DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to the filing of 7/22/26. Claims 1-15 are pending and have been considered below.
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 .
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, 10-11, 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gvelesiani (20110153039) in view of Niemeyer (20220081807.)
Claim 1, 14-15: Gvelesiani discloses an operation support device that displays a plurality of operation icons (while the claims recite ‘icon,’ the Specification of the present invention illustrates what is more like ‘tiles,’ or dialogue windows (i.e. more functional and larger than a simple icon.) The Examiner will interpret an ‘icon’ in view of their size / functionality as shown in Applicant’s Specification and Drawings) as a predetermined operation menu, comprising:
a processor (par. 6, processor and memory) that:
shows, as a first subset of the plurality of operation icons (Fig. 4: 44, 46, etc. icons), a plurality of first operation icons for opening a respective plurality of operation screens (Fig. 6A, 6B operation screens) for executing a respective plurality of predetermined operation processes (Fig. 6A, 6B, I/O Status testing, Radiator Fans testing);
shows, as a second subset of the plurality of operation icons, a third operation icon associated with a link to a second operation manual corresponding to the predetermined operation menu, the third operation icon being shown simultaneously with the first operation icons in the predetermined operation menu (Fig. 4: 40, Help / About icon; par. 32, The menu screen 36 may also provide a help icon 40 to provide a link to tips, FAQs, troubleshooting guides, etc.)
However, Gvelesiani does not explicitly disclose:
shows, as a third subset of the plurality of operation icons, a plurality of second operation icons, each of the second operation icons being shown within an area of a respective one of the first operation icons in the predetermined operation menu, and each of the second operation icons being associated with a link to a first operation manual regarding an individual operation process corresponding to the one of the first operation icons within the area of which it is shown.
Niemeyer discloses a similar menu for showing icons, including:
shows, as a third subset of the plurality of operation icons, a plurality of second operation icons, each of the second operation icons being shown within an area of a respective one of the first operation icons in the predetermined operation menu, and each of the second operation icons being associated with a link to a first operation manual regarding an individual operation process corresponding to the one of the first operation icons within the area of which it is shown (Fig. 5: 53, 54, links to ‘Can Change’ tutorial and User Manual, shown within the area of icon of 51.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Gvelesiani with Niemeyer so as to provide the user with specific tutorials and help for a specific function without having to go through a larger manual.
Claim 2: Gvelesiani and Niemeyer disclose operation support device according to claim 1, wherein the first operation icons are displayed in an array in the predetermined operation menu (Gvelesiani Fig. 4: 44, 46 operation icons arrayed.)
Claim 3: Gvelesiani and Niemeyer disclose operation support device according to claim 1, wherein the processor: in response to input of a user operation on one of the first operation icons, opens an individual operation screen for executing the individual operation process corresponding to the one of the first operation icons on which the user operation is input (Gvelesiani Fig. 6A, 6B corresponding operation screens); in response to input of a user operation on one of the second operation icons, shows the first operation manual dedicated to explanation of the individual operation process corresponding to the one of the first operation icons within the area of which the one of the second operation icons is shown (Niemeyer Fig. 5: 54, shows Open User Manual icon within another icon, 51; par. 136, solutions are offered for opening operating instructions (operating button 54) or other instructions (operating button 53)); and in response to input of a user operation on the third operation icon, shows the second operation manual dedicated to explanation of an entirety of the plurality of predetermined operation processes, each of the plurality of predetermined operation processes being the individual operation process whose operation screen is openable from the predetermined operation menu(Niemeyer par. 112, to retrieve a help page or an operating manual.)
Claim 10: Gvelesiani and Niemeyer disclose operation support device according to claim 1, wherein the processor shows the third operation icon (Niemeyer Fig. 2: 14, Help icon) outside an area in which the first operation icons are shown (Niemeyer Fig. 2: 43 Can change.)
Claim 11: Gvelesiani and Niemeyer disclose operation support device according to claim 1, wherein the processor shows the third operation icon in an external shape different from an external shape of each of the first operation icons (Niemeyer Fig. 2: first operation icon 43 has rounded corners as compared to the third 14.)
Claim 13: Gvelesiani and Niemeyer disclose operation support device according to claim 12, wherein the processor shows the third operation icon and the fourth operation icon at a top of a display screen (Niemeyer Fig. 2: 14 and 15 are shown at the top of the display) and shows the first operation icons below the third operation icon and the fourth operation icon (Niemeyer Fig. 2: 43 is displayed below.)
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gvelesiani in view of Niemeyer (2022/0081807) and in view of Epstein (2010/0180292.)
Claim 12: Gvelesiani and Niemeyer disclose operation support device according to claim 11, wherein the processor shows, with the first operation icon, a fourth operation icon (Niemeyer Fig. 2: 15, EN, language setting button) in an external size same as the external size of the third operation icon (Niemeyer Fig. 2: same size as 14.)
However, Niemeyer does not explicitly disclose: the fourth operation icon being associated with a link to an explanation video corresponding to the operation menu.
Epstein discloses a similar device for presenting icons and menus, including: the fourth operation icon being associated with a link to an explanation video corresponding to the operation menu (Fig. 6: 530 link, par. 29-30, The user can call upon this tutorial feature when he/she is trying to use a feature on the TV and is uncertain or confused about a specific menu option, or can be directly addressed as one or a series of video tutorials from a main menu function in order to learn about the capabilities of the TV.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Gvelesiani and Epstein so as to display a tutorial when the user is uncertain or confused about a specific menu option.
