaches the control including enabling a given user of the users to release specific content of the digital content on or after the given user's death and to limit viewership of the specific content released to a specific group of individuals from the other users ([0013], “The user may also leave media, i.e. photos, video, audio, or the like, for various recipients. At the time of the user's death, the trustee authorizes the release of messages to the various recipients.”, [0033], “individuals who are concerned that their death may be imminent may work with a family member, friend, nurse or other hospital staff member to prepare their posthumous message.”, [0041-0042], “Upon the user's death, the trustee enters the authorization code to authorize the release of the messages and media.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the concept of teachings suggested in Luber s system into Tzonis and Narasimhan combined system and by incorporating Luber into Tzonis and Narasimhan combined system because all systems are related to monitoring and controlling media content would provide an online system for leaving messages after death.
13. Regarding claim 2, Tzonis, Narasimhan and Luber teach the invention as claimed in claim 1 above and Tzonis further teaches wherein the digital content and feedback are in a video, audio, and text format, at least one other user of the other users accessing the digital content being enabled to provide the feedback (Figs 6, 7, [0004], “Multimedia content includes a combination of text, audio, still images, animation, video and so on.”, [0012], “sharing and social interaction between networked users within a unified digital multimedia object.”, [0040], “shared content objects comprising a combination of text, audio, still images, animation, video, services, applications, social components such as chat and comments and their interfaces. Instructions control access and edit privileges depending on the class of user.”).
14. Regarding claim 3, Tzonis, Narasimhan and Luber teach the invention as claimed in claim 1 above and Tzonis further teaches A system as in claim 1 further comprising a server hosting the databases and the interface (Fig 1), the interface including a website accessible by a uniform resource locator (URL) link ([0005-0006], [0015] and [0042], website/webpage accessible by URL link).
15. Regarding claim 4, Tzonis, Narasimhan and Luber teach the invention as claimed in claim 1 above and Tzonis further teaches wherein the interface includes embedded code on one or more websites that are remote from the databases and used to create and generate the digital content ([0015], “the user may embed the digital multimedia document into a blog or website using standard or non-standard elements of HTML or other markup language (embedded code).”, [0016], “Use of and interaction with the document may be done from any suitable client device connected to the network on which standard web browsing software that can interpret HTML/CSS/Javascript is resident”, [0041-0043], “The browser includes necessary support to correctly present the elements of the online document including scripting, markup language support and presentation semantics such as Javascript 161, HTML 162, and CSS 163. Optionally, the browser may include support for plug-ins 164 that provide treatment of non-standard content such as Adobe Flash.” Fig 10, [0052]), and wherein the organizational database includes one or more separate, but related, databases configured to track content linked to the embedded code ([0014], “using the applications provided within the document or called up from the server via code in the document to add comments to, discuss or modify the document; communicating the modifications of the digital multimedia document via the network from the client to the server and recording them to a database so they can be retrieved by other users; and making available a code identifying the location of the document and the mechanism for retrieving it over the network.”, [0015], “the user may embed the digital multimedia document into a blog or website using standard or non-standard elements of HTML or other markup language (embedded code).”, [0016], “Use of and interaction with the document may be done from any suitable client device connected to the network on which standard web browsing software that can interpret HTML/CSS/Javascript is resident”, [0041-0043], “The browser includes necessary support to correctly present the elements of the online document including scripting, markup language support and presentation semantics such as Javascript 161, HTML 162, and CSS 163. Optionally, the browser may include support for plug-ins 164 that provide treatment of non-standard content such as Adobe Flash.” Fig 10, [0052]).
16. Claims 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C.103 as being unpatentable over Tzonis in view of Narasimhan and Luber as claimed in claim 1 above and further in view of Hawkins (US 20180041458 A1) hereinafter as Hawkins.
17. Regarding claim 5, Tzonis, Narasimhan and Luber teach the invention as claimed in claim 1 above and Tzonis further teaches system as in claim 1 wherein the databases are relational database (Fig 1) and the interface includes a website accessible by a uniform resource locator (URL) link and embedded code on one or more websites that are remote from the databases ([0005-0006], [0015] and [0042], website/webpage accessible by URL link, see also the mapping of claim 4); and wherein the feedback to the digital content is stored in the content database, and the representations of relationships being updated in real time, or asynchronously, simultaneously across each part of the interface ([0018], “multiple users may simultaneously access and interact with the digital multimedia document. Users are able to see which other users are online at the same time and interact simultaneously with the document and with each other, such as to comment, discuss, or modify the document.”, [0043] “Users 364 and 374 are independent of each other. Since they may both access the same document simultaneously, i.e., document 361 and 371 may in fact be the same, real-time collaboration server 330 has been added to the diagram to manage the concurrent interactions.”, [0048], “Threaded discussion element 570 is updated in real-time with commentary 571 contributed by user 572.”, [0049], “Individual comments in discussion 690 are contributed by users 691 and 692 in real-time.”).
Tzonis, Narasimhan and Luber do not specifically teach representations of relationships are stored in the organizational database in a manner associated with the digital content in a parent-child relationship.
