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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 15, 16, 19, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bridge et al., US Patent Application Publication Number 2014/0066105 (hereinafter Bridge) in view of Wakabayashi et al., US Patent Application Publication Number 2020/0344572 (hereinafter Wakabayashi).
Regarding claims 1, 9, and 15, Bridge discloses a method, implemented in a first terminal, the method comprising: obtaining, using a first display interface, a first operation for a phone number of a second terminal, wherein the first display interface is a communication interface between the first terminal and the second terminal [fig. 5: ref. 602; page. 5, paragraph 0044], obtaining a first operation instruction corresponding to the first operation [page 5, paragraph 0044], sending to the second terminal in response to the first operation instruction, a first request to obtain a location of the second terminal [fig. 5: ref. 604; page 5, paragraph 0044]; obtaining the location of the second terminal in response to the first request [fig. 5: ref. 606; page. 6, paragraph 0044], and displaying the location of the second terminal [fig. 5: ref. 610, page. 6, paragraph 0044].
What Bridge does not specifically disclose is wherein the location of the second terminal is based on a long-distance wireless positioning technology when a distance between the first terminal and the second terminal is greater than a distance threshold, wherein the location of the second terminal is based on a short-distance wireless communication technology relative to the first terminal when the distance between the first terminal and the second terminal is less than the distance threshold, and wherein the distance threshold is a communication range of the short-distance wireless communication technology. However, Wakabayashi teaches this limitation [paragraphs 0055, 0058]. Before the effective filing of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Bridge to include the teaching of Wakabayashi. The motivation for this modification would have been to combine prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results. Further, Wakabayashi teaches selecting an appropriate positioning technology based on proximity to the target location/point of interest [paragraph 0059].
Regarding claims 2 and 16, Bridge discloses ending location communication between the first terminal and the second terminal when a first preset condition is met, wherein the first preset condition comprises a first end condition or a second end condition, wherein the second end condition is that a duration during which the first terminal accesses the location of the second terminal reaches a duration threshold authorized by the second terminal [paragraph 0035], and wherein the first end condition comprises any one or a combination of a plurality of the conditions comprising: a relative distance between the first terminal and the second terminal is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold; a change rule of a relative location between the first terminal and the second terminal meets a first change rule; a location obtaining manner of the second terminal is changed from the short-distance wireless communication technology to the long-distance wireless positioning technology; or an end operation for location communication between the first terminal and the second terminal is obtained [fig. 5: ref. 614; paragraph 0044].
Regarding claims 4 and 19, Bridge discloses wherein displaying the location of the second terminal comprises any one or more of the following: displaying the location of the second terminal on a call interface between the first terminal and the second terminal [paragraph 0040]; displaying the location of the second terminal using a floating window; displaying the location of the second terminal by using a card; or causing an intelligent wearable device to display the location of the second terminal on a second display interface.
Regarding claims 8 and 20, Bridge discloses displaying on a second display interface, navigation information indicating a navigation path between the first terminal and the second terminal [paragraph 0041].
Claim(s) 3, 5, 10-14, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bridge and Wakabayashi in view of by Woolsey et al., US Patent Application Publication Number 2016/0073223 (hereinafter Woolsey).
Regarding claims 3, 5, 10-14, and 17, the combination of Bridge and Wakabayashi does not specifically disclose these limitations. However, they are taught in Woolsey. Before the effective filing of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the combination of Bridge to include the teaching of Woolsey. The motivation for this modification would have been to combine prior art elements according to known methods to achieve predictable results.
Regarding claim 3, Woolsey discloses sending a second request to the second terminal to prolong an authorized duration for accessing the location of the second terminal by the first terminal when the first terminal determines that a second end condition is met and a first end condition is not met [fig. 25; paragraph 0047], wherein the second end condition is that a duration which the fist terminal accesses the location of the second terminal reaches a duration threshold authorized by the second terminal [paragraphs 0039-0040], wherein the first end condition comprises any one or a combination of a plurality of conditions comprising: a relative distance between the first terminal and the second terminal is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold [paragraphs 0045, 0047]; a change rule of a relative location between the first terminal and the second terminal meets a first change rule; a location obtaining manner of the second terminal is changed from the short-distance communication technology to the long-distance wireless positioning technology; or an end operation for location communication between the first terminal and the second terminal is obtained.
