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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 are pending in this application and have been examined in response to application filed on 04/29/2024.
This application is a CIP of 17/967,396 10/17/2022 PAT 11923476
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 4 and 14 recite the limitation "its own…”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim because the claims do not recite what “its” is referred to.
Claims 5-6 and 15-16 are rejected similarly because they are depended on claims 4 and 14.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-3, 7-13 and 17-20 allowed.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6 and 14-16 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
2. Claims 1-3, 7-13 and 17-20 are allowed.
3. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The current application is directed to user interface leveling for rendering non-linear data based on a columnar format.
The art of record Jain, Hibino, Helfman, Samet and Wijk each disclosed displaying hierarchical data structures in variations of tree visualizations. The prior art as combined does not disclose displaying data elements in columns and maintain columnar format by applying a patch for the at least one group of data elements to visually indicate data contiguity.
These limitations, in specific combination as recited in independent claims, define patentability of the claims over prior art of record.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HAOSHIAN SHIH whose telephone number is (571)270-1257. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00.
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/HAOSHIAN SHIH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2179