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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14-17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1-11 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ekstrand et al. (“Ekstrand”, US 2019/0221017) in view of Sawato (US 2016/0021155) and further in view of Saito (US 2006/0018207).
As per claim 1, Ekstrand teaches an interaction method based on a voice message, the method comprising:
in response to a playback trigger event for audio (Ekstrand, para.295-296), displaying an object graph, displaying that an object moves toward a progress icon from the object graph (Ekstrand, Fig.9, para.288, profile pic 902, object graph 904; Fig.15, sound recording graph; para.334-341);
in a playback process of the audio, displaying that at least one of the object graph or the progress icon rotates (Ekstrand, para.68), and a quantity of the object graph gradually decreases with a playback of the voice message, and displaying the object connecting the progress icon and the object graph within at least part of the playback process (Ekstrand, para.222, 225, 233, 236-237, 277, 284-285, 288, 295, object graph moves from start position: progress graph to end position: external device and disappears gradually); and
in response to a playback end event for the voice message, stopping display of the object graph, displaying that an end of the object moves from the object graph toward the progress icon, and stopping display of the object when the end of the object reaches the progress icon (Ekstrand, para.222, 225, 233, 236-237, 277, 284-285, 288, 295, object graph moves from start position: progress graph to end position: external device and disappears in transmission dynamic animation).
Although Ekstrand teaches displaying an identity icon (Ekstrand, para.368, profile pic of caller), playback of audio (Ekstrand, para.295-296) and recording voice messages (Ekstrand, Fig.15, para.334-341), Ekstrand does not teach displaying a voice message icon and a corresponding identity icon of a sender of the voice message and in response to a playback trigger event for the voice message, triggering a playback of the voice message. Sawato teaches a message exchange method that displays a voice message icon and a corresponding identity icon of a sender of the voice message (Sawato, Fig.4A, member icon 502, message icon 501; para.105,137, 149, 166, 277, 279, 282, 284) and in response to a playback trigger event for the voice message, displaying a voice message icon, triggering a playback of the voice message (Sawato, Fig.4H, para.282, 284, selection of message icon plays back message). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include Sawato’s teaching with Ekstrand’s method in order to visually display the playback of voice messages in addition to the recording of voice messages.
Furthermore, the method of Ekstrand and Sawato does not teach displaying a first tape reel and displaying that a tape segment moves. Saito teaches a recording method that displays a rotating tape reel during recording (Saito, para.39-40, Fig.3). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include Saito’s teaching with the method of Ekstrand and Sawato as an alternative visualization of audio playback and recording.
As per claim 2, the method of Ekstrand, Sawato and Saito teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the displaying the voice message icon and a corresponding identity icon comprises:
displaying the identity icon and a second tape reel in response to a voice message recording event, and triggering recording of the voice message (Ekstrand, Fig.9, para.288, profile pic 902, object graph 904; Fig.15, sound recording graph; para.334-341; Sawato, para.105,137, 149, 166, 277, 279, 282, 284; Saito, para.39-40, Fig.3);
in a recording process of the voice message, displaying that at least one of the second tape reel or the identity icon rotates, and a thickness of the second tape reel gradually increases with a recording progress of the voice message (Ekstrand, para.222, 225, 233, 236-237, 277, 284-285, 288, 295; Fig.9, para.288, profile pic 902, object graph 904; Fig.15, sound recording graph; para.334-341; Saito, para.39-40, Fig.3), and displaying a second tape segment connecting the identity icon and the second tape reel within at least part of the recording process; and stopping display of the second tape reel in response to a voice message recording end event and displaying the voice message icon (Ekstrand, para.222, 225, 233, 236-237, 277, 284-285, 288, 295, object graph moves from start position: progress graph to end position: external device and disappears in transmission dynamic animation; Sawato, para.105,137, 149, 166, 277, 279, 282, 284).
As per claim 3, the method of Ekstrand, Sawato and Saito teaches the method according to claim 2, wherein the displaying the identity icon and the second tape reel in response to the voice message recording event comprises:
in response to the voice message recording event, displaying the identity icon and a recording icon, displaying that a first end of the second tape segment is connected to the identity icon, displaying that a second end of the second tape segment moves from the identity icon toward the recording icon, and triggering the recording of the voice message (Ekstrand, para.222, 225, 233, 236-237, 277, 284-285, 288, 295, object graph moves from start position: progress graph to end position: external device and disappears in transmission dynamic animation; Fig.9, para.288, profile pic 902, object graph 904; Fig.15, sound recording graph; para.334-341; Saito, para.39-40, Fig.3); and
displaying the second tape reel at the recording icon when the second end of the second tape segment reaches the recording icon (Ekstrand, para.222, 225, 233, 236-237, 277, 284-285, 288, 295; Fig.9, para.288, profile pic 902, object graph 904; Fig.15, sound recording graph; para.334-341; Saito, para.39-40, Fig.3).
