Prosecution Insights
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Application No. 18/412,299

DISPLAY RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON SIMILARITY OF CONTENT

Non-Final OA §101§103
Filed
Jan 12, 2024
Examiner
PHAM, LINH K
Art Unit
2174
Tech Center
2100 — Computer Architecture & Software
Assignee
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
81%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
1y 1m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 81% — above average
81%
Career Allowance Rate
523 granted / 647 resolved
+25.8% vs TC avg
Strong +29% interview lift
Without
With
+28.6%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 6m
Avg Prosecution
8 currently pending
Career history
662
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
2.9%
-37.1% vs TC avg
§103
82.2%
+42.2% vs TC avg
§102
10.6%
-29.4% vs TC avg
§112
1.6%
-38.4% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 647 resolved cases

Office Action

§101 §103
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 . DETAILED ACTION This Office Action is in response to the application 18/412,299 filed on 07/01/2024. As per the Preliminary Amendment filed on 01/01/2024, claims 1-20 are amended. Claims 1-20 have been examined and are pending. This action is made Non Final. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 01/12/2024, 01/11/2025, 05/25/2025, 08/25/2025, and 02/11/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101 35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows: Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title. Claim 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 as being directed to non-statutory subject matter. Regarding claim 7; claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 as being directed to non-statutory statutory subject matter. The claims are directed to a computer program per se because the claimed “computer-readable storage medium” is not stored on any non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. See Warmerdam, 33 F.3d at 1361, 31 USPQ2d at 1760. The claim also recites “a computer readable storage medium;” Under a recent precedential opinion, the scope of the recited “computer readable storage medium” encompasses transitory media such as signals or carrier waves, where, as here the Specification does not limit the computer readable storage medium to non-transitory forms. See Ex parte Mewherter, 107 USPQ2d 1857, 1862 (PTAB 2013) (precedential) (holding recited machine-readable storage medium ineligible under § 35 U.S.C. 101 since it encompassed transitory media). The Examiner respectfully suggests that the claim be amended to either “A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium” or “a computer-readable storage device” to make the claim statutory under 35 USC 101; (emphasis added). Regarding claims 18-20; claims 18-20 are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 as being directed to non-statutory subject matter for the same reasons. 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 of this title, 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 1-7, 9-15, and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dicker et al., (“Dicker,” US 2010/0191619), published on July 29, 2010, in view of Chang et al., (“Chang,” US 2022/0365740), published on November 17, 2022, and further in view of Wu et al., (“Wu,” US 2018/0189857.” Regarding claim 1, Dicker discloses an apparatus comprising: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory (pars. 0170; Figs. 1 and 8; a memory, external component 40),/ the processor configured to: store portfolio content of users of a software application (par. 0058; Fig. 1; database 38 stores a user profiles); establish a communication channel between a host and a source device and through the software application and conduct a communication session (); receive a portfolio associated with the source device during the communication session (par. 0058; Figs. 1 and 3; users computers 34, database 38 includes user profiles); execution of execute [[an artificial intelligence (Al) model on]] the portfolio of the user and the portfolio content of users of the software application to identify a subset of similar users (pars. 0012, 0014-0015, 0017) and a missing item from the portfolio that is included in portfolios of the subset of similar users (par. 0006; a system will compare a user’s profile to the profiles of other users then generate a recommendation user; and also see pars. 0141, 0182-0186; Fig. 11; a recommendations 404 and Top Sellers 406); wherein generate [[image]] content which visually depicts the missing item (Figs. 2, 3A-3B, and 4-5; show steps to generate commendation content to user, which are items similar/relative with user; par. 0182; Figs. 11, 12, 14, 15 show the list of recommended items to user; for example list 402, 404, 406, 500, and a recommendations section 628) Dicker discloses all limitations above, but does not explicitly disclose generate image content which visually depicts the missing item; generate a display window with