DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claim 7 is 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 the limitation "the second user identifier". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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, 3-8, 10-15, and 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ertmann et al. (“Ertmann”, Pub. No. 2017/0351385) and Park et al. (“Park”, US 2017/0269800).
Per claim 1, Ertmann teaches a method comprising:
causing display of a graphical user interface (GUI) that comprises an allocable region at a predefined position among a plurality of message threads at a client device (fig. 3C, allocable region 306; [0086]…the parent thread is pinned to a predetermined location 306 at the top of the conversation display.);
identifying a message thread from among the plurality of message threads based on a user identifier, and presenting a display of the message thread within the allocable region based on an input that selects the user identifier (fig. 3A, a user identifier “Jane”; [0033] As the messages are displayed on a display and the display is changed, different threads may receive focus; alternatively or in addition, a user may manually select a thread for focus. A representative or parent message for the thread may be identified, and the parent message for the focused thread may be displayed in a predetermined location (e.g., pinned to a top of the display). [0064]… FIG. 3A depicts an example of a mobile device interface 302 as viewed on the user Alex Smith's mobile device. The interface 302 depicts a conversation between Alex and the users Jack and Jane. In this case, the conversation includes two threads, which are visually distinguished from each other by coloring the thread messages differently. The first thread includes a parent message 304 that represents the start of the thread (in this example; in other examples, the parent message may be the most representative message of the thread, the most responded-to message of the thread, etc). [0065]… FIG. 3A depicts a user selecting the first thread by interacting with the parent message 304 of the thread (in this case, the user selects the parent message 304 with a finger tap on a touch-sensitive display). Once the thread is selected, the messaging system maintains the selected thread “in focus” so that future interactions, such as sending new messages, are associated with the selected thread. [0068]… As the user scrolls the messages on the display, the parent message 304 may be moved off-screen. In order to keep the subject of the thread clear and/or visible at all times, the parent message 304 may be displayed in a predetermined location, as shown in FIG. 3C. In this example, the parent thread is pinned to a predetermined location 306 at the top of the conversation display).
Ertmann does not specifically teach receiving an input that selects a user identifier from among a plurality of user identifiers.
However, Park teaches receiving an input that selects a user identifier from among a plurality of user identifiers (Fig. 3A; Identifier 312; [0157]…The information on a chat partner may be an icon corresponding to an image set in a user's terminal or another party's terminal, and/or a name or a phone number stored in an address book. [0158]…If a user applies a preset touch input (e.g., a long touch input) to the region 311 or 312 which displays information on a chat partner, or if a user applies a touch input having a pattern to rub the corresponding region 311 or 312 right and left or up and down a predetermined number of times, a controller user interface (UI) is popped-up on the chat screen 301 as shown in FIG. 3B. [0177]… As shown in FIG. 5A, in an output state of a chat screen 501 for messages transceived with chat partners on the display unit 151, a touch input, to rub an image icon 512 for a specific chat partner (i.e., a second region) right and left a predetermined number of times, is applied ({circle around (1)}). Then, if a drag input is applied ({circle around (2)}) towards a first region where a corresponding message 521 has been output, the controller 180 may store the corresponding message 521 (e.g., ‘Let's see a movie on Sunday.’) in association with a chat partner corresponding to the image icon 512. [0220]…Referring to FIG. 13A, if a touch input to rub right and left is applied to a region 1312 which displays information on a chat partner who is to perform a blind chatting, on a group chatting screen 1301, the controller 180 may output a controller UI to the chat screen 1301, as shown in FIG. 13B. [0221]… Here, if a touch input is applied to an input region 1350 before a specific person is selected from the menu region 1340, a message indicating ‘blind chatting’ is output to the input region 1350, as shown in FIG. 13C. Then, the controller 180 may control a user to perform a blind chatting with the selected specific partner. For instance, as shown in FIG. 13D, if {circle around (1)} and {circle around (2)} are sequentially selected from a menu region 1340″ to be dragged to the input region 1350, the controller 180 may control the user to perform a blind chatting with the {circle around (1)} and {circle around (2)} on the group chatting screen 1301. [0223]…As aforementioned, once a blind chatting is started by using a controller UI, as shown in FIG. 14A, information on chat partners who are performing a group chatting (e.g., 4) and information on chat partners who are performing a blind chatting (e.g., 2) are displayed together on a chatting room information display region 141).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the teaching of Patk in the invention of Ertmann to include a user identifier such an image icon of a user that is associated with a conversation message and allowing user’s interactions with the identifier because doing so would enhance usability of a communication interface by making a user identifier associated with conversation message easily/visually recognizable, and allowing quick and easy user’s interactions with one or more communication messages associated with the user identifier.
