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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on November 12th, 2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
This office action is responsive to a response filed on November 12th, 2025. In this office action:
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claims 1-20 are rejected.
Summary of Previous Office Action
In the Non-Final Office Action mailed on August 12th, 2025,
Claim 3, 10, 15, and 17 were objected because of informalities.
Claims 1-20 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph, as being indefinite.
Claims 1-5, 8-12, 15-18, and 20 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moore (Pub. No. US 2019/0347617); in view of Soares et al. (Pub. No. US 2005/0060662), hereinafter Soares; and further in view of Reyes (Pub. No. US 2017/0118271).
Claims 6-7, 13-14, and 19 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moore (Pub. No. US 2019/0347617); in view of Soares et al. (Pub. No. US 2005/0060662), hereinafter Soares; further in view of Reyes (Pub. No. US 2017/0118271); and further in view of Modai et al. (Pub. No. 2016/0269449), hereinafter Modai.
Response to Amendment
The amendments filed on November 12th, 2025 have been entered.
Claims 1-5 and 8-20 have been amended.
The previously raised claim objections for claims 3, 10, 15, and 17 are withdrawn in light of the amendments.
The previously raised 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection for claims 1-20 is withdrawn in light of the amendments.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on November 12th, 2025 have been fully considered but are not persuasive.
The Applicant argues in Pages 15-22 the following:
...
Moore, Soares, and Reyes, alone or in combination, fail to teach or suggest "receiving input to generate a request-for-change (RFC) structure that describes a change request for the computerized telecommunications network" as recited by independent claim 1, as amended.
...
Moore fails to disclose that the change request is for a "computerized telecommunication network." Independent claim 1 relates to a method of implementing electronic communications related to change requests in a computerized telecommunication network.
...
Thus, Moore fails to teach or suggest "receiving input to generate a request-for-change (RFC) structure that describes a change request for the computerized telecommunications network" as recited by independent claim 1, as amended.
Soares fails to overcome the deficiencies of Moore.
...
Soares relates to a process and a system to assist users in making and validating IT service requests. While Soares describes a change request process in IT services, which can be deemed, although incorrectly, as a "computerized network", it does not apply to "computerized telecommunication network."
...
Even assuming arguendo, that Moore, Soares, and Reyes can be combined, the teachings of this combination provide an invention that is a project collaboration system for management of IT services in which private electronic meetings can be generated and recorded. This, in fact, teaches away from the present invention. The present invention relates to a method of implementing electronic communications related to requests for changes in a computerized telecommunication network, which enables efficient management of complex decision making processes where multiple hardware and software vendors are involved.
Examiner’s response:
In response, the Examiner respectfully disagrees.
Soares discloses, as amended, receiving input to generate a request-for-change (RFC) structure that describes a change request for the computerized telecommunications network (See Parag. [0021]; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how an IT solution configurator process 108 is used to receive requests from end users for new IT services or to change existing IT services (change request) and how the configurator interacts with the IT service catalog 99 and provides project/service fulfillment information, solution costs and delivery and quality metrics. See Parag. [0001]; IT services include everything a big company needs to run its business such telecommunication services. See Parag. [0007]; Telecom services include: providing PBX, voicemail, voice-over-IP services, providing and setting up telephones, providing calling cards and audio and video conferencing services, and providing voice network carrier connections. See also Parag. [0024] and Fig. 1 “telecom services.” Examiner’s note: a request-for-change (RFC) is interpreted as a request to modify a system, project, or service within an organization (e.g., telecom services)).
Therefore, Soares explicitly discloses a change request for a “computerized telecommunications network.”
Claim Objections
Claims 3, 10, and 17 are objected to because of the following informality:
“generating the electronic discussion room that electronically and communicatively connects the user devices associated with users related to the change request based on the communication information” should read (Examiner’s suggestion) “generating the electronic discussion room that electronically and communicatively connects the user devices associated with the stakeholders for implementing [[
Claims 4, 11, and 18 are objected to because of the following informality:
“automatically identifying the user devices associated with users related to the change request; and transmitting electronic invitations for the electronic discussion room to the user devices associated with the users related to the change request in response to receiving the user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option” should read (Examiner’s suggestion) “automatically identifying the user devices associated with the stakeholders for implementing [[the stakeholders for implementing [[
Claims 5, 12, and 20 are objected to because of the following informality:
“automatically collecting information on the user devices associated with users related to the change request” should read (Examiner’s suggestion) “automatically collecting information on the user devices associated with the stakeholders for implementing [[
Claim 15 is objected to because of the following informality:
“receive input to generate a request-for-change (RFC) structure that describes a change request for a computerized telecommunications network” should read (Examiner’s suggestion) “receive input to generate a request-for-change (RFC) structure that describes a change request for [[the computerized telecommunications network.”
Claim 16 is objected to because of the following informality:
“The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further configured to ...” should read (Examiner’s suggestion) “The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the executed computer executable instructions are further configured to ...”
