DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 30, 2026 have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
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.
Claims 1-5, 7-15, and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kelly et al. (US Patent 9,972,318) in view of Kalns et al. (US Pub 2015/0149182).
Regarding claim 1, Kelly discloses a computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, from a first device, associated with a first profile, first input data corresponding to a first natural language input (col. 25, lines 7-36 – as an example, voice command to order pizza; col. 24, lines 56-60 – command data may include user profile information);
performing processing using the first input data to determine first language processing data (col. 25, lines 7-36 – pizza order requires many sub-tasks such as size, toppings etc; col. 29, lines 4-42);
determining first data is needed to perform further processing corresponding to the first language processing data (col. 25, lines 7-36 – “may request information about what type of pizza (e.g., size, toppings, crust, etc.)”);
determining second data corresponding to a request for the first data (col. 25, lines 7-36 – “generate synthesized speech (e.g., ‘What toppings would you like on your pizza?’)”);
sending the second data to the first device (col. 25, lines 7-36 – “generate synthesized speech (e.g., ‘What toppings would you like on your pizza?’)”);
performing processing with regard to the first language processing data to determine first output data, wherein the first output data corresponds to information required to perform a first action (col. 25, lines 7-36 – for example, the pizza order of large pizza with mushrooms; the first action being placing the pizza order);
storing the first output data (col. 25, lines 7-36 – “the server(s) 120 may store progress data so that the user 10 may resume the process from the previous session”);
after storing the first output data, receiving, from a second device, second input data corresponding to a second natural language input (col. 21, lines 14 – 26 – discloses using a second device to resume the process and col. 25, lines 7-36 – “may resume the process by identifying the information about the pizza and requesting the time of delivery or billing details”; also see col. 29, lines 56 - col. 20, line 13);
performing processing using the second input data and the first output data to determine second language processing data corresponding to the information required to perform the first action; (col. 25, lines 7-36 – based on context can add a time of delivery for the pizza order; also see col. 29, lines 56 - col. 20, line 13);
performing processing with regard to the second language processing data to determine second output data associated with the first action (col. 25, lines 7-36 – for example, time of delivery field is now set; also see col. 29, lines 56 - col. 20, line 13);
determining, using the second output data, output audio data responsive to the second natural language input (col. 25, lines 7-36 – if every subtask is complete for pizza ordering, then generate synthesized output of confirmation of order as shown in fig 8, element 826 and col. 24, lines 61-67); and
sending the output audio data to the second device for output (col. 25, lines 7-36; col. 24, lines 61 - col. 25, line 6; fig 8, element 830).
Kelly does not disclose from a second device associated with a second profile that is different from the first profile; determining that the second input data corresponds to the first action.
Kalns discloses from a second device associated with a second profile that is different from the first profile (para 0072-0074, para 0083 - ); determining that the second input data corresponds to the first action (para 0072-0074; para 0019-0020 – shared dialog context for multi persons conversation and para 0063 – “looks for instances of the mappable intents determined at block 412” – identifying that a second speaker’s input corresponds to previously stored action/intent from a first speaker).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kelly with the teachings of Kalns in order to “understand and provide assistance to people involved in multi-person dialog sessions” (Kalns, para 0012).
Regarding claim 2, Kelly discloses wherein determining first data is needed to perform further processing comprises determining the first data is needed to execute a second action responsive to the first natural language input (col. 25, lines 7-36 – pizza order requires many sub-tasks such as size, toppings etc; col. 29, lines 4-42).
Regarding claim 3, Kelly discloses wherein:
the second data comprises audio data; and
the computer-implemented method further comprises performing speech synthesis to determine the second data (col. 25, lines 7-36 – “generate synthesized speech (e.g., ‘What toppings would you like on your pizza?’)”).
Regarding claim 4, Kelly discloses further comprising:
receiving third input data corresponding to a third natural language input representing a response to the second data; and
performing natural language processing using the third input data to determine the first data,
wherein the first output data is based at least in part on the first data (col. 25, lines 7-36 – “may request information about what type of pizza (e.g., size, toppings, crust, etc.)”);.
Regarding claim 5, Kelly discloses further comprising:
determining entity data corresponding to the first language processing data, wherein the first output data is based at least in part on the entity data (col. 25, lines 7-36 – Dominos pizza).
Regarding claim 7, Kelly discloses wherein the first output data is associated with the first profile (col. 21, lines 2 – 26; col. 25, lines 7-36).
Regarding claim 8, Kelly in view of Kiln discloses further comprising:
determining third data is needed to execute the first action corresponding to the second language processing data (Kelly, col. 25, lines 7-36 – confirmation of order, proceeding to billing details or delivery time);
determining fourth data corresponding to a request for the third data (Kelly , col. 25, lines 7-36 – for example, need billing details);
based at least in part on the second profile, determining a recipient device for the fourth data; and sending the fourth data to the recipient device (Kiln, para 0042, 0075).
Regarding claim 9, Kelly in view of Kiln discloses further comprising:
determining third data is needed to execute the first action corresponding to the second language processing data (Kelly, col. 25, lines 7-36 – “may request information about what type of pizza (e.g., size, toppings, crust, etc.)”;
based at least in part on the second profile, determining fourth data corresponding to a request for the third data; and
sending the fourth data to the second device (Kiln, para 0074-0075).
Regarding claim 10, Kelly discloses wherein:
the first profile corresponds to an enabled language processing component; and
the second language processing data corresponds to the enabled language processing component (col. 29, lines 4-55).
Regarding claim 11, see rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claim 12, see rejection of claim 2.
Regarding claim 13, see rejection of claim 3.
Regarding claim 14, see rejection of claim 4.
Regarding claim 15, see rejection of claim 5.
Regarding claim 17, see rejection of claim 7.
Regarding claim 18, see rejection of claim 8.
Regarding claim 19, see rejection of claim 9.
Regarding claim 20, see rejection of claim 10.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NAFIZ E HOQUE whose telephone number is (571)270-1811. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ahmad Matar can be reached at (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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/NAFIZ E HOQUE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2693
