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 .
The following action is in response to the amendment/remarks of 06/13/2025.
Claims 1-8 have been amended.
Claims 1-17 are pending and have been considered below.
Response to Arguments/Amendments
The amendment to claim 8 overcomes the claim objection of 03/13/2025. The corresponding claim objection is withdrawn.
In response to Applicant’s argument (Remarks 06/13/2025 page 8) that claims 1 and 8 have been amended to overcome the 35 USC 112(a) rejection of the Action of 03/13/2025, the Examiner agrees. The corresponding 35 USC 112(a) rejection of claims 1-17 is withdrawn.
It is noted that, that in response to the amendment of at least claims 1 and 8, the previous reference KANDA, that was relied on to teach portions of those claims that are have been removed, is no longer required. The previous rejections under 35 USC 103 over SHIPLACOFF in view of CHAUDHRI and in further view of KANDA (claims 1-6 and 9-13), over SHIPLACOFF in view CHAUDHRI in view of KANDA and in further view of PUTTERMAN (claims 7 and 14), and over SHIPLACOFF in view of CHAUDHRI in view of KANDA and in further view of JIN (claims 15 and 16) have been withdrawn.
However, in response to the amendment, new grounds of rejection are made under 35 USC 103 over SHIPLACOFF in view of CHAUDHRI (claims 1-6 and 9-13), over SHIPLACOFF in view CHAUDHRI in further view of PUTTERMAN (claims 7 and 14), over SHIPLACOFF in view of CHAUDHRI and in further view of JIN (claims 15 and 16), and over SHIPLACOFF in view of CHAUDHRI and in further view of SHIA (US 2012/0204191 A1) (claim 17).
In response to Applicant’s argument regarding the rejection of independent claims 1 and 8 under 35 USC 103 over SHIPLACOFF, CHAUDHRI or KANDA (Remarks 06/13/2025 pages 8-13) that none of SHIPLACOFF, CHAUDHRI or KANDA disclose at least the newly added limitation of the third icon, presented with the first and second icons and indicative of termination of the presentation of the notification, the Examiner respectfully disagrees.
SHIPLACOFF discloses displaying a plurality of icons within a message notification, each icon performing a respective action in association with the notification when actuated by a corresponding user input (SHIPLACOFF ¶24: “For instance, the notification service module may output one or more selectable graphical elements for display within a graphical indication of a notification. The one or more selectable graphical elements may represent options to configure, delete, clear, remove from display, reply, uninstall, block, prevent similar, or otherwise take an action with respect to the corresponding notification. A user may select one or more of these options by, for example, performing a gesture at a portion of a presence-sensitive input device corresponding to a location at which one or more of the respective graphical elements are displayed. In response to the selection, the computing device may execute the optional action associated with the selected option.”). In one example, one of the plurality of displayed icons of SHIPLACOFF, when actuated, launches the specified application for viewing the associated message, (¶24, ¶46-47, ¶102, ¶104 – ex. Read action executes e-mail to display the display message). In another example, one of the plurality of displayed icons of SHIPLACOFF, when actuated, terminates display of the notification including the plurality of displayed icons while maintaining the lockscreen of SHIPLACOFF and CHAUDHRI (¶22, ¶24, ¶49, ¶79-80 – ex. Clear action button clears the selected notification including any notification action icons). In yet another example, one of the plurality of displayed icons of SHIPLACOFF, when actuated, presents a graphical user interface of the specified application including the image and a text input field for receiving a user input as a reply message with respect to the included message (¶25, ¶104-107, Fig. 4B – example reply GUI in response to Reply action button includes message and input area for reply and ¶19, ¶112, ¶117: any associated image). Accordingly, SHIPLACOFF does teach the third icon, presented with the first and second icons and indicative of termination of the presentation of the notification. The argument is not persuasive.
In response to Applicant’s argument regarding the rejection of dependent claims 2-6 and 9-13 under 35 USC 103 over SHIPLACOFF, CHAUDHRI or KANDA (Remarks 06/13/2025 page 13) that claims 2-6 and 9-13 are patentable for at least the reasons presented regarding respective parent claims 1 and 8, the Examiner respectfully disagrees. As claims 1 and 8 remain rejected for the reasoning set forth regarding SHIPLACOFF, dependent claims 2-6 and 9-13 remain rejected for at least similar reasons over SHIPLACOFF and CHAUDHRI.
