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
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.
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 1-7 and 11-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20160381014 A1) in view of Embrechts et al. (US 20220179933 A1) and Yun et al. (US 20140259152 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches a method, performed by a foldable device, of executing an application, the method comprising: receiving a user input for unfolding the foldable device (Figs. 1-2, 11, S1101); In response to receiving the user input for unfolding the foldable device, identifying a user who has unfolded the foldable device (Fig. 10, S1104 and Par. 171, determine whether the user authentication has succeeded), wherein the user is identified (Fig. 10, user authentication succeeded and Par. 31); and providing an application for the foldable device based on the identified user (display a pre-set wallpaper when it is determined that the user authentication has succeeded (Par. 171), wherein applications are gathered to form the wallpaper/pre-set wallpaper as various objects (applications), such as an icon, an image, and text (Fig. 12 and Par. 154).
Kim does not expressly disclose the authentication is based on sensor values from a motion sensor of the foldable device obtained. However, this feature cannot be considered new or novel in the presence of Embrechts. Embrechts teaches using a trained machine-learning network based on motion data from a sensor to determine whether the person using the mobile device is an authenticated user and unlock the mobile device when the user is authenticated (Pars. 41, 48, 60-69).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Embrechts into Kim to effectively and efficiently identify pre-registered user.
The modified Kim does not expressly disclose the identified user is from among at least one user registered with the foldable device. However, this feature cannot be considered new or novel in the presence of Yun. Yun teaches plurality of users, wherein each user corresponding to a registered user level (Fig. 4A), wherein the identified user level is among plurality of user levels (Figs. 3-4 and Pars. 52-53). Further, Yun also teaches the identified user allow to use only applications registered corresponding the user level (Figs. 3-4 and Pars. 52-53).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Yun into the modified Kim to effectively share the device between a plurality of users.
Regarding claim 2, the modified Kim further teaches the method of claim 1, obtaining a list of applications stored in the foldable device in correspondence to the identified user; and wherein the providing of the application for the foldable device based on the identified user comprises: based on the foldable device being unfolded, displaying the obtained list of applications (See claim 1).
Regarding claim 3, the modified Kim does not specifically disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the application for the foldable device based on the identified user comprises restricting execution of some of a plurality of applications based on the identified user (when the input password identifies a level 2 user, the device displays all icons of the applications stored therein as shown in FIG. 4D, but does not enable the user to execute an application 406 registered for a user level 3 (Yun, Figs. 3-4 and Pars. 52-53)).
Regarding claim 4, the modified Kim does not specifically disclose claim 4. Yun teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a user input for displaying a plurality of contents (Yun, Figs. 3-4 and Pars. 52-53, input password identifies a level of user); determining content corresponding to the identified user among the plurality of contents (Yun, Figs. 3-4 and Pars. 52-53, allow to use only applications registered in a corresponding user level); and displaying the determined content (Yun, Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 5, the modified Kim further teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to receiving a user input for unfolding the foldable device, determining, based on the sensor values from the motion sensor of the foldable device, whether the user who has unfolded the foldable device is one of the at least one user registered with the foldable device (See rejection of claim 1); and unlocking the foldable device in response to determining that the user who has unfolded the foldable device is one of the at least one user registered with the foldable device (Fig. 10 and Pars. 171-172).
Regarding claim 6, the modified Kim further teaches the method of claim 5, further comprising: in response to receiving the user input for unfolding the foldable device, identifying a movement state of the user based on the sensor values from the motion sensor of the foldable device (See rejection of claim 1); obtaining an execution image of at least one application corresponding to the movement state of the user; and based on the foldable device being unfolded, display the obtained execution image of the at least one application along with a list of applications (See rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 7, the modified Kim further teaches the method of claim 6, wherein the movement state comprises one of a state in which the user is standing, a state in which the user is lying down, or a state in which the user is walking (Par. 41).
