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 .
Response to Arguments
Examiner has carefully considered Applicant’s Remarks dated August 13, 2025.
The objection to the specification is overcome as a result of the title of the invention having been amended to be more descriptive.
The rejection of claims 1-19 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) is overcome as a result of independent claims 1, 2, 18, and 19 having been amended to correct the issue of indefiniteness.
Claim Objections
Claim 3 is objected to because of the following informalities: “the processor displays, in the display control processing, the thumbnail images in the second display area. There appears to be a miswording regarding displaying “in the display control processing”. Appropriate correction is required.
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 7-9, 12, and 14-17 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 7 recites "when displaying the windows in the first display mode, respectively, in the first display area and the one or more second display areas in the display control processing”. This recitation is unclear since claim 1, from which claim 7 depends, recites “a first display mode in which display is controlled using an entire screen area of the display as one display area”. Therefore, how can there be multiple display areas in the first display mode in claim 7?
Since claims 8 and 9 depend on claim 7, claims 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as well.
Claim 12 recites "when any one of thumbnail images displayed in any one of the multiple second display areas is selected in the display control processing, the processor displays the window corresponding to the selected thumbnail image in the second display area in which the thumbnail images were displayed, and displays the unselected thumbnail images in any other second display area according to the area priority”. Firstly, is a thumbnail image displayed in a second display area before the corresponding window is displayed in the same second display area? If so, is the thumbnail image not the window?
Secondly, it is unclear what an “unselected thumbnail image” is since the “unselected thumbnail image” is still displayed in a second display area.
Claim 14 recites "a window minimized upon switching from the first display mode to the second display mode is not included in the number of windows in the first display mode”. If the window was not minimized in the first display mode, does that mean that the window was displayed in the first display mode? And yet that window is “not included in the number of windows in the first display mode”.
Claims 15 and 16 recite “wherein when an operation to drag the one window in the first display mode is performed”. This recitation is unclear since claim 1, from which claims 15 and 16 depend, recites “when switching from the first display mode to the second display mode by the display mode switching processing, the processor displays, in a first display area among the multiple display areas, one window among windows of applications running in the first display mode”. Therefore, isn’t it in the second display mode that “the one window” is designated?
Since claim 17 depends on claim 15, claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as well.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-6, 10, 11, 13, 18, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ito (US 2022/0129037 A1).
Instant Claim 1: An information processing apparatus comprising: a display; (“An information processing device that controls a display in two or more display areas,” (Ito, abstract) The information processing device of Ito corresponds to the information processing apparatus of the claim.)
a memory which stores a program of an application; and a processor which executes the program of the application stored in the memory to perform control to display a window of the application on the display, (“In the RAM 12 (fig 6), programs and data for processing executed by the control unit 18 are expanded, and various data are saved or deleted as appropriate.” (Ito, paragraph 76) The RAM 12 and control unit 18 of Ito correspond to the memory and processor of the claim, respectively.)
wherein the processor performs display mode switching processing to control switching between a first display mode in which display is controlled using an entire screen area of the display as one display area, and a second display mode in which display is controlled by splitting the screen area of the display into multiple display areas, (“The information processing device includes: a display mode switching unit that switches between: a first display mode in which the display areas are controlled as one combined display area, and a second display mode in which the display is controlled as two display areas of at least the first display area and the second display area;” (Ito, abstract))
and display control processing in which, when switching from the first display mode to the second display mode by the display mode switching processing, the processor displays, in a first display area among the multiple display areas, one window among windows of applications running in the first display mode, (“wherein in response to switching from the first display mode to the second display mode, the display control unit displays, in the first display area, the active window in the first display mode,“ (Ito, paragraph 16))
and displays, in a second display area except the first display area among the multiple display areas, thumbnail images corresponding to windows except the one window among the windows in the first display mode based on the number of display areas in the second display mode. (“In the above information processing device, when there are plural inactive windows, the display control unit may display thumbnail images respectively corresponding to the plural inactive windows side by side in the second display area.” (Ito, paragraph 10) In the second display mode, Ito may display all inactive windows in the second display area – creating as many display areas in the second display area as needed.)
Instant Claim 2: An information processing apparatus comprising: a display; a memory which stores a program of an application; and a processor which executes the program of the application stored in the memory to perform control to display a window of the application on the display, wherein the processor performs display mode switching processing to control switching between a first display mode in which display is controlled using an entire screen area of the display as one display area, and a second display mode in which display is controlled by splitting the screen area of the display into multiple display areas, and display control processing in which, when switching from the first display mode to the second display mode by the display mode switching processing, the processor displays, in a first display area among the multiple display areas, one window among windows of applications running in the first display mode, (This portion of claim 2 is included within claim 1, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale.)
and displays, in a second display area except the first display area among the multiple display areas, thumbnail images corresponding to windows except the one window among the windows in the first display mode based on the number of windows in the first display mode. (“In the above information processing device, when there are plural inactive windows, the display control unit may display thumbnail images respectively corresponding to the plural inactive windows side by side in the second display area.” (Ito, paragraph 10) In the second display mode, Ito may display all inactive windows in the second display area.)
