DETAILED ACTION
1. Claims 1, 4, 6-12, 14, 15, and 18-20, 22, and 23 are pending.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Specification
3. The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title’s are suggested:
“Method, Electronic Device, and Computer-Readable Storage Medium for Interaction with the Poster of Currently Played Media Content” OR
“Method, Electronic Device, and Computer-Readable Storage Medium for Interaction with a First User Associated with Currently Played Media Content”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
4. Claim(s) 1-4, 6-9, 14, 15, and 18-20, 22, and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Junee et al. (US 8555177 B1) and further in view of Eubanks (US 2019/0174169 A1).
In regard to claim 1, Junee discloses an interaction method, applied at a second user side and comprising (Column 8 line 65 – Column 9 line 36):
displaying, within a preset display area on a media content playing interface, an interaction identifier associated with an online state of a first user associated with currently played media content (Column 2 lines 45-52, Column 4 lines 57-61, Column 5 lines 21-24, Column 5 lines 33-42, Column 6 lines 19-27, and Column 7 lines 30-33: list of user’s friends online and/or watching the same video), wherein the first user associated with the currently played media content is a poster of the currently played media content (Column 3 lines 56-62: content providers may also be users and therefore the first user may be the content provider of the currently played media content).
While Junee teaches an interaction identifier associated with an online state of a first user associated with currently played media content, they fail to show the presenting, in response to a triggering for the interaction identifier associated with the online state, an interface for carrying out interaction with the first user, which is associated with the online state, as recited in the claims. Eubanks teaches interaction identifiers similar to that of Junee. In addition, Eubanks further teaches
presenting, in response to a triggering for an interaction identifier associated with an online state, an interface for carrying out interaction with a first user (Paragraph 0142 lines 1-2, Paragraph 0142 lines 7-12, Paragraph 0143 lines 1-3, Paragraph 0143 lines 12-16, Paragraph 0244 lines 2-7, Paragraph 0247, and Paragraph 0250 lines 3-10: friend with online state is selected and communication options and/or a synchronized presentation mode option are displayed).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Junee and Eubanks before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Junee to include the presenting, in response to a triggering for an interaction identifier associated with an online state, an interface for carrying out interaction with a first user of Eubanks, in order to obtain presenting, in response to a triggering for the interaction identifier associated with the online state, an interface for carrying out interaction with the first user, which is associated with the online state. It would have been advantageous for one to utilize such a combination as providing user with a unified experience allowing users to perform a variety of different electronic activities within a unified platform with respect to presenting media and communicating with friends, as suggested by Eubanks (Paragraph 0051 lines 1-4 and Paragraph 0056 lines 1-4).
In regard to claim 2, Junee discloses wherein the online state of the first user comprises a first state, the first state comprises a state of being currently online (Column 5 lines 36-37).
While Junee teaches wherein the online state of the first user comprises a first state, the first state comprises a state of being currently online, they fail to explicitly show a second state, as recited in the claims. However, Eubanks further teaches online state of a user includes a second sate, the second state comprises a state of being currently offline (Paragraph 0142 lines 10-11). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Junee and Eubanks before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the online state taught by Junee to include a second sate, the second state comprises a state of being currently offline of Eubanks, in order to obtain wherein the online state of the first user comprises a first state and a second state; and the first state comprises a state of being currently online, and the second state comprises a state of being currently offline; or the first state comprises a state of being online in a preset time period, and the second state comprises a state of being offline in the preset time period. It would have been advantageous for one to utilize such a combination as providing user with a unified experience allowing users to perform a variety of different electronic activities within a unified platform with respect to presenting media and communicating with friends, as suggested by Eubanks (Paragraph 0051 lines 1-4 and Paragraph 0056 lines 1-4).
