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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/5/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed 12/5/2025 has been entered. Claims 2 and 12 have been canceled. Claims 1, 3-10, 13-19 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s amendments to the claims have overcome the interpretation under 112(f) and rejections under 112(a) and 112(b) set forth in the previous Office Action.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed with the Amendment, with respect to rejections under prior art have been fully considered and are moot upon a new ground(s) of rejection, as necessitated by amendment, as outlined below.
Prior Art
Listed herein below are the prior art references relied upon in this Office Action:
Noda et al. (US Patent Application Publication 2018/0314997), referred to as Noda herein [previously cited].
Raza et al. (US Patent Application Publication 2017/0161347), referred to as Raza herein.
Examiner’s Note
Strikethrough notation in the pending claims has been added by the Examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-10 and 13-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Noda in view of Raza.
Regarding claim 1, Noda discloses a method, performed by a controller application executing on a computing node, for controlling user interface, UI, transitions based on a Business Process Model and Notation, BPMN, UI flow, the method comprising (Noda, Fig. 3 with ¶0034 – controller E301 controlling process workflow. ¶0047 – BPMN flow definition. Figs. 5A-6 with ¶0042-¶0044 – task screens are shown according to which task is being executed and contextual information such as user location):
receiving, from a UI application communicatively coupled to the controller application
transmitting an instruction to initiate the BPMN UI flow corresponding to the follow identifier, (Noda, Fig. 7-8A with ¶0046-¶0047 – user indicates that the task is completed at the terminal. The terminal indicates a flow ID to the controller in an execution state update request, causing the controller to change to the next task. Fig. 10 with ¶0049-¶0052 – request to update the execution state includes the ID identifying the flow whose execution state is to be updated. ¶0055-¶0057 – display information is generated based on the updated execution state. ¶0047 – BPMN flow definition);
receiving a process identifier corresponding to the BPMN UI flow; retrieving a current task identifier using the process identifier (Noda, Fig. 8A with ¶0054, ¶0060-¶0061 – task ID is identified according to the process flow id. See also Fig. 12A-12B with ¶0070-¶0071 – group ID and ¶0064 – dependent task. See also ¶0081 – multiple terminals executing tasks simultaneously each receive updated execution state information);
and returning, to the UI application, a first response based on the current task identifier, the first response comprising current UI page information that indicates a current UI page of a plurality of predefined UI pages to be rendered by the UI application (Noda, Fig. 8A-8B with ¶0047 – task identifier is used to identify tasks within a flow. The tasks are used to generate the display information. Fig. 10 with ¶0049-¶0052 – request to update the execution state includes the flow ID identifying the flow whose execution state is to be updated. ¶0055-¶0057 – display information is generated based on the updated execution state).
However, Noda appears not to expressly disclose the limitations in strikethrough above. However, in the same field of endeavor, Raza discloses a business processing engine with flow implemented in BPMN (Raza, ¶0027, ¶0031), including
receiving, from a UI application communicatively coupled to the controller application via a representational State Transfer (REST) Application Programming Interface (API), a first request for a UI page, the first request comprising a flow identifier (Raza, Figs. 4-5 with ¶0057-¶0059, ¶0070-¶0071, ¶0075, ¶0078 – Client requests for data access and process configuration include process flow definitions. Requests from the client received at the server a communicated using REST to a RESTful API).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the client request of Noda to include using REST based on the teachings of Raza. The motivation for doing so would have been realize the desirable properties of REST services, including performance, scalability, and modifiability using simple, well-defined operations (Raza, ¶0058).
Regarding claim 3, Noda as modified discloses the elements of claim 1 above, and further discloses wherein the first request further comprises first context information provided by the UI application (Noda, Figs. 4-6, 8A with ¶0031-¶0034, ¶0037, ¶0042-¶0044, ¶0047 – sensor state information is contextual information which determines whether task execution requirements are met. Sensor data is communicated to the controller).