Claim(s) 4-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gvelesiani in view of Niemeyer (2022/0081807) and in view of Infotainment (How to Wrap Text in Excel [2020], Published, Sep 4, 2019; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZci9B4V7kQ.)
Claim 4: Gvelesiani and Niemeyer disclose operation support device according to claim 3. However, the combination does not explicitly disclose: wherein the processor changes, while executing the individual operation process in response to a user operation on the individual operation screen, a display position or an external size of the one of the first operation icons to which the individual process corresponds in accordance with a state of the individual operation process.
Infotainment discloses a similar device for displaying tiles in an array, including: wherein the processor changes, while executing the individual operation process in response to a user operation on the individual operation screen, a display position or an external size of the one of the first operation icons to which the individual process corresponds in accordance with a state of the individual operation process. (Fig. 1-2 showing using Wrap Text to ‘Wrap extra-long text into multiple lines so you can see all of it.’ Shows Column C, Row 4 text being wrapped by expanding the cell vertically, along with all the other cells on the right and left of the Column C, Row 4 cell.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Gvelesiani and Infotainment so as to display text that would not normally fit in the default sized cell.
Claim 5: Gvelesiani and Niemeyer disclose operation support device according to claim 1, wherein the processor: changes an internal state concerning the individual operation process in response to the execution of the individual operation process or a change in information obtained for the individual operation process (Niemeyer Fig. 3: 48, making a can change.)
However, Niemeyer does not explicitly disclose: shows the first operation icon in a larger external size when a predetermined condition about the changed internal state is satisfied than when the predetermined condition is not satisfied.
Infotainment discloses a similar device for displaying tiles in an array, including: shows the first operation icon in a larger external size when a predetermined condition about the changed internal state is satisfied than when the predetermined condition is not satisfied (Fig. 1-2 showing using Wrap Text to ‘Wrap extra-long text into multiple lines so you can see all of it.’ Shows Column C, Row 4 text being wrapped by expanding the cell vertically, along with all the other cells on the right and left of the Column C, Row 4 cell.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Niemeyer and Infotainment so as to display text that would not normally fit in the default sized cell.
Claim 6: Gvelesiani Niemeyer and Infotainment disclose operation support device according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined condition about the internal state concerning the individual operation process is that there is error information or update information regarding the individual operation process; and wherein the processor changes, when there is error information or update information in the individual operation process, an external size of the one of the first operation icons corresponding to the individual operation process so as to show the error information or the update information regarding the individual operation process within the area of the one of the first operation icons; and shows the error information or the update information within the area of the one of the first operation icons whose external size is changed (Infotainment Fig. 1-2 showing using Wrap Text to ‘Wrap extra-long text into multiple lines so you can see all of it.’ Shows Column C, Row 4 text being wrapped by expanding the cell vertically, along with all the other cells on the right and left of the Column C, Row 4 cell.)
Claim 7: Gvelesiani Niemeyer and Infotainment disclose operation support device according to claim 6, wherein the processor changes a display position of the one of the first operation icons according to the changed external size thereof (Infotainment Fig. 1-2 showing using Wrap Text to ‘Wrap extra-long text into multiple lines so you can see all of it.’ Shows Column C, Row 4 text being wrapped by expanding the cell vertically, along with all the other cells on the right and left of the Column C, Row 4 cell. Position as calculated from the center of the cell / tile.)
Claim 8: Gvelesiani Niemeyer and Infotainment disclose operation support device according to claim 7, wherein the first operation icons are arrayed in a first direction and in a second direction different from the first direction, and wherein, when changing the external size of one of a plurality of the first operation icons which are at a same display position in the first direction and arrayed in the second direction, the processor changes in synchronization the external size of other ones of the plurality of the first operation icons which are at the same display position in the first direction as the one of the plurality of the first operation icons (Infotainment Fig. 1-2 showing using Wrap Text to ‘Wrap extra-long text into multiple lines so you can see all of it.’ Shows Column C, Row 4 text being wrapped by expanding the cell vertically, along with all the other cells on the right and left of the Column C, Row 4 cell. Position as calculated from the center of the cell / tile.)
Claim 9: Gvelesiani Niemeyer and Infotainment disclose operation support device according to claim 8, wherein, when changing the external size of the one of the plurality of first operation icons, the processor changes the external size in the first direction of the other ones of the plurality of the first operation icons which are shown at the same display position in the first direction as the one of the plurality of the first operation icons, and also changes in synchronization a display position in the first direction of other ones of the plurality of first operation icons which are at a different display position in the first direction than the one of the plurality of the first operation icons (Infotainment Fig. 1-2 showing using Wrap Text to ‘Wrap extra-long text into multiple lines so you can see all of it.’ Shows Column C, Row 4 text being wrapped by expanding the cell vertically, along with all the other cells on the right and left of the Column C, Row 4 cell. Position as calculated from the center of the cell / tile.)
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-15 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Gu (2015/0286350) expandable tiles.
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 ANDREY BELOUSOV whose telephone number is (571) 270-1695 and Andrew.belousov@uspto.gov email. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Friday EST.
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/Andrey Belousov/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2172
9/22/26
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