Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/741,294

USER INTERFACES FOR TRACKING AND FINDING ITEMS

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Jun 12, 2024
Priority
Sep 25, 2020 — provisional 63/083,735 +5 more
Examiner
OBAYANJU, OMONIYI
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Apple Inc.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
71%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
11m
Est. Remaining
97%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 71% — above average
71%
Career Allowance Rate
437 granted / 614 resolved
+11.2% vs TC avg
Strong +26% interview lift
Without
With
+25.5%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 0m
Avg Prosecution
25 currently pending
Career history
647
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.8%
-39.2% vs TC avg
§103
84.3%
+44.3% vs TC avg
§102
12.3%
-27.7% vs TC avg
§112
1.5%
-38.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 614 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 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. Claim(s) 1-8, 11, 12, and 14-16, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao et al. (US Publication No. 20200065988) in view of Daoura et al. (US Patent No. 11043086). As to claims 1, 15, and 16, Gao teaches a method comprising: at an electronic device in communication with one or more wireless antenna, a display generation component and one or more input devices, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, and an electronic device, comprising: one or more processors; memory; and one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors (fig. 1, fig. 4, and pp0035, wireless communications), the one or more programs including instructions for: displaying, via a display generation component, a first user interface (fig. 3A); while displaying the first user interface, receiving a request, via one or more input devices, to locate [an object] (fig. 3A, fig. 3F, fig. 3P, pp0038, scanning an object to perform object detection, and pp0045); and in response to receiving the request to locate the [an object], displaying, via the display generation component, a user interface for locating the [an object] (fig. 3A, fig. 3F, fig. 3J, scanning result), including: in accordance with a determination that one or more criteria are satisfied (fig. 3A, fig. 3M, pp0046, when scanning condition is not ideal, i.e. insufficient lighting) displaying, in the user interface, a selectable option that is selectable to emit light from a lighting element of the electronic device (fig. 3A, fig. 3M, pp0046, when scanning condition is not ideal, i.e. insufficient lighting, fig. 3P, include a flashlight toggle 385 to activate (or deactivate) a flashlight); and in accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are not satisfied, forgoing displaying, in the user interface, the selectable option that is selectable to emit light from the lighting element of the electronic device (fig. 3F, fig. 3J, i.e. no flashlight (385) help needed during scanning). However, Gao fails to explicitly mention that [an object] is a remote locator object. In an analogous field of endeavor, Daoura teaches the concept of finding personal object and that [an object] is a remote locator object (fig. 12, #1216, fig. 14, fig. 5, finder device typically attachable to a personal object). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Gao with the teachings of Daoura to achieve the goal of efficiently, seamlessly, and easily finding object in a timely manner with a communication device (Daoura, col. 1, lines 46-47). As to claim 2, Gao in view of Daoura teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Gao further teaches wherein the electronic device includes one or more cameras that are used to determine a location of the electronic device relative to the [object] (fig. 1, fig. 3E, fig. 4, pp0041, scanning may be triggered based on the distance between the image sensor and the object being scanned, and pp0038). However, Gao fails to explicitly mention that [an object] is a remote locator object. In an analogous field of endeavor, Daoura teaches the concept of finding personal object and that [an object] is a remote locator object (fig. 12, #1216, fig. 14, fig. 5, finder device typically attachable to a personal object). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Gao with the teachings of Daoura to achieve the goal of efficiently, seamlessly, and easily finding object in a timely manner with a communication device (Daoura, col. 1, lines 46-47). As to claim 3, Gao in view of Daoura teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Gao further teaches wherein the lighting element of the electronic device, when emitting light, emits light onto a portion of a physical environment of the electronic device that is within a field of view of the one or more cameras (fig. 3M, fig. 3P, and pp0046, activate flashlight for providing enough light around the floor and object). As to claim 4, Gao in view of Daoura teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Gao further teaches wherein the one or more cameras are located on a first side of the electronic device, and the lighting element is located on the first side of the electronic device (fig. 3B, fig. 3E, fig. 3P, and pp0046, activate flashlight for providing enough light around the floor and object). As to claim 5, Gao in view of Daoura teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Gao further teaches wherein the lighting element is used as a flash for the one or more cameras when the electronic device is capturing media using the one or more cameras in a media capture application (fig. 3B, fig. 3E, fig. 3P, and pp0046, activate flashlight for providing enough light around the floor and object). As to claim 6, Gao in view of Daoura teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Gao further teaches wherein the user interface for locating the [an object] includes a representation of a portion of a physical environment of the electronic device that is within a field of view of the one or more cameras (fig. 3B, fig. 3E, fig. 3P, and pp0046, activate flashlight for providing enough light around the floor and object). However, Gao fails to explicitly mention that [an object] is a remote locator object. In an analogous field of endeavor, Daoura teaches the concept of finding personal object and that [an object] is a remote locator object (fig. 12, #1216, fig. 14, fig. 5, finder device typically attachable to a personal object). