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 §103
2. 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 1-2, 5, 8-10, 13-14, 16-17, and 20-23, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BADER-NATAL et al (Pub.: US 2016/0073059 A1; hereinafter BADER) in view of Krishnaswamy et al (Patent No.: US 10,742,709 B1; hereinafter Krishnaswamy)
Consider claim 1, BADER clearly shows and discloses a computer-implemented procedure for telesupervision, the procedure comprising: for a service-providing audio/video conference: initially setting a visibility status of a service provider computer as visible to all devices in the conference (GUI displayed to participants who are about to be placed in a breakout group. In the illustrated embodiment, the GUI includes a set of breakout group thumbnails comprising still pictures or video of the participants in the breakout group/visible, user selects participants to be visible in the breakout group only) (paragraphs: 0013, 0071, 0101, 0132, and fig. 14, label 1401 and fig. 15A); initially setting a visibility status of a service recipient computer as visible to all devices in the conference (One embodiment of the virtual conferencing system initially provides the professor/teacher or other moderator a set of recommended breakout groups, and then provides the moderator with the ability to edit the recommended groups (e.g., moving users between groups by clicking and dragging user icons via a graphical user interface, the virtual conferencing system may display the results for each breakout group; a visual indication of the speaker queue, and a graphical representation and/or video images of participants in each breakout group) (paragraphs: 0071, 0074, 0082, 0097, fig. 14, label 1401); initially setting a visibility status of a supervisor computer as (1) invisible to the service recipient computer and, selectably by a user at the supervisor computer, (2) invisible to the service provider computer, in the conference (The video/audio of the moderator may also be shared with the members of a breakout group when visiting the breakout group) (paragraphs: 0105, 0108, 0111; fig.15A - fig.15B, the supervisor/ processor is in visible in fig. 15B compare it with fig. 15A invisible); displaying, on a service provider graphical user interface displayed on a service provider screen at the service provider computer, a service provider conference display region including a service provider display of the conference (the virtual conferencing system may display the results for each breakout group; a visual indication of the speaker queue, and a graphical representation and/or video images of participants in each breakout group) (paragraphs: 0071, 0074, 0082, 0097, fig. 14, label 1401; fig.15A - fig.15B); displaying, on a service recipient graphical user interface at the service recipient computer, a service recipient conference display region including a service recipient display of the conference (the virtual conferencing system may display the results for each breakout group; a visual indication of the speaker queue, and a graphical representation and/or video images of participants in each breakout group) (paragraphs: 0071, 0074, 0082, 0097, fig. 14, label 1401; fig.15A - fig.15B ); displaying, on a supervisor graphical user interface at the supervisor computer, a supervisor conference display region including a supervisor display of the conference (The video/audio of the moderator may also be shared with the members of a breakout group when visiting the breakout group) (paragraphs: 0105, 0108, 0111; fig.15A - fig.15B, the supervisor/ processor is in visible in fig. 15B compare it with fig. 15A invisible); however, BADER does not disclose and providing at each respective computer, from each and only each computer having a visibility status of visible to the respective computer, an accessible real-time audio feed or a muted audio indicator; wherein displaying each respective display of the conference at each respective computer comprises displaying either real-time video feed from, or a participant indicator for, each and only each computer having a visibility status of visible to the respective computer.
In the same field of endeavor, Krishnaswamy clearly specifically discloses and providing at each respective computer, from each and only each computer having a visibility status of visible to the respective computer, an accessible real-time audio feed or a muted audio indicator (Status panel 302 may be provided to endpoints 106 by default, as a matter of user choice) (col. 6, lines 64 - col. 7, lines 1-17, and fig. 1, label 106, and fig. 3, label 302); wherein displaying each respective display of the conference at each respective computer comprises displaying either real-time video feed from, or a participant indicator for, each and only each computer having a visibility status of visible to the respective computer (Status panel 302 may include other indicators such as the presence of video/camera icon 308 and the presence of audio/microphone icon 310. For example user 306C presence indicates no camera or no operational camera icon 308B. User 306D is indicating no microphone or sound icon) (col. 6, lines 64 - col. 7, lines 1-17; and fig. 1, label 106, and fig. 3, label 302)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the teaching of Krishnaswamy into teaching of BADER for the purpose of providing visibility status and muted audio indicator to be visible to the participant.
