DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to Applicant’s reply filed 18 August 2026 (hereinafter “Reply”).
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I in the Reply is acknowledged. Claims 11-14 and 20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claims 11-14 and 20 are withdrawn.
Specification
The title of the invention is not sufficiently descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. See MPEP § 606.01.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 17 June 2025 fails to comply with the provisions of 37 C.F.R. §§ 1.97 and 1.98 and MPEP § 609 because one or more portions of the included copy of NPL Document No. 1 is illegible. The copy has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered as to the merits. Applicant is advised that the date of any re-submission of any item of information contained in this information disclosure statement or the submission of any missing elements will be the date of submission for purposes of determining compliance with the requirements based on the time of filing the statement, including all certification requirements for statements under 37 C.F.R. § 1.97(e). See MPEP § 609.05(a).
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 6-10, and 15-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kwon, US 2023/0308406 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Kwon discloses a method of operating a server providing a chatting service corresponding to one or more themes, the method comprising:
Receiving a message comprising area information through a chat room corresponding to a specific theme. Kwon teaches chat rooms that are associated with a specific theme (i.e., “subject”). Kwon fig. 3 (step S310), ¶ 57. Kwon teaches receiving a message from a chat room. Id. fig. 3 (step S330), ¶ 59. The message may comprise message information, such as a correlation between the message and an area. Id. ¶ 92.
Providing a map interface for exposing information about the message to a terminal. Kwon teaches displaying a graphical user interface comprising a map. Kwon figs. 4-7.
Determining an area range based on view manipulation information of the map interface received from the terminal. Kwon teaches determining an area displayed within the map. Kwon fig. 3 (step S310), ¶ 57. The area may be determined based on user manipulation (e.g., zooming in). Id. ¶ 67.
Extracting message information corresponding to the area range. Kwon teaches determining chatrooms that correspond to the determined area. Kwon fig. 3 (step S310), ¶ 57. In turn, messages from these chatrooms may be collected. Id. ¶¶ 59, 87.
Providing the extracted message information through the map interface. Kwon teaches displaying the collected messages in the graphical user interface. Kwon figs. 3 (step S330), 6-11, ¶ 59.
Regarding claim 2, which depends on claim 1, Kwon discloses wherein the extracting of the message information comprises: determining the message information to be extracted based on a level of the area range. Kwon teaches determining chatrooms that correspond to the determined area. Kwon fig. 3 (step S310), ¶ 57. In turn, messages from these chatrooms may be collected. Id. ¶¶ 59, 87.
Regarding claim 3, which depends on claim 1, Kwon discloses:
Wherein the extracting of the message information comprises: extracting a target message comprising area information corresponding to the area range. Kwon teaches determining an area displayed within the map. Kwon fig. 3 (step S310), ¶ 57. Kwon teaches determining a chatroom that corresponds to the determined area. Id. Kwon teaches collecting a message from the chatroom. Id. ¶¶ 59, 87. The message may comprise message information such as a correlation between the message and the area. Id. ¶ 92.
[Wherein the extracting of the message information comprises:] extracting a file comprised in the target message. Kwon teaches extracting a file (e.g., a profile icon) comprised in a target message. Kwon ¶ 59, figs. 8-10 (profile icon 850).
Regarding claim 4, which depends on claim 3, Kwon discloses determining a representative file based on metadata of the file comprised in the target message and the area information comprised in the target message. Kwon teaches determining an important message based on message information, such as a correlation between the message and an area. Kwon ¶ 92. Kwon teaches determining a representative file (e.g., a profile icon) that corresponds to the important message. Id. ¶¶ 80-81, 86, figs. 8-10 (profile icon 850).
Regarding claim 6, which depends on claim 4, Kwon discloses wherein the providing of the extracted message information comprises: providing an interfacing object indicative of information about the representative file through the map interface. Kwon teaches rendering a file (e.g., a profile icon) comprised in a target message. Kwon ¶¶ 59, 80-81, 86, figs. 8-10 (profile icon 850).
Regarding claim 7, which depends on claim 1, Kwon discloses wherein the extracting of the message information comprises: extracting statistical information of a target message comprising area information corresponding to the area range. Kwon teaches the message may comprise message information, such as a correlation between the message and an area. Kwon ¶ 92.
Regarding claim 8, which depends on claim 7, Kwon discloses wherein the providing of the extracted message information comprises: providing an interfacing object indicative of the statistical information of the target message through the map interface. Kwon teaches displaying important messages in the graphical user interface. Kwon ¶ 92.
Regarding claim 9, which depends on claim 1, Kwon discloses wherein the extracting of the message information comprises: extracting a message written by an account of a specific type among target messages comprising area information corresponding to the area range. Kwon teaches messages composed by accounts of different types. Kwon ¶ 47.
Regarding claim 10, which depends on claim 1, Kwon discloses wherein the view manipulation information is generated based on at least one of: an input that changes location information on a map displayed through the map interface; an input that changes a scale of the map displayed through the map interface; or an input that searches for a specific place through the map interface. Kwon teaches user manipulation that changes the scale of the map. Kwon ¶¶ 67, 81.
Claim 15 is drawn to instructions stored in a medium that implement the method recited in claim 1. Accordingly, this claim is rejected for substantially the same reasons as indicated in the above rejection of the corresponding claim.
Claims 16-19 are drawn to an apparatus that implements the methods recited in claims 1, 3-4, and 7, respectively. Accordingly, these claims are rejected for substantially the same reasons as indicated in the above rejections of the corresponding claims.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 contains allowable subject matter.
Claim 5 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Although particular portions of the prior art may have been cited in support of the rejections, the specified citations are merely representative of the teachings. Other passages and figures in the cited prior art may apply. Accordingly, Applicant should consider the entirety of the cited prior art for potentially teaching all or part of the claims.
The following prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure:
Fan et al., US 2015/0264524 A1, discloses aggregating messages based on a geographical point of interest.
Sayed, US 2012/0270563 A1, discloses displaying message threads within a range of a map location.
Constantinides, US 2019/0057136 A1, discloses displaying social network posts on a map interface.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Asher D Kells whose telephone number is (571)270-7729. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. - 4 p.m..
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kieu Vu can be reached at 571-272-4057. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Asher D. Kells
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2171
/Asher D Kells/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2171
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