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 .
Status of Claims
The office action is being examined in response to the amendment filed by the applicant on 11 February 2026.
Claims 1-6, 9-16, and 18-23 have been examined.
This action is made NON-FINAL.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 1/21/2026 and 2/11/2026 were filed and are being considered by the examiner.
Incorporated with the IDS submitted on 6/10/2025 is a compliant statement by the Applicant of IDS Size Fee according to 37 C.F.R. § 1.17(v).
Response to Arguments
35 U.S.C. § 101 Arguments –Abstract Idea.
Applicant’s Remarks, see pages 9-11, filed 11 February 2025, regarding 35 U.S.C. § 101 have been fully considered and are not persuasive.
The Applicants’ arguments, on pages 11-13, that the claim improves on the technology field of interaction systems and therefore recites significantly more, are not persuasive because the applicant makes assertions on record without providing evidence.
The applicant’s arguments, on page 11, are not persuasive because the claims do not amount to significantly more due to an improvement according to MPEP 2106.05(a). MPEP 2106.05 (a) requires the identification of additional elements. MPEP 2106.05 further requires analysis of the additional elements to identify if they are indicative of integration of the abstract ideas into a practical application, or if the elements amount to significantly more than the abstract ideas. A finding of a practical application typically both coexists with, and supersedes a finding of significantly more. In the instant application, the additional elements are the general-purpose computing structures recited at a high level of generality. Addressing the technical problem of interactive architecture to prevent messaging between non-related users, i.e. improving interaction system technology through data manipulation and display via general-purpose computing structures, is a design choice for the technology. In the instant application, the design choices are is rooted in the abstract ideas, as disclosed in the 35 U.S.C. § 101 analysis below. The additional elements are elements that are not included in the abstract ideas. Therefore, the particular improvements disclosed in the asserted design choice, generating composite data, determining privacy data, and displaying graphical user interface data, cannot be indicative of a practical application of the computing structures. Further, the design choices are manners of data manipulation, without detailing the manner or mechanism of manipulation, that result in characterized data or the display of characterized data. The specification does not reveal advances or improvements to the functioning of a computer, to manipulating data, displaying data, or characterizations of data. The general-purpose computing structures are not indicative of an integration of the abstract ideas into a practical application, and they do not amount to significantly more than the abstract ideas, for the same reasons.
The applicants’ arguments, on page 13, that the implementation of a specific technical solution involving multi condition logic to solve a technical problem of messaging between non-related users, are not persuasive. As disclosed above, these are a design choice. The multi-condition logic is a filtering logic, allowing a user to see or not be seen in the system according to their choice of data selection, i.e. privacy controls. Connecting the users as friends, requested friendship, or not friends but allowed to communicate, is a filtering function, implemented via a graphical user display element. Logic conditions are not addressed in any of the pertinent sections of MPEP 2016.05 (a)-(h), when identifying a practical application or significantly more. A logic condition of this sort, at a 30k mile view is a variable level yes/no logic, i.e. a filter, implemented through sending/receiving, and displaying data. The specification does not reveal advances to manipulating data through logic conditions, displaying data, graphical user display elements, design or implementation of graphical user display technologies, sending and receiving data, touch screens, or humans making simplified choices in interactive systems, to be or not to be connected at various levels. Interactive systems, akin to the instant invention, are overtly, automations of historically performed tasks of choosing to communicate with others and the levels of closeness and communcations that they allow.
The Examiner has reconsidered their previous position and reexamined the claims according to the amendments and with respect to the arguments and the totality of the file wrapper and has reached the same conclusion. Please find an updated rejection for 35 U.S.C. § 101 below, reflecting the amendments. The rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 101 is maintained.
35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 15-16, filed 11 February 2025, with respect to 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of the amendments under 35 U.S.C. § 103.
Please find the new grounds of rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 103 below reflecting the amended claim language.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-6, 9-16, and 18-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 101 as the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
Independent Claims
Regarding Claims 1, 19, and 20: The claims recite the following functions: use contact data and relationship data to generate composite contact data, generate contact records, identify common and uncommon relationships between user’s, identify users, identify contact records, generated composite data, enable user to contact or not contact based on relationship, which are all abstract idea in the category “certain methods of organizing human activity,” more specifically “Managing Personal Behavior or Relationships or Interactions Between People” because the claims utilize the functions above to manipulate interactions and behaviors between users utilizing personal relationship and contact data accessed by the system to drive personal behaviors or relationships, or interactions between people (see paragraph [0033] of Application Specification) (MPEP 2105.04(a)(2)(II)).