As per claim 4, the method of Ekstrand, Sawato and Saito teaches the method according to claim 2, wherein the stopping the display of the second tape reel in response to the voice message recording end event comprises: displaying that a first end of the second tape segment moves from the identity icon toward the second tape reel in response to the voice message recording end event (Ekstrand, para.222, 225, 233, 236-237, 277, 284-285, 288, 295, object graph moves from start position: progress graph to end position: external device and disappears in transmission dynamic animation; Fig.9, para.288, profile pic 902, object graph 904; Fig.15, sound recording graph; para.334-341; Saito, para.39-40, Fig.3); and
stopping display of the second tape reel when the first end of the second tape segment reaches the second tape reel, and displaying the voice message icon (Ekstrand, para.222, 225, 233, 236-237, 277, 284-285, 288, 295, object graph moves from start position: progress graph to end position: external device and disappears in transmission dynamic animation; Fig.9, para.288, profile pic 902, object graph 904; Fig.15, sound recording graph; para.334-341; Saito, para.39-40, Fig.3).
As per claim 5, the method of Ekstrand, Sawato and Saito teaches the method according to claim 3, wherein in the recording process of the voice message, an outer contour of the second tape reel coincides with an outer contour of the recording icon, a part of the recording icon is displayed inside the second tape reel, and the part of the recording icon displayed inside the second tape reel gradually decreases with recording progress of the voice message (Ekstrand, para.222, 225, 233, 236-237, 277, 284-285, 288, 295; para.256-257, radius of progress graph increases).
As per claim 6, the method of Ekstrand, Sawato and Saito teaches the method according to claim 5, wherein both the second tape reel and the recording icon have circular shapes, and a center of the second tape reel coincides with a center of the recording icon; before the recording of the voice message starts, the second tape reel is covered by the recording icon and not displayed; and when the second end of the second tape segment is connected to the recording icon, a radius of the recording icon gradually decreases with the recording progress of the voice message, and the second tape reel is displayed (Ekstrand, para.222, 225, 233, 236-237, 277, 284-285, 288, 295; para.256-257, radius of progress graph increases).
As per claim 7, the method of Ekstrand, Sawato and Saito teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein in the playback process of the voice message, an outer contour of the first tape reel coincides with an outer contour of the voice message icon, a part of the voice message icon is displayed inside the first tape reel, and the part of the displayed message icon gradually increases with the playback progress of the voice message (Ekstrand, para.222, 225, 233, 236-237, 277, 284-285, 288, 295; para.256-257, radius of progress graph increases).
As per claim 8, the method of Ekstrand, Sawato and Saito teaches the method according to claim 7, wherein both the first tape reel and the voice message icon have circular shapes, and a center of the first tape reel coincides with a center of the voice message icon; when the first tape reel is displayed at the voice message icon, a radius of the voice message icon gradually decreases, and a degree of decrease in the radius of the voice message icon is positively correlated with a message duration of the voice message; and when the first tape segment is connected to the identity icon, the radius of the voice message icon gradually increases with the playback progress of the voice message (Ekstrand, para.222, 225, 233, 236-237, 277, 284-285, 288, 295; para.256-257, radius of progress graph increases).
As per claim 9, the method of Ekstrand, Sawato and Saito teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the playback trigger event comprises an adaptive speed playback event; and the displaying the first tape reel at the voice message icon in response to the playback trigger event for the voice message comprises: in response to the adaptive speed playback event for the voice message, displaying the first tape reel at the voice message icon, displaying that the first tape segment is connected to the first tape reel, displaying that the first tape segment moves toward the identity icon, and playing back the voice message based on an adaptive speed corresponding to the adaptive speed playback event (Ekstrand, para.343, movement speed correlates with audio speed).
