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 .
This action is in response to the original filing and preliminary amendment of 14 November 2022, and the claims filed 1 December 2022. Claims 1-20 have been amended. Claims 21-28 have been canceled. Claims 1-20 are pending and have been considered below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The claims disclose that a first operation is received on a first file and the first file is processed based on the first operation. Then the claims disclose a first floating icon of the first file is displayed. Then a second operation is received on the floating icon, after which the first operation is applied to the first file based on the second operation. But, if the first operation is already applied to the first file, then the first operation applied to the first file after a second operation is applied to a floating icon of the first file is redundant. Furthermore, the cause of the first floating icon to be displayed is not described.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 8-9, 12-14, 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laird-McConnell et al. (US 2011/0035421 A1) in view of Criou et al. (US 2017/0163793 A1).
Claim 1 includes the following contradiction: the claim discloses that a first operation is received on a first file and the first file is processed based on the first operation. Then the claim discloses a first floating icon of the first file is displayed. Then a second operation is received on the floating icon, after which the first operation is applied to the first file based on the second operation. But, if the first operation is already applied to the first file, then the first operation applied to the first file after a second operation is applied to a floating icon of the first file is redundant. Furthermore, the cause of the first floating icon to be displayed is not described.
Claim 1. Laird-McConnell discloses a file application method, comprising:
receiving, by a first terminal device, [an] operation on a first file, wherein the first file is processed based on the first operation, a user inputs a file name into a query field and at least one file icon is displayed subject to sharing (P 0054 Fig 7) As noted above, it is unclear whether the first operation is applied to the file independent of or subsequent to application of the second operation;
displaying, by the first terminal device, a first floating icon of the first file, a file icon is displayed (P 0051 0054 Fig 5, 7); and
applying, by the first terminal device, after receiving a second operation on the first floating icon, the first operation to the first file based on the second operation, a user selects a mechanism for executing the share option, thereby executing the first operation (P 0052).
Laird-McConnell does not disclose receiving, by a first terminal device, a first operation on a first file, as disclosed in the claims. However, in the same field of invention, Criou discloses options to share data may be presented as virtual keys, possibly associated with a field for searching or browsing for the file to be shared (P 0094). Therefore, considering the teachings of Laird-McConnell and Criou, one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have been motivated to combine receiving, by a first terminal device, a first operation on a first file with the teachings of Laird-McConnell with the motivation to make Laird-McConnell consistent with the disclosure of searching for a file for the purpose of sharing the file as is explicitly stated in Laird-McConnell.
Claim 2. Laird-McConnell and Criou disclose the method according to claim 1, and Laird-McConnell, options available for executing on the file by selecting the file icon include opening the file (P 0052) in response to a query for a file, one or more files are displayed (P 0054 Fig 7), and Criou discloses, presenting includes displaying images and text (P 0090) the file to be shared is presented in a manner consistent with the type of file and a prompt is presented to a user asking to present the shared file (P 0108). Therefore, considering the teachings of Laird-McConnell and Criou, one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have been motivated to combine wherein the second operation indicates to display the first file, and the applying, by the first terminal device, the first operation to the first file based on the second operation comprises: opening and displaying, by the first terminal device, the first file. It is unclear what distinguishes the step of displaying the first file according to the second operation, and opening and displaying the first file by applying the first operation and second operation with the teachings of Laird-McConnell and Criou with the motivation to make Laird-McConnell consistent with the disclosure of searching for a file for the purpose of sharing the file as is explicitly stated in Laird-McConnell.
Claim 3. Laird-McConnell and Criou disclose the method according to claim 1, and Laird-McConnell discloses wherein the second operation indicates to share the first file with a second application (APP), the first file is a file of a first APP, and the first APP and the second APP are APPs installed in the first terminal device; and wherein the applying, by the first terminal device, the first operation to the first file based on the second operation comprises: sharing, by the first terminal device, the first file with the second APP, upon selection of the file icon, a menu with an option to share the related file using different selectable applications is displayed (P 0052).