Claim 17 is objected to because of the following informality:
“The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, configured to generate ...” should read (Examiner’s suggestion) “The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the executed computer executable instructions are configured to generate ...”
Claim 18 is objected to because of the following informality:
“The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further configured to: ...” should read (Examiner’s suggestion) “The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the executed computer executable instructions are further configured to: ...”
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informality:
“The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further configured to: ...” should read (Examiner’s suggestion) “The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the executed computer executable instructions are further configured to: ...”
Claim 20 is objected to because of the following informality:
“The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further configured to: ...” should read (Examiner’s suggestion) “The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the executed computer executable instructions are further configured to: ...”
Appropriate correction(s) is/are required.
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 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claims 1-4, 8-11, and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moore (Pub. No. US 2019/0347617); in view of Soares et al. (Pub. No. US 2005/0060662), hereinafter Soares; and further in view of Reyes (Pub. No. US 2017/0118271).
Claim 1. Moore discloses [a] method of implementing electronic communications related to request for changes on a computerized network, comprising:
receiving input to generate a structure that describes a change request (See Parag. [0040]; CPMS (collaborative project management system) allows users to create and manage projects in association with others. The system allows users to provide real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room. See also Parag. [0054]; The administrator may communicate in real-time with other users through the plan room (e.g. chatroom functionality, voice-chat, video-chat) and may make real-time changes to the various documents, plans, settings, job lists, job details, and the like during such a discussion ...);
presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) on a first user device, wherein the GUI includes graphical items related to the change request (See Parag. [0044]; CPMS may provide a virtual plan room where users can simultaneously meet regarding a particular project/job. There is a graphical user interface for the project management and collaboration module wherein each project has a custom plan room associated therewith that is accessible, to the degree authorized, by those with the appropriate access rights defined in association with their accounts ... See Parag. [0040]; CPMS allows users to create and manage projects in association with others. The system allows users to provide real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room. See also Parag. [0041] [0047] [0054] and Fig. 4);
generating an electronic discussion room that electronically connects user devices associated with stakeholders for implementing the change request (See Parag. [0013]; generating a virtual collaborative plan room within a project management system associated with a job and a plurality of user accounts. See Parag. [0039]; FIG. 1 illustrates a collaborative project management system (CPMS) 100 in the context of a network 110. The illustrated network 110 couples the CPMS to a plurality of illustrated user interface devices, including those for administrators 120, team members 130, and public users 140 (stakeholders). See Parag. [0040]; The system allows users to provide real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room. See also Parag. [0074]);
generating a record of communication, through the electronic discussion room, related to the change request (See Parag. [0062]; edit auditor 260 may be integrated into the real-time editor and may record changes as they occur and/or it may comprise a file comparison utility that compares an original file to an edited file and may mark the changes on a markup file. The edit auditor may record which user account made which changes. The editor account may require users to annotate changes so that the reasoning for the change is documented within the system. See Parag. [0066]; an edit auditor in functional communication with the real-time file editor and the data storage device that automatically records edits to project files. See also Parag. [0075]); and
receiving approval for the structure that describes the change request from a second user device different from the first user device, wherein the second user device is associated with a user of the stakeholders for implementing the change request (See Parag. [0040]; The system allows users to provide real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room. See Parag. [0054]; The administrator may communicate in real-time with other users through the plan room (e.g. chatroom functionality, voice-chat, video-chat) and may make real-time changes to the various documents, plans, settings, job lists, job details, and the like during such a discussion. Other users may mark such changes with their approval/authorization in real-time through the plan room interface. The user's may, through the plan room interface, invite other users to authorize/approve or otherwise comment on specific changes/files/documents).
Moore doesn’t explicitly disclose the change request is a request-for-change (RFC) structure that describes a change request for the computerized telecommunications network; wherein the GUI includes a graphical discussion room creation option; generating an electronic discussion room in response to receiving a user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option; the structure is the RFC structure; wherein the RFC structure enables selection of a target automated change request workflow from a plurality of automated change request workflows based on the RFC structure; [and] implementing the change request according to the RFC structure.