Regarding claim 11, apparatus of claim 11 is performed by the apparatus of method claim 1. They recite similar limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 11.
Regarding claim 12, apparatus of claim 12 is performed by the method of claim 2. They recite similar limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 2.
Regarding claim 13, apparatus of claim 13 is performed by the method of claim 3. They recite similar limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 3.
Regarding claim 14, apparatus of claim 14 is performed by the method of claim 4. They recite similar limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 4.
Regarding claims 15-16, apparatus of claims 15-16 are performed by the method of claims 5-6. They recite similar limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claims 5-6.
Regarding claim 17, apparatus of claim 17 is performed by the apparatus of claim 7. They recite similar limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 7.
Claims 8 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable Kim (US 20160381014 A1) in view of Embrechts et al. (US 20220179933 A1) and Yun et al. (US 20140259152 A1) and in further view of Ro et al. (US 20210089081 A1).
Regarding claim 8, the modified Kim does not specifically disclose claim 8.
However, the feature of claim 9 cannot be considered new or novel in the presence of Ro. Ro teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying a pose and placement of the foldable device based on sensor values from the motion sensor (Pars. 109-110); and changing a displayed application based on the identified pose and placement of the foldable device (Fig. 9).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Roe into the modified Kim to effectively change the basis of a setting corresponding to the determined account.
Regarding claim 18, apparatus of claim 18 is performed by the method of claim 8. They recite similar limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 8.
Claims 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20160381014 A1) in view of Embrechts et al. (US 20220179933 A1) and Yun et al. (US 20140259152 A1) and further in further view of Zhu et al. (US 20180041511 A1).
Regarding claim 9, the modified Kim does not specifically disclose claim 9.
However, the feature of claim 9 cannot be considered new or novel in the presence of Zhu. Zhu teaches in response to receiving the user input for unfolding the foldable device (Par. 47), determining, based on the sensor values from the motion sensor of the foldable device, whether the user who has unfolded the foldable device is a user registered with the foldable device (Fig. 5, step 520); in response to determining that the user who has unfolded the foldable device is registered with the foldable device (Fig. 5 and Par. 57, access criterion is not satisfied), an authentication information entry page asking whether to establish a short-range communication connection with a nearby device (taken back to step 510, a displayed website requesting a security token (Fig. 5 and Par. 30) to establish a connection with computing device (Fig. 5, step 530)); and in response to receiving a user input for establishing the short-range communication connection with the nearby device via the authentication information entry page, broadcasting an advertisement packet requesting the short-range communication connection to the nearby device (Fig. 5 and Pars. 58-59 & Note: establish a (such as Bluetooth) communication channel or a connection, as taught here is very well-known in wireless communication, including broadcasting an advertisement packet requesting the short-range communication connection (for evidence see cited prior art)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Zhu into the modified Kim to effectively providing service.
Regarding claim 10, the modified Kim further teaches the method of claim 9, wherein the identifying of the user who has unfolded the foldable device among the at least one user registered with the foldable device comprises: calculating motion feature values of the foldable device based on the sensor values from the motion sensor in response to the foldable device being unfolded (Embrechts, Pars. 41, 48, 60-69, analyze the motion data); and identifying the user, who is output by a pre-trained artificial intelligence (AI) model by inputting the calculated motion features as input values to the pre-trained AI model, as being the user who has unfolded the foldable device (using a trained machine-learning network based on motion data from a sensor to determine whether the person using the mobile device is an authenticated user and unlock the mobile device when the user is authenticated (Embrechts, Pars. 41, 48, 60-69)).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1 and 11 have been considered but are moot in view of new ground(s) of rejection.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Seo et al. US 20190268771 A1 (Fig. 17).
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 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 concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CINDY HUYEN TRANDAI whose telephone number is (571)270-1914. The examiner can normally be reached 8am -4:30pm.
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.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Wesley L. Kim can be reached at 571-272-7867. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Cindy Trandai/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648 9/4/2026
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