Claim 8. Laird-McConnell and Criou disclose the method according to claim 1, and Laird-McConnell disclose storing, after processing on the first file is completed, a processed first file in a database; wherein the applying, by the first terminal device, the first operation to the first file based on the second operation comprises: applying, by the first terminal device, the first file in the database, alterations or comments may be automatically synchronized from the file on the server to the file retained on the personal computing device of the user (P 0007) comments made to a file are synchronized to cloud storage (P 0042) and a copy of the file is stored in the cloud (P 0045) and users may edit the file stored in the cloud and edit are automatically uploaded (P 0046) when a user of a first computer updates content, through a synchronization component, the update is automatically reflected in the cloud and shared with users when the modifying user indicates should be reflected (P 0048) 0048) .
Claim 9. Laird-McConnell and Criou disclose the method according claim1, and Laird-McConnell disclose terminating, by the first terminal device, after receiving a fourth operation on the first floating icon, or based on no second operation on the first floating icon being received within a first time period, display of the first floating icon, a user terminates a touch event to end the process (P 0026).
Claim(s) 12, 13, 14, 19, 20 is/are directed to file application apparatus claim(s) similar to the file application method claim(s) of Claim(s) 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 and is/are rejected with the same rationale.
Claims 21-28. (Cancelled)
Claim(s) 4-5, 15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laird-McConnell et al. (US 2011/0035421 A1) in view of Criou et al. (US 2017/0163793 A1) and further in view of Chang et al. (US 2010/0262673 A1).
Claim 4. Laird-McConnell and Criou disclose the method according to claim 1, but Laird-McConnell does not disclose wherein a third application (APP) of a second terminal device is displayed in a sharing window of the first terminal device, and the second operation indicates to share the first file with the third APP; and wherein the applying, by the first terminal device, the first operation to the first file based on the second operation comprises: transmitting, by the first terminal device, a first instruction and the first file to the second terminal device, wherein the first instruction instructs to share the first file with the third APP, as disclosed in the claims. However, Laird-McConnell discloses a window for selecting an app for sharing the file with a second user device (P 0052 Fig 5). In the same field of invention, Chang discloses windows for a first terminal and a second terminal are displayed on a device screen, and a user is able to drag and drop a file to transfer the file from the first terminal to the second terminal (P 0486 Fig 42) wherein the window for the second terminal includes an application to operate on the file (P 0507-0517 Fig 48-51). Therefore, considering the teachings of Laird-McConnell, Criou and Chang, one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have been motivated to combine wherein a third application (APP) of a second terminal device is displayed in a sharing window of the first terminal device, and the second operation indicates to share the first file with the third APP; and wherein the applying, by the first terminal device, the first operation to the first file based on the second operation comprises: transmitting, by the first terminal device, a first instruction and the first file to the second terminal device, wherein the first instruction instructs to share the first file with the third APP with the teachings of Laird-McConnell and Criou with the motivation to provide an intuitive user interface for sharing files.
Claim 5. Laird-McConnell and Criou disclose the method according claim1, but Laird-McConnell does not disclose receiving, by the first terminal device, a third operation on a second floating icon in a sharing window, wherein the second floating icon is an icon of a second file of a third terminal device, and the third operation indicates to share the second file in a fourth application (APP} of the first terminal device; transmitting, by the first terminal device, a second instruction to the third terminal device based on the third operation, wherein the second instruction instructs to share the second file with the first terminal device; and sharing, by the first terminal device, after receiving the second file, the second file in the fourth APP, as disclosed in the claims. However, Laird-McConnell discloses a window for selecting an app for sharing the file with a second user device (P 0052 Fig 5). In the same field of invention, Chang discloses windows for a first terminal and a second terminal are displayed on a device screen, and a user is able to drag and drop a file to transfer the file from the first terminal to the second terminal (P 0486 Fig 42) wherein the window for the second terminal includes an application to operate on the file (P 0507-0517 Fig 48-51). Therefore, considering the teachings of Laird-McConnell, Criou and Chang, one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have been motivated to combine receiving, by the first terminal device, a third operation on a second floating icon in a sharing window, wherein the second floating icon is an icon of a second file of a third terminal device, and the third operation indicates to share the second file in a fourth application (APP} of the first terminal device; transmitting, by the first terminal device, a second instruction to the third terminal device based on the third operation, wherein the second instruction instructs to share the second file with the first terminal device; and sharing, by the first terminal device, after receiving the second file, the second file in the fourth APP with the teachings of Laird-McConnell and Criou with the motivation to provide an intuitive user interface for sharing files.