However, Soares discloses:
receiving input to generate a request-for-change (RFC) structure that describes a change request for the computerized telecommunications network (See Parag. [0021]; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how an IT solution configurator process 108 is used to receive requests from end users for new IT services or to change existing IT services (change request) and how the configurator interacts with the IT service catalog 99 and provides project/service fulfillment information, solution costs and delivery and quality metrics. See Parag. [0001]; IT services include everything a big company needs to run its business such telecommunication services. See Parag. [0007]; Telecom services include: providing PBX, voicemail, voice-over-IP services, providing and setting up telephones, providing calling cards and audio and video conferencing services, and providing voice network carrier connections. See also Parag. [0024] and Fig. 1 “telecom services.” Examiner’s note: a request-for-change (RFC) is interpreted as a request to modify a system, project, or service within an organization (e.g., telecom services)); wherein the RFC structure enables selection of a target automated change request workflow from a plurality of automated change request workflows based on the RFC structure; [and] implementing the change request according to the RFC structure (See Parag. [0012-0013]; A provisioning engine is a computer process that receives a request for provision of an IT service and fulfills the request at the business process level by defining the overall process necessary to bring the service into existence and providing step by step instructions called a workflow to bring the service into existence … A provisioning engine provides a workflow which is a recipe of what steps need to be taken and in what order to fulfill a service request … the provisioning engine executes the automated step itself … automated steps may involve installing or configuring software. See Parag. [0044]; Each service action has its own data structure which includes both fulfillment and approval workflows to carry out the service action and get it approved by managment, respectively ... See Parag. [0030]; a computer running the IT service catalog building process receiving a user ID and password of a login by an IT professional, and waiting for further user input. At step 62, an IT professional enters user input in any way indicating a desire to create a new service. The user interface can be any graphical user interface (GUI) to point and click on icons, radio buttons etc. to make selections and to type in data, or a command line interface can be used. See also Parag. [0023] [0029] [0031] [0042-0045] [0050] [0058] [0073-0081] [0123-0124]).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room, taught by Moore, to include receiving input to generate a request-for-change (RFC) structure that describes a change request for the computerized telecommunications network, wherein the RFC structure enables selection of a target automated change request workflow from a plurality of automated change request workflows based on the RFC structure, and implementing the change request according to the RFC structure, as taught by Soares. This would be convenient to provide a computerized process by which IT professionals can build an IT services catalogue and record constraints and validation rules in the data structure that represents the IT services catalog, as well as a provisioning process which can execute on a computer and receive orders for IT services in IT speak and generate appropriate workflows to define the needed steps to bring the service into existence and gather statistics about costs to implement (Soares; Parag. [0015]).
Moore in view of Soares doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein the GUI includes a graphical discussion room creation option; [and] generating an electronic discussion room in response to receiving a user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option.
However, Reyes discloses:
wherein the GUI includes a graphical discussion room creation option; [and] generating an electronic discussion room in response to receiving a user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option (See Parag. [0005]; collaboration client is configured to cause to be displayed on the display of the apparatus (a first user device), one or more graphical user interface objects that allow a user of the apparatus to request creation of a private electronic meeting. See Parag. [0112]; a participant of the general electronic meeting, which may be the meeting organizer or another participant, request to start a private electronic meeting by selecting the start private meeting 564 control (FIG. 5A) (graphical discussion room creation option)).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify generating a virtual collaborative plan room, taught by Moore in view of Soares, in response to receiving a user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option, within a GUI, as taught by Reyes. This would be convenient to instantiates a private electronic meeting and generates a private meeting window 570 that includes meeting controls 578 (Reyes; Parag. [0002]).
Claim 2. Moore in view of Soares and Reyes discloses [t]he method of claim 1,
Moore discloses generating the electronic discussion room that electronically connects the user devices associated with the stakeholders for implementing the change request (See Parag. [0013]; generating a virtual collaborative plan room within a project management system associated with a job and a plurality of user accounts. See Parag. [0039]; FIG. 1 illustrates a collaborative project management system (CPMS) 100 in the context of a network 110. The illustrated network 110 couples the CPMS to a plurality of illustrated user interface devices, including those for administrators 120, team members 130, and public users 140 (stakeholders). See Parag. [0040]; The system allows users to provide real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room. See also Parag. [0074]).
Moore in view of Soares doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein, prior to the generating the electronic discussion room, further comprises: presenting a visual list of entities associated with the change request in response to the user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option; and receiving user selections of selected entities from the visual list.
However, Reyes further discloses wherein, prior to the generating the electronic discussion room that electronically connects the user devices associated with the stakeholders for implementing the request, further comprises: presenting a visual list of entities associated with the request in response to the user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option; and receiving user selections of selected entities from the visual list (See Parag. [0035]; Client devices of meeting participants are configured with a file sharing application that allows participants of an electronic meeting to request and receive, during the electronic meeting, electronic documents that are displayed during the electronic meeting ... See Parag. [0107]; the graphical user interface generated and managed by collaboration client supports selecting participants 574 (See Participant visual list 574 of Fig. 5C) for a private electronic meeting. See Parag. [0112] and Fig. 6; In step 604, a user requests to start a private electronic meeting. For example, a participant of the general electronic meeting, which may be the meeting organizer or another participant, request to start a private electronic meeting by selecting the start private meeting 564 control (FIG. 5A). In response to this selection, the user's collaboration client 114 instantiates a private electronic meeting and generates a private meeting window 570 that includes meeting controls 578 as previously described herein. In step 606, participants are selected and/or invited for the private electronic meeting. Participants of the general electronic meeting may be selected as candidate participants from which participants are selected by the meeting organizer. The meeting organizer may also select candidates from other sources, such as a contact list of a business organization or group, personal contact list, etc. See also Parag. [0052]).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the generating the electronic discussion room that electronically connects the user devices associated with the stakeholders for implementing the change request, taught by Moore in view of Soares, to include prior to the generating the electronic discussion room that electronically connects the user devices associated with the stakeholders, further comprises presenting a visual list of entities associated with the request in response to the user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option; and receiving user selections of selected entities from the visual list, as taught by Reyes. This would be convenient to instantiates a private electronic meeting and generates a private meeting window 570 that includes meeting controls 578 (Reyes; Parag. [0002]).
