DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This action is responsive to the Amendment filed on 7/14/2025. Claims 16-32 and 36-38 are pending in the case.
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.
Claims 16-18, 23-25, 30-32, and 37-38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu et al. (US 20220334697 A1, hereinafter Xu) in view of Ji et al. (US 20230367464 A1, hereinafter Ji).
As to independent claim 16, Xu teaches a method, applied to an electronic device, the method comprising:
in response to detecting a first operation entered by a user by using a target display interface, obtaining a screenshot of at least one display interface corresponding to a first application (“When the user performs a multi-window operation by using a foldable-screen device and wants to insert a screenshot of an application B into an application C, the user only needs to slide down with three fingers starting from a top part of a window in the application B, and a screen capture of an interface of the application B is taken.” Paragraph 0228); and
sending the screenshot of the at least one display interface to a second application (“the screenshot can be inserted into the application C, to complete content sharing,” paragraph 0228), wherein the target display interface comprises:
at least one of an icon of the first application or a current display interface of the first application (current display interface of application B in Fig. 5D), and
at least one of an icon of the second application or a current display interface of the second application (a current display interface of application C in Fig. 5D).
Xu does not appear to expressly teach in response to detecting the first operation entered by the user using the target display interface, sending the screenshot of the at least one display interface to a second application
wherein the first operation comprises dragging the at least one of the icon of the first application or the current display interface of the first application to a position area in which the at least one of the icon of the second application or the current display interface of the second application is located.
Ji teaches in response to detecting the first operation entered by the user using the target display interface, sending the screenshot of the at least one display interface to a second application (“In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4i, the application Weibo receives the third message sent by the first electronic device through the interface, separately receives the text and the image based on content and a parameter in the third message, and separately displays the text and the image in corresponding view controls in the application Weibo….In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4j to FIG. 4l, the third operation on the first content and the fourth operation on the second content that are performed simultaneously are received. During dragging of the first content and the second content, the first electronic device displays a fifth window in the first area in a first display manner, and displays, in the fifth window, identifiers of a plurality of electronic devices or applications configured to receive shared content.” Paragraph 0229-0231, “During dragging, when contact points of the third operation and the fourth operation on the touchscreen move to an area surrounding an identifier of an application in the fifth window, the application is highlighted. The application is highlighted to indicate to the user that if the user drops at a current position, the application receives third content, where the third content is a combination of the first content and the second content.” Paragraph 0233, “In some embodiments, m an embodiment, content of a screenshot may be displayed by using a floating layer by invoking DragShadowBuilder( ).” Paragraph 0321-0330, As shown in Fig. 4k-4l, in a process in which the user uses a finger to move the display interface, a screenshot preview (i.e. floating layer) of the display interface moves as the finger moves and drops at a target application icon); and
wherein the first operation comprises dragging the at least one of the icon of the first application or the content of current display interface of the first application to a position area in which the at least one of the icon of the second application or the current display interface of the second application is located (As shown in FIG. 4j to FIG. 4l, the first content and the second content are dragged and dropped to an icon of an application).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Xu to comprise in response to detecting the first operation entered by the user using the target display interface, sending the screenshot of the at least one display interface to a second application, and wherein the first operation comprises dragging the at least one of the icon of the first application or the content of current display interface of the first application to a position area in which the at least one of the icon of the second application or the current display interface of the second application is located. One would have been motivated to make such a combination to provide simple operation, and the user experience is improved (Ji [0004]).
As to dependent claim 17, Xu teaches the method according to claim 16, Xu further teaches wherein the at least one display interface comprises the current display interface of the first application when the first operation is detected (“the user only needs to slide down with three fingers starting from a top part of a window in the application B, and a screen capture of an interface of the application B is taken” paragraph 0228).