As per claim 10, the method of Ekstrand, Sawato and Saito teaches the method according to claim 1, further comprising: in the playback process of the voice message, displaying the first tape reel at the voice message icon in response to an adaptive speed playback event for the voice message, and playing back the voice message based on an adaptive speed corresponding to the adaptive speed playback event (Ekstrand, para.343, movement speed correlates with audio speed).
As per claim 11, the method of Ekstrand, Sawato and Saito teaches the method according to claim 9, wherein the playing back the voice message based on the adaptive speed corresponding to the adaptive speed playback event comprises: calling a callback function of the adaptive speed playback event, and modifying a voice playback speed attribute through the callback function; and playing back the voice message based on a playback speed corresponding to the modified voice playback speed attribute (Ekstrand, para.343, movement speed correlates with audio speed).
As per claim 18, the method of Ekstrand, Sawato and Saito teaches the method according to claim 1, further comprising: in response to a playback interruption event during the playback process of the voice message, displaying the identity icon and the first tape reel, wherein the thickness of the first tape reel is positively correlated with a message duration of the voice message, and triggering to stop the playback of the voice message (Ekstrand, para.308, paused).
Claims 19-20 are similar in scope to claim 1, and are therefore rejected under similar rationale.
Claims 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ekstrand et al. (“Ekstrand”, US 2019/0221017), Sawato (US 2016/0021155) and Saito (US 2006/0018207) in view of Sharma et al. (“Sharma”, US 2024/0028350).
As per claim 12, the method of Ekstrand, Sawato and Saito teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein displaying that the first tape segment is connected to the first tape reel, and displaying that the first tape segment moves toward the identity icon (Ekstrand, para.222, 225, 233, 236-237, 277, 284-285, 288, 295; Sawato, para.105,137, 149, 166, 277, 279, 282, 284; Saito, para.39-40, Fig.3), however does not teach wherein the playback trigger event comprises a playback positioning event, displaying the first tape reel and a current playback progress at the voice message icon in response to the playback positioning event for the voice message; displaying, in response to a playback progress adjustment event for the voice message, a positioning playback progress indicated by the playback progress adjustment event at the voice message icon; and triggering the playback of the voice message starting from the positioning playback progress of the voice message. Sharma teaches an audio playback method wherein the playback trigger event comprises a playback positioning event, displaying the first tape reel and a current playback progress at the voice message icon in response to the playback positioning event for the voice message; displaying, in response to a playback progress adjustment event for the voice message, a positioning playback progress indicated by the playback progress adjustment event at the voice message icon; and triggering the playback of the voice message starting from the positioning playback progress of the voice message (Sharma, Fig.8C, 8E, 8G, para.141, 148, 153-154, select progress bar to position playback). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include Sharma’s teaching with the method of Ekstrand, Sawato and Saito in order to selectively playback audio at a desired segment.
As per claim 13, the method of Ekstrand, Sawato and Saito teaches the method according to claim 1, however does not teach the method further comprising: in the playback process of the voice message, displaying the first tape reel and a current playback progress at the voice message icon in response to a playback positioning event for the voice message; displaying, in response to a playback progress adjustment event for the voice message, a positioning playback progress indicated by the playback progress adjustment event at the voice message icon; and triggering the playback of the voice message starting from the positioning playback progress of the voice message. Sharma teaches an audio playback method that includes displaying a current playback progress at the voice message icon in response to a playback positioning event for the voice message; displaying, in response to a playback progress adjustment event for the voice message, a positioning playback progress indicated by the playback progress adjustment event at the voice message icon; and triggering the playback of the voice message starting from the positioning playback progress of the voice message (Sharma, Fig.8C, 8E, 8G, para.141, 148, 153-154, select progress bar to position playback). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include Sharma’s teaching with the method of Ekstrand, Sawato and Saito in order to selectively playback audio at a desired segment.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Jon et al. (US 2022/0131822) teaches a method of displaying a user icon and a message icon for voice messages.
Feng (US 2024/0028635) teaches a method of displaying a playback control on a reel image.
Edelsburg et al. (US 2023/0135516) teaches a method of recording audio messages and displaying a voice icon.
Fogg (US 2006/0253787) teaches a method of displaying user icons associated with voice messages.
Inquiries
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAJEDA MUHEBBULLAH whose telephone number is (571)272-4065. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Tue/Thur-Fri 10am-8pm.
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/S.M./Sajeda Muhebbullah
Examiner, Art Unit 2174
/WILLIAM L BASHORE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2174
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