the image content, wherein at least one of a size and a shape of the display window is dynamically determined based on a type of the missing item; and arrange the display window at a pixel location on a graphical user interface of the software application during the communication session. However Chang discloses managing share-content session, wherein generate image content which visually depicts item (Chang: pars. 0066-0068, 0427 and 0835, 0847; Fig. 6DX and 6DY-6DZ); generate a display window with the image content, wherein at least one of a size and a shape of the display window is dynamically determined based on a type of [[the missing]] item (Chang: pars. 0066-0068, 0427 and 0835, 0847; Fig. 6DX and 6DY-6DZ; “the change in size and/or position of the dynamic visual content includes a changes from the dynamic visual content from covering some of the user interface of the video communication application to covering none of the user interface of the video communication application. In some embodiments, the change in size and/or position of the dynamic visual content includes increasing or decreasing the amount of the user interface of the video communication application that is covered by the dynamic visual content.”); and arrange the display window at a pixel location on a graphical user interface of the software application during the communication session (Chang: pars. 0066-0071 and 0858-0859; Fig. 6DX and 6DY-6DZ). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine teachings of Chang with the system/method of Dicker. One would have been motivated to void overlapping images/pictures/item. Deck and Chang does not explicitly disclose an artificial intelligence (AI) model. Wu discloses a method for providing recommendation through conversation AI, comprising an artificial intelligence (AI) model (Wu: Fig. 8; a program modules 806 include a conversational AI application 820). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine teachings of Wu with the system/method of Dicker and Chang. One would have been motivated to improve efficiency, personalize customer experiences, and provide valuable insights into shopper behavior. Regarding claim 2, Dicker, Chang, and Wu disclose the apparatus of claim 1. The combine of Dicker and Wu further disclose the processor is configured to open the software application which includes the portfolio associated with the source device, and display the display window within a page of the software application (Dicker: par. 0058-0059; Fig. 1; the recommendation Service to be configured to generate recommendations that are specific to user based on user’s profile; Figs. 8, 11-16 show steps of recommendation service component that performs to compare user’s profile and other users’ profile then generates a list recommendation to user. Wu: pars. 0050; Fig. 4; a workflow 400 shows the steps for implement a personalized product recommendations through conversational AI and displays on a personal/general computer or tablet computing device). Regarding claim 3, Dicker, Chang, and Wu disclose discloses the apparatus of claim 1. Dicker further discloses the processor is configured to determine that descriptive content included in the portfolio associated with the source device matches descriptive content included in the portfolios of the subset of users (Dicker: pars. 0038, 0042-0043, 0049-0050, 0200; Fig. 15). Regarding claim 4, Dicker, Chang, and Wu disclose discloses the apparatus of claim 1. The combination of Dicker and Wu disclose the processor is configured to identify a description of an asset to be added to the portfolio associated with the source device based on execution of the Al model on unmatched descriptive content included in the portfolios of the subset of users (Dicker: Figs. 2 and 3A-3B; steps 80-94, 106-116, 306-3046. Wu: Fig. 8; a program modules 806 include a conversational AI application 820). The motivation is the same that of claim 1 above. Regarding claim 5, Dicker, Chang, and Wu disclose discloses the apparatus of claim 4. The combination of Dicker and Wu disclose wherein the processor is further configured to query an external data store related to a performance of the missing item, generate a graphic illustration that represents the performance of the missing item based on the execution of the Al model, and display the graphic illustration via the display window (Dicker: pars. 0043, 0111, 0113-0115, 0175, 0182-0185, 0189-0190, Figs. 3A-3B and 7-15. Wu: Fig. 8; a program modules 806 include a conversational AI application 820). The motivation is the same that of claim 1 above. Regarding claim 6, Dicker, Chang, and Wu disclose discloses the apparatus of claim 1. The combination of Dicker and Wu disclose the processor is further configured to determine quantity of the missing item to be included in the portfolio associated with the source device based on the execution of the Al model (Dicker: pars. 0009, 0196; Fig. 15, a table 308A. Wu: Fig. 8; a program modules 806 include a conversational AI application 820). The motivation is the same that of claim 1 