DETAILED ACTION
This communication is responsive to Amendment filed 05/20/2026.
Claims 1-14, 16-18, 20 and 23-24 are pending in this application. In the Amendment, claim 22 is cancelled and claim 24 is new. This action is made Final.
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 05/20/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argued that Lin does not include any one card (the Applicant's claimed first card) which includes both M folder icons and a second area displaying file attribute information of a file recently downloaded on the electronic device, and wherein the file attribute information comprises a file name, a file download time, an occupied file space size, a file type, or a combination thereof.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees as Lin teaches displaying a first card (Lin, col.3, lines 43-47, launcher i.e. first card) that includes a first area displaying M folder icons (Lin, col.5, lines 1-17; Fig.2, cards 210-250 represent M folder/content icons i.e. containers for organizing content that are displayed in an area) and a second area displaying file attribute information of a file recently downloaded on the electronic device, and wherein the file attribute information comprises a file name, a file download time, an occupied file space size, a file type, or a combination thereof (Lin, Fig.7, folder icon 240 includes an area that displays file attribute info such as Cortana recently installed with installation date, col.14, lines 3-29; Fig.6, file name, file type; col.6, lines 20-51, operation frequency; col.7, lines 31-55, version update information under icon).
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.
Claims 1-3, 7, 17-18, 20 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (“Lin”, US 10,949,065) in view of Sarnoff et al. (“Sarnoff”, US 2014/0380232).
As per claim 1, Lin teaches a method, comprising:
receiving a first user operation on an electronic device (Lin, col.4, lines 20-27, 56-67, launcher display after swipe);
displaying a first card in a home screen of a desktop of the electronic device in response to the first user operation (Lin, col.3, lines 43-47, implement desktop launcher i.e. first card as a home screen), wherein the first card comprises:
a first area displaying M folder icons and wherein M is a positive integer (Lin, col.5, lines 1-17; Fig.2, cards 210-250 represent M folder/content icons i.e. containers for organizing content that are displayed in an area); and
a second area displaying file attribute information of a file recently downloaded on the electronic device, and wherein the file attribute information comprises a file name, a file download time, an occupied file space size, a file type, or a combination thereof (Lin, Fig.7, folder icon 240 includes an area that displays file attribute info such as Cortana recently installed with installation date, col.14, lines 3-29; Fig.6, file name, file type; col.6, lines 20-51, operation frequency; col.7, lines 31-55, version update information under icon);
receiving a second user operation on a first folder icon in the first card (Lin, col.8, lines 9-22, col.13, lines 12-19, operating/tapping the icon opens app); and
switching from displaying the desktop to displaying an interface of the first folder in response to the second user operation (Lin, col.8, lines 9-22, col.13, lines 12-19, operating/tapping the icon opens app).
However, Lin does not teach wherein each of the M folder icons corresponds to a folder of the electronic device and wherein the first folder icon corresponds to a first folder in the electronic device. Sarnoff teaches a method of displaying item containers including folder icons, wherein each of the M folder icons corresponds to a folder of the electronic device and wherein the first folder icon corresponds to a first folder in the electronic device (Sarnoff, Fig.2-3, containers 140/240/340; para.6, 22-23, 35, 39, containers include folder icons). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include Sarnoff‘s teaching with Lin’s method in order to organize multiple related items in a collection.
As per claim 2, the method of Lin and Sarnoff teaches the method of claim 1, wherein after displaying the first card on the desktop of the electronic device, the method further comprises:
receiving a third user operation on the first card (Lin, col.5, lines 18-29, Fig.3, tap on three black dots); and
displaying a card menu bar in response to the third user operation, wherein the card menu bar comprises an editing option, a more card option, a removing option, or a combination thereof (Lin, col.5, lines 18-29, Fig.3, Remove, Show more).
