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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 6/13/2024, 9/4/2024, & 12/22/2025 was filed before the first office action. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 8/7/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Firstly, the examiner has added a 103 rejection to address claim 11, which is not deemed to be allowable.
Second, in regards to the amendments to the independent claims, the examiner is continuing to rely on Ginetti who does teach wherein the UNDO process is an instruction code necessary to return the post-update display content to the pre-update display content, the instruction coded is generated based on the pre-update display content and the post-update display content, and the instruction code is directly executable, without reference to another instruction code, to return the post-update display content to the pre-update display content, in that Ginetti teaches a database which stores the many instruction codes representing previous versions of displayed content, that can be recalled and re-displayed based on Undo/redo commands. See rejection below.
Claim Rejection Notes
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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-10, and 12-14, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Ginetti (US 20120047434 A1, published: 2/23/2012).
Claim 1: Ginetti teaches a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed, cause a computer to execute:
first receiving including receiving an input operation for updating a display content on a display unit (at block 620, upon selection of an edit from the edit stack, the selected edit may be highlighted [Ginetti, 0033, FIG. 6]); first storing including storing the display content into a storage unit as a current display content that is a post-update content, the display content having been updated in response to the input operation received in the first receiving (the edit list 130 displayed in the undo assistant 120 may be based on an edit stack that stores edit information as edits are performed. An edit may be included in the edit list 130 if it is available for undo. Edits are available for undo if they are in the edit stack [Ginetti, 0020]);
first determining including determining an UNDO process necessary to return the current display content to a pre-update display content being the display content before update (If, at decision block 630, the selected edit is to be undone or redone, the edit at the top of the edit stack may be undone or redone at block 640 [Ginetti, 0033, FIG. 6]); and
second storing including storing the UNDO process determined in the first determining into the storage unit as history information, in association with an operating order indicating an ordinal number of the input operation received in the first receiving (edit list 130 may contain multiple edits. As shown in FIG. 1, edit list 130 shows edits A-E. In this example, edit A may correspond to creating rectangle 131, edit B to creating rectangle 132, edit C to creating circle 133, edit D to deleting rectangle 131 and edit E to creating rectangle 134. Then the edit list 130 may display the edits as: (E) create rectangle, (D) delete rectangle, (C) create circle, (B) create rectangle, (A) create rectangle [Ginetti, 0019]. The edit list 130 displayed in the undo assistant 120 may be based on an edit stack that stores edit information as edits are performed. An edit may be included in the edit list 130 if it is available for undo. Edits are available for undo if they are in the edit stack [Ginetti, 0020, Fig. 1]; Examiner's Note: as illustrated in FIG. 1, there are an ordinal number of input operations represented in the Edit List 130. Each stores a single edit/UNDO/REDO operation in accordance with its history. 5 shown in FIG. 1),
wherein the UNDO process is an instruction code necessary to return the post-update display content to the pre-update display content, the instruction coded is generated based on the pre-update display content and the post-update display content, and the instruction code is directly executable, without reference to another instruction code, to return the post-update display content to the pre-update display content (FIG. 2A is a diagram of one embodiment of an edit stack including edits available for undo. As a user edits a document, new edits are added to the undo edit stack 210 of FIG. 2A so that the most recent edit is at the top of the edit stack. Edits may be stored in any manner known in the art. For example, the edits may be entered into a database or otherwise stored in computer memory. When the stack reaches its capacity (i.e. the number of stored edits equals the limit on the total number of edits that can be saved in the stack), the edits at the bottom of the stack, i.e. the oldest edits, may be dropped from the stack [Ginetti, 0021]; Examiner's Note: wherein edits representing data that can be used to undo or redo, are all states/instructions stored in a database that can be called upon to restore previously displayed states).
Claims 13 and 14, sharing similar elements to claim 1, are likewise rejected.
Claim 2: Ginetti teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1. Ginetti further teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to further execute: first displaying including displaying the current display content on the display unit; second receiving including receiving an UNDO operation for returning the current display content having been displayed in the first displaying to the pre-update display content; undoing in response to receiving the UNDO operation in the second receiving, the undoing including executing the UNDO process selected in an order reverse to the operating order by referring to the history information stored in the storage unit, to display the pre-update display content as a replacement for the current display content; and third storing to store including storing the pre-update display content as the current display content (the edit list 130 displayed in the undo assistant 120 may be based on an edit stack that stores edit information as edits are performed. An edit may be included in the edit list 130 if it is available for undo. Edits are available for undo if they are in the edit stack [Ginetti, 0020]).
