DETAILED ACTION
1. 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 1/29/2026 has been entered.
2. Claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 1, 8 and 15 are independent. No claims have been amended at this time.
Response to Arguments
3. Applicant's responses to the Final Office Action dated 10/29/2025 have been addressed in the Advisory Action dated 12/31/2025.
4. Applicant's arguments in responding to the Advisory Action dated 12/31/2025 have been fully considered; however, they are not persuasive.
In responding to Applicant’s arguments “Applicant respectfully disagrees with [this stated] motivation to combine the references because it is not apparent that allowing an environment in which a plurality of users can directly and concurrently interact with each other would make the system more efficient by giving users access to desired files,” Examiners respectfully disagree. Hart discloses an environment in which the users are interacting with each other to access and share files [FIG. 1, col. 4 lines 1-17 and col. 8 lines 46-55]. In Hart, files are shared among users via directories and folders [col. 2 lines 46-64], e.g. a user may access, write to a file and then store it in a folder and another user may access the file from the folder. Thus, the users are not directly and currently sharing files. Therefore, modifying Hart's interactive environment to further include Harrington's interactive environment in which data or files may be exchanged directly and concurrently among users would cure the claim deficiency. The benefits of such modification would be to make the system more efficient by giving users immediate access to the desired files upon request in such interactive environment.
In responding to Applicant’s argument “the reference is completely silent with regard to the claimed requirement that the data gathering includes "data about a level of participation of a first user in the user interactive environment during a period of time when the first user and one or more other users are present together in the user interactive environment." There is no discussion in Hart about the data gathering (i.e., records of file access) being limited to times when users are present together in an interactive environment,” Examiners respectfully disagree. Hart discloses that the system receiving or gathering data about file system including data associated with user's activities [col. 3, lines 13-47 and col. 6, lines 51-66] in an user interactive environment in which users are interacting with each other to access and share files [FIG. 1, col. 4 lines 1-17 and col. 8 lines 46-55]. The data associated with the user's activities including file access permission assigned to users in different departments when the users are participated in the user interactive environment. Thus, Hart's receiving or gathering data about file system including data associated with file access permission assigned to users when the user are participated in the user interactive environment is the same as "gathering data about the collaborative networked environment, including data about a level of participation of a first user in the user interactive environment during a period of time when the first user and one or more other users are present together in the user interactive environment" as recited the claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
7. 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.
7. Claims 1-4, 8-11 and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hart (US Patent 10,152,530) in view of Harrington (US Patent 8,881,181).
As regarding claim 1, Hart discloses A processor-implemented method, the method comprising:
identifying a collaborative networked environment, wherein the collaborative networked environment includes a user interactive environment and a file repository [FIG. 1 and col. 3 line 58 thru col. 4 line 39; network file system including users and file storage] and [FIG. 1, col. 6 line 64 thru col. 7 line 3; a network environment in which users may interact with each other by sharing files and folders that store the shared files];
gathering data about the collaborative networked environment, including data about a level of participation of a first user in the user interactive environment during a period of time when the first user and one or more other users are present together in the user interactive environment [col. 3, lines 13-47 and col. 6, lines 51-66; gathering data about file system including data associated with user’s activities]; and
determining access for the one or more users to a resource in the file repository based on the gathered data [col. 6 lines 15-41; determining access of folders for the user] and [col. 6, lines 51-62].
Hart does not explicitly disclose the user interactive environment enabling a plurality of users to directly and concurrently interact with each other through at least one electronic communication service including an audio, video or text-based communication service. However, Harrington discloses it [col. 6 lines 16-29 and col. 7 lines 39-59; directly and currently interactive virtual environment].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the effective filing of the invention to modify Hart’s user interactive environment to further comprise a user interactive environment enabling a plurality of users to directly and concurrently interact with each other through at least one electronic communication service including an audio, video or text-based communication, as disclosed by Harrington, in order to provide real-time interactive environment for participated users [col. 5 lines 31-38].
As regarding claim 2, Hart further discloses The method of claim 1, wherein the determined access is provided as a recommendation to an administrative user [col. 3 lines 23-36 and col. 6 lines 51-66; user access recommended to the administrator].
As regarding claim 3, Harrington further discloses The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic communication service includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a web conference, a voice call, a video call, a live stream, a chat group, or a social media group [col. 6 lines 16-29; chat group or social media group].
As regarding claim 4, Hart further discloses The method of claim 1, wherein the collaborative networked environment establishes a connection between the user interactive environment and the file repository [FIG. 1 and col. 3 line 58 thru col. 4 line 39; network file system including connection between users and file storage].
As regarding claim 8, Hart discloses A computer system, the computer system comprising:
one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage medium, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage medium for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories [col. 12 lines 35-49], wherein the computer system is capable of performing a method comprising:
identifying a collaborative networked environment, wherein the collaborative networked environment includes a user interactive environment and a file repository [FIG. 1 and col. 3 line 58 thru col. 4 line 39; network file system including users and file storage] and [FIG. 1, col. 6 line 64 thru col. 7 line 3; a network environment in which users may interact with each other by sharing files and folders that store the shared files];
gathering data about the collaborative networked environment, including data about a level of participation of a first user in the user interactive environment during a period of time when the first user and one or more other users are present together in the user interactive environment [col. 3 lines 13-47 and col. 6 lines 51-66; gathering data about file system including data associated with user’s activities] and [col. 6, lines 51-62]; and
determining access for the one or more users to a resource in the file repository based on the gathered data [col. 6 lines 15-41; determining access of folders for the user] and [col. 6, lines 51-62].