Regarding claim 4, Noda as modified discloses the elements of claim 1 above, and further discloses wherein the current UI page information
Regarding claim 5, Noda as modified discloses the elements of claim 1 above, and further discloses wherein the first response further comprises upcoming page information indicating one or more upcoming UI pages of the plurality of predefined UI pages corresponding to one or more tasks of the BPMN UI flow (Noda, Fig. 1B and 5B with ¶0029, ¶0043 – next task is shown with a broken line).
Regarding claim 6, Noda as modified discloses the elements of claim 1 above, and further discloses wherein receiving, from the UI application, a second request to complete a current task and provide next UI page information for a next UI page corresponding to a next task of the BPMN UI flow; retrieving the current task identifier using the process identifier; providing an instruction to complete the current task using the current task identifier; retrieving a next task identifier using the process identifier; and returning, to the UI application, a second response based on the next task identifier, the second response comprising the next UI page information
Regarding claim 7, Noda as modified discloses the elements of claim 6 above, and further discloses wherein the second request comprises one or more task parameters (Noda, Fig. 7-8A with ¶0046-¶0047 – user indicates that the task is completed at the terminal. ¶0042-¶0044 – contextual information).
Regarding claim 8, Noda as modified discloses the elements of claim 6 above, and further discloses wherein the second request further comprises second context information provided by the UI application (Noda, Figs. 4-6, 8A with ¶0031-¶0034, ¶0037, ¶0042-¶0044, ¶0047 – sensor state information is contextual information which determines whether task execution requirements are met. Sensor data is communicated to the controller).
Regarding claim 9, Noda as modified discloses the elements of claim 6 above, and further discloses wherein the next UI page information comprises second rendering information for use by the UI application to render the next UI page (Noda, Abstract with Fig. 10 with ¶0055-¶0057 – display information is generated based on the updated execution state).
Regarding claim 10, Noda discloses a computing node for controlling user interface, UI, transitions based on a Business Process Model and Notation, BPMN, UI flow the computing node comprising: a network interface; a system memory; and processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the network interface and the system memory, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to cause the computing node to (Noda, Fig. 3 with ¶0034 – controller E301 controlling process workflow. ¶0047 – BPMN flow definition. Figs. 5A-6 with ¶0042-¶0044 – task screens are shown according to which task is being executed and contextual information such as user location. Fig. 17 with ¶0085-¶0086, ¶0089 – processor executing instructions stored in hardware memory coupled to a network interface):
receive, from a UI application
transmit an instruction to initiate the BPMN UI flow corresponding to the flow identifier (Noda, Fig. 7-8A with ¶0046-¶0047 – user indicates that the task is completed at the terminal. The terminal indicates a flow ID to the controller in an execution state update request, causing the controller to change to the next task. Fig. 10 with ¶0049-¶0052 – request to update the execution state includes the ID identifying the flow whose execution state is to be updated. ¶0055-¶0057 – display information is generated based on the updated execution state. ¶0047 – BPMN flow definition);
receive a process identifier corresponding to the BPMN UI flow; retrieve a current task identifier using the process identifier (Noda, Fig. 8A with ¶0054, ¶0060-¶0061 – task ID is identified according to the process flow id. See also Fig. 12A-12B with ¶0070-¶0071 – group ID and ¶0064 – dependent task. See also ¶0081 – multiple terminals executing tasks simultaneously each receive updated execution state information);
and return, to the UI application, a first response based on the current task identifier, the first response comprising current UI page information that indicates a current UI page of a plurality of predefined UI pages to be rendered by the UI application (Noda, Fig. 8A-8B with ¶0047 – task identifier is used to identify tasks within a flow. The tasks are used to generate the display information. Fig. 10 with ¶0049-¶0052 – request to update the execution state includes the flow ID identifying the flow whose execution state is to be updated. ¶0055-¶0057 – display information is generated based on the updated execution state).
