DETAILED ACTION
This Action is in response to the Amendment for Application Number 18396227 received on 10/01/2025.
Claims 1-19 are presented for examination.
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 .
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 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 –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7, 10-14, 16, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nimri et al. (US 20140267550).
Regarding claim 1, Nimri disclosed a method comprising:
establishing a videoconferencing session (Nimri, [0026], Nimri’s teachings are with respect to videoconference) including a first meeting and a second meeting (Nimri, [0027], Fig. 2, Nimri disclosed establishing a main session 200 and generating breakout rooms 210a and 210b; See [0034] Nimri refers to the main session 200 as “main breakout room”);
transmitting, from a first client, a content to be displayed over a data stream in the first meeting (Nimri, Fig. 2, [0033]-[0034] “FIG. 5 illustrates the UI 500 as would be seen by a breakout room participant 213 or 218. A breakout room display 550 may also include Picture-In-Picture (PIP) video 520 of the main breakout room 200”; Nimri disclosed the presenter/chairperson may send content to all breakout room participants of multiple breakout rooms, including video/content of the main room 200;);
transmitting, from a second client, a request to subscribe to the data stream over which the content is transmitted (Nimri, [0027]-[0028] and [0032], Nimri disclosed users/clients can join either the main room or a breakout room; For example, [0028], “All participants 213, 215, and 218 can join the main session 200 by use (e.g., dialing in) of the main meeting number 310”; Also, [0032] “FIG. 4 illustrates a video and User Interface (UI) display available to a user for selecting a breakout room. A set of breakout rooms 210 and 220 can be available to a video endpoint 180. Participating endpoints 180 can use a UI 410 or UI 420 to select a breakout room to enter”; A second client may select a breakout room to enter (request to subscribe to the data stream over which the content is transmitted)); and
responsive to the request to subscribe to the data stream, receiving the content at the second client to be displayed in the second meeting simultaneously with the content displayed in the first meeting (Nimri, [0028] and [0032], Nimri disclosed the user entering either the main room or the breakout room; Entering either room results in receiving the content displayed in that room; [0032], “After selecting one of the breakout rooms 210, their video call can be transferred to the corresponding breakout room and a breakout conversation can be held.” That is, the user that joined either the main room or the breakout room receives the video which is displayed simultaneously in both the main room and breakout room, per the PIP 520; Additionally, Nimri at [0035] disclosed, “Two-way audio can be sent at an attenuated level such that the breakout room participants 213 and 218 may be readily heard within a breakout room while engaging in a conversation”; It is evident that such reasonably includes content of a breakout room to be received by users of the main breakout room; or vice versa. Therefore, Nimri covers both embodiments); and
displaying the content in the first meeting and the second meeting simultaneously (Nimri, [0034], “A breakout room display 550 may also include Picture-In-Picture (PIP) video 520 of the main breakout room 200.”; That is, the video content of the main room is displayed simultaneously in both the main room and the breakout room);
Claim 10 recites a system comprising: a processor; and at least one memory device including instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform substantially similar limitations as recited in claim 1.
Claim 19 recites a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to perform substantially similar limitations as recited in claim 1. Nimri disclosed system comprising a processor and memory as well as a medium implementing such limitations (Nimri, [0023], Fig. 1, Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) 150; hardware or firmware may be added to the MCU 150 or software or hardware distributed among the MCU 150 and the videoconference terminals 180; See also page 6, claim 23, “processing unit coupled to the network interface configured”; In the embodiment that the MCU is hardware and contains a processing unit and configured with software to implement the teachings of the invention, Nimri disclosed such a system comprising processor and memory/medium for such execution).