Step 2A Prong 2: The claim also recites non-functional descriptive information that carry no patentable weight – they do not positively recite any additional functions that limit the claims or the structures of the claims. The claim recites accessing data, enabling users to perform functions, determining a second user, filter the user data to identify users without direct relationships, transmitting messages, causing display of data, using data, displaying message data, and permitting or allowing and disallowing contact. The specification does not reveal that the core of the invention is directed to advances in data storage, databases, data permissions, data display, the displays themselves, accessing data, using data, enabling users to perform functions, or sending and receiving, i.e. transmitting data. These limitations are disclosed at a high level of generality. Instead, the specification is focused on the nature of the data being received, sent, displayed, maintained, permitted, initiated, enabled, distinguished, provided, combined, generated, or matched, by the systems – i.e., the descriptive nature of the data (MPEP 2106.05(e)). These limitations are not abstract ideas and do not amount to a practical application of an abstract idea.
The claims recite the following additional elements: inclaims 1, 19, and 20: an interaction system; additionally recited for claim 19: A computing apparatus including at least one processor and a memory storing instructions configured such that, when executed in cooperation with controlling the at least one processor, the instructions operate the apparatus to perform operations comprising; and additionally recited for claim 20: A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium including instructions that when executed by the at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform operations comprising. The application specification discloses in paragraph [0040], [0041], [0196], [0211], [0245], [0257], [0259], [0260], and [0262], that the interaction system is comprised of multiple user systems and devices, communicatively coupled via the internet/network to servers and third-party servers that user devices, computing devices, and various server devices to perform functions and data interactions. Therefore, according to disclosure of the specification, claims 1, 19, and 20 recite the additional elements as general purpose computing structures recited at a high level of generality without providing advances in the technology or improvements to the computing structures themselves. Additionally, the specification discloses in paragraph [0036] “the technical problem of improving the efficiency or intuitiveness of an interaction system is further addressed or alleviated.” These recitations amount to “apply it,” mere instructions to apply the Judicial Exceptions on generic computing structures, where additionally claiming the improved speed or efficiency inherent with applying the abstract idea on a computer, does not integrate a judicial exception into a practical application or provide an inventive concept (MPEP 2106.05(f)).
The functions above are recited as utilizing general-purpose computing structures. The specification does not reveal that the core of the invention is directed to advances in database architecture, configuration architecture, API architecture, data generation techniques, data analysis techniques, data sorting techniques, data matching techniques, data determining techniques, data structure, display and display interfaces or techniques, data storage techniques, or improvements to the characterization of data. In fact, the claim only recites the steps to achieve the outcomes that merely confine the use of the abstract ideas to particular technological environments and thus fail to add an inventive concept to the claims, therefore, they do not provide for practical applications of the judicial exceptions (MPEP 2106.05(h)).
The claims as a whole, while looking at additional elements individually and in combination, do not integrate the judicial exceptions into a practical application (MPEP 2106.04).
Step 2B: The analysis for Step 2A, Prong 2 above is commensurate with this analysis for Step 2B, such that the same additional elements taken individually and in combination do not result in the claims, as a whole, amounting to significantly more than the judicial exceptions (MPEP 2106.05).
Dependent Claims
Regarding Claims 2-6,9-16, 18, and 21-23: The claims recite further elements related to functions of claim of claim 1. These activities do not differentiate the claims from the related activities in the parent.
The functions of claim 2 merely narrow how the abstract ideas may be performed but do not make the claims any less abstract. The steps of generating composite contact data include matching contact data, incorporating contact data according to matches between contact records and contact data, which are extensions of the same abstract idea "Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity" concepts in claim 1, which the non-abstract idea elements of accessing data, sending or receiving data, displaying data, and storing data without improvements to databases, accessing, sending or receiving, display, or storing data technologies. The limitations cannot be relied upon to integrate the judicial exceptions into a practical application, nor are they elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception when viewing the claims as a whole, while looking at additional elements individually and in combination.
The functions of claims 3-5 merely narrow how the abstract ideas may be performed but do not make the claims any less abstract. Claim 3 further limits the causing display steps, further displaying a comingled list of contact identifiers including the first and second contact identifiers. Claim 4 further limits claim 3 such that the contact identifiers are visually distinguishable from each other. Claim 5 further limits the display in claim 4, of the contact identifier to comprise or not comprise a non-friend indicator. These three claims are extensions of the "Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity" concepts in claim 1, while not being abstract ideas themselves. They are merely displaying data equivalent to adding non-functional descriptive characterizations to the visual display without improvements to display technologies, with reliance upon previous claims to perform functions. The limitations cannot be relied upon to integrate the judicial exceptions into a practical application, nor are they elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception when viewing the claims as a whole, while looking at additional elements individually and in combination.
The functions of claim 6 merely narrow how the abstract ideas may be performed but do not make the claims any less abstract. The claim records a relationship type in the relationship data, bidirectional relationships between users, which are extensions of the "Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity" concepts in claim 1, but are not abstract ideas themselves. They are merely adding data, equivalent to adding non-functional descriptive characterizations with reliance upon previous claims to perform functions. The limitations cannot be relied upon to integrate the judicial exceptions into a practical application, nor are they elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception when viewing the claims as a whole, while looking at additional elements individually and in combination.