However, Noda appears not to expressly disclose the limitations in strikethrough above. However, in the same field of endeavor, Raza discloses a business processing engine with flow implemented in BPMN (Raza, ¶0027, ¶0031), including
receiving, from a UI application communicatively coupled to the controller application via a representational State Transfer (REST) Application Programming Interface (API), a first request for a UI page, the first request comprising a flow identifier (Raza, Figs. 4-5 with ¶0057-¶0059, ¶0070-¶0071, ¶0075, ¶0078 – Client requests for data access and process configuration include process flow definitions. Requests from the client received at the server a communicated using REST to a RESTful API).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the client request of Noda to include using REST based on the teachings of Raza. The motivation for doing so would have been realize the desirable properties of REST services, including performance, scalability, and modifiability using simple, well-defined operations (Raza, ¶0058).
Regarding claim 13, Noda as modified discloses the elements of claim 10 above, and further discloses wherein the first request further comprises first context information provided by the UI application (Noda, Figs. 4-6, 8A with ¶0031-¶0034, ¶0037, ¶0042-¶0044, ¶0047 – sensor state information is contextual information which determines whether task execution requirements are met. Sensor data is communicated to the controller).
Regarding claim 14, Noda as modified discloses the elements of claim 10 above, and further discloses wherein the current UI page information comprises first rendering information for use by the UI application to render the current UI page (Noda, Abstract with Fig. 10 with ¶0055-¶0057 – display information is generated based on the updated execution state).
Regarding claim 15, Noda as modified discloses the elements of claim 10 above, and further discloses wherein the first response further comprises upcoming page information indicating one or more upcoming UI pages of the plurality of predefined UI pages corresponding to one or more tasks of the BPMN UI flow (Noda, Fig. 1B and 5B with ¶0029, ¶0043 – next task is shown with a broken line).
Regarding claim 16, Noda as modified discloses the elements of claim 10 above, and further discloses wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the computing node to: receive, from the UI application, a second request to complete a current task and provide next UI page information for a next UI page corresponding to a next task of the BPMN UI flow; retrieve the current task identifier using the process identifier; provide an instruction to complete the current task using the current task identifier; retrieve a next task identifier using the process identifier; and return, to the UI application, a second response based on the next task identifier, the second response comprising the next UI page information that indicates the next UI page of the plurality of predefined UI pages to be rendered by the UI application (Noda, Fig. 7-8A with ¶0046-¶0047 – user indicates that the task is completed at the terminal. The terminal indicates a flow ID to the controller (e.g. server) in an execution state update request, causing the controller to change to the next task. Fig. 10 with ¶0049-¶0052 – request to update the execution state includes the ID identifying the flow whose execution state is to be updated. ¶0055-¶0057 – display information is generated based on the updated execution state. This process is executed in a loop. See also Fig. 1C with ¶0029 – details of work page).
Regarding claim 17, Noda as modified discloses the elements of claim 16 above, and further discloses wherein the second request comprises one or more task parameters (Noda, Fig. 7-8A with ¶0046-¶0047 – user indicates that the task is completed at the terminal. ¶0042-¶0044 – contextual information).
Regarding claim 18, Noda as modified discloses the elements of claim 16 above, and further discloses wherein the second request further comprises second context information provided by the UI application (Noda, Figs. 4-6, 8A with ¶0031-¶0034, ¶0037, ¶0042-¶0044, ¶0047 – sensor state information is contextual information which determines whether task execution requirements are met. Sensor data is communicated to the controller).
Regarding claim 19, Noda as modified discloses the elements of claim 16 above, and further discloses wherein the next UI page information comprises second rendering information for use by the UI application to render the next UI page (Noda, Abstract with Fig. 10 with ¶0055-¶0057 – display information is generated based on the updated execution state).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL W PARCHER whose telephone number is (303)297-4281. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 5:00pm, Mountain Time.
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/DANIEL W PARCHER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2174
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