However, Hawkins teaches representations of relationships are stored in the organizational database in a manner associated with the digital content in a parent-child relationship ([0027] the comments to the content item are organized in a child-parent relationship).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the concept of teachings suggested in Hawkins’s system into Tzonis, Narasimhan and Luber combined system and by incorporating Hawkins into Tzonis, Narasimhan and Luber combined system because all systems are related to the field of presenting content would adaptively presenting comments based on sentiments towards comments and a topic of a content item in the digital magazine.
18. Regarding claim 6, Tzonis, Narasimhan, Luber and Hawkins teach the invention as claimed in claim 5 above and Tzonis further teaches wherein the processor is configured to, when providing the digital content to the interface, access the databases to determine additional digital content that is feedback to the digital content and to provide to the interface the feedback along with the digital content (Figs 6-8).
19. Regarding claim 7, Tzonis, Narasimhan, Luber and Hawkins teach the invention as claimed in claim 6 above and Tzonis further teaches wherein the interface is configured to present the digital content to the user along with one or more indications of the feedback (Figs 6-8).
20. Claims 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C.103 as being unpatentable over Tzonis et al (US 20120110429 A1) hereinafter as Tzonis in view of Hawkins (US 20180041458 A1) hereinafter as Hawkins and Luber (US 20130297710 A1) hereinafter as Luber.
21. Regarding claim 8, Tzonis teaches A system for providing interactive collaboration (Fig 3A shown multiple users interact with the document and with each other, 5A, [0003], “multimedia sharing and related social interaction amongst users on the Internet”, [0012], “It is an objective of the invention to provide an improved user experience for digital multimedia sharing (interactive collaboration over a computer network)”), the system comprising:
a content database configured to store digital content created by users (Fig 1, element 100, storage media (a content database store digital content created by users), [0040-0041], “the client is provided with tools by which he can, on the client side, modify or create the digital multimedia document 150… software instructions include instructions for cooperating with the server 130 to enable editing, modifying or manipulating the contributed content in the online document 150, where modifications and records of user interactions such as voting, rating or gameplay are sent to the server by the client and stored by the server 130 in an online data storage repository 100”, Fig 3, database 320, [0014], “communicating the modifications of the digital multimedia document via the network from the client to the server and recording the digital multimedia document to a database so they can be retrieved by other users”);
an organizational database configured to store representations of relationships between the digital content stored in the content database and the users (Fig 1, element 110, database online doc users (an organizational database), [0041], “”Server computer 130 maintains a data storage repository 110 (an organizational database) containing metadata about online documents of the type described by the invention, including but not limited to information necessary to access and process the online documents, their modification history as well as metadata describing the users that can access them…. record the user's activities in data storage repository 110 and in media storage repository 100.);
an interface configured to provide access to the digital content by other users and to enable the other users to provide feedback to the digital content ([0040], “The system 10 provides a platform for web-based interpersonal communications on a computer network 140 (an interface) through shared content objects comprising a combination of text, audio, still images, animation, video, services, applications, social components such as chat and comments and their interfaces. Instructions control access and edit privileges depending on the class of user.”, [0046], “This digital content may be content of any type that can be accessed via the web and interpreted by a web browser, such as media or applications (an interface), and it may include social data such as comments, ratings, recommendations and other user-generated data from service 440.”, more specific see Fig 6, [0048], “a screen display of a multimedia document 500 (an interface) contains a plenitude of content, application service and social interactivity elements: still image 510, audio music service 520, video 530, interactive poll 540, voting application 550, textual element 560, threaded discussion element 570, and hand drawing 580. Threaded discussion element 570 is updated in real-time with commentary 571 contributed by user 572.” And Fig 7, [0049], “a screen display of the interactive social elements (an interface) contains photograph 610 contributed by users 611 and associated commentary 620 and 630, video 640 and associated comment 650, which is a response to commentary 630. Voting application 670 is associated with photo 660 and threaded discussion 690 is associated with photo 680. Individual comments in discussion 690 are contributed by users 691 and 692 in real-time.”), the interface providing access via a) a uniform resource locator (URL) link to a website associated with the organizational database ([0005-0006], [0015] and [0042], website/webpage accessible by URL link) or b) embedded code on a website that is remote from the URL and used to create content or generate related embeddable code tracked by one or more organizational databases ([0014], “using the applications provided within the document or called up from the server via code in the document to add comments to, discuss or modify the document; communicating the modifications of the digital multimedia document via the network from the client to the server and recording them to a database so they can be retrieved by other users; and making available a code identifying the location of the document and the mechanism for retrieving it over the network.”, [0015], “the user may embed the digital multimedia document into a blog or website using standard or non-standard elements of HTML or other markup language (embedded code).”, [0016], “Use of and interaction with the document may be done from any suitable client device connected to the network on which standard web browsing software that can interpret HTML/CSS/Javascript is resident”, [0041-0043], “The browser includes necessary support to correctly present the elements of the online document including scripting, markup language support and presentation semantics such as Javascript 161, HTML 162, and CSS 163. Optionally, the browser may include support for plug-ins 164 that provide treatment of non-standard content such as Adobe Flash.” Fig 10, [0052]) ; and
