DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Claim Objections
Claim 30 (i.e. the second claim 30) is objected to because of the following informalities: The second claim 30 should recite claim 31. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 31 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 31 should recite claim 32. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(e) the invention was described in (1) an application for patent, published under section 122(b), by another filed in the United States before the invention by the applicant for patent or (2) a patent granted on an application for patent by another filed in the United States before the invention by the applicant for patent, except that an international application filed under the treaty defined in section 351(a) shall have the effects for purposes of this subsection of an application filed in the United States only if the international application designated the United States and was published under Article 21(2) of such treaty in the English language.
Claim(s) 1-22,24-28,30-33 and 35-37 is/are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(e) as being anticipated by Donald et al. (US 2010/0048231)(IDS).
The claimed invention reads on Donald et al. as follows:
Regarding claim 21, Donald et al. discloses a method (fig. 11, fig. 12 and P:0055-P:0057), comprising: outputting (i.e. outputting a list of messaging), on an electronic device (fig. 1 and P:0032), a user interface comprising a plurality of dynamic session placeholders (thread icon) (fig. 1, P:0032 and P:0040), wherein each of the plurality of dynamic session placeholders represents a respective conversation of related messages constituting a messaging communication session (fig. 1, P:0032 and P:0040) , each of the plurality of dynamic session placeholders corresponds to a respective message type (i.e. various types of messages as indicated by accompanying icons including threaded SMS messages icons 110a,b, a voicemail message icon 120, an e-mail icon 130, and a non-threaded SMS message icon 140)(P:0032), and the plurality of dynamic session placeholders include a first dynamic session placeholder (outgoing message, Ana) (fig. 3 number 310 and P:0034) and a second dynamic session placeholder that correspond to different message types (incoming message, Joe)(fig. 3 number 320); in response to a new message sent or received in the respective conversation of related messages defined by at least one of the plurality of dynamic session placeholders (i.e. Each message includes an originator, a time stamp and a text message. The messages are organized in chronological order (i.e., message 310 sent at 02:00.15 is listed before message 320 sent at 05:06.29, etc.) (P:0034), reordering (filtering) the plurality of dynamic session placeholders based on a message time (time stamp) of the new message (fig. 11 step 1150 and P:0056-P:0057); and outputting the reordered list (i.e. via correlate incoming SMS with stored SMS messages) of messages in the user interface (fig. 12 numbers 1230, 1240 and P:0060).
Regarding claims 22, 28 and 33, Donald et al. discloses the different message types comprise at least one of an instant message or a short message service (SMS) message (P:0032).
Regarding claims 24,30 and 35, Donald et al. discloses in response to a selection of one of the plurality of the dynamic session placeholders, invoking an application (i.e. SMS application) associated with a message type corresponding to the one dynamic session placeholder (abstract, P:0009-P:0010).
Regarding claims 25 and 36, Donald et al. discloses each of the plurality of the dynamic session placeholders comprises a time indication (i.e. ANA, 2:00.15 and Joe 7:04.25) (fig. 3) in accordance with a time of a most recent message in the conversation of the respective dynamic session placeholder (fig. 3).
Regarding claims 26, 31 and 37, Donald et al. discloses each of the plurality of the dynamic session placeholders comprises an identification (fig. 1 ANA, MOM, RICHARD, FIG 3 ANA and JOE) of another messaging party in the conversation of the respective dynamic session placeholder (fig. 1 ANA, MOM, RICHARD, FIG 3 ANA and JOE).