Consider claim 16, BADER clearly shows and discloses a method for telesupervision, the method comprising: providing an audio/video conference room accessible at a service provider computer, a service recipient computer, and a supervisor computer by way of respective communication channels; with respect to the conference room: (GUI displayed to participants who are about to be placed in a breakout group. In the illustrated embodiment, the GUI includes a set of breakout group thumbnails comprising still pictures or video of the participants in the breakout group/visible, user selects participants to be visible in the breakout group only) (paragraphs: 0013, 0071, 0101, 0132, and fig. 14, label 1401 and fig. 15A setting an initial visibility of the service provider computer as visible to all, setting an initial visibility of the service recipient computer as visible to all, and setting an initial visibility at the supervisor computer as invisible to the service recipient computer, and, selectably to a user at the supervisor computer, as invisible to the service provider computer (One embodiment of the virtual conferencing system initially provides the professor/teacher or other moderator a set of recommended breakout groups, and then provides the moderator with the ability to edit the recommended groups (e.g., moving users between groups by clicking and dragging user icons via a graphical user interface, the virtual conferencing system may display the results for each breakout group; a visual indication of the speaker queue, and a graphical representation and/or video images of participants in each breakout group) (paragraphs: 0071, 0074, 0082, 0097, fig. 14, label 1401); providing a user-activatable break-in device on the graphical user interface at the supervisor computer (The video/audio of the moderator may also be shared with the members of a breakout group when visiting the breakout group) (paragraphs: 0105, 0108, 0111; fig.15A - fig.15B, the supervisor/ processor is in visible in fig. 15B compare it with fig. 15A invisible); and only in response to activation of the break-in device at the supervisor computer (the virtual conferencing system may display the results for each breakout group; a visual indication of the speaker queue, and a graphical representation and/or video images of participants in each breakout group) (paragraphs: 0071, 0074, 0082, 0097, fig. 14, label 1401; fig.15A - fig.15B); setting the visibility at the supervisor computer to visible to the service recipient computer (the virtual conferencing system may display the results for each breakout group; a visual indication of the speaker queue, and a graphical representation and/or video images of participants in each breakout group) (paragraphs: 0071, 0074, 0082, 0097, fig. 14, label 1401; fig.15A - fig.15B ); confirming the visibility of the supervisor computer as visible to the service provider computer; and updating the break-in device at the supervisor graphical user interface (The video/audio of the moderator may also be shared with the members of a breakout group when visiting the breakout group) (paragraphs: 0105, 0108, 0111; fig.15A - fig.15B, the supervisor/ processor is in visible in fig. 15B compare it with fig. 15A invisible and shows the updating); however, BADER does not disclose visibility status of visible to the respective computer.
In the same field of endeavor, Krishnaswamy clearly specifically discloses visibility status of visible to the respective computer (Status panel 302 may be provided to endpoints 106 by default, as a matter of user choice; Status panel 302 may include other indicators such as the presence of video/camera icon 308 and the presence of audio/microphone icon 310. For example user 306C presence indicates no camera or no operational camera icon 308B. User 306D is indicating no microphone or sound icon) (col. 6, lines 64 - col. 7, lines 1-17, and fig. 1, label 106, and fig. 3, label 302).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the teaching of Krishnaswamy into teaching of BADER for the purpose of providing visibility status and muted audio indicator to be visible to the participant.
Consider claim 2, BADER and Krishnaswamy clearly show the computer-implemented procedure for telesupervision, further comprising at least one of: after a visible-to-service-provider input has been provided at the supervisor computer, confirming the visibility status of the supervisor computer as visible to the service provider computer for the conference; after a break-in input is provided at the supervisor computer, changing the visibility status of the supervisor computer to visible to the service recipient computer for the conference; setting a conference control status of the service provider computer as host, and only if and after a break-in input has been provided at the supervisor computer, confirming a conference control status of the supervisor computer as host and changing the conference control status of the service provider computer to participant; or using an application programming interface (API) in implementing the procedure, with all API calls and API interfacing utilizing globally unique identifiers (globally unique IDs or GUIDs) (BADER: paragraphs: 0105, 0108, 0111; fig.15A - fig.15B).
Consider claim 5, BADER and Krishnaswamy clearly show the computer-implemented procedure for telesupervision, further comprising at least one of: after the break-in input is provided at the supervisor computer, confirming the visibility status of the supervisor computer as visible to the service provider computer for the conference; or displaying, on the supervisor graphical user interface at the supervisor computer, a break-in device activatable by a user to provide the break-in input, and after the break-in input is provided, updating the break-in device (BADER: paragraphs: 0071, 0074, 0082, 0097, fig. 14, label 1401; fig.15A, label 1502, and fig.15B).