Instant Claim 3: The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when switching from the first display mode to the second display mode by the display mode switching processing, the processor displays, in the display control processing, the thumbnail images in the second display area based on the number of display areas in the second display mode and the number of windows in the first display mode. (“In the above information processing device, when there are plural inactive windows, the display control unit may display thumbnail images respectively corresponding to the plural inactive windows side by side in the second display area.” (Ito, paragraph 10) In the second display mode, Ito may display all inactive windows in the second display area – creating as many display areas in the second display area as needed.)
Instant Claim 4: The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein upon switching from the first display mode to the second display mode by the display mode switching processing, when the number of display areas in the second display mode is equal to or more than the number of windows in the first display mode in the display control processing, the processor displays no thumbnail image and displays, in the second display area, a window except the one window among the windows in the first display mode. (“a second display mode in which the display is controlled as the plurality of display areas obtained by splitting the display into at least the first display area and the second display area, wherein in response to switching from the first display mode to the second display mode, the display control unit displays, in the first display area, the active window in the first display mode, and displays, in the second display area, the thumbnail image corresponding to the inactive window in the first display mode” (Ito, paragraph 16) Therefore, in the second display mode, Ito splits the display into just the needed amount of display areas.)
Instant Claim 5: The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein upon switching from the first display mode to the second display mode by the display mode switching processing, when the number of display areas in the second display mode is less than the number of windows in the first display mode in the display control processing, the processor displays the thumbnail images in the second display area. (“a second display mode in which the display is controlled as the plurality of display areas obtained by splitting the display into at least the first display area and the second display area, wherein in response to switching from the first display mode to the second display mode, the display control unit displays, in the first display area, the active window in the first display mode, and displays, in the second display area, the thumbnail image corresponding to the inactive window in the first display mode” (Ito, paragraph 16) Therefore, in the second display mode, Ito splits the display into just the needed amount of display areas.)
Instant Claim 6: The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when there are multiple second display areas in the second display mode, the processor displays windows except the one window among the windows in the first display mode in a manner divided one by one into any one of the multiple second display areas, respectively, in the display control processing. (“In the above information processing device, when there are plural inactive windows, the display control unit may display thumbnail images respectively corresponding to the plural inactive windows side by side in the second display area.” (Ito, paragraph 10))
Instant Claim 10: The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when there are multiple second display areas in the second display mode, the processor displays the thumbnail images in any one of the multiple second display areas in the display control processing. (“In the above information processing device, when there are plural inactive windows, the display control unit may display thumbnail images respectively corresponding to the plural inactive windows side by side in the second display area.” (Ito, paragraph 10))
Instant Claim 11: The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein in the display control processing, the processor displays the thumbnail images in any one of the multiple second display areas according to area priority preset for the multiple second display areas. (“Note that inactive windows existing in layers behind the active window in the first display area DA1 (fig 2) (that is, real forms of inactive windows (real windows) displayed as thumbnails in the second display area DA2) may be stacked one above the other according to the priority in the same size as the active window in a manner to be hidden behind the active window, or may be stacked one above the other according to the priority in a size smaller than the active window.” (Ito, paragraph 45))
Instant Claim 13: The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein in the display control processing, the processor displays the thumbnail images in an area with a last priority among the multiple second display areas. (“Note that inactive windows existing in layers behind the active window in the first display area DA1 (fig 2) (that is, real forms of inactive windows (real windows) displayed as thumbnails in the second display area DA2) may be stacked one above the other according to the priority in the same size as the active window in a manner to be hidden behind the active window, or may be stacked one above the other according to the priority in a size smaller than the active window.” (Ito, paragraph 45))
Instant Claim 18: (Method claim 18 and apparatus claim 1 are related as apparatus and the method of using same, with each claimed element’s function corresponding to the claimed method step. Accordingly, claim 18 is similarly rejected under the same rationale as applied above with respect to apparatus claim 1.)
Instant Claim 19: (Method claim 19 and apparatus claim 2 are related as apparatus and the method of using same, with each claimed element’s function corresponding to the claimed method step. Accordingly, claim 19 is similarly rejected under the same rationale as applied above with respect to apparatus claim 2.)
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.
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/YARON COHEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2626