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 .
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.
Claims 1-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea(s) without significantly more.
Regarding Claim 1, at Step 1, the claim is directed to a method/process, which is a statutory category of invention.
At Step 2A, Prong 1, the claim is directed to a method including steps of displaying a user interface with a text entry field, detecting attention of the user directed to a text entry field, detecting a voice input, and conditionally entering or forgoing entering text into the text entry field based on whether the attention meets one or more criteria. These steps describe concepts that can be performed in the human mind or by a human using observation and judgment (e.g., noticing whether a user is looking at a field, deciding whether the attention is sufficient, and deciding whether to enter dictated text), and therefore recited mental processes, which are judicial exception under the 2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance.
Under Step 2A, Prong 2, the claim does not include additional elements sufficient to integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. The recited computer system, display generation component, and input devices represent generic computing components performing their typical functions of displaying information and receiving user input. The claim does not improve the functioning of a computer, and does not apply the abstract idea in any meaningful way beyond using a generic computer as a tool to implement the mental process.
Under Step 2B, the claim does not include additional elements, individually or in combination, that amount to significantly more than the abstract idea. The use of conventional processors, memory, display components, and input devices is well-understood, routine, and conventional. The claimed conditional logic for entering or not entering based on user attention reflects only generic automation of human mental decision-making and does not amount to an inventive concept. Accordingly, the claim as a whole does not amount to significantly more that the abstract idea.
Independent claims 23 and 24 are directed to the same abstract ideas as claim 1, and not include any additional elements that would amount to significantly more than the above-identified abstract ideas.
Claims 2-22 do not include any additional elements that amount to significantly more than the abstract idea and are also rejected under the same rationale.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2 and 23-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by HWANG et al. (US Pub. 2019/0324279 A1, hereinafter “HWANG”).
Claim 1: HWANG teaches A method comprising:
at a computer system in communication with a display generation component and one or more input devices (“HWANG”, Fig. 1, [0038], an electronic device 100):
displaying, via the display generation component, a user interface that includes a text entry field (“HWANG”, Figs. 4A-4C, [0069], display text entry input field 421);
while displaying the user interface that includes the text entry field, detecting, via the one or more input devices, attention of the user directed to the text entry field (“HWANG”, Figs. 4A-4C, [0069], display text entry input field 421);
after detecting the attention of the user directed to the text entry field, detecting a voice input (“HWANG”, Figs. 4A-4C, [0069]-[0072], user gazes to text entry field 421 and receives speech input); and in response to detecting the voice input:
in accordance with a determination that the attention of the user directed to the text entry field met a first set of one or more criteria, wherein the first set of one or more criteria require that the attention of the user was directed to a first portion of the text entry field in order for the first set of one or more criteria to be met, entering text into the text entry field based on the voice input (“HWANG”, Figs. 4A-4C, [0069]-[0072], speech input text entry to the text entry field 421 is entered if the gaze of the user directed to the first object e.g., text entry field); and
in accordance with a determination that the attention of the user directed to the text entry field did not meet the first set of one or more criteria, forgoing entering the text into the text entry field based on the voice input (“HWANG”, Figs. 4A-4C, [0069]-[0072], speech input text entry to the text entry field 421 is not entered if the gaze of the user directed to a position other than the first object (equivalent to the criteria does not meet).
Claim 2: HWANG teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising:
in response to detecting the voice input: in accordance with the determination that the attention of the user directed to the text entry field met the first set of one or more criteria, providing an output indicating that subsequent voice inputs will be entered as text in the text entry field (“HWANG”, Figs. 4A-4C, [0069]-[0072], speech input text entry to the text entry field 421 is entered if the gaze of the user directed to the first object e.g., text entry field); and
in accordance with the determination that the attention of the user directed to the text entry field did not meet the first set of one or more criteria, forgoing providing the output indicating that the subsequent voice inputs will be entered as text in the text entry field (“HWANG”, Figs. 4A-4C, [0069]-[0070], speech input text entry to the text entry field 421 is not entered if the gaze of the user directed to a position other than the first object (equivalent to the criteria does not meet).
Claim 23: Claim 23 is directed to a computer system for implementing the method steps of claim 1. Therefore, claim 23 is rejected under similar rationale.
Claim 24: Claim 24 is directed to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium for implementing the method steps of claim 1. Therefore, claim 24 is rejected under similar rationale.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-22 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US Pub 2021/0074277 A1 (LEWIS et al.) — Disclose transcription revision interface for speech recognition system.
US Pub 2015/0348550 (ZHANG et al.) — Disclose speech to text input and method and system combining gaze tracking technology.
US Patent 6,415,258 (Reynar et al.) — Disclose background audio recovery.
Examiner has cited particular columns and line and/or paragraph numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
The examiner requests, in response to this Office action, support be shown for language added to any original claims on amendment and any new claims. That is, indicate support for newly added claim language by specifically pointing to page(s) and line no(s) in the specification and/or drawing figure(s). This will assist the examiner in prosecuting the application.
When responding to this office action, Applicant is advised to clearly point out the patentable novelty which he or she thinks the claims present, in view of the state of the art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made. He or she must also show how the amendments avoid such references or objections See 37 CFR 1.111(c).
Point of Contact
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHUONG H NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1300. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-4:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William Bashore can be reached at 571-272-4088. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PHUONG H NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2174