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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 Dec. 11, 2025 with respect to claims 1 – 3, 5 – 10, 12 – 17, 19 and 20 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on Jul. 25, 2025 with respect to claims 1 – 3, 5 – 10, 12 – 17, 19 and 20 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.
Double Patenting Analysis
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claims because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claims.
It is noted that when current application is compared with U.S. Patent Application No. 17/446,828 and 16/482,683 for obviousness-type double patenting they are patentably distinct from each other and cannot be anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claims and for that reasons, nonstatutory double patenting rejection with reference application is not feasible at this time. However, based on response filed, Engineer will re-consider reference application for obviousness-type double patenting.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1, 8 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Dotan-Cohen US PGPub: US 2016/0284199 A1 Sep. 29, 2016 and in view of Mazandarany US PGPub: US 2015/0124791 A1 May 7, 2015.
Regarding claims 1, 8, 15, Dotan-Cohen discloses,
a method for displaying a reminder when at least one individual is in proximity to a computing device, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by a processor included in a computing device and a computing device configured to display a reminder when at least one individual is in proximity to the computing device (proximity -based reminder system includes one or more proximity detectors for determining whether a distance between two or more paired electronic devices satisfies various criteria. Data transmissions across a wide area network WAN are used to determine whether a distance between paired devices satisfies a first proximity condition. Transmissions across a local area network LAN are used to determine whether the distance between the paired devices satisfies a second proximity condition. When the first and second proximity conditions are satisfied, the proximity-based reminder system issues a reminder alert notification to one or more of the paired devices – ABSTRACT, Figs. 1 – 8, paragraphs 0002, 0003, 0013 – 0016. The first electronic device 102 – i.e., a computing device), the method comprising, at the computing device, cause the computing device to and the computing device comprising a processor configured to cause the computing device to carry out steps that include (a first user set a reminder on the first electronic device 102 to issue a reminder alert when the second device 104 - e.g., owned by a second user, is at the same geographical location alert to itself, or both or more devices of additional parties – Figs. 5/502, 5/504, paragraphs 0017 – 0019, 0031, 0040, 0041, 0073):
receiving a description of the reminder (alert content – remind me to ask Jenn for her house key – Fig. 5/526);
receiving information associated with the at least one individual (a table 520 indicates that there is a pending reminder alert 526 for the first electronic device 502 - e.g., Jake's phone, that may issue based on a detected proximity to the second electronic device 504 - e.g., Jenn's phone – Fig. 5/520, paragraph 0060);
identifying at least one nearby computing device associated with the at least one individual (if the user identifier matches a device descriptor - e.g., the device descriptors of FIG. 2 saved in a table of the proximity-detection program, the proximity-based reminder program may automatically set a pending reminder alert for the pairing associated with the device descriptor – paragraph 0074);
detecting that the at least one nearby computing device satisfies a proximity threshold relative to the computing device (proximity-based reminder system 500 for issuing reminder alerts based on a distance between two or more paired devices – Fig. 5, paragraph 0059. The WAN proximity detector 524 determines whether location data - e.g., GPS coordinates of the paired devices satisfy a first proximity condition. A particular distance for satisfying the first proximity condition may vary in different implementations and, in some implementations, is optionally selectable by a user – paragraph 0064); and
in response to detecting that the at least one nearby computing devices satisfies the proximity threshold, displaying the reminder at the computing device (pending reminder alerts of the multi-device proximity-based reminder system 500 can be issued in a number of ways including without limitation by generating one or more noises - e.g., alarms, SMS messages, vibrations, etc., - paragraph 0073. A mobile phone 800 includes a display 806 – Fig. 8/806, paragraph 0089. When a proximity-based reminder is triggered, the alert notifier 814 can cause the mobile device 800 to beep or vibrate - via the vibration device 818 and display text indicating the reminder – paragraph 0090),
but, does not disclose, detecting a signal strength of a wireless transmitted by the nearby computing device; and a proximity threshold relative to the computing device based on the detected signal strength of the wireless signal transmitted by the nearby computing device.
Mazandarany teaches, method executed by computing device to share credential for Wifi network (paragraph 0064).
