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 .
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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim amendments to introduce multiple “layers” within the device operating system have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. The previous claim language instead met only required a single “layer” which was met by the overall software operating system of Sanders.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 1-19 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1, line 10, recites “obtaining, by a first application at the application layer of the first electronic device” which renders the claim indefinite as it is unclear if this is meant to reference an application of the “plurality of application” of line 7, or a different application.
Claim 2, line 4, recites “obtaining, by a second application at the application layer of the first electronic device” which renders the claim indefinite as it is unclear if this is meant to reference an application of the “plurality of application” of line 7, or a different application.
Claim 19, line 13, recites “obtaining, by a first application at the application layer of the first electronic device” which renders the claim indefinite as it is unclear if this is meant to reference an application of the “plurality of application” of line 10, or a different application.
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.
Claims 1-14, 16-17, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sanders et al. (Sanders) (US 2013/0047084) (of record) in view of Pu et al. (Pu) (US 2016/0366272).
As to claim 1, Sanders discloses a content management method, applied to a first electronic device (102; paragraph 36-37), the method comprises:
obtaining and storing (paragraph 37, 39-42), by a first service in an operating system of the first electronic device (Fig. 2, 228; communication module providing all communications between the devices; paragraph 60, 62, 90, 120), first information and second information, wherein the first information identifies first media content stored in the first electronic device, and the second information identifies second media content stored in a second electronic device (library synchronizations updating media libraries with metadata of content at each device; paragraph 37, 39-42, 76-80, 139-142), and wherein the first information and the second information are accessible by a plurality of applications (different applications for displaying and playing different media; Fig. 6A-E; paragraph 60, 66-72, 86) through the first service (Fig. 2, 228; communication module providing all communications between the devices; paragraph 60, 62, 90, 120),
obtaining, by a first application of the first electronic device, the first information and the second information from the first service (media management application; paragraph 37, 73, 144-147); and
displaying, by the first application, the first information and the second information (see Fig. 6A; paragraph 37, 73, 144-151),
Sanders fails to specifically disclose a plurality of applications at an application layer of the first electronic device accessing a first service at an application framework layer.
In an analogous art, Pu discloses an electronic device (Fig. 1, 4; paragraph 27, 30-33) including a plurality of applications at an application layer of the electronic device accessing a first service at an application framework layer in an operating system of the electronic device (operating system, 103, including plurality software applications in an application layer, which access the services of the application framework layer; Fig. 5, paragraph 34-38) so as to facilitate users to conveniently develop and use any application without understanding and changing the underlying system through APIs to access services of the operating system (paragraph 36-37).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sanders’s system to include a plurality of applications at an application layer of the first electronic device accessing a first service at an application framework layer, as taught in combination with Pu, for the benefit of facilitating users to conveniently develop and use any application without understanding and changing the underlying system through APIs to access services of the operating system (paragraph 36-37).
As to claim 2, Sanders and Pu disclose wherein after the obtaining and storing, by the first service, the first information and the second information, the method further comprises:
obtaining, by a second application at the application layer of the first electronic device, the first information and the second information from the first service (different applications for displaying and playing different media; see Sanders at Fig. 6A-E; paragraph 60, 66-72, 86); and
displaying, by the second application, the first information and the second information (see Sanders at Fig. 6A-E; paragraph 142-148).
As to claim 3, Sanders and Pu disclose wherein the obtaining, by the first application, the first information and the second information from the first service comprises:
obtaining, by the first application, the first information and the second information from the first service by using a first interface provided by the first service (see Sanders at paragraph 60, 62, 90, 120).
As to claim 4, Sanders and Pu disclose wherein the obtaining and storing, by the first service, the first information and the second information comprises:
obtaining and storing, by the first service, first metadata corresponding to the first media content and second metadata corresponding to the second media content, wherein the first metadata comprises the first information and the second metadata comprises the second information (library synchronizations updating media libraries with metadata of content at each device; see Sanders at paragraph 37, 39-42, 76-80, 139-142).
As to claim 5, Sanders and Pu disclose wherein the obtaining and storing, by the first service, the second metadata comprises:
performing, by the first service, a downlink synchronization process (see Sanders at paragraph 37-42, 139-142), wherein the downlink synchronization process comprises:
indicating, by the first service, the second electronic device to send downlink synchronization information to the first service (see Sanders at paragraph 194);
receiving, by the first service from the second electronic device, the downlink synchronization information that comprises the second metadata and first indication information, wherein the first indication information indicates that the second metadata is metadata corresponding to created media content in the second electronic device (see Sanders at paragraph 36-42, 139-142),
determining, by the first service based on the first indication information, to store the second metadata (see Sanders at paragraph 36-42, 139-142, 208-217), and
storing, by the first service based on the first indication information, the second metadata (updated local library synchronized with content available at other devices; see Sanders at paragraph 36-42, 139-142, 208-217).