As per claim 3, the method of Lin and Sarnoff teaches the method of claim 2, wherein the third user operation is a sliding operation on the first card, or the third user operation is a long press operation in which the user touches the first card (Lin, col.6, lines 15-19, col.14, line 50- col.15, line 6, finger gesture, continuously pressed).
As per claim 7, the method of Lin and Sarnoff teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the first folder is any one of the following: folder 1 to store a user personal file; folder 2 to store a file downloaded by the electronic device within a latest preset period; folder 3 to store all files downloaded and received by the electronic device; and folder 4 to store all files downloaded through a first application installed in the electronic device (Lin, col.5, lines 1-17, applications 210, note 230, recent 240, document 250).
As per claim 17, the method of Lin and Sarnoff teaches the method of claim 2, wherein the card menu bar comprises the removing option, and wherein after the displaying the card menu bar, the method further comprises: receiving a ninth user operation on the removing option; and removing the first card from the desktop in response to the ninth user operation (Lin, col.5, line 59-col.6, line 10, Remove).
Claims 18 and 20 are similar in scope to claim 1, and are therefore rejected under similar rationale.
As per claim 23, the method of Lin and Sarnoff teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the home screen comprises at least one application icon not included in a card (Lin, col.5, lines 1-17, applications 210, note 230, recent 240, document 250; Sarnoff, Fig.2-3, containers 140/240/340; para.6, 22-23, 35, 39), and wherein one of the folders represented by the M folder icons comprises the file recently downloaded on the electronic device. (Lin, Fig.7, Cortana recently installed with installation date, col.14, lines 3-29; Fig.6, file name, file type; col.6, lines 20-51, operation frequency; col.7, lines 31-55, version update information under icon).
Claims 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (“Lin”, US 10,949,065) and Sarnoff et al. (“Sarnoff”, US 2014/0380232) in view of Lu (US 2020/0310771).
As per claim 4, the method of Lin and Sarnoff teaches the method of claim 3, wherein the card menu bar comprises the editing option (Lin, Fig.2, edit 260, col.5, lines 18-23), and wherein after displaying the card menu bar, the method further comprises: receiving a fourth user operation on the editing option (Lin, Fig.2, edit 260, col.5, lines 18-23).
However, the method of Lin and Sarnoff does not teach displaying a first folder path option and a second folder path option in response to the fourth user operation; and setting, as M folders in the first card, M folders recommended by an operating system of the electronic device in response to receiving a user operation on the first folder path option; or setting N folders in the first card according to a folder selected in response to receiving a user operation on the second folder path option, wherein N is a positive integer less than or equal to M. Lu teaches a method of creating folders including displaying a first folder path option and a second folder path option in response to the fourth user operation (Lu, para.160, Fig.5, folder type 2.2.2); and setting, as M folders in the first card, M folders recommended by an operating system of the electronic device in response to receiving a user operation on the first folder path option (Lu, para.212; Fig.10-11, recommended apps); or setting N folders in the first card according to a folder selected in response to receiving a user operation on the second folder path option, wherein N is a positive integer less than or equal to M (Lu, para.212, 214, 222; Fig.10-11, unselection of recommend switch). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include Lu‘s teaching with the method of Lin and Sarnoff in order to customize icons within a folder.
As per claim 5, the method of Lin, Sarnoff and Lu teaches the method of claim 4, wherein setting N folders in the first card according to a folder selected in response to receiving a user operation on the second folder path option comprises: displaying N folder setting items in response to the user operation on the second folder path option (Lu, para.160, Fig.5, folder type 2.2.2); displaying a folder selection interface in response to receiving a user operation on a first setting item of the N folder setting items, wherein one or more folder options are displayed in the folder selection interface, and each folder option corresponds to a folder (Lu, para.160, Fig.5, folder type 2.2.2); and setting a folder corresponding to a target folder option in the folder selection interface as a folder in the first card in response to receiving a user operation on the target folder option (Lu, para.160, Fig.5, folder set according to selected folder type 2.2.2).