Claims 10 and 19 additionally recite the limitation, “transmitting, from a second client displaying the second meeting, a request to subscribe to the data stream over which the content is transmitted”. Nimri disclosed this limitation, as shown by Fig. 4 and its corresponding paragraph [0043], to which Nimri disclosed the user interface 400 of Figure 4, to which the user is displaying the breakout rooms 410 and 420, and the user can select one of the breakout rooms to subscribe to the breakout room where the content is being transmitted. The videoconferencing rooms are controlled by an MCU which handles the call establishment/routing (Nimri, [0026]). Nimri at [0027]-[0028] and [0032], disclosed users/clients can join either the main room or a breakout room; For example, [0028], “All participants 213, 215, and 218 can join the main session 200 by use (e.g., dialing in) of the main meeting number 310”; Also, [0032] “FIG. 4 illustrates a video and User Interface (UI) display available to a user for selecting a breakout room. A set of breakout rooms 210 and 220 can be available to a video endpoint 180. Participating endpoints 180 can use a UI 410 or UI 420 to select a breakout room to enter”; A second client may select a breakout room to enter (request to subscribe to the data stream over which the content is transmitted, the result of which, with respect to the PIP 520 embodiment above the video content is displayed in both meetings simultaneously.
Therefore claims 10 and 19 are rejected under the same rationale applied above.
Regarding claims 2 and 11, Nimri disclosed the method of claim 1, wherein the first meeting comprises a sub-meeting and the second meeting comprises a main meeting (Nimri, [0027], “The breakout room can be considered to be part of the main videoconference meeting or call”; Fig. 2, “Main Session”, and “Breakout Room”).
Regarding claims 3 and 12, Nimri disclosed the method of claim 1, further comprising notifying a first participant in the second meeting that the content is available (Nimri, Fig. 2, participant 215 receives the content of the Main Session while actively part of the Main session; The receiving and displaying of such content amounts to notifying the participant; Additionally, within a breakout room, a user is provided the content via the PIP 520, which amounts to a notification that the content is available).
Regarding claims 4 and 13, Nimri disclosed the method of claim 1, further comprising: establishing a third meeting; and receiving the content to be displayed in the third meeting simultaneously with the content displayed in the main meeting (Nimri, Fig. 2 shows multiple breakout rooms in addition to the main room, in which the above embodiments may reasonably apply).
Regarding claims 5 and 14, Nimri disclosed the method of claim 4, further comprising notifying a second participant in the third meeting that the content is available (Nimri, Fig. 2 shows multiple breakout rooms in addition to the main room, in which the above embodiments may reasonably apply).
Regarding claims 7 and 16, Nimri disclosed the method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication that the content is available to be displayed in the second meeting (Nimri, Fig. 2, participant 215 receives the content of the Main Session while actively part of the Main session; The receiving and displaying of such content amounts to notifying the participant; Additionally, within a breakout room, a user is provided the content via the PIP 520, which amounts to a notification that the content is available).
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.
Claim(s) 6 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nimri et al. (US 20140267550) in view of Williams et al. (US 20200302817).
Regarding claims 6 and 15 Nimri disclosed the method of claim 1, but did not explicitly disclose receiving an annotation of the content from the second meeting; and causing the annotation to be displayed on the content in the first meeting.
In an analogous art, Williams disclosed receiving an annotation of the content from the second meeting; and causing the annotation to be displayed on the content in the first meeting (Williams, [0233], Williams disclosed “platform 100 enables BOG shared whiteboards to be shared with the entire class, as will be discussed with reference to FIG. 28 and FIG. 29 which shows one embodiment of a screenshot 2900 of a document from a breakout session; and FIG. 30 which shows one embodiment of a screenshot 3000 of a document from a breakout session imported into the Everyone In Class (Students View) Student View State.”).
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine the teachings of Nimri and Williams as they both provide teachings involving breakout room implementation, and as such they are within similar environments.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to incorporate the annotated content sharing of Williams within the teachings of Nimri in order to facilitate sharing of information of breakout rooms in the main room, thereby increasing customer desirability of use of the system as a whole.
Claim(s) 8-9 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nimri et al. (US 20140267550) in view of Drell (US 20030154410).
Regarding claims 8 and 17 Nimri disclosed the method of claim 7. While Nimri disclosed embodiments over a network between network elements (Nimri, [0026]), Nimri did not explicitly disclose wherein the content is received over a data channel associated with the first meeting.
In an analogous art, Drell disclosed wherein the content is received over a data channel associated with the first meeting (Drell, [0030] Drell disclosed, with respect to H.323, a video data channel used to transfer video signals across a multimedia firewall adapter).