The functions of claim 9 merely narrow how the abstract ideas may be performed but do not make the claims any less abstract. The claim limits the graphical display prior to when the message is sent in claim 8. It further adds the display of a graphical interface with a user selectable option to establish a bidirectional relationship with the receiver. These are extensions of the same abstract idea "Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity" concepts in claim 1, but are not abstract ideas themselves. They are merely adding graphical display characterizations to the displayed data, equivalent to adding non-functional descriptive visual display characterizations, without improvements to display, touch and interactive controls or displays, or privacy/security control technologies, with reliance upon previous claims to perform functions. The limitations cannot be relied upon to integrate the judicial exceptions into a practical application, nor are they elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception when viewing the claims as a whole, while looking at additional elements individually and in combination.
The functions of claims 10 and 11 merely narrow how the abstract ideas may be performed but do not make the claims any less abstract. The claim limits the bidirectional relationship establishment to enable: for claim 10: automatic sharing of predetermined data; for claim 11: automatic sharing of user-generated content, between users, which are extensions of the same abstract idea "Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity" concepts in claim 1, but are non-abstract idea elements of displaying, sending, sharing, or and receiving data, without improvements to display, sending and receiving, or sharing technologies, with reliance upon previous claims to perform functions. The limitations cannot be relied upon to integrate the judicial exceptions into a practical application, nor are they elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception when viewing the claims as a whole, while looking at additional elements individually and in combination.
The functions of claim 12 merely narrow how the abstract ideas may be performed but do not make the claims any less abstract. The claim limits the generating composite data step of claim 2, to include accessing non-user contact data and contact records from a third-party application, causing visually distinguishable display of the non-user in the composite contact data, and enabling the specific user to invite the non-user to register, which are extensions of the same abstract idea "Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity" concepts in claim 1, which are non-abstract idea elements of accessing data, sending or receiving data, and storing data without improvements to databases, accessing, sending or receiving, display, or storing data technologies. They are merely adding graphical display characterizations to the displayed data, equivalent to adding non-functional descriptive visual display characterizations, without improvements to display, touch and interactive controls or displays, or privacy/security control technologies, with reliance upon previous claims to perform functions. The limitations cannot be relied upon to integrate the judicial exceptions into a practical application, nor are they elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception when viewing the claims as a whole, while looking at additional elements individually and in combination.
The functions of claim 13 merely narrow how the abstract ideas may be performed but do not make the claims any less abstract. The claim limits the enabling invitation limitation such that the user interface displays a selectable graphical element, when selected, sends the invitation to register to the non-user, which are extensions of the same abstract idea "Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity" concepts in claim 1, which are non-abstract idea elements of displaying, sending, and receiving data. They are merely adding graphical display characterizations to the displayed data, equivalent to adding non-functional descriptive visual display characterizations, without improvements to display, touch and interactive controls or displays, or privacy/security control technologies, with reliance upon previous claims to perform functions. The limitations cannot be relied upon to integrate the judicial exceptions into a practical application, nor are they elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception when viewing the claims as a whole, while looking at additional elements individually and in combination.
The functions of claims 14-16 merely narrow how the abstract ideas may be performed but do not make the claims any less abstract. Claim 14 further limits the third-party application to a contact management application. Claim 15 further limits the third-party application to a third-party communication application. Claim 16 limits the third-party application to a device hosted application, the device of at least one of the specific users, the first user or the second user. These three claims are extensions of the "Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity" concepts in claim 1, while not being abstract ideas themselves. They are merely limiting the software application to applications with different characterizations, with reliance upon previous claims to perform functions. The limitations cannot be relied upon to integrate the judicial exceptions into a practical application, nor are they elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception when viewing the claims as a whole, while looking at additional elements individually and in combination.
The functions of claim 18 merely narrow how the abstract ideas may be performed but do not make the claims any less abstract. The claim limits generating composite contact data by determining based on output generated by a recommendation engine of the system, that the composite data includes the second contact record, automatically presenting the comingled list of identifier data in a user interface, the identifiers for each user relative to other contact identifiers in the list, which are extensions of the same abstract idea "Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity" concepts in claim 1, and the non-abstract idea elements of displaying, sending, and receiving data. That is, these claims are an interaction system, applying a general-purpose recommendation engine recited at a high level of generality, generally linked to a particular field of used, applied on general-purpose computing structures (MPEP 2016.05 (f) and (h)). The limitations cannot be relied upon to integrate the judicial exceptions into a practical application, nor are they elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception when viewing the claims as a whole, while looking at additional elements individually and in combination.
The functions of claim 23 merely narrow how the abstract ideas may be performed but do not make the claims any less abstract. Claim 21 merely recites enabling a user to invite a user to join, causing display of data, user selection of a displayed element and causing transmission, which are not abstract ideas. The specification does not reveal that the core of the invention is directed to advances in data storage, databases, data permissions, data display, the displays themselves, accessing data, using data, enabling users to perform functions, or sending and receiving, i.e. transmitting data. These limitations are not abstract ideas and do not amount to a practical application of an abstract idea.