Hart does not explicitly disclose the user interactive environment enabling a plurality of users to directly and concurrently interact with each other through at least one electronic communication service including an audio, video or text-based communication service. However, Harrington discloses it [col. 6 lines 16-29 and col. 7 lines 39-59; directly and currently interactive virtual environment].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the effective filing of the invention to modify Hart’s user interactive environment to further comprise a user interactive environment enabling a plurality of users to directly and concurrently interact with each other through at least one electronic communication service including an audio, video or text-based communication, as disclosed by Harrington, in order to provide real-time interactive environment for participated users [col. 5 lines 31-38].
As regarding claim 9, Hart further discloses The computer system of claim 8, wherein the determined access is provided as a recommendation to an administrative user [col. 3 lines 23-36 and col. 6 lines 51-66; user access recommended to the administrator].
As regarding claim 10, Harrington further discloses The computer system of claim 8, wherein the electronic communication service includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a web conference, a voice call, a video call, a live stream, a chat group, or a social media group [col. 6 lines 16-29; chat group or social media group].
As regarding claim 11, Hart further discloses The computer system of claim 8, wherein the collaborative networked environment establishes a connection between the user interactive environment and the file repository [FIG. 1 and col. 3 line 58 thru col. 4 line 39; network file system including connection between users and file storage].
As regarding claim 15, Hart discloses A computer program product, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer-readable tangible storage medium and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage medium, the program instructions executable by a processor capable of performing a method [col. 12 lines 35-49], the method comprising:
identifying a collaborative networked environment, wherein the collaborative networked environment includes a user interactive environment and a file repository [FIG. 1 and col. 3 line 58 thru col. 4 line 39; network file system including users and file storage] and [FIG. 1, col. 6 line 64 thru col. 7 line 3; a network environment in which users may interact with each other by sharing files and folders that store the shared files];
gathering data about the collaborative networked environment, including data about a level of participation of a first user in the user interactive environment during a period of time when the first user and one or more other users are present together in the user interactive environment [col. 3 lines 13-47 and col. 6 lines 51-66; gathering data about file system including data associated with user’s activities] and [col. 6, lines 51-62]; and
determining access for the one or more users to a resource in the file repository based on the gathered data [col. 6 lines 15-41; determining access of folders for the user] and [col. 6, lines 51-62].
Hart does not explicitly disclose the user interactive environment enabling a plurality of users to directly and concurrently interact with each other through at least one electronic communication service including an audio, video or text-based communication service. However, Harrington discloses it [col. 6 lines 16-29 and col. 7 lines 39-59; directly and currently interactive virtual environment].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the effective filing of the invention to modify Hart’s user interactive environment to further comprise a user interactive environment enabling a plurality of users to directly and concurrently interact with each other through at least one electronic communication service including an audio, video or text-based communication, as disclosed by Harrington, in order to provide real-time interactive environment for participated users [col. 5 lines 31-38].
As regarding claim 16, Hart further discloses The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the determined access is provided as a recommendation to an administrative user [col. 3 lines 23-36 and col. 6 lines 51-66; user access recommended to the administrator].
As regarding claim 17, Harrington further discloses The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the electronic communication service includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a web conference, a voice call, a video call, a live stream, a chat group, or a social media group [col. 6 lines 16-29; chat group or social media group].
As regarding claim 18, Hart further discloses The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the collaborative networked environment establishes a connection between the user interactive environment and the file repository [FIG. 1 and col. 3 line 58 thru col. 4 line 39; network file system including connection between users and file storage].
8. Claims 5-7, 12-14, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hart (US Patent 10,152,530) in view of Harrington (US Patent 8,881,181) and further in view of Byrnes (US PG Pub. 2012/0191500).
As regarding claims 5, 12 and 19, Hart and Harrington do not disclose that the user interactive environment is a digital meeting. However, Byrnes discloses it [FIG. 1 and para. 20].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the effective filing of the invention to modify Hart and Harrington’s user interactive environment to further comprise a digital meeting environment, as disclosed by Byrnes, in order to allow meeting attendees to meet online instead of being physically present at a specific location.
As regarding claims 6, 13 and 20, Byrnes further discloses the resource is a record of the meeting in the form of meeting minutes or a recording of the meeting [para. 48; meeting record including meeting minutes].
As regarding claims 7 and 14, Byrnes further discloses The method of claim 5, wherein the resource is a digital credential indicating that the user attended the meeting [para. 27 and 31; meeting record including meeting attendance].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THONG P TRUONG whose telephone number is (571)270-7905. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:30AM - 5:30PM.
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/THONG TRUONG/
Examiner, Art Unit 2433
/JEFFREY C PWU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2433