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Gao with the teachings of Daoura to achieve the goal of efficiently, seamlessly, and easily finding object in a timely manner with a communication device (Daoura, col. 1, lines 46-47). As to claim 7, Gao in view of Daoura teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Gao further teaches further comprising: in accordance with the determination that the one or more criteria are satisfied, displaying, in the user interface, an indication that additional light is needed to locate the [an object] (fig. 3A, fig. 3M, pp0046, when scanning condition is not ideal, i.e. insufficient lighting, fig. 3P, include a flashlight toggle 385 to activate (or deactivate) a flashlight). However, Gao fails to explicitly mention that [an object] is a remote locator object. In an analogous field of endeavor, Daoura teaches the concept of finding personal object and that [an object] is a remote locator object (fig. 12, #1216, fig. 14, fig. 5, finder device typically attachable to a personal object). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Gao with the teachings of Daoura to achieve the goal of efficiently, seamlessly, and easily finding object in a timely manner with a communication device (Daoura, col. 1, lines 46-47). As to claim 8, Gao in view of Daoura teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Gao further teaches wherein the user interface includes an indication of an identifier associated with the [an object] (fig. 3J). However, Gao fails to explicitly mention that [an object] is a remote locator object. In an analogous field of endeavor, Daoura teaches the concept of finding personal object and that [an object] is a remote locator object (fig. 12, #1216, fig. 14, fig. 5, finder device typically attachable to a personal object). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Gao with the teachings of Daoura to achieve the goal of efficiently, seamlessly, and easily finding object in a timely manner with a communication device (Daoura, col. 1, lines 46-47). As to claim 11, Gao in view of Daoura teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Gao further teaches wherein the one or more criteria include one or more of a criterion that is satisfied when a level of ambient light in a physical environment of the electronic device is less than a threshold level (fig. 3A, fig. 3M, pp0046, when scanning condition is not ideal, i.e. insufficient lighting, fig. 3P, include a flashlight toggle 385 to activate (or deactivate) a flashlight), and a criterion that is satisfied when a distance between the electronic device and the [an object] is less than a threshold distance. However, Gao fails to explicitly mention that [an object] is a remote locator object. In an analogous field of endeavor, Daoura teaches the concept of finding personal object and that [an object] is a remote locator object (fig. 12, #1216, fig. 14, fig. 5, finder device typically attachable to a personal object). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Gao with the teachings of Daoura to achieve the goal of efficiently, seamlessly, and easily finding object in a timely manner with a communication device (Daoura, col. 1, lines 46-47). As to claim 12, Gao in view of Daoura teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Gao further teaches further comprising: receiving, via the one or more input devices, selection of the selectable option to emit light from the lighting element of the electronic device; in response to receiving the selection of the selectable option: emitting light from the lighting element of the electronic device (fig. 3A, fig. 3M, pp0046, when scanning condition is not ideal, i.e. insufficient lighting, fig. 3P, include a flashlight toggle 385 to activate a flashlight); and updating the user interface to include a second selectable option that is selectable to cease emitting light from the lighting element of the electronic device (fig. 3A, fig. 3M, pp0046, when scanning condition is not ideal, i.e. insufficient lighting, fig. 3P, include a flashlight toggle 385 to deactivate a flashlight). As to claim 14, Gao in view of Daoura teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Gao further teaches wherein the first user interface is a user interface that includes information about the [an object]. (fig. 3J). However, Gao fails to explicitly mention that [an object] is a remote locator object. In an analogous field of endeavor, Daoura teaches the concept of finding personal object and that [an object] is a remote locator object (fig. 12, #1216, fig. 14, fig. 5, finder device typically attachable to a personal object). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Gao with the teachings of Daoura to achieve the goal of efficiently, seamlessly, and easily finding object in a timely manner with a communication device (Daoura, col. 1, lines 46-47). Allowable Subject Matter Claims 9, 10, and 13, are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OMONIYI OBAYANJU whose telephone number is (571)270-5885. The examiner can normally be reached M-Thur 10:30-7pm. 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, ANTHONY S ADDY can be reached at (571) 272-7795. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /OMONIYI OBAYANJU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645
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Prosecution Timeline

Jun 12, 2024
Application Filed
Jun 30, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
71%
Grant Probability
97%
With Interview (+25.5%)
3y 0m (~11m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 614 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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