Per claim 3, the modified Ertmann teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the display of the message thread includes a graphical indicator associated with the allocable region (Ertmann, fig. 3C shows a different shade/color for pinned message 306; [0064]… the conversation includes two threads, which are visually distinguished from each other by coloring the thread messages differently. [0068]…In order to keep the subject of the thread clear and/or visible at all times, the parent message 304 may be displayed in a predetermined location, as shown in FIG. 3C. In this example, the parent thread is pinned to a predetermined location 306 at the top of the conversation display. [0070]…As new messages are composed, participants in the group conversation may receive new message notifications or alerts 312, as shown in FIG. 3E).
Per claim 4, the modified Ertmann teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the user identifier includes a graphical avatar (Park, [0157]…The information on a chat partner may be an icon corresponding to an image set in a user's terminal or another party's terminal, and/or a name or a phone number stored in an address book. [0177]…an image icon 512 for a specific chat partner) See claim 1 for motivation.
Per claim 5, the modified Ertmann teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the presenting the display of the message thread within the allocable region includes: accessing user profile data associated with the user identifier; accessing one or more graphical icons based on the user profile data; and presenting the display of the message thread within the allocable region, wherein the display of the message includes the one or more graphical icons (Ertmann, [0068]… As the user scrolls the messages on the display, the parent message 304 may be moved off-screen. In order to keep the subject of the thread clear and/or visible at all times, the parent message 304 may be displayed in a predetermined location, as shown in FIG. 3C. In this example, the parent thread is pinned to a predetermined location 306 at the top of the conversation display. Park, [0155]…The preset touch input applied to the region which displays chat partner information means a preset type of touch gesture applied to a region which displays a text, an image, an icon, or the like which represents a chat partner with whom messages have been transceived. For instance, the preset touch input may be a long-press touch input or a touch/drag input which draws a specific pattern. If a touch input different from the preset touch input (e.g., a short-press touch input) is applied to the region which displays chat partner information on the chat screen, may be output a screen corresponding to a function different from the function aforementioned in the present specification (e.g., viewing another party's profile information). [0157]…The information on a chat partner may be an icon corresponding to an image set in a user's terminal or another party's terminal (i.e. a user profile information/data), and/or a name or a phone number stored in an address book. [0177]…an image icon 512 for a specific chat partner (i.e. a user profile information/data)). See claim 1 for motivation.
Per claim 6, the modified Ertmann teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a message associated with the message thread from a user identifier by the user identifier; and causing display of a notification within the allocable region responsive to the message (Ertmann, [0070]…As new messages are composed, participants in the group conversation may receive new message notifications or alerts 312, as shown in FIG. 3E)).
Per claim 7, the modified Ertmann teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the input that selects the user identifier is a first input, the user identifier is a first user identifier, the display of the message thread is a first display of a first message thread, and the method further comprises: receiving a second input that selects a user identifier, identifying a second message thread from among the plurality of message threads based on the second user identifier, removing the first display of the first message thread from the allocable region, and causing display of a second display of the second message thread within the allocable region based on the second input that selects the second user identifier (Ertmann, [0033] As the messages are displayed on a display and the display is changed, different threads may receive focus; alternatively or in addition, a user may manually select a thread for focus. A representative or parent message for the thread may be identified, and the parent message for the focused thread may be displayed in a predetermined location (e.g., pinned to a top of the display). [0065]… FIG. 3A depicts a user selecting the first thread by interacting with the parent message 304 of the thread (in this case, the user selects the parent message 304 with a finger tap on a touch-sensitive display). Once the thread is selected, the messaging system maintains the selected thread “in focus” so that future interactions, such as sending new messages, are associated with the selected thread. [0068]… the parent message of the new in-focus thread may replace the old parent message in the predetermined location 306. Park, Fig. 3A; Identifier 312; [0157]…The information on a chat partner may be an icon corresponding to an image set in a user's terminal or another party's terminal, and/or a name or a phone number stored in an address book. [0158]…If a user applies a preset touch input (e.g., a long touch input) to the region 311 or 312 which displays