In regard to claim 3, while Junee teaches displaying the interaction identifier associated with the online state of the first user associated with the currently played media content, they fail to show the configuring the interaction identifier associated with the online state of the first user associated with the currently played media content as a first interaction identifier upon determining that the online state of the first user is the first state, wherein the first interaction identifier is configured to carry out a preset real-time interaction with the first user; or configuring the interaction identifier associated with the online state of the first user associated with the currently played media content as a second interaction identifier upon determining that the online state of the first user is the second state, wherein the second interaction identifier is configured to carry out a preset non-real-time interaction with the first user, as recited in the claims. However, Eubanks further teaches
configuring an interaction identifier associated with an online state of a first user associated as a first interaction identifier upon determining that the online state of the first user is a first state, wherein the first interaction identifier is configured to carry out a preset real-time interaction with the first user; or configuring the interaction identifier associated with the online state of the first user as a second interaction identifier upon determining that the online state of the first user is a second state, wherein the second interaction identifier is configured to carry out a preset non-real-time interaction with the first user (Paragraph 0142, Paragraph 0143, Paragraph 0247, and Paragraph 0250 lines 3-10: selectable objects of friends with currently online state is indicated with highlighted contour while currently offline state is indicated without highlighted contour. The selectable objects allow real-time (e.g. instant text/video chat, synchronized presentation mode) and non-real time interacts (email)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Junee and Eubanks before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the displaying the interaction identifier associated with the online state of the first user associated with the currently played media content taught by Junee to include the configuring an interaction identifier associated with an online state of a first user associated as a first interaction identifier upon determining that the online state of the first user is a first state, wherein the first interaction identifier is configured to carry out a preset real-time interaction with the first user; or configuring the interaction identifier associated with the online state of the first user as a second interaction identifier upon determining that the online state of the first user is a second state, wherein the second interaction identifier is configured to carry out a preset non-real-time interaction with the first user of Eubanks, in order to obtain wherein displaying the interaction identifier associated with the online state of the first user associated with the currently played media content comprises at least one of: configuring the interaction identifier associated with the online state of the first user associated with the currently played media content as a first interaction identifier upon determining that the online state of the first user is the first state, wherein the first interaction identifier is configured to carry out a preset real-time interaction with the first user; or configuring the interaction identifier associated with the online state of the first user associated with the currently played media content as a second interaction identifier upon determining that the online state of the first user is the second state, wherein the second interaction identifier is configured to carry out a preset non-real-time interaction with the first user. It would have been advantageous for one to utilize such a combination as providing user with a unified experience allowing users to perform a variety of different electronic activities within a unified platform with respect to presenting media and communicating with friends, as suggested by Eubanks (Paragraph 0051 lines 1-4 and Paragraph 0056 lines 1-4).
In regard to claim 4, Junee discloses wherein the first user satisfies a preset relation with a second user (Column 7 lines 30-31: user’s friends).
In regard to claim 6, Eubanks further discloses wherein the preset real-time interaction comprises a calling or a shared interaction for watching (Paragraph 0142, Paragraph 0143, Paragraph 0247, and Paragraph 0250 lines 3-10: calling (e.g. video chat) and shared interaction for watching (e.g. synchronized presentation mode)). Accordingly, the combination further teaches wherein the preset real-time interaction comprises a calling or a shared interaction for watching. It would have been advantageous for one to utilize such a combination as providing user with a unified experience allowing users to perform a variety of different electronic activities within a unified platform with respect to presenting media and communicating with friends, as suggested by Eubanks (Paragraph 0051 lines 1-4 and Paragraph 0056 lines 1-4).