In response to Applicant’s argument regarding the rejection of dependent claims 7 and 14 under 35 USC 103 over SHIPLACOFF, CHAUDHRI, KANDA and PUTTERMAN (Remarks 06/13/2025 pages 13-14), the Examiner respectfully disagrees. As claims 1 and 8 remain rejected for the reasoning set forth regarding SHIPLACOFF, dependent claims 7 and 14 remain rejected for at least similar reasons over SHIPLACOFF, CHAUDHRI and PUTTERMAN.
In response to Applicant’s argument regarding the rejection of dependent claims 15 and 16 under 35 USC 103 over SHIPLACOFF, CHAUDHRI, KANDA and JIN (Remarks 06/13/2025 page 14), the Examiner respectfully disagrees. As claims 1 and 8 remain rejected for the reasoning set forth regarding SHIPLACOFF, dependent claims 15 and 16 remain rejected for at least similar reasons over SHIPLACOFF, CHAUDHRI and JIN.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-6 and 8-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SHIPLACOFF (US 2013/0346922 A1) in view of CHAUDHRI (US 2013/0007665 A1).
Regarding claim 1, SHIPLACOFF discloses an apparatus comprising:
a touchscreen display (SHIPLACOFF Fig. 2 12: pressure sensitive screen);
a communication circuit (SHIPLACOFF Fig. 2 44: communication units, 50: communication channels);
a processor; and
memory storing instructions (SHIPLACOFF ¶65: memory/storage) that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
receive, via the communication circuit, a message corresponding to a specified application from an electronic device external to the apparatus (SHIPLACOFF Fig. 4A 200A, ¶100: present an unexpanded message notification for an email application received from a sender external to the device and displayed on a screen of the touchscreen),
while a screen is displayed via the touchscreen display, present, via a portion of the screen, a notification notifying of the receiving of the message (SHIPLACOFF Fig. 4A 200A, ¶100), the notification including a first icon indicative of the specified application (SHIPLACOFF Fig. 4B 204A Read icon to read an email, ¶24) and a second icon indicative of an existence of an image in the message (SHIPLACOFF Fig. 4B 204A-C, ¶112: selectable graphical elements, ¶19: second content portion including a graphical image associated with the notification, Fig. 6A 302A, ¶117: indication of image included in notification message 302A), and a third icon indicative of terminating the presentation of the notification (SHIPLACOFF ¶22, ¶24, ¶79-80: Clear icon terminates presentation of the notification message),
while the notification including the first icon, the second icon and the third icon is presented via the portion of the screen, receive an input with respect to the notification (SHIPLACOFF Fig. 5 230: input corresponding to notification, ¶24: plurality of displayed icons),
based at least in part on a determination that the input corresponds to a first input with respect to the first icon (SHIPLACOFF Fig. 4A-4B, ¶102: determine first gesture and corresponding function, ¶24 ¶46-47, ¶102, ¶104: Read 204A), launch the specified application such that the message is presented in a user interface corresponding to the specified application (SHIPLACOFF Fig. 4B, ¶24 ¶46-47, ¶102: Read 204A -> viewing email notification, ¶104: invoke and execute email application to perform corresponding optional function such as View),
based at least in part on a determination that the input corresponds to a second input with respect to the third icon (SHIPLACOFF Fig. 6A, ¶22, ¶24, ¶49, ¶79-80, ¶120: Clear 305), terminate the presenting of the notification including the first icon and the second icon via the screen while maintaining the screen on the touchscreen display (SHIPLACOFF Fig. 6A, ¶22, ¶24, ¶49, ¶79-80, ¶121: clear notification from display), and
based at least in part on a determination that the input corresponds to a third input in contact predetermined region of the notification (SHIPLACOFF Fig. 4B 204C: Reply, ¶25, ¶104-107: present the reply interface within the notification 200B), present a graphical user interface provided by the specified application wherein the graphical user interface comprises the image, the message and a text input field for receiving a reply message with respect to the message (SHIPLACOFF ¶25, ¶104-107: present the email reply message interface within the notification 200B, Fig. 4B 208, ¶19, ¶112, ¶117).
While SHIPLACOFF discloses displaying notifications in a notification center on a screen of the mobile device as above, SHIPLACOFF fails to disclose wherein the screen is a lock screen of the mobile device; that the first icon input that presents the message in the specified application user interface terminates the lock screen; and wherein the image in the message is an image is attached to the message.
