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 .
Drawings
Prior objections to figs. 2-3, 4a-b, 5-6, and 7a-b are withdrawn in view of applicant’s amendments to drawings.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Prior rejection under 35 USC 112 to claim 8 and 16 are withdrawn in view of applicant’s amendments.
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) 1-8, 10-16, and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent 2021/0312396 by Brigitte Mueller hereafter (Mueller).
Claim 1:
Mueller discloses:
“receiving first contact information data from a first user device corresponding to a first user, wherein the first contact information data comprises a plurality of data entries corresponding to a plurality of different platform connection types;”[ receiving first contact information data (0005, first user has various options for providing contact information to the new contact) from a first user device (0025, user device; fig. 2d; 0049, sending contact information) corresponding to a first user (0005, first user), wherein the first contact information data (0005, first user has various options for providing contact information to the new contact) comprises a plurality of data entries corresponding to a plurality of different platform connection types (email address, phone number, instant messaging connection)]
“storing the first contact information data on a plurality of second user devices corresponding to a plurality of second users;”[ storing the first contact information data (0048, existing connections) on a plurality of second user devices (fig. 2c, a user device; 0035 second user’s device; fig. 2c shows existing contacts 233 on a user device and 0035 shows that there is also other user devices for a second user) corresponding to a plurality of second users (0035, second user’s device)]
“detecting a change, on the first user device, to the first contact information data;”[ detecting a change (fig. 6 605, receive a contact information update), on the first user device (fig. 6 605, from user 1; 0025, user device), to the first contact information data (fig. 6 605, contact information)]
“in response to detecting the change to the first contact information data, storing the change to the first contact information data on the plurality of second user devices; and”[ in response to detecting the change to the first contact information data (fig. 6 625, accept the update), storing the change to the first contact information data on the plurality of second user devices (fig. 6 630, update user 2, 3, etc contact information for user 1)]
“providing a notification to the plurality of second users that indicate the change to the first contact information data.”[ providing a notification to the plurality of second users (fig. 6 615, push the update to user 2, 3, etc.) that indicate the change to the first contact information data (fig. 6 615, update)]
“wherein the first user creates a plurality of profiles within a single account, and each one of the plurality of profiles comprises one of a plurality of sets of contacts and customizable data fields to share with the corresponding one of a plurality of sets of contacts.”[ wherein the first user (0038, user) creates a plurality of profiles (0038, have a group called family and another group called friends) within a single account (0038, a user; 0025, user account), and wherein each one of the plurality of profiles(0038, have a group called family and another group called friends) comprises one of a plurality of sets of contacts (0038, contacts can be sorted into groups)and customizable data fields (0038, new email / new phone number; new email) to share with the corresponding one of a plurality of sets of contacts (0038, the user may update their contact information with a new email and a new phone number and customize the update such that family receives and update to both email and phone number , but the friends group only receives an updated phone number.; family receives and update to email)]
Claim 2:
Claim 2 recites similar limitations as that of claim 1 except that claim 2 is directed to a system. Claim 2 is rejected under similar rationale as that of claim 1. Mueller further discloses a memory and processing device in at least 0055 and figure 9, wherein it provides for a memory and processor.
Claim 3:
Claim 3 recites similar limitations as that of claim 1 except that claim 3 is directed to a non-transitory computer readable medium. Claim 3 is rejected under similar rationale as that of claim 1. Mueller further discloses a memory and processing device in at least 0075 and claim 1 of Mueller, wherein it has a non-transitory computer-readable medium.
Claim 4:
Mueller discloses: “The method of claim 1, wherein the first contact information data comprises a plurality of social media handles that each correspond to one of a plurality of social media platforms that are different from each other.”[ wherein the first contact information data (0005, contact information; fig. 2c; fig. 1)comprises a plurality of social media handles (fig. 1, facebook, twitter; 0062, facebook account information, twitter account information, other social media account information) that each correspond to one of a plurality of social media platforms that are different from each other(0062, facebook, twitter, other social media)]
Claim 5:
Mueller discloses: “The method of claim 1 wherein the storing of the change to the first contact information data on the plurality of second user devices comprises auto-propagating the change to the first contact information data on the plurality of second user devices.” [wherein the storing of the change to the first contact information data on the plurality of second user devices (fig. 6 630, update user 2, 3, etc contact information for user 1) comprises auto-propagating (0036, updating process may be automatic)the change to the first contact information data on the plurality of second user devices devices (fig. 6 630, update user 2, 3, etc contact information for user 1)]
Claim 6:
Mueller discloses: “The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data entries corresponds to a plurality of fields, and at least one of the plurality of fields is a social media handle field.”[ wherein the plurality of data entries corresponds to a plurality of fields (0005 contact information; fig. 1 101-110; fig. 2b 221-226 ), and at least one of the plurality of fields (fig. 1 108-109 )is a social media handle field (0062, Facebook account information, twitter account information, other social media account information )]
Claim 7:
Mueller discloses: “The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises: sharing a portion of the plurality of fields with one of the plurality of second users based on a selection by the first user; and sharing a different portion of the plurality of fields with a different one of the plurality of second users based on a different selection by the first user.” [sharing a portion of the plurality of fields with one of the plurality of second users based on a selection by the first user(0038, The user may update their contact information with a new email and a new phone number and customize the update such that family receives and update to both email and phone number); and sharing a different portion of the plurality of fields with a different one of the plurality of second users based on a different selection by the first user (0038, but the friends group only receives an updated phone number.)]