As to dependent claim 18, Xu teaches the method according to claim 16, Xu further teaches wherein obtaining the screenshot of the at least one display interface corresponding to the first application comprises:
obtaining an application identifier of the first application (“The application layer may include a series of application packages. As shown in FIG. 1B, the application packages may include applications such as. Gallery,” paragraph 0120-0121, “The electronic device 100 saves the target screen capture thumbnail to the gallery” paragraph 0025, this implies that a correspondence between an application identifier and a display interface screenshot is stored and may be obtained…); and
obtaining, from a memory, the screenshot of the at least one display interface corresponding to the application identifier of the first application (“The application layer may include a series of application packages. As shown in FIG. 1B, the application packages may include applications such as. Gallery,” paragraph 0120-0121, “The electronic device 100 saves the target screen capture thumbnail to the gallery” paragraph 0025, this implies that a correspondence between an application identifier and a display interface screenshot is stored and may be obtained).
As to dependent claim 37, Xu teaches the method according to claim 16, Xu does not appear to expressly teach wherein the second application target display interface comprises the icon of the second application and the second application is in a not running state.
Ji teaches wherein the second application target display interface comprises the icon of the second application and the second application is in a not running state (Fig. 4j-l, the third application icon is in a not running state).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Xu to comprise wherein the second application target display interface comprises the icon of the second application and the second application is in a not running state. One would have been motivated to make such a combination to provide simple operation, and the user experience is improved (Ji [0004]).
As to dependent claim 38, Xu teaches the method according to claim 37, Xu does not appear to expressly teach the method further comprising:
Ji teaches in response to detecting the first operation entered by the user using the target display interface, waking the second application (“after receiving the shared content, the third application jumps to an interface for receiving the shared content, where the identifier of the third application is one of the identifiers of the plurality of applications in the fifth window. The third content may be a combined image, as shown in FIG. 4h, or may include text-type content and image-type content, as shown in FIG. 4i.” paragraph 0235).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Xu to comprise in response to detecting the first operation entered by the user using the target display interface, waking the second application. One would have been motivated to make such a combination to provide simple operation, and the user experience is improved (Ji [0004]).
Claims 23-25, and 30-32 are substantially the same as claims 16-18 and are therefore rejected under similar rationale as above.
Claims 19-20 and 26-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu et al. in view of Ji et al., and Budurean et al. (US 20180267885, hereinafter Budurean).
As to dependent claim 19, Xu teaches the method according to claim 18, Xu does not appear to expressly teach wherein the screenshot stored in the memory is obtained by filtering a candidate screenshot set, and the candidate screenshot set comprises all screenshots obtained by capturing a display interface of the electronic device.
Budurean teaches wherein the screenshot stored in the memory is obtained by filtering a candidate screenshot set, and the candidate screenshot set comprises all screenshots obtained by capturing a display interface of the electronic device (“Each of the graphical indications of screenshot clusters 116 includes at least a portion of one or more screenshot images included in that cluster.” Paragraph 0028).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Xu to comprise wherein the screenshot stored in the memory is obtained by filtering a candidate screenshot set, and the candidate screenshot set comprises all screenshots obtained by capturing a display interface of the electronic device. One would have been motivated to make such a combination to improve user experience.
As to dependent claim 20, Xu teaches the method according to claim 19, Xu does not appear to expressly teach wherein filtering the candidate screenshot set comprises:
grouping display interface screenshots in the candidate screenshot set, and selecting a target display interface screenshot from each group of display interface screenshots, wherein a similarity between display interface screenshots in each group of display interface screenshots is greater than or equal to a similarity threshold.
Budurean teaches grouping display interface screenshots in the candidate screenshot set, and selecting a target display interface screenshot from each group of display interface screenshots (“For example, screenshot cluster 116A includes at least a portion of images 117A, 117B, and 117C. Screenshot cluster 116B includes at least a portion of images 117D and 117E. And screenshot cluster 116N includes at least a portion of image 117N.” paragraph 0028), wherein a similarity between display interface screenshots in each group of display interface screenshots is greater than or equal to a similarity threshold (“Responsive to determining that the similarity score satisfies the similarity threshold, developer service module 162 may assign the second screenshot to a cluster that includes the first screenshot.” Paragraph 0038).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Xu to comprise grouping display interface screenshots in the candidate screenshot set, and selecting a target display interface screenshot from each group of display interface screenshots, wherein a similarity between display interface screenshots in each group of display interface screenshots is greater than or equal to a similarity threshold. One would have been motivated to make such a combination to improve user experience.
