DETAILED ACTION
A. This action is in response to the following communications: Request for Continued Examination filed 01/21/2026.
B. Claims 1-20 remains pending.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 1/21/26 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
3. The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-20 is/are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Goodman, Brian D. et al. (US Pub. 2007/0271340), herein referred to as “Goodman” in view of Ogilvie, John W. L. et al. (US Pat. 6,711,608 B1), herein referred to as “Ogilvie”.
As for claims 1, 12 and 20, Goodman teaches. A method and corresponding medium of claim 12 and device of claim 20 comprising (par. 33 hardware environment for running software): receiving, by a computing device, a message composed at a first device, the received message having an associated set of instructions for displaying a set of graphics inline with a set of text in an ordering corresponding to an ordering in the message body during composition at the first device (fig. 5, 520 A text message is received in the context enhanced messaging and collaboration system (step 520). The text message may be received either via input by a user that is local to the client device on which the context enhanced messaging and collaboration system is operating or may be received from a remotely located participant via one or more networks);
determining, by the computing device, a message body location for each graphic in the set of graphics based on the set of instructions (FIG. 5, 560 add information regarding found resources to collected resources data structure); inserting, by the computing device, based on each graphic’s respective message body location determined using the set of instructions, each graphic inline with the set of text in the message body for display of the received message at a second device (par. 123; fig. 5, 570 updating graphical user interface based upon received text messages , attachments, IM history data structure and collected resources data structure to be displayed in order and inline of text message history); and causing, by the computing device, the message body of the received message to be displayed at the second device with the set of graphics inline with the set of text in the ordering corresponding to the ordering in the message body during composition at the first device, the location of a graphic in the displayed message body corresponding to a location of the graphic in the message body during composition at the first device (par. 123-124; fig. 5 transmitting 580 text message and inline attachments with text to other chatting participant).
Goodmans’ GUI contains IM and attachments under the same GUI window, the layout is not mentioned in the claim limitations and therefore not considered. FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram of a graphical user interface in accordance with one illustrative embodiment. The claim as interpretated discusses showing message with set instructions to display graphics ‘inline’ or by history of the message received or in other words message A has picture A related to it and in such picture A will be displayed with message A. The remainder of the claim implements this idea and does not decide how the layout of the interface implemented only the function of displaying picture A with message A.
Goodman does not specifically mention inline graphics in a message body; however in the same field of endeavor Ogilvie teaches the message 206 also includes content 212 meant to convey information from the originator 200 to the recipient(s) 202. The message content 212 may be in the form of text (e.g., word processor documents), images (e.g., still or motion image or video files), sounds (e.g., MP3, WAV, or other aural files), or other sensible items, and it may be inline and/or provided as attachments. Word processors, conventional email tools, and other familiar tools and techniques may be used to select and/or create the message content 212 (col. 6, lines 21-29).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine Ogilvie in to Goodman as Ogilvie suggests in column 6 that other familiar tools and techniques may be used to select and/or create the message content 212 and that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. Any explanations provided herein of the scientific, legal, or other principles employed in the present invention are illustrative only. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
As for claims 2 and 13, Goodman teaches. The method of claim 1, further comprising: retrieving, by the computing device, each graphic of the set of graphics in accordance with the set of instructions (fig. 4, item 462,460 plurality of graphics that can be inserted inline with text message body 450 and updated in message history 420) .
As for claims 3 and 14, Goodman teaches. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one graphic of the set of graphics is received in an attachment to the received message (fig. 4, item 430 is at least one item graphic that is shared among participants).
As for claim 4, Goodman teaches. The method of claim 2, wherein one or more of the graphics in the set is retrieved from a storage location accessible by the computing device (par. 115 resource pool section 460).
As for claims 5 and 15, Goodman teaches. The method of claim 1, wherein the message body of the received message is a component of a web page displayed at the second device (par. 66 resources comprises of at least a website).
As for claims 6 and 16, Goodman teaches. The method of claim 1, wherein the message composed at a first device is a component of a web page displayed at the first device (par. 66 resources comprises of at least a website).
As for claim 7, Goodman teaches. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a server computing device (par. 61 various servers used to transmit information between participants).
As for claim 8, Goodman teaches. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is the second device (fig. 1 clients 110 112 and 114 second to the nth device depicted).
As for claims 9 and 17, Goodman teaches. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of graphics is interleaved with the set of text in the displayed message in the ordering corresponding to the ordering in the message body during composition at the first device (par. 65 message history section shows order of received resources (images, audio, webpages, documents etc…) inline with message text history).
As for claims 10 and 18, Goodman teaches. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by the computing device, input in connection with the displayed message body, the input comprising at least edit to the set of graphics; and communicating, by the computing device, a revised message to the first device, the revised message having a corresponding set of instructions for displaying, in a message body at the first device, a set of revised graphics inline with the set of text in an ordering corresponding to an ordering in the message body during editing at the second device (par. 66 As messages are exchanged between users and added to the instant messaging history section, this section may be analyzed to determine the context of the conversation between the participants. For example, keywords may be extracted and combinations of terms may be analyzed to determine the general context of the conversation. The context may then be used to match context with metadata of resources from one or more resource sources. The one or more resource sources may include, for example, the client device upon which the graphical user interface is provided, e.g., client devices 110, 112, and/or 114, known sources of image files, audio files, audio-video files, and the like, on the communications network, e.g.,).
As for claims 11 and 19, Goodman teaches. The method of claim 10, the set of text of the revised message is a revised set of text (par. 69 The user of the graphical user interface, i.e. a first participant in the instant messaging session, may enter textual messages into the graphical user interface using an editor provided as part of the current message section of the graphical user interface).
(Note :) It is noted that any citation to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the references should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. In re Heck, 699 F.2d 1331, 1332-33, 216 USPQ 1038, 1039 (Fed. Cir. 1983) (quoting In re Lemelson, 397 F.2d 1006,1009, 158 USPQ 275, 277 (CCPA 1968)).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Inquires
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to NICHOLAS AUGUSTINE at telephone number (571)270-1056.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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/NICHOLAS AUGUSTINE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2178 March 5, 2026