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 .
This Office Action is responsive to: Amendment filed 26 May 2026
Claims 1-10 are pending in this case. Claims 1, 9 and 10 are independent claims
Applicant’s Response
In Applicant’s Response dated 26 May 2026, Applicant amended claims 1, 9 and 10; argued against all rejections previously set forth in the Office Action dated 27 Feb. 2026.
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 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JEONG et al. (Pub. No.: US 2016/0035074 A1; Filed: Jul. 31, 2015) (hereinafter “JEONG”) in view of Pahls et al. (Patent No.: US 10,909,564 B2; Filed: Nov. 17, 2010)(hereinafter “Pahls”).
Regarding independent claims 1, 9 and 10, JEONG disclose a display method comprising:
receiving, via a first user interface image, an operation of determining a first combination of partial
images including one of a plurality of first candidate images that are candidates for a first partial image and one of a plurality of second candidate images that are candidates for a second partial image (0022; 0023; 0026; 0027; 0185; 0203-0205; 0241-0243); and
displaying a second image including the first partial image and the second partial image corresponding to the first combination (0016; 0023; 0226; 0234; 0241-0243; 0250).
JEONG does not expressly disclose wherein: the second image comprises a disposition portion, wherein the disposition portion is determined based on disposition information comprising a starting point, a height, and a width; and
a first image is disposed in the disposition portion.
Pahls teach wherein: the second image comprises a disposition portion, wherein the disposition portion is determined based on disposition information comprising a starting point, a height, and a width (col 6 lines 20-48); and
a first image is disposed in the disposition portion (col 6 lines 20-48).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine Pahls with JEONG for the benefit of displaying to the user in real time the coordinates of a selected grid element.
Regarding dependent claims 2, JEONG disclose the display method according to claim 1, wherein the first user interface image includes
an image indicating the first combination including the one of the plurality of first candidate images and the one of the plurality of second candidate images (0016; 0023; 0226; 0234; 0241-0243; 0250-0252), and
an image indicating a second combination including one of the plurality of first candidate images
and one of the plurality of second candidate images, the second combination being different from the image indicating the first combination (0016; 0023; 0226; 0234; 0241-0243; 0250-0252), and
the operation is an operation of selecting the image indicating the first combination (0022; 0023; 0026; 0027; 0185; 0203-0205; 0241-0243).
Regarding dependent claims 3, JEONG disclose the display method according to claim 1, wherein the first user interface image includes an image for receiving an operation of selecting one of the plurality of first candidate images as a candidate for the first partial image and an operation of selecting one of the plurality of second candidate images as a candidate for the second partial image (0022; 0023; 0026; 0027; 0185; 0203-0205; 0241-0243).
Regarding dependent claims 4, JEONG disclose the display method according to claim 2, wherein the one of the plurality of first candidate images in the image indicating the first combination and the one of the plurality of first candidate images in the image indicating the second combination have different appearances (0016; 0023; 0226; 0234; 0243).
Regarding dependent claims 5, JEONG disclose the display method according to claim 2, wherein the one of the plurality of first candidate images in the image indicating the first combination and the one of the plurality of first candidate images in the image indicating the second combination have a same color and a same pattern (0108; 0165; 0336),
the one of the plurality of second candidate images in the image indicating the first combination and the one of the plurality of second candidate images in the image indicating the second combination have a same color and a same pattern (0016; 0023; 0108; 0165; 0226; 0234; 0243), and
a disposition of the one of the plurality of first candidate images in the image indicating the first
combination is different from a disposition of the one of the plurality of first candidate images in the image
indicating the second combination (0016; 0023; 0108; 0165; 0226; 0234; 0243).
Regarding dependent claims 6, JEONG disclose the display method according to claim 1, further comprising:
displaying a second user interface image for selecting any one of a first method and a second method (0016; 0023; 0226; 0234; 0241-0243; 0250), wherein
when the first method is selected, the first user interface image includes
an image indicating the first combination including the one of the plurality of first candidate images and the one of the plurality of second candidate images (0016; 0023; 0226; 0234; 0241-0243; 0250), and
an image indicating a second combination including one of the plurality of first candidate images and one of the plurality of second candidate images, the second combination being different from the image indicating the first combination (0016; 0023; 0108; 0165; 0226; 0234; 0241-0243; 0250), and
when the second method is selected, the first user interface image includes
an image for receiving an operation of selecting one of the plurality of first candidate images as a candidate for the first partial image and an operation of selecting one of the plurality of second candidate images as a candidate for the second partial image (0016; 0023; 0226; 0234; 0241-0243; 0250).
Regarding dependent claims 7, JEONG disclose the display method according to claim 1, further comprising:
receiving, via a third user interface image, an operation of determining a third combination of partial images including one of a plurality of third candidate images that are candidates for a third partial image and one of a plurality of fourth candidate images that are candidates for a fourth partial image, wherein (0251-0252)
displaying the second image includes displaying the second image and a third image that includes the third partial image and the fourth partial image corresponding to the third combination and that is disposed along the outline of the first image (0251-0252).
Regarding dependent claims 8, JEONG disclose the display method according to claim 1, wherein
the first partial image is disposed in a first region of the second image (0016; 0023; 0226; 0234; 0241-0243; 0250), and
the second partial image is disposed in a second region of the second image that does not overlap the first region (0241-0243).
NOTE
It is noted that any citations to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the reference 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. See MPEP 2123.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments 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
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 extension fee 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES J DEBROW whose telephone number is (571)272-5768. The examiner can normally be reached on 09:00 - 06:00.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William Bashore can be reached on 571-272-4088. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/James J Debrow/
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2174
571-272-5768
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