Claims 26-27 are substantially the same as claims 19-20 and are therefore rejected under similar rationale as above.
Claims 21 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu et al. in view of Ji et al., Budurean et al., and Takura et al. (US 20240187514 A1, hereinafter Takura).
As to dependent claim 21, Xu teaches the method according to claim 19, Xu does not appear to expressly teach wherein obtaining the candidate screenshot set comprises:
in response to detecting a second operation entered by the user, separately capturing the display interface of the electronic device at a preset time interval, to obtain the candidate screenshot set, wherein the second operation is used by the electronic device to enable a continuous screenshot mode.
Takura teaches in response to detecting a second operation entered by the user, separately capturing the display interface of the electronic device at a preset time interval, to obtain the candidate screenshot set, wherein the second operation is used by the electronic device to enable a continuous screenshot mode (“When the continuous shooting SS icon 219 is pressed by the user, the control unit 190 continuously images a plurality of screenshots of the screen displayed on the display unit 150 for a certain period of time (what is called burst mode shooting) via the screen imaging unit 180. Then, the control unit 190 generates a data file in a GIF format or the like from a plurality of screenshots imaged within a certain period of time, and stores the data file in the storage unit 120.” Paragraph 0116).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Xu to comprise in response to detecting a second operation entered by the user, separately capturing the display interface of the electronic device at a preset time interval, to obtain the candidate screenshot set, wherein the second operation is used by the electronic device to enable a continuous screenshot mode. One would have been motivated to make such a combination to improve user experience.
Claim 28 is substantially the same as claim 21 and are therefore rejected under similar rationale as above.
Claims 22 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu et al. in view of Ji et al., and Lu et al. (US 20180088764 A1, hereinafter Lu).
As to dependent claim 22, Xu teaches the method according to claim 16, Xu does not appear to expressly teach wherein the icon of the first application and the icon of the second application are desktop icons.
Lu teaches wherein the icon of the application are desktop icons (“the icons of the applications installed on the terminal being able for the user to share the screenshot image are displayed. Subsequently, the screenshot image can be shared through the target application among the icons of the displayed applications by dragging the preview image” abstract).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Xu to comprise wherein the icon of the first application and the icon of the second application are desktop icons. One would have been motivated to make such a combination to provide simple operation, and the user experience is improved.
Claim 29 is substantially the same as claim 22 and are therefore rejected under similar rationale as above.
Claim 36 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu et al. in view of Ji et al., and Hu (US 20220229708).
As to dependent claim 36, Xu teaches the method according to claim 16, Xu does not appear to expressly teach the method further comprising:
in response to detecting the first operation entered by the user using the target display interface, switching the second application to a foreground running state.
Hu teaches in response to detecting the first operation entered by the user using the target display interface, switching the second application to a foreground running state (“For example, a different application may be displayed through switching. For example, switching is performed from the Weibo application in the user interface 330 shown in FIG. 3d to the WeChat application in the user interface 340 shown in FIG. 3f, to simultaneously display the WeChat application and the shortcut bar 331 in the user interface 340.” paragraph 0100).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Xu to comprise in response to detecting the first operation entered by the user using the target display interface, switching the second application to a foreground running state. One would have been motivated to make such a combination to improve content sharing experience of a user.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 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:
Zhu US 20230176723
Zhang US 20160313883 A1
Mo US 20210064222
Tsai US 20110199313
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAHELET SHIBEROU whose telephone number is (571)270-7493. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM Eastern Time.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Ell can be reached on 571-270-3264. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MAHELET SHIBEROU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2171
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