Claim(s) 15, 16 is/are directed to file application apparatus claim(s) similar to the file application method claim(s) of Claim(s) 4, 5 and is/are rejected with the same rationale.
Claim(s) 6-7, 17-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laird-McConnell et al. (US 2011/0035421 A1) in view of Criou et al. (US 2017/0163793 A1) and further in view of Avadhanam (US 2012/0254746 A1).
Claim 6. Laird-McConnell and Criou disclose the method according claim1, but Laird-McConnell does not disclose wherein the method further comprises, before the displaying, by the first terminal device, a first floating icon of the first file:determining, by the first terminal device, that the first application (APP) is a target APP, wherein the first file is a file of the first APP, and a file of the target APP comprises an editable file, as disclosed in the claims. However, in the same field of invention, Avadhanam discloses files are identified as valid shareable files (P 0029) according to a criteria for sharing (P 0031) wherein shareable files are returned from a query (P 0038). Therefore, considering the teachings of Laird-McConnell, Criou and Avadhanam, one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have been motivated to combine wherein the method further comprises, before the displaying, by the first terminal device, a first floating icon of the first file:determining, by the first terminal device, that the first application (APP) is a target APP, wherein the first file is a file of the first APP, and a file of the target APP comprises an editable file with the teachings of Laird-McConnell and Criou with the motivation to provide an intuitive user interface for sharing files.
Laird-McConnell discloses determining, by the first terminal device, after determining that the first APP is a target APP, by monitoring a processing status of the first file, that processing on the first file is completed, the file is automatically uploaded to a server (P 0006) alterations or comments may be automatically synchronized from the file on the server to the file retained on the personal computing device of the user (P 0007) a user edits a file and automatically transmitted to another computer to be modified, and the modification are automatically uploaded to the server (P 0046) when a user of a first computer updates content, through a synchronization component, the update is automatically reflected in the cloud and shared with users when the modifying user indicates should be reflected (P 0048) a user chooses to save a file in a repository (P 0060) an indication that a user wishes to share the file with an identified user (P 0062) initiate an action that facilitates transmittal of the URL of the file to the identified user (P 0063). It is clear that a file may be a file is shared upon completion of an update.
Claim 7. Laird-McConnell, Criou and Avadhanam disclose the method according to claim 6, and Laird-McConnell discloses wherein the determining, by the first terminal device, that the first APP is a target APP comprises: determining, by the first terminal device, information about the first APP based on an installation package of the first APP; and determining, by the first terminal device, based on the information about the first APP indicating that a file of the first APP comprises an editable file, or based on the information about the first APP indicating that the first APP is an APP comprised in a target application list, that the first APP is a target APP, wherein the target application list comprises at least one target APP, the sharer component initiates an application utilized to transmit a URI to a personal computing device used by an individual with whom the file is desirably shared, including a text messaging application, an instant messaging application, a web-based broadcasting application, or other suitable application in connection with causing the URI to be transmitted/received by the user of the personal computing device (P 0033) wherein a web browser is installed that is initiated to be used with the URI corresponding to the file (P 0034) hovering over the option to share the file, a graphical icon can be displayed that presents a plurality of selectable applications pertaining to a manner in which the file can be shared with others (P 0052). Clearly, the applications initiated for sending the URI of the and for sharing the file are both appropriate for sharing and are installed.
Claim(s) 17, 18 is/are directed to file application apparatus claim(s) similar to the file application method claim(s) of Claim(s) 6,7 and is/are rejected with the same rationale.
Claim(s) 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laird-McConnell et al. (US 2011/0035421 A1) in view of Chang et al. (US 2010/0262673 A1).
Claim 10. Laird-McConnell discloses a file application method, comprising:
receiving, by a second terminal device, a first instruction and a first file that are transmitted by a first terminal device, a file is shared from a first computer to a second computer and an icon of the file is displayed on the desktop of the second computer with a message that the sharing user has shared the file (P 0055),
wherein a third application (APP) of the second terminal device is displayed …, a message is displayed on the second computer (P 0055), and
sharing, by the second terminal device, the first file with the third APP …, a graphic icon for a file is displayed on the interface of a computer and displays a menu for sharing the file (P 0051-0052 Fig 5). It is clear that the file icon can be displayed either in response to a query (P 0054 Fig 7) or as a result of sharing from a first computer (P 0055 Fig 8)., but Laird-McConnell does not explicitly disclose that file icon of Fig 5 is displayed according to paragraphs 0054 and 0055.