CHAUDHRI discloses methods for displaying notifications on a mobile device (CHAUDHRI ¶5-7). In particular, CHAUDHRI discloses receiving notifications and displaying the notifications as interactive notifications on a lock screen of the mobile device (CHAUDHRI ¶6) and that greater functionality is included when unlocking the device screen (CHAUDHRI ¶44). Further, CHAUDHRI discloses displaying notifications including icons indicative of the existence of an image attached to the message (CHAUDHRI ¶103, ¶105-106: notification module presents notifications including ex. media files attached to the message indicated via , Fig. 7A-7B 702, 712). Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art and the teachings of SHIPLACOFF and CHAUDHRI before them before the effective filing of the claimed invention to combine the interactive notifications having icons indicative of an attached image to a message on a mobile device lock screen and termination of the lock screen for greater functionality of CHAUDHRI with the interactive notifications of the mobile device screen of SHIPLACOFF, predictably resulting in performing the notification input methods of the notification display of SHIPLACOFF on a lock screen of the mobile device of SHIPLACOFF and CHAUDHRI such that the first input that displays the message in the specified application also terminates the lock screen and the second icon indicates existence of an image attached to the message. One would have been motivated to make this modification to allow users more efficient approaches to navigating a plurality of message notifications, as suggested by CHAUDHRI (CHAUDHRI ¶3-4).
Regarding claim 2, SHIPLACOFF and CHAUDHRI disclose the apparatus of claim 1, and SHIPLACOFF further discloses wherein the apparatus is further configured to:
receive, via the communication circuit, another message corresponding to the specified application from the electronic device while the lock screen is displayed via the touchscreen display (SHIPLACOFF ¶118), and
while the lock screen is displayed via the touchscreen display, present, via the portion or another portion of the lock screen, another notification notifying of the receiving of the other message such that at least one portion of the notification is overlapped by the other notification (SHIPLACOFF ¶118, Fig. 6A, Fig. 1, Fig. 8B).
Regarding claim 3, SHIPLACOFF and CHAUDHRI disclose the apparatus of claim 1, and SHIPLACOFF further discloses wherein the apparatus is further configured to:
receive, via the communication circuit, another message corresponding to the specified application from another electronic device while the lock screen is displayed via the touchscreen display (SHIPLACOFF ¶118), and
while the lock screen is displayed via the touchscreen display, present, via another portion of the lock screen, another notification notifying of the receiving of the other message such that the notification and the other notification are adjacent to each other in a vertical direction (SHIPLACOFF ¶118, Fig. 6A, Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 4, SHIPLACOFF and CHAUDHRI disclose the apparatus of claim 1, and SHIPLACOFF further discloses wherein the apparatus is further configured to:
receive, via the communication circuit, another message corresponding to another specified application from another electronic device while the lock screen is displayed via the touchscreen display (SHIPLACOFF ¶118), and
while the lock screen is displayed via the touchscreen display, present, via another portion of the lock screen, another notification notifying of the receiving of the other message such that the notification and the other notification are adjacent to each other (SHIPLACOFF ¶118, Fig. 6A, Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 5, SHIPLACOFF and CHAUDHRI disclose the apparatus of claim 1, and SHIPLACOFF further discloses wherein the apparatus is further configured to:
present another message related to the message, concurrently, the other message received from the electronic device prior to the receiving of the message (SHIPLACOFF Fig. 8A-8B, ¶142-144).
Regarding claim 6, SHIPLACOFF and CHAUDHRI disclose the apparatus of claim 1, and SHIPLACOFF further discloses wherein the apparatus is further configured to:
transmit, while maintaining the lock screen on the touchscreen display, the reply message to the electronic device via the communication circuit in response to a fourth input received via the text input field (SHIPLACOFF ¶108-109).
Regarding claims 8-13, claims 8-13 recite limitations similar to claims 1-6, respectively, and are similarly rejected.
Claims 7 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SHIPLACOFF in view of CHAUDHRI and in further view of PUTTERMAN (US 2017/0171136 A1).
Regarding claim 7, SHIPLACOFF and CHAUDHRI disclose the apparatus of claim 1, but fail to disclose wherein the at least one apparatus is further configured to: as part of the terminating of the presenting of the notification, set the message as read while maintaining the lock screen on the touchscreen display.