Claim 3. Moore in view of Soares and Reyes discloses [t]he method of claim 2,
Moore discloses generating the electronic discussion room that electronically connects the user devices associated with the stakeholders for implementing the change request (See Parag. [0013]; generating a virtual collaborative plan room within a project management system associated with a job and a plurality of user accounts. See Parag. [0039]; FIG. 1 illustrates a collaborative project management system (CPMS) 100 in the context of a network 110. The illustrated network 110 couples the CPMS to a plurality of illustrated user interface devices, including those for administrators 120, team members 130, and public users 140 (stakeholders). See Parag. [0040]; The system allows users to provide real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room. See also Parag. [0074]).
Moore in view of Soares doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein the generating the electronic discussion room comprises: receiving a second user selection of an initiate graphical discussion room option; obtaining communication information related to the selected entities from the visual list; and generating the electronic discussion room that electronically and communicatively connects the user devices associated with users related to the change request based on the communication information.
However, Reyes further discloses wherein the generating the electronic discussion room that electronically connects the user devices associated with the stakeholders for implementing the request, comprises:
receiving a second user selection of an initiate graphical discussion room option (See Parag. [0112]; a participant of the general electronic meeting, which may be the meeting organizer or another participant, request to start a private electronic meeting by selecting the start private meeting 564 control (FIG. 5A). In response to this selection, the user's collaboration client 114 instantiates a private electronic meeting and generates a private meeting window 570 that includes meeting controls 578 as previously described herein. In step 606, participants are selected and/or invited for the private electronic meeting. Participants of the general electronic meeting may be selected as candidate participants from which participants are selected by the meeting organizer);
obtaining communication information related to the selected entities from the visual list (See Parag. [0112]; participants are selected and/or invited for the private electronic meeting. Participants of the general electronic meeting may be selected as candidate participants from which participants are selected by the meeting organizer. The meeting organizer may also select candidates from other sources, such as a contact list of a business organization or group, personal contact list, etc); and
generating the electronic discussion room that electronically and communicatively connects the user devices associated with users related to the request based on the communication information (See Parag. [0112] and Fig. 6; ... In response to this selection, the user's collaboration client 114 instantiates a private electronic meeting and generates a private meeting window 570 that includes meeting controls 578. In step 606, participants are selected and/or invited for the private electronic meeting ... See Parag. [0114]; the new private electronic meeting starts. See Parag. [0035]; Client devices of meeting participants are configured with a file sharing application that allows participants of an electronic meeting to request and receive, during the electronic meeting, electronic documents that are displayed during the electronic meeting ... See also Parag. [0005]).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify generating a virtual collaborative plan room, taught by Moore in view of Soares, to include receiving a second user selection of an initiate graphical discussion room option, obtaining communication information related to the selected entities from the visual list, and generating the electronic discussion room that electronically and communicatively connects the user devices associated with users related to the request based on the communication information, as taught by Reyes. This would be convenient to instantiates a private electronic meeting and generates a private meeting window 570 that includes meeting controls 578 (Reyes; Parag. [0002]).
Claim 4. Moore in view of Soares and Reyes discloses [t]he method of claim 1,
Moore discloses the method further comprising: automatically identifying the user devices associated with users related to the change request; and transmitting electronic invitations for the electronic discussion room to the user devices associated with the users related to the change request (See Parag. [0054]; The user's may, through the plan room interface, invite other users to authorize/approve or otherwise comment on specific changes/files/documents and the system may automatically send notification(s) out to such users requesting their input).
Moore in view of Soares doesn’t explicitly disclose transmitting electronic invitations for the electronic discussion room to the user devices associated with the users related to the change request in response to receiving the user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option.
However, Reyes discloses transmitting electronic invitations for the electronic discussion room to the user devices associated with the users related to the request in response to receiving the user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option (See Parag. [0112]; a participant of the general electronic meeting, which may be the meeting organizer or another participant, request to start a private electronic meeting by selecting the start private meeting 564 control (FIG. 5A). In response to this selection, the user's collaboration client 114 instantiates a private electronic meeting and generates a private meeting window 570 that includes meeting controls 578. In step 606, participants are selected and/or invited for the private electronic meeting).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify generating a virtual collaborative plan room, taught by Moore in view of Soares, to include transmitting electronic invitations for the electronic discussion room to the user devices associated with the users related to the request in response to receiving the user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option, as taught by Reyes. This would be convenient to instantiates a private electronic meeting and generates a private meeting window 570 that includes meeting controls 578 (Reyes; Parag. [0002]).