The functions of claim 22 merely narrow how the abstract ideas may be performed but do not make the claims any less abstract. Claim 22 merely recites causing data display which is not an abstract idea. The specification does not reveal that the core of the invention is directed to advances in data storage, databases, data permissions, data display, the displays themselves, accessing data, using data, enabling users to perform functions, or sending and receiving, i.e. transmitting data. These limitations are not abstract ideas and do not amount to a practical application of an abstract idea.
The functions of claim 23 merely narrow how the abstract ideas may be performed but do not make the claims any less abstract. Claim 23 merely recites enabling a user to invite a user to join, causing display of data, user selection of a displayed element and causing transmission, which are not abstract ideas. The specification does not reveal that the core of the invention is directed to advances in data storage, databases, data permissions, data display, the displays themselves, accessing data, using data, enabling users to perform functions, or sending and receiving, i.e. transmitting data. These limitations are not abstract ideas and do not amount to a practical application of an abstract idea.
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.
Claims 1-6, 9-16, and 18-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being obvious over Velummylum, US20160044087A1 in view of Marlow, WO2009088671A1.
Regarding Claims 1, 19, and 20: Velummylum discloses: Claim 1 preamble: A method comprising:; Claim 19 preamble: A computing apparatus including at least one processor and a memory storing instructions configured such that, when executed in cooperation with controlling the at least one processor, the instructions operate the apparatus to perform operations comprising; Claim 20 preamble: A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium including instructions that when executed by at least one computer, cause the least one computer to perform operations comprising: maintaining, for an interaction system:
maintaining, for an interaction system:
first electronic contact data for a plurality of users of the interaction system, and [0056] “maintain one or more contact lists for each of their users,”
relationship data relating to relationships between the plurality of users of the interaction system, the relationship data indicating, for each pair of users, one of a bidirectional relationship, a one-directional relationship, or no direct relationship exists between a pair of users; [0061] “the trust relationship embedded in a user's contact lists may be exploited to validate a user's relationship with the people on his contact list and/or to further extend trust levels among them,” [0012] (a user sends a friend request, i.e. a one-directional relationship), [0014] (a pair of users with no direct relationship in the system; a pair of users with a bi-directional relationship), [0028] (symmetrical communications, i.e. bi-directional), [0069] (a user may search for new friends or acquaintances where there may be no direct relationship between the user and the searched user);
accessing second electronic contact data associated with a third-party application on a first device of a specific user; [0018 and Figure 3] (one of client devices 112-118, i.e. at least a first, a second, and a third user device), [0055-0056] (contact data and lists for users from social media accounts, i.e. the interaction system, and contact data and lists from the third-party communication services network), [0018] (a plurality of user’s having their own device or devices), [0072] (specific user);
determining a second user in the second electronic contact data that lacks a direct relationship with the specific user In the relationship data; [0055-0056] (contact data and lists for a plurality of users from a plurality of social media accounts, i.e. the interaction system, and contact data and lists from the third-party communication services network), [0067] (determine a plurality of users in the contact data from the plurality of second contact data from external applications, including users that do not have a relationship in the system), [0072] (a second user in the electronic contact data), [0069] (a user may search for new friends or acquaintances where there may be no direct relationship between the user and the searched user), [0018] (a plurality of user’s having their own device or devices);
using the first electronic contact data and the relationship data, automatically generating composite electronic contact data responsive to the determination, the composite electronic contact data, including: [0065] “Each of these contact lists may be used to create new contacts on the present or another network based on the implied trust relationship,” [0067] (determine a plurality of users in the contact data from the plurality of second contact data from external applications, including users that do not have a relationship in the system), [0068] “software application may upload the requesting user's phonebook, compare it row by row, with an internal FSN member list, and create a new partitioned phonebook.”
