DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to the request for continued examination filed 7/29/2025.
Claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 1, 19 and 20 are currently amended.
All prior rejections under 35 U.S.C. §§ 102-103 are withdrawn as necessitated by amendment.
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.
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, 2, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Komoda, U.S. PGPUB No. 2021/0073464 (“Komoda”), in view of Koenig, et al., U.S. PGPUB No. 2014/0365886 (“Koenig”).
With regard to Claim 1, Komoda teaches an information processing apparatus comprising: a processor configured to:
display a file icon image representing a document file shared by a plurality of users on a screen of a terminal apparatus of a user, a single file icon image being prepared for a single document file ([0062] describes that a representation image representing an entire document can be displayed on an editing screen, where [0061] describes that the document is displayed in an editing screen. [0060] describes that the editing screen is provided to a client, where [0020] describes that users operate multiple corresponding clients to browse and edit a document); and
in a case where another user is viewing or editing the document file, display information indicative of the other user and information indicative of a part of the document file which the other user is viewing or editing while displaying the file icon image ([0064] describes that when another user different from the viewing user is editing a page of the document, a message stating this is connected to the representation image to indicate where in the document that user is editing. This is shown in Fig. 5).
Komoda, in view of Koenig teaches displaying the file icon image without opening the document file on the screen of the terminal apparatus of the user. Komoda teaches the file icon image including information about other users editing information, as described above, Koenig teaches at [0055] that marks or icons can be displayed on graphical representations of one or more documents in an interface, where the marks or icons can be of any of types disclosed in the reference. [0044]-[0045] describe that marks can be displayed which indicate locations that other users have made comments or edits. Fig. 10 shows that multiple document icons along an interface bar can have icons displayed therefor, while one document is opened on the screen of the terminal apparatus, thereby teaching that live notifications of edits of other users can be received and displayed over a document icon for a document not opened on the screen.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time this application was filed to combine Koenig with Komoda. One of skill in the art would have sought the combination, to improve user experience by enabling users to receive edit notifications regarding multiple collaborative documents in an interface, thereby increasing the amount of useful updates a user receives regarding collaborations.
With regard to Claim 2, Komoda teaches that the processor is configured to display a user image indicative of the other user on the file icon image. Fig. 5 shows that a tag image 550 is displayed in conjunction with the image representing the document, which includes the name of the user who is currently editing the document.
Claim 19 recites a medium storing instructions which execute the process carried out by the apparatus of Claim 1, and is similarly rejected. Claim 20 recites a method carried out by the apparatus of Claim 1, and is likewise rejected.
Claims 3-7 and 10-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Komoda, in view of Koenig, and in view of Dowling, et al., U.S. PGPUB No. 2019/0361580 (“Dowling”).
With regard to Claim 3, Dowling teaches that the processor is configured to display the user image so that a form in which the user image is displayed in a case where the other user is viewing the document file and a form in which the user image is displayed in a case where the other user is editing the document file are different. [0024] describes that an activity status for a collaborative document user can be provided, along with an indication whether the user is editing or simply reviewing the shared document.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time this application was filed to combine Dowling with Koenig and Komoda. One of skill in the art would have sought the combination, to improve user experience by allowing for additional information about collaborating users to be made available in the interface.
With regard to Claim 4, Dowling teaches that the processor is configured to display the information indicative of the other user and the information indicative of the part in association with the user image in a case where an operation of the user on the user image is detected. [0038] describes that a user can provide an input to a graphical element displayed in connection with another user, which causes additional information about the user as well as information about the element a user is viewing or editing.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time this application was filed to combine Dowling with Koenig and Komoda. One of skill in the art would have sought the combination, to improve user experience by allowing for additional information about collaborating users to be made available in the interface.
With regard to Claim 5, Dowling teaches that the processor is configured to display the information indicative of the other user and the information indicative of the part in association with the user image in a case where an operation of the user on the user image is detected. [0038] describes that a user can provide an input to a graphical element displayed in connection with another user, which causes additional information about the user as well as information about the element a user is viewing or editing.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time this application was filed to combine Dowling with Koenig and Komoda. One of skill in the art would have sought the combination, to improve user experience by allowing for additional information about collaborating users to be made available in the interface.
With regard to Claim 6, Komoda teaches that the information indicative of the part includes a page number indicative of the part and a page image showing a whole page of the page number. [0062] describes that the representation image includes an image therein for each of the pages in the document. [0064] describes that the page images in the representation image correspond to page numbers of pages in the document, thereby making a page number part of the information conveyed.
With regard to Claim 7, Komoda teaches that the information indicative of the part includes a page number indicative of the part and a page image showing a whole page of the page number. [0062] describes that the representation image includes an image therein for each of the pages in the document. [0064] describes that the page images in the representation image correspond to page numbers of pages in the document, thereby making a page number part of the information conveyed.
With regard to Claim 10, Dowling teaches that the other user is a plurality of other users; and the processor is configured to display a plurality of user images indicative of the plurality of other users on the file icon image. [0048] describes that indicators can be displayed for a plurality of other users who have selected a particular element. Fig. 4A shows the images for the multiple other users at 416A.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time this application was filed to combine Dowling with Koenig and Komoda. One of skill in the art would have sought the combination, to improve user experience by allowing for additional information about collaborating users to be made available in the interface.