above. Regarding claim 7, Dicker, Chang, and Wu disclose discloses the apparatus of claim 1. The combination of Chang and Wu disclose the processor is further configured to conduct a video call via a window of the software application during the communication session and display the display window in association with the window of the video call (Chang: pars. 0066-0070, 0414-0421; Figs. 6DH-6DO. Wu: pars. 0055-0056; Figs. 7-8). The motivation is the same that of claim 1 above. Regarding claims 10-12; claims 10-12 are directed to method associated with the apparatus claimed in claims 2-5 respectively; Claims 10-12 are similar in scope to claims 2-5 respectively, and are therefore rejected under similar rationale. Regarding claim 13, claim 13 is directed to method associated with the apparatus claimed in claim 6; Claim 13 is similar in scope to claim 6, and is therefore rejected under similar rationale. Regarding claims 17-20; claims 17-20 are directed to computer-readable storage medium associated with the apparatus claimed in claims 1-4 respectively; Claims 17-20 are similar in scope to claims 1-4 respectively, and are therefore rejected under similar rationale. Claims 8 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dicker et al., (“Dicker,” US 2010/0191619), published on July 29, 2010, in view of Chang et al., (“Chang,” US 2022/0365740), published on November 17, 2022, and Wu et al., (“Wu,” US 2018/0189857,” and further in view of Tata et al., (“Tata,” US 2020/0272915), published on August 20, 2020. Regarding claim 8, Dicker, Chang, and Wu disclose discloses the apparatus of claim 1. The combination of Decker and Wu disclose the processor comprising visually depicts a status of the item and the AI module (Decker: ** .Wu: Fig. 8; a program modules 806 include a conversational AI application 820). The motivation is the same that of claim 1 above. Dicker, Chang, and Wu disclose all limitations above, but do not explicitly disclose the processor is configured to generate one or more of a chart and a graph that visually of the item at a future time. However, Tata discloses a method for training AI model to automatically extract features of products, wherein generate one or more of a chart and a graph that visually of the item at a future time (Tata: pars. 0055-0058 Figs 9A-11.). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine teachings of Tata with the system/method of Decker, Chang, and Wu. One would have been motivated to allow user selects between the history and/or external data sources in a future. Regarding claim 16, claim 16 is directed to method associated with the apparatus claimed in claim 8; Claim 16 is similar in scope to claim 8, and is therefore rejected under similar rationale. Conclusion The prior art made of record on form PTO-892 and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Applicant is required under 37 C.F.R. § 1.111(c) to consider these references fully when responding to this action. It is noted that any citation to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the references should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. In re Heck, 699 F.2d 1331, 1332-33,216 USPQ 1038, 1039 (Fed. Cir. 1983) (quoting In re Lemelson, 397 F.2d 1006, 1009, 158 USPQ 275,277 (CCPA 1968)) Inquiries Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LINH K PHAM whose telephone number is (571)270-3230. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM (EST). Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William L Bashore can be reached on (571) 272-4088. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /LINH K PHAM/ Primary Examiner Art Unit 2174
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jan 12, 2024
Application Filed
Jul 01, 2024
Response after Non-Final Action
Apr 15, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §101, §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12638959
TASK EXECUTION BASED ON CONTEXT
3y 8m to grant Granted May 26, 2026
Patent 12629224
HEADSET-BASED VISION DEVICE FOR TRANSMITTING MULTIPLE MEDICAL IMAGES AND PROVIDING SURGICAL ASSIST FUNCTION
3y 3m to grant Granted May 19, 2026
Patent 12626052
ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR INPUTTING DATA INTO DATA ENTRY FIELD IN ELECTRONIC DEVICE
2y 8m to grant Granted May 12, 2026
Patent 12619347
METHOD FOR PERFORMING FRAME INTERPOLATION IN INTERFACE DISPLAY PROCESS AND TERMINAL DEVICE
2y 10m to grant Granted May 05, 2026
Patent 12621670
ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING ELECTRONIC DEVICE
2y 11m to grant Granted May 05, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.
Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
81%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+28.6%)
3y 6m (~1y 1m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 647 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

Sign in with your work email

Enter your email to receive a magic link. No password needed.

Personal email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) are not accepted.

Free tier: 3 strategy analyses per month