the first electronic contact record for a first user of the interaction system with which the specific user of the interaction system has either a bidirectional relationship or a one-directional relationship as reflected in the relationship data, and [0076] (privacy settings that may allow a user to be blocked without approval or any other various degrees of trust, it would be reasonable for a person having ordinary skill in the art to assert a privacy setting according to the claim; the disclosure presents no limits, i.e. the number of messages may be set to zero and the trust level may be set to zero and fulfill the claim according to the prior art) [0012] (a user sends a friend request, i.e. a one-directional relationship), [0014] (a pair of users with no direct relationship in the system; a pair of users with a bi-directional relationship), [0028] (symmetrical communications, i.e. bi-directional);
a second electronic contact record for a second user of the interaction system with which the specific user has no direct relationship as reflected in the relationship data; [0067] “the requesting user still has a good user experience and can add new friends to his FSN contact list,” (i.e. the new friend has no relationship to the specific user in the system; determine a plurality of users in the contact data from the plurality of second contact data from external applications, including users that do not have a relationship in the system), [0069] “FSN members or users may also search for other FSN users by usernames. An exact match on a username may display the matched user's public profile (for example, first name and photo). FSN may also allow users the ability to turn off public profile visibility, in which case an exact username match may still return no results, and the only way to add friends to their FSN contact lists is by already knowing the friend's phone numbers (implying a more personal relationship), email address, or other unique identifiers,” [0076] (privacy settings that may allow a user to be blocked without approval or any other various degrees of trust, it would be reasonable for a person having ordinary skill in the art to assert a privacy setting according to the claim; the disclosure presents no limits, i.e. the number of messages may be set to zero and the trust level may be set to zero and fulfill the claim according to the prior art);”
causing display of the composite electronic contact data at the first device of the specific user, wherein the display of the composite electronic contact data comprises visually distinguishing display of the first electronic contact record from display of the second electronic contact record; and [0018 and Figure 3] (one of client devices 112-118, i.e. at least a first, a second, and a third user device), [0019] (display data on at least a plurality of user devices which may represent at least a first, second, and third user, wherein the graphical display occurs on the screen), [Figure 5B] (display of composite contact data comprising visually distinguishing display of contact data into different categories based on trust and connection within system and from 3rd-party systems), [0068]” easily make member and non-member entries of the phonebook distinguishable;”
determining a privacy setting of the second user permitting electronic interactions with users having no direct relationship with the second user as reflected in the relationship data; [0076] (privacy settings that may allow a user to be blocked without approval or any other various degrees of trust, it would be reasonable for a person having ordinary skill in the art to assert a privacy setting according to the claim; the disclosure presents no limits, i.e. the number of messages may be set to zero and the trust level may be set to zero and fulfill the claim according to the prior art);
enabling the specific user of the interaction system to initiate an electronic interaction with the second user using the second electronic contact record despite the second user and the specific user having no direct relationship in the relationship data based on the determined privacy setting of the second user, the electronic interaction initiated by transmitting an electronic message to the second user,: and [0068] (enable contact lists filled with a plurality of contact records to be used to create new contacts for the user on one or more interaction systems based on implied trust), [0081] (user sends a message to another use, the message is selectively sent to a quarantine inbox or regular inbox based on privacy settings and trust level), [0070] (users without a relationship to the specific user), [0071] (each global identifier represents a person on the contacts list, i.e. the contact identifiers on the contact list from [0068] are enabled to be used by the user to initiate an interaction with another user), [0076] (privacy settings that may allow a user to be blocked without approval or any other various degrees of trust, it would be reasonable for a person having ordinary skill in the art to assert a privacy setting according to the claim; the disclosure presents no limits, i.e. the number of messages may be set to zero and the trust level may be set to zero and fulfill the claim according to the prior art);
causing display the electronic message in a messaging user interface at a second device of the second user, the electronic message being displayed in the messaging user interface together with a set of privacy control graphical elements, wherein one or more privacy control graphical elements in the set of privacy control graphical elements are user-selectable with the specific user without adding the bidirectional relationship or the one-directional relationship between the specific user and the second user in the relationship data upon user selection of any of the privacy control graphical elements in the set, and wherein the set of privacy control graphical elements in the messaging user interface based on the second user and the specific user having no direct relationship in the relationship data and the determined privacy setting of the second user permitting electronic interactions with users having no direct relationship with the second user. [0012] ( a user may request to send a message to another user, where the other user may not be a friend or have a bi-directional or one-directional relationship within the particular service, i.e. even if the users know each other in real life, they may have not relationship on the social media service in question), [0041] “include a touch sensitive screen arranged to receive input from an object such as a stylus or a digit from a human hand,” and “rendering graphic-intensive outputs on the display unit,”(where it would be reasonable to anticipate that the touch screen on the display unit would be used for interacting with privacy graphical elements), [0057] “quick postings or opinions such as “Like” button bulletin board style comments and group sharing, among other specialized and/or streamlined features,” (and graphical user interface on any of a plurality of devices, used to display and interact with graphical elements related to messages and privacy control to allow or disallow communication), [0075] (an invited friend that has no relationship with the specific user, where it would be reasonable for the privacy control allowing a user to accept a friendship to also be a graphical element similar to the “like” button), and [Figure 5B] (plus (+) sign next to user identifier allowing a specific user to choose send a message by clicking the user name or to add a friend by clicking the + button; the demarcation of the user names show different connection types within the social system like bi/one/no direction relationships within the system), [0076] (privacy settings that may allow a user to be blocked without approval or any other various degrees of trust, it would be reasonable for a person having ordinary skill in the art to assert a privacy setting according to the claim; the disclosure presents no limits, i.e. the number of messages may be set to zero and the trust level may be set to zero and fulfill the claim according to the prior art).