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine the teachings of Nimri and Drell as they both involve videoconferencing over a network, and as such they are within similar environments. That is, Nimri explicitly suggests videoconferencing over network, and Drell provides explicitly implementation for doing such, and therefore the motivation to combine is found within the references.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to incorporate the H.323 protocol teachings of Drell within Nimri, in order increase scalability of Nimri’s teachings across well-known systems using H.323 protocol for video conferencing, thereby increasing desirability of use by its customers.
Regarding claims 9 and 18 Nimri disclosed the method of claim 8. While Nimri disclosed embodiments over a network between network elements (Nimri, [0026]), Nimri did not explicitly disclose wherein the indication is received over a command channel.
In an analogous art, Drell disclosed wherein indication are received over a command channel (Drell, [0030] Drell disclosed, with respect to H.323, a video data channel used to transfer video signals across a multimedia firewall adapter, and the utilization of a media control channel used to transfer configuration, setup information, and call requests).
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to utilize Drell’s teachings of a media control channel to setup the providing of additional media, such as the additional media shared in Nimri’s PIP window, since the control channel of Drell is utilized for such configuration/setup. Furthermore the teachings of Nimri and Drell are within similar videoconferencing environments. That is, Nimri explicitly suggests videoconferencing over network, and Drell provides explicitly implementation for doing such, and therefore the motivation to combine is found within the references.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to incorporate the H.323 protocol teachings of Drell within Nimri, in order increase scalability of Nimri’s teachings across well-known systems using H.323 protocol for video conferencing, thereby increasing desirability of use by its customers.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments and amendments filed on 10/01/2025 have been carefully considered but they are not deemed fully persuasive.
Applicant asserts, “Nowhere does Nimri describe a “data stream” or requesting to subscribe to existing “data streams” as recited in the pending claims” [Response, 7].
Examiner respectfully disagrees.
The environment of Nimri is with respect to videoconferencing over a network, involving multimedia connections between such endpoints to convey information between endpoints, such information including video/audio (Nimri, [0021]-[0023]) and controlled by an MCU which handles the call establishment/routing (Nimri, [0026]). The recited breakout rooms in the above rejection are made up of such multimedia connections to which video data is transferred in order for the video conferencing to take place. Nimri’s video conference breakout rooms comprise data streams, as claimed. Such is evident from paragraph [0026] in which Nimri disclosed the endpoints receiving audio, video, or other data, or any combination thereof. Nimri’s teaching of a user selecting a particular breakout meeting, such as the breakout rooms that the user displays on the user interface 400, amounts to the user requesting to subscribe to the data stream of that breakout room, the result of such selection being that the user’s video call is transferred to the corresponding breakout room and a breakout conversation can be held. (Nimri, [0027]-[0028] and [0032]). Nimri disclosed entering a breakout room can be accomplished by establishing a separate multi-way call and transferring the participant to the new call (Nimri, [0031]). The user’s selection of the breakout room therefore reasonably amounts to the claimed transmitting of a request to subscribe for the breakout room, as such results in the MCU establishing the call for the user to join the selected breakout room upon the selection.
It is the Examiner’s position that Applicant has not yet submitted claims drawn to limitations, which define the operation and apparatus of Applicant’s disclosed invention in manner, which distinguishes over the prior art.
Failure for Applicant to significantly narrow definition/scope of the claims and supply arguments commensurate in scope with the claims implies the Applicant intends broad interpretation be given to the claims. The Examiner has interpreted the claims with scope parallel to the Applicant in the response and reiterates the need for the Applicant to more clearly and distinctly define the claimed invention.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Faulkner et al. (US 20200382618) disclosed multi-stream content monitoring (Faulkner, [0107]-[0108], Figs. 3A-3D).
Wang et al. (US 20140132701) disclosed the concept of a meeting client being provided with the ability to request a private room for presentation of content of the main room with modifications (Wang, [0013]).
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 JERRY B DENNISON whose telephone number is (571)272-3910. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:50.
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/JERRY B DENNISON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2409