As per claim 6, the method of Lin, Sarnoff and Lu teaches the method of claim 5, wherein the folder selection interface comprises a system folder option or an application folder option, the system folder option corresponds to a folder preset in the operating system of the electronic device, and the application folder option corresponds to a folder corresponding to an application installed in the electronic device, and wherein the target folder option is the system folder option or the application folder option.(Lu, para.212, 214, 222; Fig.10-11, recommended: system option; Add: application option).
Claims 8-11, 13-14 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (“Lin”, US 10,949,065) and Sarnoff et al. (“Sarnoff”, US 2014/0380232) in view of Xiao (US 2024/0231563).
As per claim 8, the method of Lin and Sarnoff teaches the method according to of claim 2, wherein the card menu bar comprises the more card option, and wherein after displaying the card menu bar, the method further comprises: receiving a fifth user operation on the more card option (Lin, col.5, lines 18-29, Fig.3, Show more).
However, the method of Lin and Sarnoff does not teach displaying a plurality of card preview images in response to the fifth user operation, wherein the plurality of card preview images respectively correspond to cards of different specifications; receiving a sixth user operation on a second card preview image of the plurality of card preview images, wherein the second card preview image corresponds to a second card; and adding and displaying the second card on the desktop of the electronic device in response to the sixth user operation. Xiao teaches a method of displaying folders including displaying a plurality of card preview images in response to the fifth user operation, wherein the plurality of card preview images respectively correspond to cards of different specifications (Xiao, Fig.4a, para.52, customization of folder spec); receiving a sixth user operation on a second card preview image of the plurality of card preview images, wherein the second card preview image corresponds to a second card (Xiao, Fig.5a-b, para.65-66, Submit); and adding and displaying the second card on the desktop of the electronic device in response to the sixth user operation (Xiao, Fig.5a-b, para.65-66, folder added to desktop). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include Xiao‘s teaching with the method of Lin and Sarnoff in order to customize the layout of folders.
As per claim 9, the method of Lin, Sarnoff and Xiao teaches the method of claim 8, wherein the second card displays file attribute information of a file recently downloaded by the electronic device, and the file attribute information comprises a file name, a file download time, an occupied file space size, a file type, or a combination thereof (Lin, Fig.7, Cortana recently installed with installation date, col.14, lines 3-29; Fig.6, file name, file type; col.6, lines 20-51, operation frequency; col.7, lines 31-55, version update information under icon).
As per claim 10, the method of Lin, Sarnoff and Xiao teaches the method of claim 9, wherein after displaying the second card, the method further comprises: receiving a seventh user operation on the second card; and opening the recently downloaded file in response to the seventh user operation, and displaying file content of the recently downloaded file (Lin, col.13, lines 11-19, operating/tapping the icon opens app).
As per claim 11, the method of Lin, Sarnoff and Xiao teaches the method of claim 8, wherein the second card comprises a first control configured to trigger transmission of a file displayed in the second card to another electronic device, and wherein after the displaying the second card, the method further comprises: displaying a first interface in response to receiving a user operation on the first control, wherein the first interface comprises one or more sharing mode icons, and each sharing mode icon corresponds to a file transfer mode or a file transfer object (Lin, claim 4, col.13, lines 20-27, col.13, line 65-col.14, line 2, sharing through email, IM, social network); and either a) sending a file displayed in the second card to a first file transfer object in response to receiving a user operation on the first sharing mode icon when the first sharing mode icon corresponds to the first file transfer object; or b) displaying a plurality of file transfer objects in response to receiving a user operation on the second sharing mode icon when the second sharing mode icon corresponds to a first file transfer mode, and sending a file displayed in the second card to a first object of the plurality of file transfer objects in the first file transfer mode in response to receiving a user operation on the first object, wherein the first sharing mode icon and the second sharing mode icon are icons of the one or more sharing mode icons respectively (Lin, claim 4, col.13, lines 20-27, col.13, line 65-col.14, line 2, sharing through email, IM, social network).