Where Velummylum does not disclose, Marlow teaches: displayed in the messaging user interface together with a set of privacy control graphical elements, wherein one or more privacy control graphical elements in the set of privacy control graphical elements are user-selectable to allow or disallow communications with the specific user, and wherein the set of privacy control graphical elements are selectively displayed in the messaging user interface. [0054] (display of privacy control graphical user interface elements that are user selectable to allow or disallow communications with a specific user, selectively displayed to a user), [0031] (communications between users that may or may not have a relationship).
It would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date, to use a known technique to improve similar systems in the same way. The prior art of Velummylum contains a base device upon which the claimed invention can be seen as an improvement. The prior art of Marlow contains a comparable system that is different from the base device, that has been improved in the same way as the claimed invention. One of ordinary skill in the art would have applied the known improvement technique in the same way to the base system and the results would have been predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 2: Velummylum discloses and Marlow teaches: The method of claim 1,
Velummylum discloses: wherein the generating of the composite electronic contact data comprises:
performing a matching operation between the first electronic contact data and the second electronic contact data; and [0068] “friend finder software application may upload the requesting user's phonebook, compare it row by row, with an internal FSN member list, and create a new partitioned phonebook with the two partitions mentioned above;”
including the second electronic contact data within the composite electronic contact data based on determining a match between an electronic data record in the second electronic contact data and the second electronic contact record. [0068] “Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the partitioning may be implemented by creating two separate sections in the phonebook, by marking the phonebook entries as being member or non-member, or by any other techniques that can easily make member and non-member entries of the phonebook distinguishable, [0076] (privacy settings that may allow a user to be blocked without approval or any other various degrees of trust, it would be reasonable for a person having ordinary skill in the art to assert a privacy setting according to the claim; the disclosure presents no limits, i.e. the number of messages may be set to zero and the trust level may be set to zero and fulfill the claim according to the prior art).
Regarding claim 3: Velummylum discloses and Marlow teaches: The method of claim 1,
Velummylum discloses: wherein the causing display of the composite electronic contact data within the interaction system comprises causing display, in a user interface at a first device, of a commingled list of contact identifiers including a first contact identifier for the first user and a second contact identifier for the second user. [0018 and Figure 3] (one of client devices 112-118, i.e. at least a first, a second, and a third user device), [0019] (display data on at least a plurality of user devices which may represent at least a first, second, and third user, wherein the graphical display occurs on the screen), [Figure 5B] (user interface display of composite contact data comprising visually distinguishing display of contact data into different categories based on trust and connection within system and from 3rd-party system), [0068]” easily make member and non-member entries of the phonebook distinguishable,” [0076] (privacy settings that may allow a user to be blocked without approval or any other various degrees of trust, it would be reasonable for a person having ordinary skill in the art to assert a privacy setting according to the claim; the disclosure presents no limits, i.e. the number of messages may be set to zero and the trust level may be set to zero and fulfill the claim according to the prior art). [0018 and Figure 3] (one of client devices 112-118, i.e. at least a first, a second, and a third user device), [0019] (display data on at least a plurality of user devices which may represent at least a first, second, and third user, wherein the graphical display occurs on the screen).
Regarding claim 4: Velummylum discloses and Marlow teaches: The method of claim 3,
Velummylum discloses: wherein the display of the commingled list comprises visually distinguishing the first contact identifier from the second contact identifier within the commingled list. [Figure 5B] (user interface display of composite contact data comprising visually distinguishing display of contact data into different categories based on trust and connection within system and from 3rd-party system), [0068]” easily make member and non-member entries of the phonebook distinguishable,” [0076] (privacy settings that may allow a user to be blocked without approval or any other various degrees of trust, it would be reasonable for a person having ordinary skill in the art to assert a privacy setting according to the claim; the disclosure presents no limits, i.e. the number of messages may be set to zero and the trust level may be set to zero and fulfill the claim according to the prior art).
Regarding claim 5: Velummylum discloses and Marlow teaches: The method of claim 4,
Velummylum discloses: wherein the second contact identifier comprises a non-friend indicator and the first contact identifier does not comprise the non-friend indicator. [Figure 5B] (user interface display user’s that are not friends).
Regarding claim 6: Velummylum discloses and Marlow teaches: The method of claim 1,
Velummylum discloses: wherein the relationship data records a bidirectional relationship, within the interaction system, between the specific user and the first user. [Figure 5B] (user interface display contacts that have accepted friend request allowing bidirectional relationship), [0070] “Entries 556 on top of listing 552 may include complete information about friends who have explicitly asked for or agreed to be added to the user's contact list 550. Entries 558 belong to the partition that indicates the entries are in the user's phonebook, different from his contact list 550, and also have accounts on the FSN. Entries 562 in section 560 includes contacts of the user who are only his phonebook and not on the friend’s social network.”
