Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed on 8/7/2026, with respect to claims have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection has been withdrawn.
However, applicant’s amendment triggers 112 rejection “see detailed rejection”.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1, 5, 8, 14 include the limitation “major terminal”, it is not clear and confusing what “ major terminal refereeing to or how it is different form other terminals. In applicant specification, “Paragraph 154”, applicant defined it “a transmission terminal that is the transmission source of sound data representing the voice, in the received sound data as a major terminal among the transmission terminals”, correction to further clarify this limitation is required.
During search, examiner found the following related arts:
Anderson (US 20120182384) teaches server apparatus (Fig. 1, el. 102 and Paragraph 147: web server) and a first terminal (Fig. 1, el. 104, 106), the server apparatus includes: a network interface coupled to, via a network (Fig. 1, el. 101), at least the first terminal and a second terminal (Fig. 1, el. 104, 106, 107, 105); a memory to store a first name and a first attendance state which are associated with the first terminal, and to store a second name and a second attendance state which are associated with the second terminal (Paragraph 146, 370, 372: name and Paragraph 138, 202-203: state and 146); update the first attendance state to a state indicating that the first terminal is attending a video communication, based on an attendance request to attend the video communication which is sent from the first terminal (Paragraph 63, 283, 289, 233: status icon is update to indicate the status);
update the second attendance state to a state indicating that the second terminal is attending the video communication, when the second terminal attends the video communication (Paragraph 233, 236, 283); and send, to the first terminal via the network, a list including the first name and the second name, the first name corresponding to the first terminal which the first attendance state is updated (Fig. 6, el. 609), and the second name corresponding to the second terminal which the second attendance state is updated (Fig. 6, el. 609); receive an instruction to attend the video communication from a user; based on the received instruction, send the attendance request to the server apparatus via the network; receive the list including the first name and the second name from the server apparatus via the network; and in response to receiving a user operation, display the list received on a display (Paragraph 285: the system checks for an attendee request, the system checks for an attendee request, Fig. 12, 6-7).
Ludwig (US 20010044826) teaches (display, video images from each terminal attending the video communication (Fig. 2A and 8B).
Chang (US 20030149724) teaches a video image of a terminal transmitting sound data among terminals attending a video conference is displayed on a screen that displays the list (Paragraph 7: Another technique involves a "talker and graphic contention resolution process" to display only one talker's (participating location's) image based upon an algorithm which selects only one talker and only one graphic image
However, none of the cited arts alone or in reasonable combination teaches {in response to receiving a user operation on the screen displaying the video images from each terminal attending the video communication, display the list including the first name and the second name on a screen that also displays the video image from a major terminal attending the video communication} as claimed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARIA EL-ZOOBI whose telephone number is (571)270-3434. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7-4.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Carolyn Edward can be reached at (571)270-7136. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARIA EL-ZOOBI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2692
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