As to claim 6, Sanders and Pu disclose wherein before the obtaining and storing, by the first service, the second metadata, the method further comprises:
obtaining and storing, by the first service, third metadata corresponding to third media content stored in the second electronic device (periodic updated local library synchronized with content available at other devices; see Sanders at paragraph 36-42, 139-142, 208-217); and
wherein the obtaining and storing, by the first service, the second metadata comprises:
performing, by the first service, a downlink synchronization process (see Sanders at paragraph 37-42, 139-142), wherein the downlink synchronization process comprises:
indicating, by the first service, the second electronic device to send downlink synchronization information to the first service (see Sanders at paragraph 194);
receiving, by the first service from the second electronic device, the downlink synchronization information that comprises the second metadata and second indication information, wherein the second indication information indicates that the second metadata is obtained after the third metadata is modified, and the second media content is the third media content or modified third media content (see Sanders at paragraph 36-42, 139-142),
determining, by the first service based on the first indication information, to store the second metadata (see Sanders at paragraph 36-42, 139-142, 208-217), and
updating, by the first service based on the second indication information, the third metadata to the second metadata (updated local library synchronized with content available at other devices; see Sanders at paragraph 36-42, 139-142, 208-217).
As to claim 7, Sanders and Pu disclose wherein after the obtaining and storing, by the first service, the second metadata, the method further comprises:
performing, by the first service, a downlink synchronization process (see Sanders at paragraph 37-42, 139-142), wherein the downlink synchronization process comprises:
indicating, by the first service, the second electronic device to send downlink synchronization information to the first service (see Sanders at paragraph 194);
receiving, by the first service from the second electronic device, the downlink synchronization information that comprises third indication information, wherein the third indication information indicates that the second metadata is metadata corresponding to deleted media content in the second electronic device (see Sanders at paragraph 187, 193-198, 36-42, 139-142, 217-218); and
deleting, by the first service based on the third indication information, the stored second metadata (updated local library synchronized with content available or no longer available at other devices; see Sanders at paragraph 36-42, 139-142, 208-217).
As to claim 8, Sanders and Pu disclose wherein after the displaying, by the first application, the first information and the second information, the method further comprises:
sending, by the first application to the first service when determining to delete the second metadata, fourth indication information indicating to delete the second metadata (see Sanders at paragraph 187, 193-198, 36-42, 139-142, 217-218); and
deleting, by the first service, the second metadata in response to the received fourth indication information (see Sanders at paragraph 36-42, 139-142, 208-217).
As to claim 9, Sanders and Pu disclose wherein after the obtaining, by the first application, the first information and the second information from the first service, the method further comprises:
indicating, by the first application, the first service to obtain the second media content identified by the second information (indication to download media item; see Sanders at Fig. 6A-C; paragraph 149-151, 155, 157);
obtaining, by the first service, the second media content from the second electronic device (see Sanders at paragraph 149-151, 155, 157); and
storing, by the first service, the second media content (see Sanders at paragraph 149-151, 155, 157).
As to claim 10, Sanders and Pu disclose wherein after the obtaining, by the first service, the second media content from the second electronic device, and storing the second media content, the method further comprises:
obtaining, by the first application, the second media content from the first service (see Sanders at paragraph 149-151, 155, 157, 169);
modifying, by the first application, the second media content to seventh media content (remotely stored content is downloaded and now locally stored content; see Sanders at paragraph 144-151, 155, 157);
indicating, by the first application, the first service to update the second media content to the seventh media content and update the second metadata to fourth metadata (see Sanders at paragraph 144-151, 155, 157);
wherein the fourth metadata is metadata corresponding to the seventh content (see Sanders at paragraph 144-151, 155, 157); and
updating, by the first service, the second media content to the seventh media content, and updating the second metadata to the fourth metadata (see Sanders at paragraph 144-151, 155, 157).
As to claim 11, Sanders and Pu disclose wherein after the updating, by the first service, the second media content to the seventh media content, and updating the second metadata to the fourth metadata, the method further comprises:
performing, by the first service, an uplink synchronization process (see Sanders at paragraph 187, 193-198, 36-42, 139-142, 217-218), wherein the uplink synchronization process comprises:
sending, by the first service, the seventh media content, the fourth metadata, and fifth indication information to the second electronic device, wherein the fifth indication information indicates to update the stored second media content to the seventh media content, and update the stored second metadata to the fourth metadata (synchronized library indicating new locally stored content; see Sanders at paragraph 187, 193-198, 36-42, 139-142, 217-218).