Claim 8:
Mueller discloses: “The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises: generating, by the first user device, a link encapsulating a portion of the plurality of fields to share with a new user device; providing the link to the new user device; and in response to the new user device accessing the link, sharing a portion of the first contact information data corresponding to the portion of the plurality of fields with the new user device.” [generating, by the first user device, a link (0045, keyword (which can be called ‘qiwords’ or another identifier; the keyword/qiword/identifier provides same function as link))encapsulating a portion of the plurality of fields (0045, add first user as contact, ) to share with a new user device (0045, enable those second users to find and add);providing the link to the new user device (0045, keywords are user-selected terms which can be provided to second users); and in response to the new user device accessing the link (0045, enter the keyword into a search bar 234 to search; the search of keyword is accessing), sharing a portion of the first contact information data corresponding to the portion of the plurality of fields with the new user device (0045, add the first user as a contact; fig. 2c, adding new contacts; 0048)]
Claim 10:
Mueller discloses: “The method of claim 1, wherein each one of the plurality of profiles comprises customizable privacy settings that enable the first user to control a visibility of selected data fields based on a relationship with the corresponding one of a plurality of sets of contacts.” [wherein each one of the plurality of profiles (0038, groups) comprises customizable privacy settings that enable the first user to control a visibility of selected data fields (0038, contact information could be customized on a group level) based on a relationship (0038 family ; 0038, friends) with the corresponding one of a plurality of sets of contacts (0038, contacts; 0038, contacts can be sorted into groups)]
Claim 11:
Mueller discloses: “The method of claim 1, wherein each one of the plurality of profiles maintains its own synchronized contact information.” [wherein each one of the plurality of profiles (0038, family; 0038, friends)maintains its own synchronized contact information (0038, family receives and update to both email and phone number; 0038, friends group only receives an updated phone number)]
Claim 12-16:
Claims 12-16 recite similar limitations as that of claims 4-8 except claims 12-16 are directed to a system. Claims 12-16 are rejected under similar rationale as that of claims 4-8. Mueller further discloses a memory and processing device in at least 0055 and figure 9, wherein it provides for a memory and processor.
Claim 18-19:
Claims 18-19 recite similar limitations as that of claims 4-5 except claims 18-19 are directed to a non-transitory computer readable medium. Claims 18-19 are rejected under similar rationale as that of claims 4-5. Mueller further discloses a memory and processing device in at least 0075 and claim 1 of Mueller, wherein it has a non-transitory computer-readable medium.
Claim 20:
Claim 20 recites similar limitations as that of claims 6-7 except claim 20 is directed to a non-transitory computer readable medium. Claim 20 is rejected under similar rationale as that of claims 6-7. Mueller further discloses a memory and processing device in at least 0075 and claim 1 of Mueller, wherein it has a non-transitory computer-readable medium.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 10/10/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant primarily asserts the following:
Page 9, Mueller does not specifically teach “wherein the first user creates a plurality of profiles within a single account, and each one of the plurality of profiles comprises one of a plurality of sets of contacts and customizable data fields to share with the corresponding one of a plurality of sets of contacts”. That this is because Mueller’s “groups” are merely collections of contacts used to tailor which fields get shared or updated. That they are not separate profiles or identities with their own field sets. Page 10, That Mueller does not describe a user maintaining mutlipe persistent profiles within a single account. Page 10, That Mueller does not disclose where each profile (a) has its own bounded contact set, (b) holds its own customizable field set for the profile, and (c) drives ongoing, profile-based sharing and update propagation to the profile’s corresponding contacts.
Regarding the asserted claim limitation, Mueller discloses: “wherein the first user creates a plurality of profiles within a single account, and each one of the plurality of profiles comprises one of a plurality of sets of contacts and customizable data fields to share with the corresponding one of a plurality of sets of contacts.”[ wherein the first user (0038, user) creates a plurality of profiles (0038, have a group called family and another group called friends) within a single account (0038, a user; 0025 user account), and wherein each one of the plurality of profiles(0038, have a group called family and another group called friends) comprises one of a plurality of sets of contacts (0038, contacts can be sorted into groups)and customizable data fields (0038, new email / new phone number; new email) to share with the corresponding one of a plurality of sets of contacts (0038, the user may update their contact information with a new email and a new phone number and customize the update such that family receives and update to both email and phone number , but the friends group only receives an updated phone number.; family receives and update to email)]
Regarding groups are not a separate profile, this is disagreed. Family group is a profile of contacts that the user considers as family. Friends group is a profile of contacts that the user considers as friends. Family and Friends are separate profiles within a single account (user account).
Regarding the profiles having their own field sets not being disclosed, this is disagreed. The family group has it’s own field sets that allow for both new email and new phone number to be provided. The friends group has it’s own field sets that allow for only new phone number to be provided.
Mueller further discloses a user maintaining persistent profiles within a single account since the user is a single account and the user manages a family group and friend group which are persistent profiles.
Mueller further discloses each profile (0038, family group / friends group) has (a) it’s own bounded contact set (0038, contacts can be sorted into groups), (b) holds its own customizable field set for that profile (family: new phone number / new email ; friends: new phone number ), and (c) drives ongoing profile-based sharing and update propagation to the profile’s corresponding contacts (contacts in the family group will receive updates to new phone number and new email; contacts in friend’s group will receive new phone number)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-3924. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 11-730pm Eastern.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Beausoliel can be reached on 571-272-3645. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2167