Regarding claim 9: Velummylum discloses and Marlow teaches: The method of claim 1,
Velummylum discloses: further comprising causing a display of a relationship establishing graphical element at a first device, the relationship establishing graphical element being user-selectable to invite the second user to establish a bidirectional relationship with the specific user within a context of the interaction system. [Figure 5B] (plus sign to establish relationship), [0074] “In the second scenario (friend not a member of FSN), FSN may pre-create an FSN global identifier for the particular friend, and then follow the same procedure as the first scenario. When the invited friend later signs up for FSN, the friend may then “claim” his pre-allocated global identifier,” [0041] “include a touch sensitive screen arranged to receive input from an object such as a stylus or a digit from a human hand,” [0041] “rendering graphic-intensive outputs on the display unit,” [0018 and Figure 3] (one of client devices 112-118, i.e. at least a first, a second, and a third user device), [0019] (display data on at least a plurality of user devices which may represent at least a first, second, and third user, wherein the graphical display occurs on the screen).
Regarding claim 10: Velummylum discloses and Marlow teaches: The method of claim 9,
Velummylum discloses: wherein the establishment of the bidirectional relationship includes enabling automatic sharing of predetermined data between the specific user and the second user, within the interaction system. [0062] “FIG. 4A shows an example social network with a user and friends, … Each user of the social network 402 may have one or more contact lists 410-412, which he uses to communicate or share information with his friends or acquaintances,” [0065] “Each of these contact lists may be used to create new contacts on the present or another network based on the implied trust relationship,” [0068] “software application may upload the requesting user's phonebook, compare it row by row, with an internal FSN member list, and create a new partitioned phonebook.”
Regarding claim 11: Velummylum discloses and Marlow teaches: The method of claim 9,
Velummylum discloses: wherein inviting the second user to establish the bidirectional relationship with the specific user within the context of the interaction system comprises inviting the second user to establish a bidirectional relationship in terms of which the interaction system automatically shares user-generated content between the specific user and the second user. [0065] “Each of these contact lists may be used to create new contacts on the present or another network based on the implied trust relationship,” [0068] “software application may upload the requesting user's phonebook, compare it row by row, with an internal FSN member list, and create a new partitioned phonebook,” [0074] “In the second scenario (friend not a member of FSN), FSN may pre-create an FSN global identifier for the particular friend, and then follow the same procedure as the first scenario. When the invited friend later signs up for FSN, the friend may then “claim” his pre-allocated global identifier”
Regarding claim 12: Velummylum discloses and Marlow teaches: The method of claim 2, further comprising: Velummylum discloses:
accessing third electronic contact data, the third electronic contact data being associated with the third-party application, and the third electronic contact data including a third electronic contact record for a non-user of the interaction system; [0055-0056] (contact data and lists for users from social media accounts, i.e. the interaction system, and contact data and lists from the third-party communication services network);
causing display of the third electronic contact record together with the composite electronic contact data within the interaction system, wherein the display of the third electronic contact record comprises visually distinguishing display of the third electronic contact record from both the first electronic contact record and the second electronic contact record; and [Figure 5B] (display of composite contact data comprising visually distinguishing display of contact data into different categories based on trust and connection within system and from 3rd-party system), [0068]” easily make member and non-member entries of the phonebook distinguishable;”
enabling the specific user of the interaction system to invite the non-user to register with the interaction system using the third electronic contact record. [0074] “In the second scenario (friend not a member of FSN), FSN may pre-create an FSN global identifier for the particular friend, and then follow the same procedure as the first scenario. When the invited friend later signs up for FSN, the friend may then “claim” his pre-allocated global identifier.”
Regarding claim 13: Velummylum discloses and Marlow teaches: The method of claim 12,
Velummylum discloses: wherein enabling the specific user of the interaction system to invite the non-user to register with the interaction system comprises causing display, in a user interface at a user device, of a user-selectable invitation graphical element in association with the third electronic contact record, user selection of the invitation graphical element causing transmission of a registration invitation to a device of the non-user. [0081] “sending messages from one user to a friend performs in a similar fashion to adding friends. If the sender has not yet added this friend to his friends list or contact list, then procedures are performed similar to those of adding a friend described above,” and [0075] “When the invited friend later accepts the Friend Request, the requesting user's temporary profile information for the invited friend may be replaced by the friend's actual and more comprehensive profile information, that the friends may have provided to FSN upon enrollment. This way, the particular friend's privacy is protected until he accepts the Friend Request from the requesting user and a trust relationship is further established,” [0057] “quick postings or opinions such as “Like” button (to signify a favorable evaluation of another post or page,) bulletin board style comments and group sharing, among other specialized and/or streamlined features,” [0041] “include a touch sensitive screen arranged to receive input from an object such as a stylus or a digit from a human hand,” [0041] “rendering graphic-intensive outputs on the display unit,” [0018 and Figure 3] (one of client devices 112-118, i.e. at least a first, a second, and a third user device), [0019] (display data on at least a plurality of user devices which may represent at least a first, second, and third user, wherein the graphical display occurs on the screen).