In regard to claim 7, Eubanks further discloses wherein presenting, in response to the triggering for the interaction identifier associated with the online state, the interface for carrying out interaction with the first user, which is associated with the online state, comprises: displaying a preset option list on a display interface in response to a triggering for the first interaction identifier, wherein the option list comprises at least one of a call option or a sharing and interactive watching option (Paragraph 0142 lines 1-2, Paragraph 0142 lines 7-12, Paragraph 0143 lines 1-3, Paragraph 0143 lines 12-16, Paragraph 0244 lines 2-7, Paragraph 0247, and Paragraph 0250 lines 3-10: friend with online state is selected and communication options including call option (e.g. video chat) and/or a sharing and interactive watching option (e.g. synchronized presentation mode option) are displayed); and presenting, in response to a triggering for the call option, an interface for carrying out the calling with the first user; or presenting, in response to a triggering for the sharing and interactive watching option, an interface for carrying out a media content shared interaction with the first user (Paragraph 0235, Paragraph 0238, Paragraph 0246, and Paragraph 0249: instant communication region is provided for instant video chat and a generated GUI is provided to select content for presentation during synchronized presentation). Accordingly, the combination further teaches wherein presenting, in response to the triggering for the interaction identifier associated with the online state, the interface for carrying out interaction with the first user, which is associated with the online state, comprises: displaying a preset option list on a display interface in response to a triggering for the first interaction identifier, wherein the option list comprises at least one of a call option or a sharing and interactive watching option; and presenting, in response to a triggering for the call option, an interface for carrying out the calling with the first user; or presenting, in response to a triggering for the sharing and interactive watching option, an interface for carrying out a media content shared interaction with the first user. It would have been advantageous for one to utilize such a combination as providing user with a unified experience allowing users to perform a variety of different electronic activities within a unified platform with respect to presenting media and communicating with friends, as suggested by Eubanks (Paragraph 0051 lines 1-4 and Paragraph 0056 lines 1-4).
In regard to claim 8, Eubanks further discloses wherein presenting the interface for carrying out the calling with the first user comprises: displaying, according to a call type corresponding to the calling, a real-time interaction identifier corresponding to the call type on the media content playing interface, wherein the call type comprises a voice call type and a video call type; or skipping, according to a call type corresponding to the calling, from the media content playing interface to a call detail interface corresponding to the call type (Paragraph 0246: applicable GUI is provided for selected instant communication including a real-time interaction identifier(e.g. a live video stream for the video chat)). Accordingly, The combination teaches wherein presenting the interface for carrying out the calling with the first user comprises: displaying, according to a call type corresponding to the calling, a real-time interaction identifier corresponding to the call type on the media content playing interface, wherein the call type comprises a voice call type and a video call type; or skipping, according to a call type corresponding to the calling, from the media content playing interface to a call detail interface corresponding to the call type. It would have been advantageous for one to utilize such a combination as providing user with a unified experience allowing users to perform a variety of different electronic activities within a unified platform with respect to presenting media and communicating with friends, as suggested by Eubanks (Paragraph 0051 lines 1-4 and Paragraph 0056 lines 1-4).
In regard to claim 9, Junee discloses displaying, on the media content playing interface, a real-time interaction identifier during media content sharing and interacting (Column 5 lines 28-31: real-time interaction identifier (e.g. selectable indicator on watch page indicating real-time sharing is active). Accordingly, the combination further teaches wherein presenting, in response to a triggering for the sharing and interactive watching option, the interface for carrying out the media content shared interaction with the first user comprises: displaying, on the media content playing interface, a real-time interaction identifier during media content sharing and interacting.
In regard to claims 14 and 18-20, 22, and 23, device claims 14 and 18-20, 22, and 23 correspond generally to method claims 1-4, 6, and 7, respectively, and recite similar features in device form, and therefore are rejected under the same rationale.
In regard to claim 15, medium claim 15 corresponds generally to method claim 1 and recites similar features in medium form and therefore is rejected under the same rationale.
5. Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Junee et al. (US 8555177 B1), Eubanks (US 2019/0174169 A1), and further in view of Chiang (US 9807228 B1).
