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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 10/21/2025 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure submitted on 12/29/2025, 11/3/2025 and 10/21/2025 were filed before the mailing data of the first office action. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
Claims 1, 11 and 21 is amended. Claims 6, 16 and 26 are cancelled. Claims 1-5, 7-15, 17-25 and 27-30 presented for examination.
Response to Arguments
Claim Rejections 35 U.S.C. §103
Applicant’s previous arguments are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
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.
And
KSR, 550 U.S. at 418, 82 USPQ2d at 1396. Exemplary rationales that may support a conclusion of obviousness include:
(A) Combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results;
(B) Simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results;
(C) Use of known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way;
(D) Applying a known technique to a known device (method, or product) ready for improvement to yield predictable results;
(E) "Obvious to try" – choosing from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions, with a reasonable expectation of success;
(F) Known work in one field of endeavor may prompt variations of it for use in either the same field or a different one based on design incentives or other market forces if the variations are predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art;
(G) Some teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the prior art that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the prior art reference or to combine prior art reference teachings to arrive at the claimed invention.
See MPEP § 2143 for a discussion of the rationales listed above along with examples illustrating how the cited rationales may be used to support a finding of obviousness. See also MPEP § 2144 - § 2144.09 for additional guidance regarding support for obviousness determination.
Claims 1-3, 7, 9-13, 17,19-23, 27 and 29-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20130268259) in view of Cuthbert ( US 20180276203)
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches A computer system configured to communicate with a display generation component and one or more input devices, comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions ( fig 5-6)
displaying, via the display generation component, a translation user interface, wherein a first region of the translation user interface corresponds to a first language and a second region of the translation user interface different from the first region corresponds to a second language different from the first language (different region for the first and second language – 312 is the source language region 313 is the translated language region, Fig 5b, Para 0060-0065) ; while displaying the translation user interface, receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input ( sequential text, Fig 6) ; and in response to receiving the input: in accordance with a determination that the input is in the first language, concurrently displaying, via the display generation component, in the first region of the translation user interface: a transcription of the input in the first language, and a translation of the input in the second language ( language and its translation, Fig 6 ) ; and in accordance with a determination that the input is in the second language, concurrently displaying, via the display generation component, in the second region of the translation user interface: a transcription of the input in the second language, and a translation of the input in the first language (Korean to English can be done, uses presses a Button for English or Korean, Fig 5-10) ; while displaying the translation of the input in the second language, detecting, via the one or more input devices, one or more user inputs corresponding to selection of the translation of the input in the second language ( for e.g. user uses a TTS function, Fig 8 , Para 0080) ; and in response to detecting the one or more user inputs corresponding to selection of the translation of the input in the second language, displaying, via the display generation component, one or more selectable options pertaining to the translation of the input in the second language ( user can press a button 309 for TTS, Para 0080-0085, Fig 10)
Kim does not explicitly teach determining a language
However, Cuthbert teaches determining a language ( detection of the languages, Fig 14-15, Para 0060-0061)
It would have been obvious having the teachings of Kim to further include the concept of Cuthbert before effective filing date to make the device more user friendly
Regarding claim 2, Cuthbert teaches wherein: the input is an audio input(When the primary user begins speaking, the user device 10 receives the primary user's speech and converts that speech into audio data, Para 0029) ; the translation user interface comprises an audio input selectable object that is selectable to engage or disengage a listening mode of the computer system, wherein when the listening mode of the computer system is engaged, the computer system is configured to receive an audio input, and when the listening mode of the computer system is disengaged, the computer system is not configured to receive an audio input (one aspect of the subject matter includes a microphone (an audio input selectable object that is selectable to engage or disengage a listening mode of the computing device). The actions also include animating the microphone while the language translation application prepares to listen for the source language, in response to a request to initiate listening for an utterance in the source language. Additionally, the actions include replacing the graphical representation of the microphone (the listening mode of the computing device is disengaged) with a graphical representation of a speaker, Para 0005) ; and the one or more programs further include instructions for: while displaying the translation user interface and the listening mode of the computer system is disengaged, and prior to receiving the audio input, detecting, via the one or more input devices, one or more user inputs corresponding to selection of the audio input selectable object ( While the microphone is turned off, the user may type or paste text into the text box 130, select a microphone icon 150 to initiate speech recognition, Para 0023-0024, Fig 1) ; and in response to detecting the one or more user inputs corresponding to selection of the audio input selectable object, engaging the listening mode of the computer system, wherein: receiving the audio input is performed while the listening mode of the computer system is engaged ( While the microphone is turned on as illustrated in FIG. 3, the user device displays a sample user interface 300 for receiving voice input from the primary user, Fig 3, Para 0027)