a processor in communication with the databases and the interface, the processor configured to implement an intermediary layer between the databases and the interface, the intermediary layer configured to i) control which of the other users can access the digital content ([0042], “JavaScript element 220 initializes all the application controllers 240…the document controllers 240 will allow the user to interact with the document. Communication with the browser is managed by a Javascript element 280 that implements the browser's API (an intermediary layer).”, Fig 5A, [0046], “API provides access to data or content specific to that service, can be added to the online document. This digital content may be content of any type that can be accessed via the web and interpreted by a web browser, such as media or applications, and it may include social data such as comments, ratings, recommendations and other user-generated data from service 440... the user may perform searches inside the application of the invention, in order to find suitable or compatible content (e.g. searching for a specific song, video, presentation, map, polling, data feed, application, . . . ), Fig 10, [0052]”), ii) update content simultaneously across all parts of the interface ([0018], “multiple users may simultaneously access and interact with the digital multimedia document. Users are able to see which other users are online at the same time and interact simultaneously with the document and with each other, such as to comment, discuss, or modify the document.”, [0043] “Users 364 and 374 are independent of each other. Since they may both access the same document simultaneously, i.e., document 361 and 371 may in fact be the same, real-time collaboration server 330 has been added to the diagram to manage the concurrent interactions.”, [0048], “Threaded discussion element 570 is updated in real-time with commentary 571 contributed by user 572.”, [0049], “Individual comments in discussion 690 are contributed by users 691 and 692 in real-time.”), and, iv) when providing the digital content to the interface, access one or more of the databases to determine additional content that is feedback to the digital content (Figs 6-8).
Tzonis did not specifically teach store the feedback in the databases in a parent-child relationship with the video content; the control including enabling a given user of the users to release specific content of the digital content on or after the given user's death and to limit viewership of the specific content released to a specific group of individuals from the other users.
However, Hawkins teaches iii) store the feedback in the databases in a parent-child relationship with the video content ([0027] the comments to the content item are organized in a child-parent relationship).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the concept of teachings suggested in Hawkins’s system into Tzonis and by incorporating Hawkins into Tzonis because both systems are related to the field of presenting content would adaptively presenting comments based on sentiments towards comments and a topic of a content item in the digital magazine.
Further, Luber teaches the control including enabling a given user of the users to release specific content of the digital content on or after the given user's death and to limit viewership of the specific content released to a specific group of individuals from the other users ([0013], “The user may also leave media, i.e. photos, video, audio, or the like, for various recipients. At the time of the user's death, the trustee authorizes the release of messages to the various recipients.”, [0033], “individuals who are concerned that their death may be imminent may work with a family member, friend, nurse or other hospital staff member to prepare their posthumous message.”, [0041-0042], “Upon the user's death, the trustee enters the authorization code to authorize the release of the messages and media.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the concept of teachings suggested in Luber s system into Tzonis and Narasimhan combined system and by incorporating Luber into Tzonis and Narasimhan combined system because all systems are related to monitoring and controlling media content would provide an online system for leaving messages after death.
22. Regarding claim 9, Tzonis, Hawkins and Luber teach the invention as claimed in claim 8 above and Tzonis further teaches wherein the interface is configured to display, in one screen view, video, audio, and text playback of the digital content and a plurality of indicators of related content that have been provided by other users as feedback to the digital content (Figs 6-8).
23. Regarding claim 10, Tzonis, Hawkins and Luber teach the invention as claimed in claim 9above and Tzonis further teaches wherein the interface is configured to display playback of a related video in response to user selection of a corresponding indicator (Figs 6-8).
24. Regarding claim 11, Tzonis, Hawkins and Luber teach the invention as claimed in claim 9 above and Tzonis further teaches wherein the interface is configured to cause the intermediary layer to authenticate at least one other user of the other users and to accept new content from the at least one other user as feedback to the digital content in response to selection of a reply indicator by the at least one other user ([0042], “JavaScript element 220 initializes all the application controllers 240…the document controllers 240 will allow the user to interact with the document. Communication with the browser is managed by a Javascript element 280 that implements the browser's API (an intermediary layer).”, Fig 5A, [0046], “API provides access to data or content specific to that service, can be added to the online document. This digital content may be content of any type that can be accessed via the web and interpreted by a web browser, such as media or applications, and it may include social data such as comments, ratings, recommendations and other user-generated data from service 440... the user may perform searches inside the application of the invention, in order to find suitable or compatible content (e.g. searching for a specific song, video, presentation, map, polling, data feed, application, . . . ), Fig 10, [0052]”).
Respond to Amendments and Arguments
25. In view of the Applicant Arguments/Remarks Made in an Amendment filed on 08/25/2025, PROSECUTION IS HEREBY REOPENED.
CONCLUSION
26. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant s disclosure.
Statom (US 20170256011 A1), see Abstract, [0011], [0040].
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/HICHAM SKHOUN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2169