As to claim 12, Sanders and Pu disclose wherein after the obtaining, by the first service, the second media content from the second electronic device, and storing the second media content, the method further comprises:
sending, by the first application to the first service when determining to delete the second media content and the second metadata, sixth indication information indicating to delete the second media content and the second metadata (see Sanders at paragraph 80, 114, 151, 187, 193-196); and
deleting, by the first service, the stored second media content and the stored second metadata in response to the received sixth indication information (see Sanders at paragraph 80, 114, 151, 187, 193-196).
As to claim 13, Sanders and Pu disclose wherein the method further comprises:
performing, by the first service, an uplink synchronization process (see Sanders at paragraph 187, 193-198, 36-42, 139-142, 217-218), wherein the uplink synchronization process comprises:
sending, by the first service to the second electronic device, seventh indication information indicating to delete the stored second media content and the stored second metadata (see Sanders at paragraph 80, 114, 151, 187, 193-196).
As to claim 14, Sanders and Pu disclose wherein the performing, by the first service, the uplink synchronization process comprises:
performing, by the first service, the uplink synchronization process when determining that a start time of a second period arrives (see Sanders at paragraph 194);
performing, by the first service, the uplink synchronization process when determining that the second media content stored in the first electronic device is modified (see Sanders at paragraph 140-141, 194); or
performing, by the first service, the uplink synchronization process when determining that the second metadata stored in the first electronic device is deleted (see Sanders at paragraph 194).
As to claim 16, Sanders and Pu disclose wherein after the obtaining, by the first application, the first information and the second information from the first service, the method further comprises:
determining, by the first application, to obtain the second media content (user selection of remote media item to download; see Sanders at Fig. 6A-C; paragraph 149-151, 155, 157);
sending, by the first application, a content obtaining request to the first service (indication to download media item; see Sanders at Fig. 6A-C; paragraph 149-151, 155, 157), wherein the content obtaining request is used to request to obtain the second media content;
requesting, by the first service in response to the received content obtaining request, to obtain the second media content from the second electronic device (see Sanders at paragraph 149-151, 155, 157);
receiving, by the first service, the second media content from the second electronic device, and sending the second media content to the first application (see Sanders at paragraph 149-151, 155, 157); and
displaying, by the first application, the second media content after receiving the second media content (selected item downloaded and output for playback to user; see Sanders at Fig. 6A-C; paragraph 149-159).
As to claim 17, Sanders and Pu disclose wherein the first media content and the second media content are images or videos (see Sanders at paragraph 73-74, 76, 109, 144, 183), and the first information and the second information are thumbnails (see Sanders at Fig. 6A-B, D; paragraph 144-155).
As to claim 19, Sanders discloses an electronic device (102; paragraph 36-37), comprising:
one or more processors (Fig. 2, 220; paragraph 43-45); and
a non-transitory computer readable medium which contains computer-executable instructions (202, paragraph 43-45, 60-61) that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform operations comprising:
obtaining and storing (paragraph 37, 39-42), by a first service in an operating system of the electronic device (Fig. 2, 228; communication module providing all communications between the devices; paragraph 60, 62, 90, 120), first information and second information, wherein the first information identifies first media content stored in the first electronic device, and the second information identifies second media content stored in a second electronic device (library synchronizations updating media libraries with metadata of content at each device; paragraph 37, 39-42, 76-80, 139-142), and wherein the first information and the second information are accessible by a plurality of applications (different applications for displaying and playing different media; Fig. 6A-E; paragraph 60, 66-72, 86) through the first service (Fig. 2, 228; communication module providing all communications between the devices; paragraph 60, 62, 90, 120),
obtaining, by a first application in the electronic device, the first information and the second information from the first service (media management application; paragraph 37, 73, 144-147); and
displaying, by the first application, the first information and the second information (see Fig. 6A; paragraph 37, 73, 144-151).
Sanders fails to specifically disclose a plurality of applications at an application layer of the first electronic device accessing a first service at an application framework layer.
In an analogous art, Pu discloses an electronic device (Fig. 1, 4; paragraph 27, 30-33) including a plurality of applications at an application layer of the electronic device accessing a first service at an application framework layer in an operating system of the electronic device (operating system, 103, including plurality software applications in an application layer, which access the services of the application framework layer; Fig. 5, paragraph 34-38) so as to facilitate users to conveniently develop and use any application without understanding and changing the underlying system through APIs to access services of the operating system (paragraph 36-37).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sanders’s system to include a plurality of applications at an application layer of the first electronic device accessing a first service at an application framework layer, as taught in combination with Pu, for the benefit of facilitating users to conveniently develop and use any application without understanding and changing the underlying system through APIs to access services of the operating system (paragraph 36-37).