information on a chat partner, or if a user applies a touch input having a pattern to rub the corresponding region 311 or 312 right and left or up and down a predetermined number of times, a controller user interface (UI) is popped-up on the chat screen 301 as shown in FIG. 3B. [0177]… As shown in FIG. 5A, in an output state of a chat screen 501 for messages transceived with chat partners on the display unit 151, a touch input, to rub an image icon 512 for a specific chat partner (i.e., a second region) right and left a predetermined number of times, is applied ({circle around (1)}). Then, if a drag input is applied ({circle around (2)}) towards a first region where a corresponding message 521 has been output, the controller 180 may store the corresponding message 521 (e.g., ‘Let's see a movie on Sunday.’) in association with a chat partner corresponding to the image icon 512. [0220]…Referring to FIG. 13A, if a touch input to rub right and left is applied to a region 1312 which displays information on a chat partner who is to perform a blind chatting, on a group chatting screen 1301, the controller 180 may output a controller UI to the chat screen 1301, as shown in FIG. 13B. [0221]… Here, if a touch input is applied to an input region 1350 before a specific person is selected from the menu region 1340, a message indicating ‘blind chatting’ is output to the input region 1350, as shown in FIG. 13C. Then, the controller 180 may control a user to perform a blind chatting with the selected specific partner. For instance, as shown in FIG. 13D, if {circle around (1)} and {circle around (2)} are sequentially selected from a menu region 1340″ to be dragged to the input region 1350, the controller 180 may control the user to perform a blind chatting with the {circle around (1)} and {circle around (2)} on the group chatting screen 1301. [0223]…As aforementioned, once a blind chatting is started by using a controller UI, as shown in FIG. 14A, information on chat partners who are performing a group chatting (e.g., 4) and information on chat partners who are performing a blind chatting (e.g., 2) are displayed together on a chatting room information display region 141). See claim 1 for motivation.
Claims 8 and 10-14 are rejected under the same rationale as claims 1, and 3-7 respectively.
Claims 15 and 17-20 are rejected under the same rationale as claims 1, and 3-6 respectively.
Claim(s) 2, 9 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ertmann et al. (“Ertmann”, Pub. No. 2017/0351385), Park et al. (“Park”, US 2017/0269800), and Chueng et al. (“Chueng”, Pub. No. 2016/0154556).
Per claim 2, the modified Ertmann teaches the method of claim 1, but does not teach presenting a menu element responsive to the input that selects the user identifier, the menu element comprising a set of menu options; receiving a selection of a menu option from among the set of menu options; and presenting the display of the message thread within the allocable region based on the selection of the menu option.
However, Chueng teaches presenting a menu element responsive to the input that selects the user identifier, the menu element comprising a set of menu options, receiving a selection of a menu option from among the set of menu options; and presenting the display of the message thread within the allocable region based on the selection of the menu option (figs. 10 and 11; [0118]… FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of a user interface (UI) 1000 for the group communication app 114. UI 1000 may be presented on a display component 1016 of mobile device 1010, which may be embodiments of the display component 216 and of the mobile device 110 or 200, respectively. As in UI 900, a series of messages exchanged among Carol, Ben and the operator 1002 is presented, including message 1040-1. [0120]… the detected touch gesture may cause a menu UI 1020 to be presented. The menu UI 1020 may include several options, including an option that, when selected by a second control directive, causes a pin operation to be performed. For example, the menu UI 1020 includes a “Pin” option and a “Pin at . . . ” option, in addition to options for copying text of the message, forwarding the message to another operator, and deleting the message from the group communication session. In the illustrated example, if the operator 1002 performs a touch gesture on the “Pin” text in menu UI 1020, the menu UI 1020 may be removed from the display, and the pin operation may be performed. [0125]…The pinned message, e.g. message 940-1, is presented in a banner portion 1212 of the UI 1200).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the teaching of Chueng in the invention of the modified Ertmann to include a menu with a plurality of options because doing so would enhance usability of a communication interface by allowing the user quick and easy access to plurality of choices for making selections associated with one or more communication messages.
Claim 9 is rejected under the same rationale as claim 2.
Claim 16 is rejected under the same rationale as claim 2.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Alten et al. (Pub. No. US 2015/0142897) discloses managing text messages.
Inquiries
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANH T VU whose telephone number is (571)272-4073. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 7AM - 3:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Fred Ehichioya can be reached at (571) 272-4034. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THANH T VU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2179
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