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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 1/20/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendment made dated 1/20/2026 does not contain any new matter, and has been accepted.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 30 and 40 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Regarding independent claims 30 and 40, Applicant argues that the reference Alexander does not disclose the limitations of,
displaying a selectable option on the emergency data feed of the ESP computing device for the ESP to initiate initiating a messaging session between the ESP computing device and a communication device of the user;
receiving a selection, via the graphical user interface of the ESP computing device of the selectable option on the emergency data feed; and
responsive to receiving the selection of the selectable option on the emergency data feed, initiating a messaging session between the ESP computing device and the communication device of the user.
Examiner would like to explain that the amendment seems to be claiming an ability of manually initiating a messaging session from the server side with the mobile device, by claiming the receiving the selection on the graphical user interface on the server side to initiate the messaging session between the server and the mobile device. Examiner would like to assert that Alexander already does disclose the server initiating a messaging session from the server side to the mobile device in ([0097]-[0099]) and Fig. 15 (depiction of the alert engine connected to the server). In step 1510-1512 the alert engine initiates a messaging session with the mobile device by sending a text message to the mobile device to notify the mobile device of new emergency alerts, such as an earthquake or tsunami. The alert engine ([0099] third component) then receives from the users of said mobile devices whether they are OK. Therefore, the messaging session is disclosed by Alexander seems to be automated, and does not require a need for a user at the alert engine to manually initiate a messaging session with the mobile devices, as newly claimed by Applicant. Examiner would like to conclude that making a messaging session initiation to be manual does not constitute a novel feature when the messaging session is disclosed to be automated. It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art at the time of invention to try and initiate a messaging session from the server to the mobile device manually to alert the mobile device of emergency alerts.
Furthermore, Examiner would like to introduce a new reference of Laurent (US 2018/0176271) to disclose the newly added limitation stated above. Laurent discloses in [0047] and Fig. 7 that User D may select bubble 708 to initiate direct communication with User A to render emergency assistance, also shown in Fig. 9. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art at the time of invention to incorporate Laurent’s disclosure to provide direct communication to further provide emergency assistance.
Due to the broadness language of claim language and the newly cited reference, the claims are still not yet in condition for allowance, and are still rejected as shown below.
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.
Claim(s) 30-49 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Alexander et al. (US 2009/0309742; hereinafter Alexander) in view of Laurent (US 2018/0176271).
Regarding claims 30 and 40, Alexander discloses a method for providing a communication pathway for emergencies by an emergency assistance system (EAS), the method comprising:
receiving an alert of an emergency associated with a user, the alert including a location and additional data associated with the emergency (Fig. 1, [0055]: attaining new emergency alerts and determining which users are affected and alerting said users and other emergency contacts) ;
based on the location, transmitting the alert to an Emergency Service Provider (ESP) associated with the location ([0139], [0160]: relaying emergency data to rescue personnel, such as National Guard, to help rescue people affected by the state of emergency; [0157]: wherein the emergency contact can become the rescuers by tracking and finding survivors in an emergency situation);
displaying the alert, the location, and at least some of the additional data in an entry on an emergency data feed of a graphical user interface of an ESP computing device, the emergency data feed comprising a plurality of entries for a plurality of alerts ([0101]: application displaying location of alert and affected area; [0108]-[0110], [0138], [0146]: can support plurality of emergency data feeds [0060]);
Alexander discloses all the particulars of the claims but is unclear about the new amended limitations. However, in combination with Alexander, Laurent does disclose said limitations of,
displaying a selectable option on the emergency data feed of the ESP computing device for the ESP to initiate initiating a messaging session between the ESP computing device and a communication device of the user;
receiving a selection, via the graphical user interface of the ESP computing device of the selectable option on the emergency data feed; and
responsive to receiving the selection of the selectable option on the emergency data feed, initiating a messaging session between the ESP computing device and the communication device of the user. ([0047] and Fig. 7 that User D may select bubble 708 to initiate direct communication with User A to render emergency assistance, also shown in Fig. 9).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art at the time of invention to incorporate Laurent’s disclosure to provide direct communication to further provide emergency assistance.
Regarding claims 31 and 41, Alexander discloses further comprising receiving one or more updates associated with the emergency and the displayed location is updated based on the one or more updates ([0097], [0101]-[0102]: continuously updating affected users of various alerts affecting users at their location).
Regarding claims 32 and 42, Alexander discloses wherein the plurality of entries displayed in the emergency data feed are selected based on location data for each of the plurality of alerts being within at least one geofence ([0101]-[0105]: users will be notified when near the affected area or will be traveling in the path of affected area).
Regarding claims 33 and 43, Alexander discloses wherein the ESP is associated with at least one geofence, and the plurality of entries in the emergency data feed are within the at least one geofence ([0101]-[0105]: users will be notified when near the affected area or will be traveling in the path of affected area).
Regarding claims 34 and 44, Alexander further comprising determining an emergency hotspot from one or more locations associated with one or more of the plurality of alerts ([0101]-[0105]: users will be notified when near the affected area or will be traveling in the path of affected area) .
Regarding claims 35 and 45, Alexander discloses wherein the communication device includes a messaging application in communication with the EAS, the messaging application including one or more selectable options for the user to enter a status, contact emergency contacts, or mark the user as safe ([0137]: users able to report they are OK).
Regarding claims 36 and 46, Alexander discloses wherein the communication device includes a messaging application in communication with the EAS, the messaging application including a selectable option for the user to mark the user as safe ([0137]: users able to report they are OK).
Regarding claims 37 and 47, Alexander discloses wherein the emergency data feed includes a weblink that links to a website comprising audio, image, or video data relevant to the emergency ([0062]: website having priority alerts, [0067]).
Regarding claims 38 and 48, Alexander discloses wherein the weblink or the website expires after a predetermined period of time (Claim 1: being able to remove expired alerts when time expires).
Regarding claims 39 and 49, Alexander discloses wherein the emergency data feed displays at least one of a user profile of the user, a profile picture of the user, a username or handle of the user, a social media network identifier of the user, or a last status update of the user ([0138]: emergency contact/responder may receive emergency info on the affected user, including user status).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHUCK HUYNH whose telephone number is (571)272-7866. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10am - 6pm.
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/CHUCK HUYNH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2644