Claim 3: Ginetti teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1. Ginetti further teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to further execute: first identifying including identifying the input operation based on the UNDO process by referring to the history information stored in the storage unit in the second storing, the input operation having been received in the first receiving; and second displaying including displaying the input operation identified in the first identifying on the display unit in the operating order (FIG. 6 [Ginetti, 0033, FIG. 6]).
Claim 4: Ginetti teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3. Ginetti further teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to further execute: selecting including selecting the input operation displayed on the display unit in the second displaying; first deleting including deleting the input operation selected in the selecting step from the history information; second determining including determining the UNDO process necessary to return the display content updated in response to the input operation selected in the selecting step, to the pre-update display content; and second deleting including deleting the UNDO process determined in the second determining from the history information stored in the storage unit (an edit may be adding or removing text, creating, deleting or moving a design element or an object, or adjusting the formatting of an object or of the document itself [Ginetti, 0016]. Edit list 130 may contain multiple edits. As shown in FIG. 1, edit list 130 shows edits A-E. In this example, edit A may correspond to creating rectangle 131, edit B to creating rectangle 132, edit C to creating circle 133, edit D to deleting rectangle 131 and edit E to creating rectangle 134. Then the edit list 130 may display the edits as: (E) create rectangle, (D) delete rectangle, (C) create circle, (B) create rectangle, (A) create rectangle [Ginetti, 0019]).
Claim 5: Ginetti teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1. Ginetti further teaches wherein the second storing including storing the UNDO process determined in the first determining into the storage unit as the history information in association with identification information and the operating order, the identification information being for identifying a display device that has received the input operation in the first receiving (the field of document editing, and more specifically to efficiently displaying the recent edit history of a document [Ginetti, 0001]. The undo edit stack 210 and redo edit stack 220 may be stored as separate stacks or they may be combined, as in FIG. 2C… [Ginetti, 0023]. The entry information may include the type of the edit, the object that was edited, the time of the edit, and the ID of the user that made the edit [Ginetti, 0024]).
Claim 6: Ginetti teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2. Ginetti further teaches wherein the second storing including storing the UNDO process determined in the first determining into the storage unit as the history information in association with identification information and the operating order, the identification information being for identifying a display device that has received the input operation in the first receiving, and the undoing including, in a case where the identification information associated with the UNDO process selected in the order reverse to the operating order matches the identification information for identifying the display unit that has received the UNDO operation in the second receiving as a result of referring to the history information stored in the storage unit, executing the selected UNDO process to display the pre-update display content as replacement for the current display content (the current edits may be displayed such that a single edit may be selected from the list and the corresponding element in the document may be identified, for example, by highlighting to distinguish the selected edit from the other edits in the list [Ginetti, 0014]. The identification of an element may reflect the type of edit, for example, by color coding the type of edit, or may otherwise demonstrate the change effectuated by the edit. Multiple edits may be selected and temporarily highlighted or otherwise identified in temporal order to demonstrate the effect of multiple edits on the elements of the document [Ginetti, 0015]. The entry information may include the type of the edit, the object that was edited, the time of the edit, and the ID of the user that made the edit [Ginetti, 0024]).
Claim 7: Ginetti teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2. Ginetti further teaches wherein the second storing including storing the UNDO process determined in the first determining into the storage unit as the history information in association with identification information and the operating order, the identification information being for identifying a display device that has received the input operation in the first receiving, and the undoing including, in a case where the identification information of the display device that has received the UNDO operation in the second receiving satisfies a certain condition, executing the UNDO process selected in the order reverse to the operating order by referring to the history information stored in the storage unit, to display the pre-update display content on the display unit as replacement for the current display content (edit list 130 may contain multiple edits. As shown in FIG. 1, edit list 130 shows edits A-E. In this example, edit A may correspond to creating rectangle 131, edit B to creating rectangle 132, edit C to creating circle 133, edit D to deleting rectangle 131 and edit E to creating rectangle 134. Then the edit list 130 may display the edits as: (E) create rectangle, (D) delete rectangle, (C) create circle, (B) create rectangle, (A) create rectangle [Ginetti, 0019]. The entry information may include the type of the edit, the object that was edited, the time of the edit, and the ID of the user that made the edit [Ginetti, 0024]).