Laird-McConnell does not disclose wherein a third application (APP) of the second terminal device is displayed in a sharing window of the first terminal device; the first instruction instructs to share the first file with the third APP; and sharing, by the second terminal device, the first file with the third APP according to the first instruction, as disclosed in the claims. However, Laird-McConnell discloses a window for selecting an app for sharing the file with a second user device (P 0052 Fig 5). In the same field of invention, Chang discloses a first terminal displays icons for files and the first terminal generates notifications to a second terminal for the files and corresponding icons are displayed on the second terminal (P 0388-0389) menus are displayed on the second terminal to operate on each corresponding file (P 0392) a user selects a menu on the second terminal and a request signal is transmitted to the first terminal for the function (P 0393) then the first terminal executed content corresponding to the menu and transmits information according to the file to the second terminal (P 0394) and the corresponding information is displayed on the second terminal (P 0395) if a user selects a further information from the file, the second terminal transmits a request to the first terminal (P 0397) and the first terminal executes a function for the selected information and transmits further information to the second terminal (P 0398) windows for a first terminal and a second terminal are displayed on a device screen, and a user is able to drag and drop a file to transfer the file from the first terminal to the second terminal (P 0486 Fig 42) wherein the window for the second terminal includes an application to operate on the file (P 0507-0517 Fig 48-51). Therefore, considering the teachings of Laird-McConnell and Chang, one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have been motivated to combine wherein a third application (APP) of the second terminal device is displayed in a sharing window of the first terminal device; the first instruction instructs to share the first file with the third APP; and sharing, by the second terminal device, the first file with the third APP according to the first instruction with the teachings of Laird-McConnell with the motivation to provide an intuitive user interface for sharing files.
Claim 11. Laird-McConnell discloses a file application method, comprising:
displaying, by a third terminal device, a second floating icon of a second file, a file icon is displayed (P 0051 0054 Fig 5, 7);
receiving, by the third terminal device, a second instruction …, the second instruction instructs to share the second file with the first terminal device, a user selects a mechanism for executing the share option, thereby executing the first operation (P 0052); and
transmitting, by the third terminal device, the second file to the first terminal device according to the second instruction, upon selection of a share option, a URI of the shared file is transmitted to computer with which the file is to be shared (P 0052).
Laird-McConnell does not disclose receiving, by the third terminal device, a second instruction transmitted by a first terminal device, wherein the second floating icon is displayed in a sharing window of the first terminal device, as disclosed in the claims. However, Laird-McConnell discloses a window for selecting an app for sharing the file with a second user device (P 0052 Fig 5). In the same field of invention, Chang discloses a first terminal displays icons for files and the first terminal generates notifications to a second terminal for the files and corresponding icons are displayed on the second terminal (P 0388-0389) menus are displayed on the second terminal to operate on each corresponding file (P 0392) a user selects a menu on the second terminal and a request signal is transmitted to the first terminal for the function (P 0393) then the first terminal executed content corresponding to the menu and transmits information according to the file to the second terminal (P 0394) and the corresponding information is displayed on the second terminal (P 0395) if a user selects a further information from the file, the second terminal transmits a request to the first terminal (P 0397) and the first terminal executes a function for the selected information and transmits further information to the second terminal (P 0398) windows for a first terminal and a second terminal are displayed on a device screen, and a user is able to drag and drop a file to transfer the file from the first terminal to the second terminal (P 0486 Fig 42) wherein the window for the second terminal includes an application to operate on the file (P 0507-0517 Fig 48-51). Therefore, considering the teachings of Laird-McConnell and Chang, one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have been motivated to combine receiving, by the third terminal device, a second instruction transmitted by a first terminal device, wherein the second floating icon is displayed in a sharing window of the first terminal device with the teachings of Laird-McConnell with the motivation to provide an intuitive user interface for sharing files.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to JOHN M HEFFINGTON at telephone number (571)270-1696.
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN M HEFFINGTON whose telephone number is (571)270-1696. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm Eastern.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Cesar B Paula, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-4128. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/J.M.H/Examiner, Art Unit 2145 3/6/2026
/CESAR B PAULA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2145