Detailed Action
Acknowledgements
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
This action is in reply to the Amendment filed on December 29, 2025.
Claims 2-20 are added.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claims 1-20 are examined.
This Office Action is given Paper No. 20260224 for references purposes only.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 recites “causing… wherein the first event listener listens for messages transmitted from the plurality of frames on the web page and that receives advertisement information.” Examiner assumes that Applicant intended “causing… wherein the first event listener listens for messages transmitted from the plurality of frames on the web page and receives advertisement information.” Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 1 recites “the advertisement information from the first event listener.” Examiner assumers that Applicant intended “the advertisement information received from the first event listener.” Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112b
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 6, 9, 16, and 19 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claims 6, 9, 16, and 19 recite “the received advertisement information.” This phrase is vague and indefinite because it is unclear whether this refers to “the received advertisement information associated with one or more advertisements” or to “the advertisement information received by the first event listener.” For purposes of applying the prior art only, Examiner will interpret as the latter.
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 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.
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Chung et al. (US 2012/0084641), in view of Karassner et al. (US 2009/0265243), and further in view of Adler et al. (US 6,009,409).
Claims 1, 11
Chung discloses:
for a first frame (ad 1, ad container 12-, see figure 1B, [0026]) from a web browser executing on a computing device that is loading a web page comprising a plurality of frames (ad 1, ad 2, ad 3, ad containers 120, 122, 124, see figure 1B, [0026]) that includes the first frame;
cause a first event listener (first inter-frame communication channel, see [0032]) to be loaded on the web browser executed by the computing device in association with the first frame, wherein the first event listener listens for messages (pass data, see [0063]) transmitted from the plurality of frames on the web page and that receives advertisement information (i.e. in order to negotiate display of content between two competing ads, see [0056]) associated with one or more advertisements in the one or more frames of the plurality of frames on the web page;
cause advertisement information associated with the first advertisement to be transmitted to at least a second frame (second cross-domain frame, see [0055]) of the plurality of frames;
communicate with the first event listener to receive advertisement information received by the first event listener (communicate between cross-domain frames, see [0055]) that includes at least advertisement information associated with a second advertisement (e.g. ad 2, see figure 1B, [0026]) in the second frame of the plurality of frames that was transmitted to the first frame.
Chung does not disclose:
A hardware… request;
Select… request.
Karassner teaches:
a hardware processor of a server that is programmed to: receive an advertisement request (request, see [0157]);
select a first advertisement (winning advertiser bidder’s ad, see [0158]) from a plurality of advertisements to be placed in the first frame of the plurality of frames on the web page (content display page rendering area, see [0158]) in response to receiving the advertisement request.
Chung discloses a first frame from a web browser, causing a first event listener to be loaded, transmitting advertisement information, and communicating with the first event listener to receive advertisement information. Chung does not disclose an advertisement request and selecting a first advertisement, but Karassner does. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to combine the securely rendering online ads in a host page of Chung with the advertisement request and selecting a first advertisement of Karassner because 1) a need exists for preventing a webpage host from manipulating the ad content inside the browser (see Chung [0004]); and 2) a need exists for effective placement of an ad (see Karassner [0007]). Having an advertisement request and selecting a first advertisement enables effective placement of the ad in the frame.
Chung in view of Karassner discloses the limitations above. Chung in view of Karassner does not disclose:
Retrieve… listener.
Adler teaches:
retrieve a third advertisement (nth advertisement, see C8 L54 – C10 L67) from the plurality of advertisements and causing the third advertisement from the plurality of advertisements to be presented on the web page in the first frame in place of the first advertisement (present advertisement meeting criteria, see C8 L54 – C10 L67) based on the advertisement information (plurality of characteristics, see C8 L23-53) from the first event listener.
Chung in view of Karassner discloses an advertisement request, a first frame from a web browser, selecting a first advertisement, causing a first event listener to be loaded, transmitting advertisement information, and communicating with the first event listener to receive advertisement information. Chung in view of Karassner does not disclose retrieving a third advertisement, but Adler does. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to combine the securely rendering online ads in a host page of Chung, in view of Karassner, with the retrieving a third advertisement of Adler because a need exists for efficiently scheduling the display of advertisements (see Adler C1 L40-57). Retrieving a third advertisement to be presented in place of the first advertisement helps ensure efficient scheduling of advertisement display.
Claims 2, 12
Furthermore, Chung discloses:
the first frame is associated with a first domain (cross-domain iframe can be from different domain than host webpage, see [0026]) that is different from a domain of the web page.
Claims 3, 13
Furthermore, Chung discloses:
the second frame is associated with a second domain (cross-domain iframe can be from different domain than host webpage, see [0026]) that is different from the domain of the web page and different from the first domain.
Claims 4, 14
Furthermore, Adler teaches:
determining whether to present the first advertisement or the third advertisement from the plurality of advertisements in the first frame of the web page based on the received advertisement information (plurality of characteristics, see C8 L23-53) from the first event listener and client settings (e.g. desired user frequency, time frequency, geometry, see C8 L31-40) related to the first advertisement.
Claims 5, 15
Furthermore, Karassner teaches:
in response to determining that the first advertisement should not be presented (prevent running advertisements of competitors, prevent duplication, see [0010, 0172]) in the frame of the web page, inhibiting (prevent, see [0172]) the first advertisement from being loaded on the web page.
Claims 6, 16
Furthermore, Karassner teaches:
the received advertisement information includes at least one of: advertiser identification information, campaign identification information, advertisement placement information (e.g. within browser screen dimensions, see [0159, 0172]), and information relating to whether a response was received from advertisements on the web page.
Claims 7, 17
Furthermore, Adler teaches:
transmitting an identification message that identifies the first advertisement to the first event handler (identify advertisement based on characteristics, see C8 L23-53), wherein, in response to the first event listener receiving the advertisement information from the second frame, the first event handler causes a response (determine which advertisement to display based on first advertisement, see C8 L54 – C9 L62) that includes information from the identification message to be transmitted to the second frame.
Claims 8, 18
Furthermore, Adler teaches:
causing a message transmitter to be loaded in association with the first frame that transmits the advertisement information (plurality of characteristics, see C8 L23-53) associated with the first advertisement to frames other than the first frame (other advertising region, see C4 L15-38) and that recursively walks through each of the plurality of frames on the web page other than the first frame (other advertisements, see C2 L13-30) and transmits the advertisement information associated with the first advertisement to each of the plurality of frames (multiple advertising regions, see C2 L41-51, C4 L15-38) other than the first frame.
Claims 9, 19
Furthermore, Adler teaches:
determining approved advertisements (advertisements to show, see C8 L1 – C10 L67) associated with the web page based on the received advertisement information.
Claims 10, 20
Furthermore, Adler teaches:
causing an unload handler to be loaded in association with the first frame that collects additional advertisement information (e.g. user frequency and width, see C13 L7-61) from additional advertisements that loaded later in time (different time, see C13 L7-61) than the first advertisement and transmits the additional advertisement information to the server.
Response to Arguments
In light of the extensive amendments, please see new references and rejection.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or concerning this communication or earlier communications from Examiner should be directed to Chrystina Zelaskiewicz whose telephone number is 571-270-3940. Examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday, 9:30am-5:00pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s supervisor, Neha Patel can be reached at 571-270-1492.
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/CHRYSTINA E ZELASKIEWICZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3699