Regarding claim 3, Cuthbert as above in claim 2, teaches the one or more programs further including instructions for: after receiving the audio input: in accordance with a determination that a continuous listening setting is enabled, maintaining the listening mode of the computer system in the engaged state until one or more user inputs are received indicative of a request to disengage the listening mode of the computer system ( the microphone icon 30 is highlighted to create a visual indication that the language translation application is ready to listen with a microphone of the user device 10., Para 0049, 0051,0061, Fig 8) ; and in accordance with a determination that the continuous listening setting is disabled, automatically disengaging the listening mode of the computer system after receiving the audio input ( a user may interrupt the sequence by tapping on the microphone icon 30. In this case, the language translation application may transition back to the initial state 1702 and turn the microphone off while leaving any already transcribed text on the user interface, Para 0081)
Regarding claim 7, Kim as above in claim 1, teaches the one or more programs further including instructions for :in response to receiving the input: in accordance with a determination that the input is in the first language: in accordance with a determination that an autoplay setting is enabled, outputting an audio output of the translation of the input in the second language; and in accordance with a determination that the autoplay setting is disabled, forgoing outputting the audio output of the translation of the input in the second language ( user selects TTS, Fig 8 a-b, Fig 9-10)
Regarding claim 9, Kim as above in claim 1, teaches wherein the input is a text input ( text, Para 0062)
Regarding claim 10, Cuthbert as above in claim 1, teaches wherein the input is a handwriting input( For handwriting recognition, the user may, for example, select the handwriting icon 160 and then write and the input area 130 using a digit or stylus, Fig 1, Para 0023)
Regarding claim 11, arguments analogous to claim 1, are applicable.
Regarding claim 12, arguments analogous to claim 2, are applicable.
Regarding claim 13, arguments analogous to claim 3, are applicable
Regarding claim 17, arguments analogous to claim 7, are applicable
Regarding claim 19, arguments analogous to claim 9, are applicable.
Regarding claim 20, arguments analogous to claim 10, are applicable.
Regarding claim 21, arguments analogous to claim 1, are applicable.
Regarding claim 22, arguments analogous to claim 2, are applicable.
Regarding claim 23, arguments analogous to claim 3, are applicable
Regarding claim 27, arguments analogous to claim 7, are applicable
Regarding claim 29, arguments analogous to claim 9, are applicable.
Regarding claim 30, arguments analogous to claim 10, are applicable.
Claims 8, 18 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20130268259) in view of Cuthbert ( US 20180276203) and further in view of Cuthbert ( US 20150051898) hereinafter Cuthbert’898
Regarding claim 8, Kim modified by Cuthbert as above in claim 2, does not explicitly teach the one or more programs further including instructions for: displaying, via the display generation component, a display mode option that is selectable to initiate a process for switching the translation user interface between a first display mode and a second display mode, wherein: in the first display mode: the first region of the translation user interface displays transcriptions in the first language and translations in the second language in a first orientation, and the second region of the translation user interface displays transcriptions in the second language and translations in the first language in the first orientation; and in the second display mode: a third region of the translation user interface displays transcriptions in the first language and translations in the first language in a second orientation; and a fourth region of the translation user interface different from the third region displays transcriptions in the second language and translations in the second language in a third orientation different from the second orientation
However Cuthbert’898 teaches displaying, via the display generation component, a display mode option that is selectable to initiate a process for switching the translation user interface between a first display mode and a second display mode, wherein: in the first display mode: the first region of the translation user interface displays transcriptions in the first language and translations in the second language in a first orientation, and the second region of the translation user interface displays transcriptions in the second language and translations in the first language in the first orientation; and in the second display mode: a third region of the translation user interface displays transcriptions in the first language and translations in the first language in a second orientation; and a fourth region of the translation user interface different from the third region displays transcriptions in the second language and translations in the second language in a third orientation different from the second orientation ( different regions for the translation based on the different orientation, Fig 5, Fig 6, Para 0034-0036)
It would have been obvious having the teachings of Kim and Cuthbert to further include the concept of Cuthbert’898 before effective filing date to make the device more user friendly ( Para 0016, Cuthbert’898)
Regarding claim 18, arguments analogous to claim 8, are applicable.
Regarding claim 28, arguments analogous to claim 8, are applicable.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5, 14-15, and 24-25 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Richa Sonifrank whose telephone number is (571)272-5357. The examiner can normally be reached M-T 7AM - 5:30PM.
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/Richa Sonifrank/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2654