Regarding claim 5, Woolsey discloses wherein displaying the location of the second terminal comprises: displaying absolute locations of the first terminal and the second terminal on a map when the location of the second terminal is obtained based on the long-distance wireless positioning technology [paragraph 0032]; or displaying a location of the second terminal relative to the first terminal when the location of the second terminal is obtained based on the short-distance wireless communication technology.
Regarding claim 10, Woolsey discloses displaying the first request using the first display interface; obtaining using the first display interface, a first operation for the first request, wherein the first operation indicates that the first terminal is authorized to access the location of the second terminal, and obtaining a first operation instruction corresponding to the first operation, wherein sending the location of the second terminal to the first terminal when the second terminal authorizes the first terminal to access the location of the second terminal comprises: sending the location of the second terminal to the first terminal in response to the first operation [fig. 12; paragraphs 0038, 0042].
Regarding claim 11, Woolsey discloses wherein prior to receiving the first request the method further comprises: obtaining, using the first display interface, a second operation for a second phone number of the first terminal, obtaining a second operation instruction corresponding to the second operation, and sending first authorization information to the first terminal based on the second operation instruction, wherein the first authorization information indicates that the first terminal is authorized to access the location of the second terminal [paragraph 0038].
Regarding claim 12, Woolsey discloses wherein prior to sending the first authorization information to the first terminal, the method further comprises: displaying a second display interface in response to the second operation, and obtaining using the second display interface, a first authorized time for accessing the location of the second terminal by the first terminal [fig. 13; paragraph 0039].
Regarding claims 13, Woolsey discloses when a call ends between the first terminal and the second terminal, outputting first query information for determining whether to continue to authorize, after the call ends, the first terminal to access the location of the second terminal [paragraph 0047].
Regarding claim 14, Woolsey discloses wherein obtaining using a setting interface any one or more of the following information: whether the second terminal authorizes a third terminal to access the location of the second terminal based on the first phone number [paragraph 0048]; an authorized time during which the second terminal authorizes the third terminal to access the location of the second terminal based on the first phone number; a whitelist to a phone number of at least one terminal, wherein each of the at least one terminal is authorized to access the location of the second terminal based on the phone number of the second terminal; whether to authorize, after a call ends between the second terminal and the third terminal when the second terminal forms location communication with the third terminal in a call process, the third terminal to continue to access the location of the second terminal; or an authorized duration during which the third terminal is authorized, after the call ends between the second terminal and the terminal when the second terminal forms location communication with the third terminal in the call process, to continue to access the location of the second terminal.
Regarding claim 17, Woolsey discloses wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the first terminal to obtain using a call end interface between the first terminal and the second terminal, a second operation instruction corresponding to a second operation, for the phone number of the second terminal [paragraph 0044]; obtain a current location of the first terminal in response to the second operation instruction; and transmit the current location of the first terminal to the second terminal.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Bridge, Wakabayashi and Woolsey further in view of Kang et al., US Patent Application Publication Number 2013/0157697 (hereinafter Kang).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Bridge, Wakabayashi, and Woolsey does not specifically disclose wherein displaying a location of the second terminal relative to the first terminal comprises: displaying a surrounding real environment of the first terminal on a call interface between the first terminal and the second terminal, and displaying the location of the second terminal relative to the first terminal in the surrounding real environment of the first terminal. However, Kang teaches this limitation [paragraph 0025, 0048]. Before the effective filing of the invention, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art to modify the combination of Bridge, Wakabayashi, and Woolsey to include the teaching of Kang. The motivation for this modification would have been to combine prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results.
Claim(s) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Bridge and Wakabayashi further in view of Kang.
Regarding claim 18, the combination of Bridge and Wakabayashi does not specifically disclose wherein displaying a location of the second terminal relative to the first terminal comprises: displaying a surrounding real environment of the first terminal on a call interface between the first terminal and the second terminal, and displaying the location of the second terminal relative to the first terminal in the surrounding real environment of the first terminal. However, Kang teaches this limitation [paragraph 0025, 0048]. Before the effective filing of the invention, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art to modify the combination of Bridge and Wakabayashi to include the teaching of Kang. The motivation for this modification would have been to combine prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 9, and 15 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ishikawa et al., US Patent Application Publication Number 2005/0250446, disclose a mobile communication terminal.
Sacks et al., US Patent Number 10,713,923, disclose a system and method for using Bluetooth and GPS technologies to assist user to avoid losing eyeglasses.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/EAW/
February 9, 2026
/ERIKA A WASHINGTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2644