Claim 8. Moore discloses [a] computer device of implementing electronic communications related to request for changes on a computerized network, configured to:
receive input to generate a structure that describes a change request (See Parag. [0040]; CPMS (collaborative project management system) allows users to create and manage projects in association with others. The system allows users to provide real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room. See also Parag. [0054]; The administrator may communicate in real-time with other users through the plan room (e.g. chatroom functionality, voice-chat, video-chat) and may make real-time changes to the various documents, plans, settings, job lists, job details, and the like during such a discussion ...);
present a graphical user interface (GUI) on a first user device, wherein the GUI includes graphical items related to the change request (See Parag. [0044]; CPMS may provide a virtual plan room where users can simultaneously meet regarding a particular project/job. There is a graphical user interface for the project management and collaboration module wherein each project has a custom plan room associated therewith that is accessible, to the degree authorized, by those with the appropriate access rights defined in association with their accounts... See Parag. [0040]; CPMS allows users to create and manage projects in association with others. The system allows users to provide real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room. See also Parag. [0041]);
generate an electronic discussion room that electronically connects user devices associated with stakeholders for implementing the change request (See Parag. [0013]; generating a virtual collaborative plan room within a project management system associated with a job and a plurality of user accounts. See Parag. [0039]; FIG. 1 illustrates a collaborative project management system (CPMS) 100 in the context of a network 110. The illustrated network 110 couples the CPMS to a plurality of illustrated user interface devices, including those for administrators 120, team members 130, and public users 140. See Parag. [0040]; The system allows users to provide real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room);
generate a record of communication, through the electronic discussion room, related to the change request (See Parag. [0062]; edit auditor 260 may be integrated into the real-time editor and may record changes as they occur and/or it may comprise a file comparison utility that compares an original file to an edited file and may mark the changes on a markup file. The edit auditor may record which user account made which changes. The editor account may require users to annotate changes so that the reasoning for the change is documented within the system. See Parag. [0066]; an edit auditor in functional communication with the real-time file editor and the data storage device that automatically records edits to project files. See also Parag. [0075]); and
receive approval for the structure that describes the change request from a second user device different from the first user device, wherein the second user device is associated with a user of the stakeholders related to the change request (See Parag. [0040]; The system allows users to provide real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room. See Parag. [0054]; The administrator may communicate in real-time with other users through the plan room (e.g. chatroom functionality, voice-chat, video-chat) and may make real-time changes to the various documents, plans, settings, job lists, job details, and the like during such a discussion. Other users may mark such changes with their approval/authorization in real-time through the plan room interface. The user's may, through the plan room interface, invite other users to authorize/approve or otherwise comment on specific changes/files/documents).
Moore doesn’t explicitly disclose the change request is a request-for-change (RFC) structure that describes a change request for the computerized telecommunications network; wherein the GUI includes a graphical discussion room creation option; generating an electronic discussion room in response to receiving a user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option; the structure is the RFC structure; wherein the RFC structure enables selection of a target automated change request workflow from a plurality of automated change request workflows based on the RFC structure.
However, Soares discloses:
receive input to generate a request-for-change (RFC) structure that describes a change request for the computerized telecommunications network (See Parag. [0021]; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how an IT solution configurator process 108 is used to receive requests from end users for new IT services or to change existing IT services (change request) and how the configurator interacts with the IT service catalog 99 and provides project/service fulfillment information, solution costs and delivery and quality metrics. See Parag. [0001]; IT services include everything a big company needs to run its business such telecommunication services. See Parag. [0007]; Telecom services include: providing PBX, voicemail, voice-over-IP services, providing and setting up telephones, providing calling cards and audio and video conferencing services, and providing voice network carrier connections. See also Parag. [0024] and Fig. 1 “telecom services.” Examiner’s note: a request-for-change (RFC) is interpreted as a request to modify a system, project, or service within an organization (e.g., telecom services)); wherein the RFC structure enables selection of a target automated change request workflow from a plurality of automated change request workflows based on the RFC structure (See Parag. [0012-0013]; A provisioning engine is a computer process that receives a request for provision of an IT service and fulfills the request at the business process level by defining the overall process necessary to bring the service into existence and providing step by step instructions called a workflow to bring the service into existence … A provisioning engine provides a workflow which is a recipe of what steps need to be taken and in what order to fulfill a service request … the provisioning engine executes the automated step itself … automated steps may involve installing or configuring software. See Parag. [0044]; Each service action has its own data structure which includes both fulfillment and approval workflows to carry out the service action and get it approved by managment, respectively ... See Parag. [0030]; a computer running the IT service catalog building process receiving a user ID and password of a login by an IT professional, and waiting for further user input. At step 62, an IT professional enters user input in any way indicating a desire to create a new service. The user interface can be any graphical user interface (GUI) to point and click on icons, radio buttons etc. to make selections and to type in data, or a command line interface can be used. See also Parag. [0023] [0029] [0031] [0042-0045] [0050] [0058] [0073-0081] [0123-0124]).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room, taught by Moore, to include receiving input to generate a request-for-change (RFC) structure that describes a change request for the computerized telecommunications network, wherein the RFC structure enables selection of a target automated change request workflow from a plurality of automated change request workflows based on the RFC structure, as taught by Soares. This would be convenient to provide a computerized process by which IT professionals can build an IT services catalogue and record constraints and validation rules in the data structure that represents the IT services catalog, as well as a provisioning process which can execute on a computer and receive orders for IT services in IT speak and generate appropriate workflows to define the needed steps to bring the service into existence and gather statistics about costs to implement (Soares; Parag. [0015]).