Claim 8: Ginetti teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3. Ginetti further teaches wherein the second storing including storing the UNDO process determined in the first determining into the storage unit as the history information in association with identification information and the operating order, the identification information being for identifying a display device that has received the input operation in the first receiving, and the second displaying including displaying the input operation identified in the first identifying and the identification information associated with the UNDO process on the display unit in the operating order (edit list 130 may contain multiple edits. As shown in FIG. 1, edit list 130 shows edits A-E. In this example, edit A may correspond to creating rectangle 131, edit B to creating rectangle 132, edit C to creating circle 133, edit D to deleting rectangle 131 and edit E to creating rectangle 134. Then the edit list 130 may display the edits as: (E) create rectangle, (D) delete rectangle, (C) create circle, (B) create rectangle, (A) create rectangle [Ginetti, 0019]. The entry information may include the type of the edit, the object that was edited, the time of the edit, and the ID of the user that made the edit [Ginetti, 0024]).
Claim 9: Ginetti teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8. Ginetti further teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to further execute: third receiving including receiving a selecting operation from the display device, the selecting operation being for selecting the input operation displayed on the display unit in the second displaying, first deleting including deleting the input operation selected by the selecting operating received in the third receiving in a case where the identification information for identifying the display device that has received the selecting operation in the third receiving matches the identification information associated with the input operation selected by the selecting operation, second determining including determining the UNDO process necessary to return the display content updated in response to the input operation selected by the selecting operation received in the third receiving, to the pre-update display content, and second deleting including deleting the UNDO process determined in the second determining from the history information stored in the storage unit (the entry information may include the type of the edit, the object that was edited, the time of the edit, and the ID of the user that made the edit [Ginetti, 0024]. As shown in FIG. 4, edit A remains available for undo in the undo edit list 430, and edits B-E are available for redo in the redo edit list 440. As previously described, edit A may correspond to creating rectangle 431, edit B to creating rectangle 432, edit C to creating circle 433, edit D to deleting rectangle 431 and edit E to creating rectangle 434. Then the redo edit list 440 may display the available edits as follows: (B) create rectangle, (C) create circle, (D) delete rectangle, (E) create rectangle [Ginetti, 0030]; [Ginetti, FIG. 2]).
Claim 10: Ginetti teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1. Ginetti further teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to further execute: fourth storing including storing the input operation received in the first receiving into the storage unit during a first period, wherein the first determining including determining the UNDO process based on the input operation stored in the storage unit in the fourth storing (the edit list 130 displayed in the undo assistant 120 may be based on an edit stack that stores edit information as edits are performed. An edit may be included in the edit list 130 if it is available for undo. Edits are available for undo if they are in the edit stack [Ginetti, 0020]).
Claim 12: Ginetti teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10. Ginetti further teaches wherein the first receiving including receiving, as the input operation, one of an operation for display a new image on the display unit, an operation for changing the image displayed on the display unit to another image, and an operation for deleting the image displayed on the display unit (When an edit is selected from the edit list 130, the corresponding element in document 110 may be highlighted or otherwise identified to distinguish the selected edit from any similarly named edits in the list. An element may be identified by highlighting, by a change in the color of the element, a change in color of the lines or background of an element with a bright or otherwise noticeable color, or by other changes in appearance of the element relative to the other elements, or to the rest of the display [Ginetti, 0026]).
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) 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ginetti (US 20120047434 A1, published: 2/23/2012), in view of Galant et al. (US 20180132006 A1, published: 5/10/2018).
Claim 11: Ginetti teaches the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10. Ginetti does not teach wherein the first period includes a start timing and an end timing, the start timing being a timing at which a period in which no input operation is received in the first receiving has elapsed for a second period or a timing at which a saving operation for saving the display content on the display unit is detected, the end timing being a timing at which a period in which no input operation is received in the first receiving after the start timing has elapsed for the second period, or a timing at which the saving operation is received after the start timing.
However, Galant teaches wherein the first period includes a start timing and an end timing, the start timing being a timing at which a period in which no input operation is received in the first receiving has elapsed for a second period or a timing at which a saving operation for saving the display content on the display unit is detected, the end timing being a timing at which a period in which no input operation is received in the first receiving after the start timing has elapsed for the second period, or a timing at which the saving operation is received after the start timing (this undo function is used in the current editing session, or in a later session, or even by the viewer that has received the shared version of the movie. The edited start and end times and/or inclusion/exclusion settings are recorded for the undo in the MHL data structure or file [Galant, 0184]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the edit/undo storage invention of Ginetti to include the start and end timing features of Galant.
One would have been motivated to make this modification to keep track of the exact time for each edit history to improve said history's accuracy.
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 concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SETH A SILVERMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-9783. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thur, 8AM-4PM MST.
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, Adam Queler can be reached at (571)272-4140. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Seth A Silverman/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2172
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