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 .
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 1-8, 10-13 and 16 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.
Claim 1 recites “causing the information processing apparatus to display the characters” followed by the limitation of “causing the information processing apparatus to display an object that performs an action for posting the characters as a text message,…posting the characters as the text message”. It is unclear how the characters are posted as a text message when they were already previously displayed. It is unclear if applicant is attempting to claim an alternate embodiment not previously claimed during prosecution. However based upon the applicant’s specification at paragraph 0046-0047 it appears the first limitation of “causing the information processing apparatus to display the characters” should be deleted.
Independent claims 12 and 13 are indefinite for the same rationale.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 7, 8, 11-13 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication 2021/0266274 to Liu et al.
As concerns claim 1, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a control method for controlling an information processing apparatus, the control method comprising:
causing the information processing apparatus (Fig. 12 -data processing device) to execute processing for converting (0051) a content of a voice message (0051-audio data; 0052-voice message) received by the information processing apparatus into characters (0051-audio data is converted into text data);
causing the information processing apparatus to display the characters (0051-text data is displayed); and
causing the information processing apparatus to display an object (0052-message bar) that performs an action for posting the characters as a text message (0052-user may long press a message bar to select a convert-to-text function),
wherein the object is configured to execute the action for posting the characters as the text message when the object is pressed (0051-text data is displayed; 0052-text for display).
As concerns claim 12, a method of controlling an information processing apparatus, comprising:
causing the information processing apparatus (Fig. 12 -data processing device) to execute processing for converting a content of a voice message (0051-audio data; 0052-voice message) received by the information processing apparatus into characters (0051-audio data is converted into text data);
causing the information processing apparatus to display the characters (0051-text data is displayed); and
causing the information processing apparatus to display an object (0052-message bar) that performs an action for posting the characters as a text message (0052-user may long press a message bar to select a convert-to-text function);
wherein the object is configured to execute the action for posting the characters as the text message when the object is pressed (0052-user may long press a message bar to select a convert-to-text function).
As concerns claim 13, an information processing apparatus comprising:
at least one processor (Fig. 12, 1001), wherein the at least one processor causes, by executing instructions, a communication system (Fig. 11) to:
execute processing for converting a content of a voice message (0051-audio data; 0052-voice message) received by the information processing apparatus (Fig. 12 -data processing device) into characters (0051-audio data is converted into text data);
display the characters (0051-text data is displayed); and
display an object (0052-message bar) that performs an action for posting the characters as a text message (0052-user may long press a message bar to select a convert-to-text function),
wherein the object is configured to execute the action for posting the characters as the text message when the object is pressed (0052-user may long press a message bar to select a convert-to-text function).
As concerns claim 2, the storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is caused to display the characters in a display form different from that of other messages (Fig. 3c; text message is displayed in a different “form” than the voice message).
As concerns claim 3, the storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is caused to display, for the characters, a display object (Fig. 3c, 701a, 600b-word bubble object; “display object” is a broad term given the BRI and limitations from the specification are not read into the claims) indicating that a corresponding voice message has been converted into characters.
As concerns claim 4, the storage medium according to claim 1, wherein an action including an operation of long-pressing (0052) the voice message causes reception of an instruction for converting the content of the voice message into characters.
As concerns claim 7, the storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the content of the voice message is converted into the characters based on a time period (0026, 0082, time period of voice message recorded in advance, before, being converted) set in advance.
As concerns claim 8, the storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the object is an action popup (Fig. 3c-word bubble is an “action popup”).
As concerns claim 11, the storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a smartphone (0027).
As concerns claim 16, the storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the control method causes the information processing apparatus to display the object that performs the action such that the information processing apparatus is caused to post the characters as the text message (0052-user may long press a message bar to select a convert-to-text function).
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.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication 2021/0266274 to Liu et al. in view U.S. Patent No. 6,519,771 to Zenith.
Liu et al. ‘274 do not disclose:
As concerns claim 5, the storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the control method further comprises updating, in a case where the characters are not accommodated in a character display space, the characters within the character display space according to a specific operation such that the characters can be visually recognized.
Zenith ‘771 teach:
As concerns claim 5, the storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the control method further comprises updating, in a case where the characters are not accommodated in a character display space, the characters within the character display space according to a specific operation such that the characters can be visually recognized (col. 5, line 67-col. 6, line 1-scroll chat dialogue; Fig. 7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide the system of Liu et al. ‘274 with scrolling, as taught by Zenith ‘771 in order to provide an efficient interface for conserving screen real estate.
Claims 6 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication 2021/0266274 to Liu et al. in view U.S. Patent Application Publication 2022/0115018 to Desserrey et al.
Liu et al. ‘274 do not disclose:
As concerns claim 6, the storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the control method further comprises: receiving a deleting instruction (0020-delete; also-Fig. 8-“x” backspace button deletes) for deleting the characters; and deleting the characters based on the deletion instruction (0020-delete).
Desserrey et al. ‘018 teach:
As concerns claim 6, the storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the control method further comprises: receiving a deleting instruction (0020-delete; also-Fig. 8-“x” backspace button deletes) for deleting the characters; and deleting the characters based on the deletion instruction (0020-delete).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide the system of Liu et al. ‘274 with a deleting instruction, as taught by Desserrey et al. ‘018, in order to provide an editing function for a user.
Liu et al. ‘274 do not disclose:
As concerns claim 10, the storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the processing for converting the content of the voice message into characters is processing for causing an external server to execute conversion of the content of the voice message into characters and receiving the characters.
Desserrey et al. ‘018 teach:
As concerns claim 10, the storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the processing for converting the content of the voice message into characters is processing for causing an external server (0018) to execute conversion of the content of the voice message into characters and receiving the characters.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide the system of Liu et al. ‘274 with an external server, as taught by Desserrey et al. ‘018, in order to provide distributing of workloads.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed January 20, 2026 have been fully considered but they are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection necessitated by the newly amended claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2010/0251177-0072; 0073-transcription button, speech recognition module to transcribe speech, display as text.
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/JOHN B WALSH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2451