PUTTERMAN discloses methods of presenting notifications to a user while in a different application (PUTTERMAN ¶27, ¶40). In particular, PUTTERMAN discloses methods for dismissing the notifications and in so doing setting the notification as read (PUTTERMAN ¶74). Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art and the teachings of SHIPLACOFF, CHAUDHRI and PUTTERMAN before them before the effective filing of the claimed invention to combine the setting a notification as read as part of terminating presenting of the notification, as taught by PUTTERMAN, with the termination of the presenting of the notification while maintaining the lock screen on the touchscreen display of SHIPLACOFF and CHAUDHRI. One would have been motivated to make this combination in order to provide the user with flexibility when accessing notifications, as suggested by PUTTERMAN (PUTTERMAN ¶6-8).
Regarding claim 14, claim 14 recites limitations similar to claim 7 and is similarly rejected.
Claims 15 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SHIPLACOFF in view of CHAUDHRI and in further view of JIN (KR-20090070298-A).
Regarding claim 15, SHIPLACOFF and CHAUDHRI disclose the method of claim 8, but fail to disclose displaying the image on a background screen of the touchscreen display.
JIN discloses methods for displaying images received in messages (JIN page 2 ¶1-2: “The present invention relates to a method for setting a background screen of a mobile terminal, and more particularly, to a method for automatically setting a background screen of a second terminal by transmitting an image such as a photo stored in the first terminal to a second terminal.”). In particular JIN discloses displaying an image received in a message as a background screen of the receiving device (JIN page 2 ¶15: “A second step of the content server transmitting the image to the mobile terminal; A third step of automatically changing and setting the existing background image into the image by the mobile terminal;”). Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art and the teachings of SHIPLACOFF, CHAUDHRI and JIN before them before the effective filing of the claimed invention to combine the setting the background screen of a device to a received image from a received message, as suggested by JIN, with the receiving and displaying of a notification during a lock screen of the touchscreen display of SHIPLACOFF and CHAUDHRI. One would have been motivated to make this combination in order to provide a fun process for setting a wallpaper that is less cumbersome than several required inputs, as suggested by JIN (JIN page 2 ¶7-10: “there is a problem that it is very cumbersome because it must go through several manual operations”).
Regarding claim 16, SHIPLACOFF, CHAUDHRI and JIN disclose the method of claim 15, and SHIPLACOFF further discloses upon choosing a confirmation icon included in a notification window of the received message, and cancelling the displaying of the received message notification (SHIPLACOFF Fig. 6A, ¶120-121: clearing notification in response to selection of displayed icon) and JIN further discloses changing the image displayed on the background screen into an existing image (JIN page 2 ¶15: “A second step of the content server transmitting the image to the mobile terminal; A third step of automatically changing and setting the existing background image into the image by the mobile terminal;”).
Claim 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SHIPLACOFF in view of CHAUDHRI in view of JIN and in further view of SHIA (US 2012/0204191 A1).
Regarding claim 17, SHIPLACOFF, CHAUDHRI and JIN disclose the method of claim 8, but fail to disclose confirming and controlling an output state of the specified application in the predetermined region by way of different icons including a play and stop icon, a reverse icon, a forward icon, and an X (close) icon.
SHIA discloses methods for displaying notifications of received messages of different applications (SHIA ¶28). In particular, SHIA discloses confirming/controlling an output state of an application in a predetermined notification region by way of different icons including play/stop icon, reverse icon, forward icon, close icon (SHIA ¶68, ¶77, Fig. 4 418). Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art and the teachings of SHIPLACOFF, CHAUDHRI, JIN and SHIA before them before the effective filing of the claimed invention to combine the controlling of a specified application from a displayed notification region using different media icons, as taught by SHIA, with the receiving, displaying and interacting of a notification of a respective specified application during a lock screen of the touchscreen display of SHIPLACOFF, CHAUDHRI and JIN. One would have been motivated to make this combination in order to expand the functionalities controlled through notifications, as suggested by SHIA (SHIA ¶2-3, ¶11, ¶68, ¶77).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
HUANG (WO 2011060633 A1) – pertains to a displaying instant communication messages.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 ANDREW L TANK whose telephone number is (571)270-1692. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9a-6p.
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/ANDREW L TANK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2141