Consider claim 8, BADER and Krishnaswamy clearly show the computer-implemented procedure for telesupervision, further comprising displaying, on the service provider graphical user interface at the service provider computer, a service provider first text chat display and entry region including a service provider display of a service text chat and displaying, on the service recipient graphical user interface at the service recipient computer, a service recipient text chat display and entry region including a service recipient display of the service text chat (BADER: paragraphs: 0071, 0074, 0082, 0122, fig. 14, label 1401; fig.15A and fig.15B).
Consider claim 9, BADER and Krishnaswamy clearly show the computer-implemented procedure for telesupervision, further comprising at least one of: displaying, on the service provider graphical user interface at the service provider computer, a service provider second text chat display and entry region including a service provider display of a training text chat and displaying, on the supervisor graphical user interface at the supervisor computer, a training text chat display and entry region including a supervisor display of the training text chat; or wherein each respective display of the training text chat comprises respective lines of text chat entries with one or more pseudonymous identifiers of a service provider and/or a supervisor (BADER: paragraphs: 0071, 0074, 0082, 0122, fig. 14, label 1401; fig.15A, label 1503 and fig.15B).
Consider claim 10, BADER and Krishnaswamy clearly show the computer-implemented procedure for telesupervision, further comprising provisioning the service text chat separately from the training text chat and using individual security tokens for each computer connected to the service text chat and for each computer connected to the training text chat (BADER: paragraphs: 0071, 0074, 0082, 0122, fig. 14, label 1401; fig.15A, label 1503 and fig.15B).
Consider claim 13, BADER and Krishnaswamy clearly show the computer-implemented procedure for telesupervision, further comprising periodically checking visibility status for each computer and updating each respective display of the conference and each respective audio feed (Krishnaswamy: col. 6, lines 64 - col. 7, lines 1-17; and fig. 1, label 106, and fig. 3, label 302).
Consider claim 14, BADER and Krishnaswamy clearly show the computer-implemented procedure for telesupervision, further comprising synchronizing the updating of each respective display of the conference and of each respective audio feed using peer-to-peer timing signals broadcast from each respective computer to each respective computer (BADER: paragraphs: 0076, 0085, 0111).
Consider claim 17, BADER and Krishnaswamy clearly show the method for telesupervision, further comprising at least one of: providing a training text chat room accessible only at the service provider computer and at the supervisor computer by way of respective communication channels; providing a service text chat room accessible at the service provider computer and at the service recipient computer by way of respective communication channels; validating a user at the service provider computer and validating a user at the service recipient computer before providing the conference room; or giving each respective computer access to audio and/or video produced at each and only each computer having a visibility status of visible to the respective computer (BADER: paragraphs: 0071, 0074, 0082, 0122, fig. 14, label 1401; fig.15A, label 1503 and fig.15B).
Consider claim 20, BADER and Krishnaswamy clearly show the method for telesupervision, further comprising giving each respective computer access to audio and/or video produced at each and only each computer having a visibility status of visible to the respective computer (Krishnaswamy: col. 6, lines 64 - col. 7, lines 1-17; and fig. 1, label 106, and fig. 3, label 302).
Consider claim 21, BADER and Krishnaswamy clearly show the method for telesupervision, wherein giving each respective computer access to audio and/or video produced at each and only each computer having the visibility status of visible to the respective computer further comprises periodically checking the visibility status of each respective computer and confirming the corresponding access at each respective computer to audio and video produced at each respective computer (Krishnaswamy: col. 6, lines 64 - col. 7, lines 1-17; and fig. 1, label 106, and fig. 3, label 302).
Consider claim 22, BADER and Krishnaswamy clearly show the method for telesupervision, further comprising setting up a client-to-client broadcast communication from each to each of the service recipient computer, the service provider computer, and the supervisor computer (BADER: paragraphs: 0071, 0074, 0082, 0122, fig. 14, label 1401; fig.15A, label 1503 and fig.15B).
Consider claim 23, BADER and Krishnaswamy clearly show the method for telesupervision, further comprising sending an instruction to one computer of the service provider, service recipient, and supervisor computers from a processor and from other computers of the of the Response to Restriction Requirement service provider, service recipient, and supervisor computers, via the broadcast link or links, wherein the one computer executes the instruction on first receipt (BADER: paragraphs: 0115 and 0178).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Amal Zenati whose telephone number is 571- 270- 1947. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00 -5:00 M-F.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ahmad Matar can be reached on 571- 272- 7488. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571- 273-8300.
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/AMAL S ZENATI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2656