Regarding claim 14: Velummylum discloses and Marlow teaches: The method of claim 2,
Velummylum discloses: wherein the third-party application is a contact management application. [0056] “The other communication services 302 and 318 may be similar to Gmail®, Yahoo mail®, Outlook. Om®, private corporate enterprise netperforms, government netperforms, and the like.”
Regarding claim 15: Velummylum discloses and Marlow teaches: The method of claim 1,
Velummylum discloses: wherein the third-party application is a third-party communication application. [0056] “The other communication services 302 and 318 may be similar to Gmail®, Yahoo mail®, Outlook.com®, private corporate enterprise netperforms, government netperforms, and the like.”
Regarding claim 16: Velummylum discloses and Marlow teaches: The method of claim 1,
Velummylum discloses: wherein the third-party application is an application hosted on a device of at least one of: the specific user, the first user, or the second user. [0055] “FIG. 3 shows an example user online interaction environment including social netperforms and other communication netperforms, each network with its own set of contact lists,”
Regarding claim 18: Velummylum discloses and Marlow teaches: The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the composite electronic contact data comprises determining, using output generated by a recommendation engine of the interaction system, that the second electronic contact record is to be included in the composite electronic contact data, and wherein the causing display of the composite electronic contact data within the interaction system comprises automatically causing display, in a user interface, of a commingled list of contact identifiers including a first contact identifier for the first user and a second contact identifier for the second user, the second contact identifier being positioned relative to other contact identifiers in the commingled list based on the output generated by the recommendation engine. [0076] (privacy settings that may allow a user to be blocked without approval or any other various degrees of trust, it would be reasonable for a person having ordinary skill in the art to assert a privacy setting according to the claim; the disclosure presents no limits, i.e. the number of messages may be set to zero and the trust level may be set to zero and fulfill the claim according to the prior art).
Regarding claim 21: Velummylum discloses and Marlow teaches: The computing apparatus of claim 19,
Velummylum discloses: wherein the causing display of the composite electronic contact data comprises causing display, in a user interface at the first device, of a commingled list of contact identifiers including a first contact identifier for the first user and a second contact identifier for the second user. [0018 and Figure 3] (one of client devices 112-118, i.e. at least a first, a second, and a third user device), [0057] (graphical user interface on any of a plurality of devices, used to display and interact with graphical elements related to messages and privacy control to allow or disallow communication), [0065] “Each of these contact lists may be used to create new contacts on the present or another network based on the implied trust relationship,” [Figure 5B] (comingled list of users including at least a first and second user).
Regarding claim 22: Velummylum discloses and Marlow teaches: The computing apparatus of claim 19,
Velummylum discloses: the operations further comprising: accessing third electronic contact data, the third electronic contact data being associated with the third-party application, and the third electronic contact data including a third electronic contact record for a non-user of the interaction system; causing display of the third electronic contact record together with the composite electronic contact data within the interaction system, wherein the display of the third electronic contact record comprises visually distinguishing display of the third electronic contact record from both the first electronic contact record and the second electronic contact record; and enabling the specific user of the interaction system to invite the non-user to register with the interaction system using the third electronic contact record. [0055-0056] (contact data and lists for users from social media accounts, i.e. the interaction system, and contact data and lists from the third-party communication services network), [Figure 5A] (contact data of at least a first, second, and third user from at least one separate application that is retrieved and combined to create the comingled list in Figure 5B), [Figure 5B] (causing display of the comingled list of users including at least a first, second, and third user; the third user may be from a third part application including non-users of the subject application; Plus (+) sign allowing a user to invite the non-user to register), [0074] (enable a user to pre-register a third user for the social networking site when the user is not a member).
Regarding claim 23: Velummylum discloses and Marlow teaches: The computing apparatus of claim 22,
Velummylum discloses: wherein enabling the specific user of the interaction system to invite the non-user to register with the interaction system comprises causing display, in a user interface at the first device, of a user-selectable invitation graphical element in association with the third electronic contact record, user selection of the invitation graphical element causing transmission of a registration invitation to a third device of the non-user. [Figure 3] (other social networking applications, i.e. third party), [Figure 5A] (contact data of at least a first, second, and third user from at least one separate application that is retrieved and combined to create the comingled list in Figure 5B), [Figure 5B] (causing display of the comingled list of users including at least a first, second, and third user; the third user may be from a third part application including non-users of the subject application; Plus (+) sign allowing a user to invite the non-user to register),[0073] (allow a user to invite a non-member to join the [0074] (enable a user to pre-register a third user for the social networking site when the user is not a member).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANGELA HATCH whose telephone number is (571)270-1393. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00-6:00.
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, Nathan Uber can be reached at (571)270-3923. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
ANGELA HATCH
Examiner
Art Unit 3626
/ANGELA HATCH/ Examiner, Art Unit 3626
/NATHAN C UBER/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3626