Mobile device 102 - i.e., nearby computing device can send request to server computing device 106 to share credential for Wi-Fi network 112. The request can include data that identifies - i.e., user information the mobile device 102. The server computing device 106 can include a reception component 116 that receives the request from the mobile device 102 (paragraphs 0024, 0025, 0063).
A system 200 that delivers credentials for shared WiFi networks based upon a geographic location of the mobile device 102. The system 200 delivers WiFi credentials for shared WiFi network(s) that are within a limited geographic region or within proximity of the mobile device 102. Further teaches the server computing device 106 can include a location detection component 214 that can identify a geographic location of the mobile device 102 responsive to receipt of the request by the reception component 116 from the mobile device 102. The location detection component 214 can further determine shared WiFi network(s) that are within geographic proximity of the mobile device 102 based upon the identified geographic location of the mobile device 102 (paragraphs 0036 – 0040).
The gesture detection component 604 can detect the physical gesture based upon strength of a signal received by the mobile device 102, reads on the claimed feature, detecting a signal strength of a wireless transmitted by the nearby computing device (paragraphs 0039, 0055).
The mobile device 102 can transmit a request to the server computing device 106. Responsive to the reception component 116 receiving the request, the location detection component 214 can identify the geographic location of the mobile device 102. Moreover, the location detection component 214 can determine that the mobile device 102 is within geographic proximity of the shared WiFi network 1 204 based at least in part upon the geographic location of the mobile device 102 (paragraph 0043).
The location detection component 214 can further determine shared WiFi network(s) that are within geographic proximity of the mobile device 102 based upon the identified geographic location of the mobile device 102, reads on the claimed feature, a proximity threshold relative to the computing device based on the detected signal strength of the wireless signal transmitted by the nearby computing device (paragraph 0037).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify when the first and second proximity conditions are satisfied, the proximity-based reminder system issues a reminder alert notification to one or more of the paired devices of Dotan-Cohen (Dotan-Cohen, ABSTRACT, Figs. 1 – 8, paragraphs 0002, 0003, 0013 – 0016) wherein the system of Dotan-Cohen, would have incorporated, a method executed by computing device to share credential for Wifi network of Mazandarany (Mazandarany paragraphs 0024, 0037, 0043, 0064) for it may be difficult for the owner to remember the WiFi credentials, distracting to the owner to be interrupted by the disparate user who desires to access the WiFi network, and time-consuming for both the owner and the disparate user (Mazandarany, paragraph 0003).
Claims 2, 3, 9, 10, 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Dotan-Cohen US PGPub: US 2016/0284199 A1 Sep. 29, 2016 and in view of
Mazandarany US PGPub: US 2015/0124791 A1 May 7, 2015 and further in view of
Benco US PGPub: US 2008/0161027 A1 Jul. 3, 2008.
Regarding claims 2, 9, 16, both Dotan-Cohen and Mazandarany discloses all the claimed features,
but, does not disclose, the method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a date and time for the reminder.
Benco teaches, a method for providing an appointment reminder includes: creating an appointment reminder message; sending the appoint reminder message from a first device of a first party to a second device of a second party; receiving the appointment reminder message at the second device at a first point in time; storing the appointment reminder message in the second device; and, activating the appointment reminder message stored in the second device at a second point in time after the first point in time. If the triggering information matches the current time and/or date or is past due or is otherwise within some threshold proximity thereof, then the ARM is activated (ABSTRACT, paragraphs 0005 – 0007, 0022).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify when the first and second proximity conditions are satisfied, the proximity-based reminder system issues a reminder alert notification to one or more of the paired devices of combined Dotan-Cohen and Mazandarany discloses (combined Dotan-Cohen and Mazandarany, ABSTRACT, Figs. 1 – 8, paragraphs 0002, 0003, 0013 – 0016) wherein the system of combined Dotan-Cohen and Mazandarany, would have incorporated a method for providing an appointment reminder of Benco (Benco, ABSTRACT, paragraphs 0005 – 0007, 0022) for a new and improved method and/or system for sending and/or receiving active messages that trigger future reminders is disclosed that overcomes the above-referenced problems and others (Benco, paragraph 0004).