With regard to Claim 11, Dowling teaches that the other user is a plurality of other users; and the processor is configured to display a plurality of user images indicative of the plurality of other users on the file icon image. [0048] describes that indicators can be displayed for a plurality of other users who have selected a particular element. Fig. 4A shows the images for the multiple other users at 416A.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time this application was filed to combine Dowling with Koenig and Komoda. One of skill in the art would have sought the combination, to improve user experience by allowing for additional information about collaborating users to be made available in the interface.
With regard to Claim 12, Dowling teaches that the other user is a plurality of other users; and the processor is configured to display a plurality of user images indicative of the plurality of other users on the file icon image. [0048] describes that indicators can be displayed for a plurality of other users who have selected a particular element. Fig. 4A shows the images for the multiple other users at 416A.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time this application was filed to combine Dowling with Koenig and Komoda. One of skill in the art would have sought the combination, to improve user experience by allowing for additional information about collaborating users to be made available in the interface.
With regard to Claim 13, Dowling teaches that the other user is a plurality of other users; and the processor is configured to display a plurality of user images indicative of the plurality of other users on the file icon image. [0048] describes that indicators can be displayed for a plurality of other users who have selected a particular element. Fig. 4A shows the images for the multiple other users at 416A.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time this application was filed to combine Dowling with Koenig and Komoda. One of skill in the art would have sought the combination, to improve user experience by allowing for additional information about collaborating users to be made available in the interface.
With regard to Claim 14, Dowling teaches that the processor is configured to dynamically enlarge a user image corresponding to a position where an operation of the user is detected among the plurality of user images. Fig. 4B shows a single one of the user images enlarged in the interface, through operation of a cursor on a smaller version of the image.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time this application was filed to combine Dowling with Koenig and Komoda. One of skill in the art would have sought the combination, to improve user experience by allowing for additional information about collaborating users to be made available in the interface.
With regard to Claim 15, Dowling teaches that the processor is configured to display the plurality of user images indicative of the plurality of other users in a descending order of priority set in advance for each of the plurality of other users in a case where the plurality of user images indicative of the plurality of other users are displayed on the file icon image. [0028] describes that the system can be set to stack multiple icons in an order corresponding to the order in which the users selected the item.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time this application was filed to combine Dowling with Koenig and Komoda. One of skill in the art would have sought the combination, to improve user experience by allowing for additional information about collaborating users to be made available in the interface.
With regard to Claim 16, Dowling teaches that the processor is configured to display an image indicative of the number of other users on the file icon image. [0027] describes that an icon stack can be displayed, where the number of icons in the stack corresponds to the number of users who are active in the particular element.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time this application was filed to combine Dowling with Koenig and Komoda. One of skill in the art would have sought the combination, to improve user experience by allowing for additional information about collaborating users to be made available in the interface.
With regard to Claim 17, Dowling teaches that the processor is configured to display, in association with the image indicative of the number of other users, a list of information concerning viewing or editing of the other user(s) in a case where an operation of the user on the image indicative of the number of other users is detected. [0048]-[0049] describes that a user can expand a display of information about a plurality of other users whose icons are stacked because of being active in the same element. [0051] describes that expanding is carried out by hovering over the stack in one embodiment.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time this application was filed to combine Dowling with Koenig and Komoda. One of skill in the art would have sought the combination, to improve user experience by allowing for additional information about collaborating users to be made available in the interface.
With regard to Claim 18, Dowling teaches that the processor is configured to transmit a message inquiring a state of viewing or editing of the other user to the other user. [0038]-[0040] describe that a user can expand a view to see a contact card for a user, which allows for sending an email or chat message to that user.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time this application was filed to combine Dowling with Koenig and Komoda. One of skill in the art would have sought the combination, to improve user experience by allowing for additional information about collaborating users to be made available in the interface.
Claims 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Komoda, in view of Koenig, in view of Dowling, and in view of Kodimer, et al., U.S. PGPUB No. 2013/0298014 (“Kodimer”).
With regard to Claim 8, Kodimer teaches that the processor is configured to display an enlarged image in association with the page image in a case where an operation of the user on the page image is detected, the enlarged image being an image in which a portion of the page image that corresponds to a position where the operation of the user is detected is dynamically enlarged. [0058]-[0059] describe that multiple page thumbnails are displayed in an interface; a user can select one of the thumbnails, causing the thumbnail to be enlarged on the display.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time this application was filed to combine Kodimer with Komoda, Koenig and Dowling. One of skill in the art would have sought the combination, to improve user experience by allowing additional operations for viewing and manipulating information in the interface.
With regard to Claim 9, Kodimer teaches that the processor is configured to display an enlarged image in association with the page image in a case where an operation of the user on the page image is detected, the enlarged image being an image in which a portion of the page image that corresponds to a position where the operation of the user is detected is dynamically enlarged. [0058]-[0059] describe that multiple page thumbnails are displayed in an interface; a user can select one of the thumbnails, causing the thumbnail to be enlarged on the display.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time this application was filed to combine Kodimer with Komoda, Koenig and Dowling. One of skill in the art would have sought the combination, to improve user experience by allowing additional operations for viewing and manipulating information in the interface.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot, as the newly cited Koenig reference cures the alleged deficiencies in Komoda with regard to teaching or suggesting the elements of the claims which have been added by amendment.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEITH D BLOOMQUIST whose telephone number is (571)270-7718. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8:30-5 PM.
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/KEITH D BLOOMQUIST/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2171
8/14/2025