As per claim 13, the method of Lin, Sarnoff and Xiao teaches the method of claim 8, wherein after displaying the second card, the method further comprises: receiving an eighth user operation on the second card; and sequentially updating and displaying, in the second card and in response to the eighth user operation, file attribute information of files downloaded by the electronic device within a recent preset period (Lin, Fig.7, RECENT card; col.8, lines 49-62, col.14, lines 3-13, operation frequency).
As per claim 14, the method of Lin, Sarnoff and Xiao teaches the method of claim 13, wherein sequentially updating and displaying file attribute information of files downloaded by the electronic device within the recent preset period comprises sequentially updating and displaying, according to an order of file download times, the file attribute information of the files downloaded by the electronic device within the recent preset period. (Lin, Fig.7, RECENT card; col.8, lines 49-62, col.14, lines 3-13, operation frequency).
As per claim 16, the method of Lin, Sarnoff and Xiao teaches the method of claim 8, further comprising: receiving a drag operation on a target card, wherein the target card is the first card or the second card; and updating a display location of the target card on the desktop in response to the drag operation (Lin, col.14, lines 47-60; Fig.8, move cards).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (“Lin”, US 10,949,065), Sarnoff et al. (“Sarnoff”, US 2014/0380232) and Xiao (US 2024/0231563) in view of Hahn et al. (“Hahn”, US 5,751,287).
As per claim 12, the method of Lin, Sarnoff and Xiao teaches the method of claim 8, however does not teach wherein the second card comprises a second control configured to trigger moving a file displayed in the second card to a storage path in the electronic device, and wherein after displaying the second card, the method further comprises: displaying a second interface in response to receiving a user operation on the second control, wherein the second interface comprises one or more folder identifiers, and each folder identifier corresponds to a folder and a storage path of the folder; and moving, in response to receiving a user operation on a first folder identifier and according to a storage path corresponding to the first folder identifier, a file displayed in the second card to a folder corresponding to the first folder identifier. Hahn teaches a method of displaying file containers wherein the second card comprises a second control configured to trigger moving a file displayed in the second card to a storage path in the electronic device, and wherein after displaying the second card, the method further comprises: displaying a second interface in response to receiving a user operation on the second control, wherein the second interface comprises one or more folder identifiers, and each folder identifier corresponds to a folder and a storage path of the folder; and moving, in response to receiving a user operation on a first folder identifier and according to a storage path corresponding to the first folder identifier, a file displayed in the second card to a folder corresponding to the first folder identifier (Hahn, Fig.12A, col.9, line 42-col.10, line 6, move files from one container path to another). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include Hahn‘s teaching with the method of Lin, Sarnoff and Xiao in order to relocate files seamlessly within cards.
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (“Lin”, US 10,949,065) and Sarnoff et al. (“Sarnoff”, US 2014/0380232) in view of Hahn et al. (“Hahn”, US 5,751,287).
As per claim 24, the method of Lin and Sarnoff teaches the method of claim 1, however does not teach wherein after displaying the first card on the desktop of the electronic device, the method further comprises: receiving a user operation to add an application lock to the first card; and unlocking the application lock and allowing the first card to be operated only when a password entered by a user matches a preset password for the application lock of the first card. Hahn teaches a method of displaying file containers wherein after displaying the card on the desktop of the electronic device, the method further comprises: receiving a user operation to add an application lock to the first card (Hahn Fig.7B, col.6, line 61-col.7, line 7, Lock Cabinet command); and unlocking the application lock and allowing the first card to be operated only when a password entered by a user matches a preset password for the application lock of the first card (Hahn Fig.7B, col.7, lines 7-18, password to unlock). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include Hahn‘s teaching with the method of Lin and Sarnoff in order to prevent unauthorized access to content.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
HA et al. (US 2013/0024794) teaches a method of locking folders.
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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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