Regarding claims 3, 10, 17, both Dotan-Cohen and Mazandarany discloses all the claimed features,
but, does not disclose, the method of claim 2, further comprising, prior to displaying the reminder: detecting that a current date and time exceeds the date and time.
Benco teaches, a method for providing an appointment reminder includes: creating an appointment reminder message; sending the appoint reminder message from a first device of a first party to a second device of a second party; receiving the appointment reminder message at the second device at a first point in time; storing the appointment reminder message in the second device; and, activating the appointment reminder message stored in the second device at a second point in time after the first point in time. If the triggering information matches the current time and/or date or is past due or is otherwise within some threshold proximity thereof, then the ARM is activated (ABSTRACT, paragraphs 0005 – 0007, 0022).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify when the first and second proximity conditions are satisfied, the proximity-based reminder system issues a reminder alert notification to one or more of the paired devices of combined Dotan-Cohen and Mazandarany n discloses (combined Dotan-Cohen and Mazandarany, ABSTRACT, Figs. 1 – 8, paragraphs 0002, 0003, 0013 – 0016) wherein the system of combined Dotan-Cohen and Mazandarany, would have incorporated a method for providing an appointment reminder of Benco (Benco, ABSTRACT, paragraphs 0005 – 0007, 0022) for a new and improved method and/or system for sending and/or receiving active messages that trigger future reminders is disclosed that overcomes the above-referenced problems and others (Benco, paragraph 0004).
Claims 5 – 7, 12 – 14, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Dotan-Cohen US PGPub: US 2016/0284199 A1 Sep. 29, 2016 and in view of
Mazandarany US PGPub: US 2015/0124791 A1 May 7, 2015 and further in view of
Krishnan US PGPub: US 2013/0191458 A1 Jul. 25, 20131.
Regarding claims 5, 12, 19, both Dotan-Cohen and Mazandarany discloses all the claimed features,
but, does not disclose, the method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to receiving information associated with the at least one individual:
displaying a contact list from which the at least one individual can be selected, and displaying individuals who are in proximity to the computing device.
Krishnan teaches integrated display and management of data objects based on social temporal and spatial parameters. The client device determines degrees to which the specified parameters are related to a group of target users in social, temporal and spatial dimensions. The client device also determines an expected availability of one or more target users for interaction - e.g., interaction via particular types of communication session types, such as voice, video, text, etc., (ABSTRACT, Figs. 19, 20, 22G, 24, 27, paragraph 0008).
The user interface may provide a visual representation - e.g., a social map, a location map, a time-line of activities, etc., of `data objects` - e.g., activities, events, socially networked contacts, multimedia files, etc., along a temporal dimension - e.g., a timeline, a spatial dimension - e.g., based on a distance to the user or a specified location – reads on the claimed feature, displaying a contact list from which the at least one individual can be selected (Figs. 19, 20, 24, 27, paragraph 0060).
A user may further be provided the capability to select contacts within a frame of reference for the purpose of commencing activities with the selected contact (paragraph 0068).
A mechanism to select people/contacts, places/locations, data or media entities/things, and a time value (paragraph 0089).
Icons or artifacts may be displayed on the mobile communications device indicating "close" and "distant" people/contacts - e.g., close contacts may be displayed more prominently than distance contacts, etc., (paragraph 0090).
The user may select a contact or group by highlighting the contact or group (paragraph 0099).
The staging area includes target data object "Rick" and data object attachments "artwork.jpg" and forest. The given user can then attach the data object attachments to a message and send the message to the data object "Rick" by indicating a selection of the Send button (Fig. 22G, paragraph 0171).
and
The user interface may provide a visual representation - e.g., a social map, a location map, a time-line of activities, etc., of `data objects` - e.g., activities, events, socially networked contacts, multimedia files, etc., along a temporal dimension - e.g., a timeline, a spatial dimension - e.g., based on a distance to the user or a specified location. Here, a spatial dimension – e.g., based on a distance to the user or a specified location, reads on the claimed feature, displaying individuals who are in proximity to the computing device (Figs. 6, 19, 20, 24, 27, paragraphs 0060, 0068, 0070).