Moore in view of Soares doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein the GUI includes a graphical discussion room creation option; [and] generating an electronic discussion room in response to receiving a user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option.
However, Reyes discloses:
wherein the GUI includes a graphical discussion room creation option; [and] generating an electronic discussion room in response to receiving a user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option (See Parag. [0005]; collaboration client is configured to cause to be displayed on the display of the apparatus (a first user device), one or more graphical user interface objects that allow a user of the apparatus to request creation of a private electronic meeting. See Parag. [0112]; a participant of the general electronic meeting, which may be the meeting organizer or another participant, request to start a private electronic meeting by selecting the start private meeting 564 control (FIG. 5A) (graphical discussion room creation option)).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify generating a virtual collaborative plan room, taught by Moore in view of Soares, in response to receiving a user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option, within a GUI, as taught by Reyes. This would be convenient to instantiates a private electronic meeting and generates a private meeting window 570 that includes meeting controls 578 (Reyes; Parag. [0002]).
Claims 9-11 are taught by Moore in view of Soares and Reyes as described for claims 2-4, respectively.
Claim 15. Moore discloses [a] non-transitory computer readable medium that stores computer executable instructions for implementing electronic communications related to request for changes on a computerized network, wherein, when executed, the computer executable instructions (See Parag. [0033] [0036]) are configured to:
receive input to generate a structure that describes a change request (See Parag. [0040]; CPMS (collaborative project management system) allows users to create and manage projects in association with others. The system allows users to provide real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room. See also Parag. [0054]; The administrator may communicate in real-time with other users through the plan room (e.g. chatroom functionality, voice-chat, video-chat) and may make real-time changes to the various documents, plans, settings, job lists, job details, and the like during such a discussion ...);
present a graphical user interface (GUI) on a first user device, wherein the GUI includes graphical items related to the change request (See Parag. [0044]; CPMS may provide a virtual plan room where users can simultaneously meet regarding a particular project/job. There is a graphical user interface for the project management and collaboration module wherein each project has a custom plan room associated therewith that is accessible, to the degree authorized, by those with the appropriate access rights defined in association with their accounts... See Parag. [0040]; CPMS allows users to create and manage projects in association with others. The system allows users to provide real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room. See also Parag. [0041]);
generate an electronic discussion room that electronically connects user devices associated with stakeholders for implementing the change request (See Parag. [0013]; generating a virtual collaborative plan room within a project management system associated with a job and a plurality of user accounts. See Parag. [0039]; FIG. 1 illustrates a collaborative project management system (CPMS) 100 in the context of a network 110. The illustrated network 110 couples the CPMS to a plurality of illustrated user interface devices, including those for administrators 120, team members 130, and public users 140. See Parag. [0040]; The system allows users to provide real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room);
generate a record of communication, through the electronic discussion room, related to the change request (See Parag. [0062]; edit auditor 260 may be integrated into the real-time editor and may record changes as they occur and/or it may comprise a file comparison utility that compares an original file to an edited file and may mark the changes on a markup file. The edit auditor may record which user account made which changes. The editor account may require users to annotate changes so that the reasoning for the change is documented within the system. See Parag. [0066]; an edit auditor in functional communication with the real-time file editor and the data storage device that automatically records edits to project files. See also Parag. [0075]); and
receive approval for the structure that describes the change request from a second user device different from the first user device, wherein the second user device is associated with a user of the stakeholders related to the change request (See Parag. [0040]; The system allows users to provide real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room. See Parag. [0054]; The administrator may communicate in real-time with other users through the plan room (e.g. chatroom functionality, voice-chat, video-chat) and may make real-time changes to the various documents, plans, settings, job lists, job details, and the like during such a discussion. Other users may mark such changes with their approval/authorization in real-time through the plan room interface. The user's may, through the plan room interface, invite other users to authorize/approve or otherwise comment on specific changes/files/documents).
Moore doesn’t explicitly disclose the change request is a request-for-change (RFC) structure that describes a change request for a computerized telecommunications network; wherein the GUI includes a graphical discussion room creation option; generating an electronic discussion room in response to receiving a user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option; the structure is the RFC structure; wherein the RFC structure enables selection of a target automated change request workflow from a plurality of automated change request workflows based on the RFC structure.
