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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eraker (US 2010/0198684 A1), hereinafter “Eraker”, and in view of Wang et al. (US 2013/0117253 A1), hereinafter “Wang”.
As per claim 1, Eraker teaches a method comprising:
“providing a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising a geographical map” at [0022] and Fig. 1;
(Eraker teaches the web page 100 has a viewing window 105 to display a satellite image map and a street map)
“receiving, via the GUI, a first user input indicating a latitude value and a longitude value of a geographic region on the geographical map, and a second user input indicating a radius value of the geographical region on the geographical map” at [0023]-[0024], [0029];
(Eraker teaches the user can define a circular search region 210 by indicating a center of the satellite image map 100 has an associated latitude and longitude that, along with a radius, can define a circular search region)
“generating one or more queries for phone numbers on a phone number data store using the latitude value, the longitude value, and the radius value of the geographical region” at [0029]-[0030], [0034];
(Eraker teaches the client device transmits the geospatial information over the internet to real estate server 320. The real estate server 320 transmits a service provider search query to the real estate database 325. The search query parameters specify a search region, the type of service desired. The real estate server 320 searches the real estate database 325 for real estate service provider data associated with the search region)
“receiving one or more sets of phone number search results associated with the geographical region, wherein each set of the one or more sets of phone number search results corresponds to a respective query of the one or more queries” at [0031], [0035];
(Eraker teaches the real estate sever 320 sends the search results to the client device 305, wherein the search results include service provider’s contact information, such as a phone number)
Eraker does not explicitly teach “presenting, via the GUI, the one or more sets of phone number search results using one or more phone number GUI elements overlaid on the geographical map comprising the geographical region” as claimed. However, Wang teaches a method for displaying search results on a map in response to ma map-based search query, including the steps of “presenting, via the GUI, the one or more sets of phone number search results using one or more phone number GUI elements overlaid on the geographical map comprising the geographical region” at [0139]-[0142] and Fig. 18. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine Wang with Eraker’s teaching to display the search result on the map in order to help the user visualize the geographic locations of the search results and the relationship between the search result, as suggested by Wang at [0139]-[0142].
As per claim 2, Eraker and Wang teach the method of claim 1 discussed above. Wang also teaches: wherein “generating the one or more queries for the phone numbers of the phone number datastore comprises: identifying a plurality of subregions of the geographical region; and generating a plurality of queries each comprising an indication of a respective subregion of the plurality of subregions” at [0063]-[0083], and Figs. 2, 6.
As per claim 3, Eraker and Wang teach the method of claim 2 discussed above. Wang also teaches: wherein “the plurality of subregions comprises concentric subregions each associated with a respective radius value less than or equal to the radius value of the geographical region” at [0063]-[0083] and Fig. 6.
As per claim 4, Eraker and Wang teach the method of claim 2 discussed above. Wang also teaches: wherein “the plurality of subregions comprises subregions each associated with a respective prefix of a plurality of prefixes” at [0075]-[0076] and Fig. 6.
As per claim 5, Eraker and Wang teach the method of claim 1 discussed above. Wang also teaches: wherein “generating the one or more queries for the phone numbers of the phone number datastore comprises: identifying one or more prefixes associated with the geographical region using a mapping of geographical region to prefixes; and generating a respective query for each prefix of the one or more prefixes” at [0063]-[0083], and Figs. 2, 6.
As per claim 6, Eraker and Wang teach the method of claim 1 discussed above. Eraker also teaches: “the one or more queries are further associated with a filter value for a phone number characteristic, and wherein the method further comprises: prior to generating the one or more queries, receiving, via the GUl, a third user input indicating the filter value for the phone number characteristic, wherein the phone number characteristic is one of: a phone number locality, a phone number region, a phone number prefix, or a phone number capability” at [0021]-[0024].
As per claim 7, Eraker and Wang teach the method of claim 1 discussed above. Wang also teaches: “receiving, via the GUI, a third user input indicating a selected phone number GUI element associated with a phone number of the one or more set of phone number results; and presenting, via the GUI, phone number metadata associated with the phone number of the one or more sets of phone number search results” [0139]-[0142] and Fig. 18.
Claim 8-20 recite similar limitations as in claims 1-7 and are therefore rejected by the same reasons.
Conclusion
Examiner's Note: Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
In the case of amending the Claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KHANH B PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-4116. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8am to 4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sanjiv Shah can be reached at (571)272-4098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KHANH B PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2166
July 16, 2026
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