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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 4/9/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant filed amendment to claims 1, 8, and 15. As a result, the previous 112(a) rejection was withdrawn. However, new issues arose as a result of the amendment and a new ground of rejection (e.g. new 112(a)rejection) is applied, as shown below. Based on the reasonable interpretation of the amended language, the previous 103 rejections still apply to the current claims, as shown below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Specifically, after claim 1 is amended, the scope of claim 1 is changed and not supported by the originally filed specification. Claim 1 is amended as follows:
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While the recipient device receives the call, it does not determine the caller-identification data. Instead, it is the server 106 that does determining, according to the specification (its PGPub US 20240380837), as shown below:
[0027] “…The application 211 of the mobile device 101 then sends the received caller-ID data to the communication server 106.”
“[0028] In some embodiments, the one or more processing devices include a call log data receiver 205 which receives call logs including caller-ID data determined in response to receiving the call (i.e., at or by the mobile device 101). The caller-ID data may be received by the call log data receiver 205 of the communication server 106 from the application 211 running on the recipient phone, such as mobile devices 101A or 101B shown in FIG. 1.
[0029] In some embodiments, the memory 202, such as a persistent memory storage device (e.g., a hard drive), includes a database 208 stored thereon. The one or more processing devices 204 is further to populate a corresponding database entry in the database for each of the caller IDs used in calls generated by the communication server 106 to one or more mobile devices 101. An example database entry is illustrated in FIG. 4 below. The one or more processing devices 204 also includes a comparator 206. Once the database is populated with entries, the one or more processing devices is to perform, using the comparator, a comparison between the caller-ID data and the call source data (e.g., the expected caller-ID data based on the profile selected by the user). That is, the one or more processing devices are to perform a comparison of the caller-ID data determined for each mobile phone and/or mobile phone carrier, and the call source data (i.e., the expected caller-ID data).”
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Based on the above cited, it is clear that it is the server (its various components) that does the determining caller identification data as well as comparing the caller identification data. Therefore, the amended language is not supported by the original specification, and rejected under 112(a).
Furthermore, by adding “by the recipient device”, it suggests that the following steps, i.e. “generating comparison data…” and “generating an alert…”, are also performed by the recipient device, which is also not supported by the original specification, as articulated above.
The issues identified for claim 1 also apply to claims 8 and 15, and they are rejected for the same reasons. All dependent claims are rejected because they are directly or indirectly dependent on the rejected independent claims.
For the purpose of examination, examiner interprets the amended limitation “receiving caller-identification data determined by the recipient device in response to the recipient device receiving the test call” as “receiving caller-identification data captured by the recipient device in response to the recipient device receiving the test call”.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8-13, 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saitawdekar (US 9264536) in view of Meek et al. (US 6148070 A).
Regarding Claims 1, 8, and 15, Saitawdekar discloses a method, a system (see Figs. 1 and 2), and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium for caller-identification verification, the method comprising:
generating a call to a recipient device using call source data of a call source (see Fig. 2, and col. 5, lines 51-60; col.6, lines 7-20);
receiving caller-identification data determined by the recipient device in response to the recipient device receiving the call (see Fig. 2, and col. 5, lines 51-60);
generating comparison data based on a comparison between the caller-identification data and the call source data (see col. 3, line 65 - col. 4 line 19; col. 6, lines 7-20); and
generating an alert in response to the comparison data including a mismatch between the caller-identification data and the call source data (see col. 3, line 65 - col. 4 line 19, when a discrepancy exists, a report is transmitted to alert).
Saitawdekar fails to disclose a call is a test call.
However, in the similar endeavor, Meek discloses a test call (see Meek, col. 7, line 52, where the call type is a test call).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art to modify the teachings of the cited reference and arrive at the present invention.
The motivation would be to allow a phone call to be a test call for testing purpose and to test to ensure calls are handled correctly based on caller identification verification.
Regarding claims 2, 9, 16, Saitawdekar in view of Meek discloses the method of claim 1, wherein generating the test call includes generating a call by a server using the call source data from the call source, the call source data including call data associated with a user of the call source (see Saitawdekar: col. 3, line 65-col. 4 line 19; see Meek, col. 7, line 52, where the call type is a test call).
Regarding claims 3, 10, 17, Saitawdekar in view of Meek discloses the method of claim 1 further comprising generating and receiving a plurality of calls, each of the plurality of calls generated using the call source data, and each of the plurality of test calls received at a discrete mobile device, each mobile device being associated with a different phone carrier (see Saitawdekar: col. 6 lines 21-28, “the call request can be received using various network protocols, including, but not limited to Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), Time Division Mulitplexing (TDM) or Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) call messaging protocols.”; col. 6, line 56- col. 7, line 3, “determine what service provider is assigned the ANI and/or caller ID”; “If the service provider is a carrier, other than the carrier maintaining service provider network element 220, then a discrepancy is determined to exist”. Note: that means there are multiple service providers or carriers where the calls are originated from. Also see Meek, col. 7, line 52, where the call type is a test call).
Regarding claims 4, 11, 18, Saitawdekar in view of Meek discloses the method of claim 3 further comprising populating a corresponding database entry for each caller-identification data used in generation of one of the plurality of test calls (Saitawdekar: col. 6, line 56- col. 7, line 3; Also see Meek, col. 7, line 52, where the call type is a test call).
Regarding claims 5, 12, 19, Saitawdekar in view of Meek discloses the method of claim 4, wherein the comparison data is generated from a comparison between caller-identification data determined for each phone carrier, and to the call source data (Saitawdekar: col. 6, line 56- col. 7, line 3).
Regarding claims 6, 13, 20, Saitawdekar in view of Meek discloses the method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the alert to a computing device indicating that the caller-identification data does not match the call source data of the call source (Saitawdekar: col. 3, line 65-col. 4 line 19).
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.
Claim(s) 7 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saitawdekar in view of in view of Meek, and further in view of Clay (US 11115523).
Regarding claims 7, 14, Saitawdekar in view of Meek discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the call is a first call received by a first mobile device associated with a first phone carrier, wherein the caller-identification data is first caller-identification data, but Saitawdekar in view of Meek does not explicitly disclose the method further comprises: generating a second call to a second mobile device associated with a second phone carrier using the call source data of the call source; receiving second caller-identification data determined in response to completing the second test call to the second mobile device; generating comparison data based on a comparison between the first caller-identification data and the second caller-identification data and to the call source data; and generating a second alert in response to the comparison data including a mismatch between the first and second caller-identification data or the call source data.
In a similar endeavor, Clay discloses an iterative call process where there would be a second call where caller identification data is received and compared and alert would be generated if there is no match (see Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B and their corresponding paragraphs; and claim 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art to modify the teachings of the cited reference and arrive at the present invention.
The motivation would be to effectively identify unwanted phone calls based on caller identification information and provide notification or alert to the user, thus enhancing user experience.
Conclusion
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 KATHY W WANG-HURST whose telephone number is (571)270-5371. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm.
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/KATHY W WANG-HURST/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2644
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