However, Soares discloses:
receive input to generate a request-for-change (RFC) structure that describes a change request for a computerized telecommunications network (See Parag. [0021]; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how an IT solution configurator process 108 is used to receive requests from end users for new IT services or to change existing IT services (change request) and how the configurator interacts with the IT service catalog 99 and provides project/service fulfillment information, solution costs and delivery and quality metrics. See Parag. [0001]; IT services include everything a big company needs to run its business such telecommunication services. See Parag. [0007]; Telecom services include: providing PBX, voicemail, voice-over-IP services, providing and setting up telephones, providing calling cards and audio and video conferencing services, and providing voice network carrier connections. See also Parag. [0024] and Fig. 1 “telecom services.” Examiner’s note: a request-for-change (RFC) is interpreted as a request to modify a system, project, or service within an organization (e.g., telecom services)); wherein the RFC structure enables selection of a target automated change request workflow from a plurality of automated change request workflows based on the RFC structure (See Parag. [0012-0013]; A provisioning engine is a computer process that receives a request for provision of an IT service and fulfills the request at the business process level by defining the overall process necessary to bring the service into existence and providing step by step instructions called a workflow to bring the service into existence … A provisioning engine provides a workflow which is a recipe of what steps need to be taken and in what order to fulfill a service request … the provisioning engine executes the automated step itself … automated steps may involve installing or configuring software. See Parag. [0044]; Each service action has its own data structure which includes both fulfillment and approval workflows to carry out the service action and get it approved by managment, respectively ... See Parag. [0030]; a computer running the IT service catalog building process receiving a user ID and password of a login by an IT professional, and waiting for further user input. At step 62, an IT professional enters user input in any way indicating a desire to create a new service. The user interface can be any graphical user interface (GUI) to point and click on icons, radio buttons etc. to make selections and to type in data, or a command line interface can be used. See also Parag. [0023] [0029] [0031] [0042-0045] [0050] [0058] [0073-0081] [0123-0124]).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room, taught by Moore, to include receiving input to generate a request-for-change (RFC) structure that describes a change request for the computerized telecommunications network, wherein the RFC structure enables selection of a target automated change request workflow from a plurality of automated change request workflows based on the RFC structure, as taught by Soares. This would be convenient to provide a computerized process by which IT professionals can build an IT services catalogue and record constraints and validation rules in the data structure that represents the IT services catalog, as well as a provisioning process which can execute on a computer and receive orders for IT services in IT speak and generate appropriate workflows to define the needed steps to bring the service into existence and gather statistics about costs to implement (Soares; Parag. [0015]).
Moore in view of Soares doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein the GUI includes a graphical discussion room creation option; [and] generating an electronic discussion room in response to receiving a user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option; and.
However, Reyes discloses:
wherein the GUI includes a graphical discussion room creation option; [and] generating an electronic discussion room in response to receiving a user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option (See Parag. [0005]; collaboration client is configured to cause to be displayed on the display of the apparatus (a first user device), one or more graphical user interface objects that allow a user of the apparatus to request creation of a private electronic meeting. See Parag. [0112]; a participant of the general electronic meeting, which may be the meeting organizer or another participant, request to start a private electronic meeting by selecting the start private meeting 564 control (FIG. 5A) (graphical discussion room creation option)).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify generating a virtual collaborative plan room, taught by Moore in view of Soares, in response to receiving a user selection of the graphical discussion room creation option, within a GUI, as taught by Reyes. This would be convenient to instantiates a private electronic meeting and generates a private meeting window 570 that includes meeting controls 578 (Reyes; Parag. [0002]).
Claims 16-18 are taught by Moore in view of Soares and Reyes as described for claims 2-4, respectively.
Claims 5, 12, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moore (Pub. No. US 2019/0347617); in view of Soares et al. (Pub. No. US 2005/0060662), hereinafter Soares; further in view of Reyes (Pub. No. US 2017/0118271); and further in view of Los et al. (Pub. No. 2013/0212252), hereinafter Los.
Claim 5. Moore in view of Soares and Reyes discloses [t]he method of claim 1,
Moore discloses the user devices associated with users related to the change request (See Parag. [0040]; CPMS allows users to create and manage projects in association with others. The system allows users to provide real-time communication and collaboration on projects, including real-time change requests and approvals within a virtual plan room. See also Parag. [0054]).
The combination doesn’t explicitly disclose the method further comprising: automatically collecting information on the user devices associated with users related to the change request; and selecting a type of electronic discussion room based on the collected information, wherein the electronic discussion room is selected from among a video/audio conference, a messaging application, or electronic mail.