In regard to claim 12, while Junee and Eubanks teaches the preset real-time interaction and media content interface, they fail to show the displaying, upon determining that the preset real-time interaction is carried out with the first user, a call request pop-up window on the media content playing interface in response to a call request sent by a third user; and adding the third user to the preset real-time interaction in response to a connecting triggered in the call request pop-up window, as recited in the claims. Chiang teaches a real-time interaction similar to that of Junee and Eubanks. In addition, Chiang further teaches
when an ongoing real-time interaction is carried out between a first user and a second user, providing pop-up window in response to a real-time interaction request from a third user and adding the third user to the real-time interaction in response to a selection in the pop-up window (Fig. 1A, Fig. 1B and Column 5 lines 35-40, Column 5 lines 62-63, and Column 6 lines 14-16: when a user on a first call and another incoming call comes in, a tab window pops up on the display and provides an option to add the incoming call to the existing call).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Junee, Eubanks, and Chiang before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the preset real-time interaction and media content interface taught by Junee and Eubanks to include the when an ongoing real-time interaction is carried out between a first user and a second user, providing pop-up window in response to a real-time interaction request from a third user and adding the third user to the real-time interaction in response to a selection in the pop-up window of Chiang, in order to obtain the displaying, upon determining that the preset real-time interaction is carried out with the first user, a call request pop-up window on the media content playing interface in response to a call request sent by a third user; and adding the third user to the preset real-time interaction in response to a connecting triggered in the call request pop-up window. It would have been advantageous for one to utilize such a combination as enabling a user to handle multiple calls quickly and efficiently, as suggested by Chiang (Column 2 lines 7-8).
Allowable Subject Matter
6. Claims 10 and 11 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.
In regard to claims 10 and 11, the prior art of record fails to disclose, alone or in combination, the recited “acquiring, in response to a moving for the real-time interaction identifier, a moving speed and/or a moving distance corresponding to the moving and/or a target position of the real-time interaction identifier when the moving is stopped; and displaying an interaction ending icon on the media content playing interface in response to determining that it is detected that the moving speed exceeds a preset speed threshold, and/or the moving distance exceeds a preset distance threshold, and/or the target position is in a preset interaction ending area” in combination with the other elements recited.
The closest prior art of record, Abbott (US 2010/0262928 A1), teaches moving an interaction object to a termination icon in order to end a real-time interaction, see at least Fig. 9 and Paragraph 0140. However, the claim requires that an interaction ending icon on the media content playing interface is displayed in response to moving of the real-time interaction identifier and determining that the moving speed exceeds a preset speed threshold, and/or the moving distance exceeds a preset distance threshold, and/or the target position is in a preset interaction ending area. However, in Abbott, an interaction ending icon is already displayed and not displayed based on the determination as required by the claim. Accordingly, the prior art of record fails to disclose the above in combination with the other elements recited.
Response to Arguments
7. The amended Title of the specification is still not descriptive. Accordingly, the objection is maintained. The examiner has provided two suggested Title’s that would be considered descriptive, see above.
8. The amendments to claim 15 have overcome the previous 35 U.S.C. 101 rejection of claim 15. Accordingly, the 35 U.S.C. 101 rejection of claim 15 is withdrawn.
9. Applicant's arguments with respect to Rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
It is argued that Junee, Eubanks, and Chiang, whether taken alone or in combination, do not disclose or suggest, among other things, "wherein the first user associated with the currently played media content is a poster of the currently played media content”. The examiner respectfully disagrees.
As pointed out, Junee discloses, in col. 3, 11. 56-62, that "[t]he content provider 118 provides digital content items to the video hosting website 102 via the network 100. .. . Content providers 118 may also be users of the video hosting website 102, though they need not be.". Accordingly, a first user of the video hosting website may be a content provider that provides content that is viewed by other users. Therefore, another user, currently playing content provided by the first user, may be provided with an interaction identifier associated with the online state of the first user when the first user is the another user’s friend and/or currently playing the same content. Accordingly, Junee does disclose or suggest "wherein the first user associated with the currently played media content is a poster of the currently played media content”.
Conclusion
10. 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.
11. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS S ULRICH whose telephone number is (571)270-1397. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Fred Ehichioya can be reached at (571)272-4034. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Nicholas Ulrich/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2179
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