Prioritizing family contacts over friends (paragraph 0070).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify when the first and second proximity conditions are satisfied, the proximity-based reminder system issues a reminder alert notification to one or more of the paired devices of combined Dotan-Cohen and Mazandarany (combined Dotan-Cohen and Mazandarany, ABSTRACT, Figs. 1 – 8, paragraphs 0002, 0003, 0013 – 0016) wherein the system of combined Dotan-Cohen and Mazandarany, would have incorporated integrated display and management of data objects based on social temporal and spatial parameters of Krishnan (ABSTRACT, Figs. 19, 20, 22G, 24, 27, paragraphs, 0060, 0068, 0090) for traditional user interfaces have limited ability to present information to the user that is intuitive and representative of how users actually think and perceive events, places, and people, and the traditional hierarchical, segmented, and menu driven structure of information provided in mobile devices do not provide such an intuitive and user friendly interface (Krishnan, paragraph 0007).
Regarding claims 6, 13, 20, both Dotan-Cohen and Mazandarany discloses,
the method of claim 5, further comprising, prior to displaying the individuals who are in proximity to the computing device: detecting communications signals output by computing devices associated with the individuals (various communication signals between Jake’s phone, Jenn’s phone via different network entities – Figs. 1 - 5).
Regarding claims 7, 14, both Dotan-Cohen and Mazandarany discloses all the claimed features,
but, the method of claim 5, wherein contacts in the contact list are grouped based on respectively assigned categories.
Krishnan teaches, integrated display and management of data objects based on social temporal and spatial parameters. The client device determines degrees to which the specified parameters are related to a group of target users in social, temporal and spatial dimensions. The client device also determines an expected availability of one or more target users for interaction - e.g., interaction via particular types of communication session types, such as voice, video, text, etc., (ABSTRACT, Figs. 19, 20, 22G, 24, 27, paragraph 0008).
The user interface may provide a visual representation - e.g., a social map, a location map, a time-line of activities, etc., of `data objects` - e.g., activities, events, socially networked contacts, multimedia files, etc., along a temporal dimension - e.g., a timeline, a spatial dimension - e.g., based on a distance to the user or a specified location (Figs. 19, 20, 24, 27, paragraph 0060).
A user may further be provided the capability to select contacts within a frame of reference for the purpose of commencing activities with the selected contact (paragraph 0068).
A mechanism to select people/contacts, places/locations, data or media entities/things, and a time value (paragraph 0089).
Icons or artifacts may be displayed on the mobile communications device indicating "close" and "distant" people/contacts - e.g., close contacts may be displayed more prominently than distance contacts, etc., (paragraph 0090).
The user may select a contact or group by highlighting the contact or group (paragraph 0099).
The staging area includes target data object "Rick" and data object attachments "artwork.jpg" and forest. The given user can then attach the data object attachments to a message and send the message to the data object "Rick" by indicating a selection of the Send button (Fig. 22G, paragraph 0171).
The user interface may provide a visual representation - e.g., a social map, a location map, a time-line of activities, etc., of `data objects` - e.g., activities, events, socially networked contacts, multimedia files, etc., along a temporal dimension - e.g., a timeline, a spatial dimension - e.g., based on a distance to the user or a specified location (Figs. 6, 19, 20, 24, 27, paragraphs 0060, 0068, 0070).
Prioritizing family contacts over friends (paragraph 0070).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify when the first and second proximity conditions are satisfied, the proximity-based reminder system issues a reminder alert notification to one or more of the paired devices of combined Dotan-Cohen and Mazandarany (combined Dotan-Cohen and Forutanpour, ABSTRACT, Figs. 1 – 8, paragraphs 0002, 0003, 0013 – 0016) wherein the system of combined Dotan-Cohen and Mazandarany, would have incorporated integrated display and management of data objects based on social temporal and spatial parameters of Krishnan (ABSTRACT, Figs. 19, 20, 22G, 24, 27, paragraphs, 0060, 0068, 0090) for traditional user interfaces have limited ability to present information to the user that is intuitive and representative of how users actually think and perceive events, places, and people, and the traditional hierarchical, segmented, and menu driven structure of information provided in mobile devices do not provide such an intuitive and user friendly interface (Krishnan, paragraph 0007).
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/NIMESH PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2642