Claims 15 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sanders and Pu and further in view of Albouze (US 2011/0313972) (of record).
As to claim 15, while Sander and Pu discloses wherein the first electronic device is in a state in which a first user account is logged in (see Sanders at paragraph 38-39),
they fail to specifically disclose wherein before the performing, by the first service, the uplink synchronization process, the method further comprises:
sending, by the first service, a synchronization lock obtaining request to the second electronic device, wherein the synchronization lock obtaining request is used to request to obtain a synchronization lock, the synchronization lock indicates to allow the first electronic device to perform the uplink synchronization process, and prohibit a target electronic device from performing the uplink synchronization process, and the target electronic device is an electronic device that logs in to the first user account other than the first electronic device; and
receiving, by the first service, synchronization lock indication information from the second electronic device, wherein the synchronization lock indication information indicates the synchronization lock; and
wherein after the performing, by the first service, the uplink synchronization process, the method further comprises:
sending, by the first service, a synchronization lock canceling request to the second electronic device, wherein the synchronization lock canceling request is used to request to cancel the synchronization lock.
In an analogous art, Albouze discloses a system for synchronizing a media library between a plurality of devices (Fig. 1-2; paragraph 47-49, 95-97) wherein a first electronic device will send a synchronization lock obtaining request to a second electronic device, wherein the synchronization lock obtaining request is used to request to obtain a synchronization lock (lock order to lock down other devices from editing the sync files; paragraph 64-69, 71-76, 111-112, 120-121), the synchronization lock indicates to allow the first electronic device to perform an uplink synchronization process, and prohibit a target electronic device from performing the uplink synchronization process (lock order to lock down other devices from editing the sync files until the changes are complete and the lock is released; paragraph 64-69, 71-76, 111-112, 120-121), and the target electronic device is an electronic device that logs in to the first user account other than the first electronic device (devices registered to the same account and library; paragraph 54-59), and receiving synchronization lock indication information from the second electronic device, wherein the synchronization lock indication information indicates the synchronization lock (paragraph 64-69, 71-76, 111-112, 120-121), and wherein after the performing the uplink synchronization process, sending a synchronization lock canceling request to the second electronic device, wherein the synchronization lock canceling request is used to request to cancel the synchronization lock (lock release order releasing the lock and allowing other devices to access the sync files; paragraph 64-69, 71-76, 111-112, 120-121) so as to avoid conflicts between changes to media files by preventing other devices from editing the sync file while it is already being accessed (paragraph 37, 64).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sanders and Pu’s system to include wherein before the performing, by the first service, the uplink synchronization process, the method further comprises:
sending, by the first service, a synchronization lock obtaining request to the second electronic device, wherein the synchronization lock obtaining request is used to request to obtain a synchronization lock, the synchronization lock indicates to allow the first electronic device to perform the uplink synchronization process, and prohibit a target electronic device from performing the uplink synchronization process, and the target electronic device is an electronic device that logs in to the first user account other than the first electronic device; and
receiving, by the first service, synchronization lock indication information from the second electronic device, wherein the synchronization lock indication information indicates the synchronization lock; and
wherein after the performing, by the first service, the uplink synchronization process, the method further comprises:
sending, by the first service, a synchronization lock canceling request to the second electronic device, wherein the synchronization lock canceling request is used to request to cancel the synchronization lock, as taught in combination with Albouze, for the benefit of avoiding conflicts between changes to media files by preventing other devices from editing the sync file while it is already being accessed.
As to claim 18, while Sanders and Pu disclose wherein the second electronic device is a remote server with remote storage (see Sanders at Fig. 1), they fail to specifically disclose a home storage device.
In an analogous art, Albouze discloses a system for synchronizing a media library between a plurality of devices (Fig. 1-2; paragraph 47-49, 95-97) wherein client devices will communicate with a host system (102, 202) to synchronizing a media library between the client device and the host system (media file library, 108; paragraph 49-51, 95-102), comprising a home storage device (server or computer within a home storing the media library; Fig. 2, paragraph 48-49, 95-96) so as to allow the local management and control of a user’s media library without the need for specialized server software (paragraph 37).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sanders and Pu’s system to include a home storage device, as taught in combination with Albouze, for the benefit of allowing the local management and control of a user’s media library without the need for specialized server software.
Conclusion
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 James R Sheleheda whose telephone number is (571)272-7357. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am-5 pm CST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Benjamin Bruckart can be reached at (571) 272-3982. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/James R Sheleheda/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2424