However, Los discloses:
automatically collecting information on the user devices associated with users (See Parag. [0004]; using a "working elsewhere" status for users working at a location other than their regular work location and still being available for meetings, communication sessions, etc ... Meetings may be scheduled, communication sessions facilitated if the working elsewhere status is sufficient/acceptable for other users. See Parag. [0021]; the user's working elsewhere status may be inferred by the scheduling application 110 or the remote service based on information from one or more sources such as the user's geographic information, work calendar information, personal calendar information, available/activated communication modalities in the user's device, and similar ones. Furthermore, quantity and type of additional information such as actual location, available communication modalities, other scheduling information, and the like may be published along with the user's working elsewhere status to other users based on user preferences, default and/or customizable rules, permission levels of the other users, etc. See also Parag. [0027] [0036]); and
selecting a type of electronic discussion room based on the collected information, wherein the electronic discussion room is selected from among a video/audio conference, a messaging application, or electronic mail (See Parag. [0022]; select a suitable modality for a planned communication session with the user, or perform comparable actions based on the received status information. For example, if the user's working elsewhere status indicates that the user is working from home, a colleague planning to organize a video conference may opt for an audio conference with the user. See Parag. [0025]; the user may have access to a communication and/or collaboration service through a variety of mobile devices with different capabilities. Thus, the user may be available for a text message exchange, data exchange, or even an audio/video communication session while travelling in train 204. See Parag. [0026]; a user may be available remotely while working at a home office 208. From the home office 208, the user may be enabled to accept multi-modal communications including but not exclusive to video, audio, document sharing, text messaging, etc. See also Parag. [0027] [0036] [0047]).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the collaborative project management system, taught by the combination, to include automatically collecting information on the user devices associated with users related to the request, and selecting a type of electronic discussion room based on the collected information, wherein the electronic discussion room is selected from among a video/audio conference, a messaging application, or electronic mail, as taught by Los. This would be convenient for providing modern communication solutions to provide a solution for managing availability information of remote users (Los; Parag. [0002]).
Claims 12 and 20 are taught by Moore in view of Soares, Reyes, and Los as described for claim 5.
Claims 6-7, 13-14, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moore (Pub. No. US 2019/0347617); in view of Soares et al. (Pub. No. US 2005/0060662), hereinafter Soares; further in view of Reyes (Pub. No. US 2017/0118271); and further in view of Modai et al. (Pub. No. 2016/0269449), hereinafter Modai.
Claim 6. Moore in view of Soares and Reyes discloses [t]he method of claim 1,
The combination doesn’t explicitly disclose the method further comprising: generating an electronic recording of the electronic discussion room; and storing the electronic recording in a database.
However, Modai discloses:
generating an electronic recording of the electronic discussion room (See Parag. [0037]; meeting publishing system may initiate the recording of the meeting via recording system); and
storing the electronic recording in a database (See Parag. [0037]; recording system 312 may be configured to store the meeting within a database comprising a plurality of meetings and directories).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the method for the private electronic meeting, taught by the combination, to include generating an electronic recording of the electronic discussion room, and storing the electronic recording in a database, as taught by Modai. This would be convenient such that the meeting recording may be placed in one or more of the directories to allow the necessary persons access to the particular meeting recording (Modai; Parag. [0037]).
Claim 7. Moore in view of Soares, Reyes (i.e., combination), and Modai discloses [t]he method of claim 6,
The combination doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein the method further comprising: generating an electronic text transcript of the electronic recording; and storing the electronic text transcript in the database.
However, Modai further discloses generating an electronic text transcript of the electronic recording; and storing the electronic text transcript in the database (See Parag. [0023]; In response to the request to record the meeting, meeting publishing system determines meeting properties associated with the meeting. These meeting properties may include the invited participants to the meeting, the title or topic of the meeting, the attachments or files included in the invitation to the meeting, the attachments or files transferred during the course of the meeting, voice or text transcripts of conversations during the meeting (generating an electronic text transcript of the electronic recording), or any other similar meeting property. See Parag. [0037]; recording system may be configured to store the meeting within a database (storing the electronic text transcript in the database) comprising a plurality of meetings and directories).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the method for the private electronic meeting, taught by the combination, to include generating an electronic text transcript of the electronic recording; and storing the electronic text transcript in the database, as taught by Modai. This would be convenient such that the meeting recording may be placed in one or more of the directories to allow the necessary persons access to the particular meeting recording (Modai; Parag. [0037]).
Claims 13-14 are taught by Moore in view of Soares, Reyes and Modai as described for claims 6-7, respectively.
Claims 19 is taught by Moore in view of Soares, Reyes and Modai as described for claim 6.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Yerkes (US 2011/0099042) – Related art in the area of scheduling meetings, and more particularly to meeting invitations, (Abstract; There are provided mechanisms and methods for leveraging a customer relationship management system (CRM) to send meeting invitations. These mechanisms and methods for leveraging a CRM system to send meeting invitations can enable identification of invitees to which to send the meeting invitation using customer information stored by the CRM system. The ability to leverage the CRM system to identify the invitees can provide a more efficient technique for scheduling meetings).
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABDELBASST TALIOUA whose telephone number is (571)272-4061. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 7:30 am - 5:30 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Oscar Louie can be reached on 571-270-1684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see https://ppair-my.uspto.gov/pair/PrivatePair. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Abdelbasst Talioua/Examiner, Art Unit 2445