Regarding claim 27, Donald et al. discloses an electronic device (fig. 15 number 1500 and P:0066), comprising: at least one processor (fig. 15 number 1550); one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media (memory) (fig. 15 and 1540) coupled to the at least one processor (fig. 15 and P:0066) and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor, wherein the programming instructions (P:0066), when executed, cause the electronic device to perform operations comprising: outputting (i.e. outputting a list of messaging), on an electronic device (fig. 1 and P:0032), a user interface comprising a plurality of dynamic session placeholders (thread icon) (fig. 1, P:0032 and P:0040), wherein each of the plurality of dynamic session placeholders represents a respective conversation of related messages constituting a messaging communication session (fig. 1, P:0032 and P:0040) , each of the plurality of dynamic session placeholders corresponds to a respective message type (i.e. various types of messages as indicated by accompanying icons including threaded SMS messages icons 110a,b, a voicemail message icon 120, an e-mail icon 130, and a non-threaded SMS message icon 140)(P:0032), and the plurality of dynamic session placeholders include a first dynamic session placeholder (outgoing message, Ana) (fig. 3 number 310 and P:0034) and a second dynamic session placeholder that correspond to different message types (incoming message, Joe)(fig. 3 number 320); in response to a new message sent or received in the respective conversation of related messages defined by at least one of the plurality of dynamic session placeholders (i.e. Each message includes an originator, a time stamp and a text message. The messages are organized in chronological order (i.e., message 310 sent at 02:00.15 is listed before message 320 sent at 05:06.29, etc.) (P:0034), reordering (filtering) the plurality of dynamic session placeholders based on a message time (time stamp) of the new message (fig. 11 step 1150 and P:0056-P:0057); and outputting the reordered list (i.e. via correlate incoming SMS with stored SMS messages) of messages in the user interface (fig. 12 numbers 1230, 1240 and P:0060).
Regarding claim 32, Donald et al. discloses one or more non-transitory computer-readable media (memory) (fig. 15 and 1540) storing computer instructions (fig. 15 and P:0066) , that when executed by one or more processors (fig. 15 number 1550) , cause an electronic device (fig. 15 number 1500 and P:0066) to perform operations comprising: outputting (i.e. outputting a list of messaging), on an electronic device (fig. 1 and P:0032), a user interface comprising a plurality of dynamic session placeholders (thread icon) (fig. 1, P:0032 and P:0040), wherein each of the plurality of dynamic session placeholders represents a respective conversation of related messages constituting a messaging communication session (fig. 1, P:0032 and P:0040) , each of the plurality of dynamic session placeholders corresponds to a respective message type (i.e. various types of messages as indicated by accompanying icons including threaded SMS messages icons 110a,b, a voicemail message icon 120, an e-mail icon 130, and a non-threaded SMS message icon 140)(P:0032), and the plurality of dynamic session placeholders include a first dynamic session placeholder (outgoing message, Ana) (fig. 3 number 310 and P:0034) and a second dynamic session placeholder that correspond to different message types (incoming message, Joe)(fig. 3 number 320); in response to a new message sent or received in the respective conversation of related messages defined by at least one of the plurality of dynamic session placeholders (i.e. Each message includes an originator, a time stamp and a text message. The messages are organized in chronological order (i.e., message 310 sent at 02:00.15 is listed before message 320 sent at 05:06.29, etc.) (P:0034), reordering (filtering) the plurality of dynamic session placeholders based on a message time (time stamp) of the new message (fig. 11 step 1150 and P:0056-P:0057); and outputting the reordered list (i.e. via correlate incoming SMS with stored SMS messages) of messages in the user interface (fig. 12 numbers 1230, 1240 and P:0060).
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 pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 23,29 and 34 is/are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Donald et al. (US 2010/0048231)(IDS) in view of Thomsen et al. (US 2003/0134616).
Regarding claims 23,29 and 34, Donald et al. discloses a method/ electronic device and non-transitory computer-readable media as discussed supra in claims 21,27 and 32 above. Donald et al. differs from claims 23,29 and 34 of the present invention in that it does not explicit disclose
the first dynamic session placeholder corresponds to an instant message. Thomsen et al. teaches the subscriber #1-3 (first dynamic session placeholder)(fig. 6) corresponds to an instant message (abstract, P:0025 and fig. 6). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify Donald et al. with the first dynamic session placeholder corresponds to an instant message in order for a user to determine whether other subscribers such as friends or co-workers are on-line, and if so, to communicate with each other in "real time" over the Internet, as taught by Thomsen et al..
Conclusion
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/KEITH FERGUSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648