DETAILED ACTION
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Double Patenting
2. The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the "right to exclude" granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. See In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and, In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969). A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321 (c) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the conflicting application or patent is shown to be commonly owned with this application. See 37 CFR 1.130(b). Effective January 1, 1994, a registered attorney or agent of record may sign a terminal disclaimer. A terminal disclaimer signed by the assignee must fully comply with 37 CFR 3.73(b).
Claims 1-20 rejected on the ground of nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over independent claims of the following: U.S. Patent No. 11,223,798. Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because independent claims of U.S. Patent No. 11,223,798, and independent claims of the present application share the following:
Pending Application 18/381,920
U.S. Patent No. 11,223,798
A method comprising:
capturing, at a first client device, video of a presenting user, the first client device connected to a video conference hosted by a video conference provider;
transmitting, by the first client device using a first network communication channel, a video stream based on the captured video for the video conference to the video conference provider;
and transmitting, by the first client device using a second network communication channel, presentation content for the video conference to the video conference provider device
A method for content transmission in a networked conference, the method comprising:
establishing a network connection between a first UE and a second UE;
generating a video signal at the first UE;
selecting a content file at the first UE;
transmitting the video signal from the first UE over a first network channel;
transmitting the content file from the first UE over a second network channel;
receiving the video signal on the first channel at the second UE;
receiving the content file on the second channel at the second UE;
decoding the content file to generate a content image;
combining the video signal and the content image into a combined video signal at the second UE, wherein the content image forms a background image for the video signal;
and displaying the combined video signal on a display device at the second UE
Claim Rejections - 35 USC §103
3. 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 1- 3, 6-10, 13-16, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pell (Pub. No.: US 2019/0082142 A1; hereinafter Pell) in view of Zhang et al (Pub. No.: US 2014/0184721 A1; hereinafter Zhang)
Consider claims 1, 8, and 15, Pell clearly shows and discloses a method, a non-transitory computer, and a system comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the non-transitory computer- readable medium, the one or more processors configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to: capture, at a first client device, video of a presenting user, the first client device connected to a video conference hosted by a video conference provider (e video conferencing system 100 is implemented across client-computing devices 102a, 102b, 102c; the video channel 202a includes a live video stream of the video conference participants who are utilizing the client-computing device 102b to participate in the video conference. Similarly, the video channel 202b includes a live video stream of the video conference participant who is utilizing the client-computing device 102c) (paragraphs: 0035 and 0039); transmit, by the first client device using a first network communication channel (reads on video channel, step 630, fig. 6), a video stream based on the captured video for the video conference to the video conference provider (the video conferencing system, includes client-computing devices that can both send and receive video conference data streams; contents of a video conference channel within a video conference data stream is a video channel that includes conference participants) (paragraph 0009, 0025, 0027, and 0030); and transmit, by the first client device using a second network communication channel (reads on presentation channel, 102B, figs. 1, 4, 6, labels: 620 and 640), presentation content for the video conference to the video conference provider (the video conferencing system, includes client-computing devices that can both send and receive video conference data streams; the video conference channel is a presentation channel that includes presentation content (e.g., slide presentation); the context manager 108a, 108b, 108c installed on the client-computing device 102a, 102b, 102c, respectively as shown in FIG. 1, identifies one or more areas of importance in a broadcast video channel and compresses the broadcast video channel around the areas of importance. Thus, the video conference system 100 broadcasts the areas of interest with greater clarity than the areas of non-interest) (paragraphs:0009, 0032, 0034, 0038, 0041-0042, 0059-0062 and figs. 1, 2A, label 204 for second channel and display); however, Pell does not specifically disclose another example for capture, at a first client device, video of a presenting user, the first client device connected to a video conference hosted by a video conference provider.
In the same field of endeavor, Zhang clearly specifically discloses combining, by a second client device, the video stream and the presentation content into a combined video signal (paragraphs: 0007, 0023, 0026, 0035-0036 and fig. 1-5)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the teaching of Zhang into teaching of Pell for the purpose of combining the video stream and the presentation content into a combined video signal.
Consider claims 2, and 9, Pell and Zhang clearly show the method and the system, further comprising receiving a selection, by the first client device, of the presentation content by the presenting user (Pell: paragraph 0023).
Consider claims 3, 10, and 16, Pell and Zhang clearly show the method, the non-transitory computer, and the system, further comprising extracting, from the captured video by the first client device, portraits of the presenting user and generating the video stream based on the extracted portraits of the presenting user (Pell: paragraphs 0059).
Consider claims 6, 13, and 19, Pell and Zhang clearly show the method, the non-transitory computer, and the system, wherein the presentation content comprises a screenshot of a displayed file (Pell: paragraph: 0179).
Consider claims 7, 14, and 20, Pell and Zhang clearly show the method, the non-transitory computer, and the system, wherein the presentation content comprises a second video stream received from a remote computing device (Pell: paragraphs: 0003, 0005 and fig. 2A).
4. Claims 4-5, 11-12, and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pell (Pub. No.: US 2019/0082142 A1; hereinafter Pell) in view of Zhang et al (Pub. No.: US 2014/0184721 A1; hereinafter Zhang) and further in view of Kasabwala et al (Pub. No. US 2020/0228973 A1; hereinafter Kasabwala)
Consider claims 4-5, 11-12, and 17-18, Pell and Zhang clearly show and discloses the claim invention above but lack teaching further comprising encrypting the video stream and the presentation content before transmitting; wherein the video conference is end-to-end encrypted.
In the same field of endeavor, Kasabwala clearly specifically discloses further comprising encrypting the video stream and the presentation content before transmitting; wherein the video conference is end-to-end encrypted (paragraphs: 0016)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the teaching of Kasabwala into teaching of Pell and Zhang for the purpose of securing transmission of video content.
Response to Arguments
The present Office Action is in response to Applicant’s amendment filed on November 26, 2025. Claims 1-11 are now pending in the present application.
Applicant argues on the Applicant’s Response that Pell and Zhang fail to teach the limitation “"transmitting, by the first client device using a first network communication channel, a video stream based on the captured video for the video conference to the video conference provider" and "transmitting, by the first client device using a second network communication channel, presentation content for the video conference to the video conference provider."
The Examiner respectfully disagrees with Applicants’ arguments regarding claims 11, 8, and 15. Pell teaches the video conferencing system 100 provides the presentation channel 204 on the display 106a″ of the client-computing device 102a, the presentation channel 204 being broadcast from the client-computing device 102c. For instance, and as shown in FIG. 2A, the presentation channel 204 includes a presentation slide. Although the display 106a″ shows a single presentation channel 204, in additional embodiments, the display 106a″ can include additional presentation channels. Additionally, although the video conferencing system 100 displays all video channels 202a, 202b on the display 106a′ and the presentation channel 204 on the display 106a″ (note the presentation channel received at second/different display, fig. 2A, label 204) of the client-computing device 102a, (paragraphs: 0039, 0040-0043, 0062-0063 and fig. 2B, fig. 3A, and fig. 6, labels: 610-650) As a result, both Pell and Zhang teach the above limitation as broadly claimed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Amal Zenati whose telephone number is 571- 270- 1947. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00 -5:00 M-F.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ahmad Matar can be reached on 571- 272- 7488. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571- 273-8300.
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/AMAL S ZENATI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2693
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