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) 2, 4-8, 10-12,14-18, 20-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20070283403 A1 to Eklund et al. (“Eklund”) and US 20140007170 A1 to Klappert et al. (“Klappert”).
As to claim 2, Eklund teaches a method comprising: initiating a group consumption session of a content item for at least a first user device and a second user device (¶0005-0008, ¶0011, ¶0039, ¶0046-¶0048, Figs. 1-3, i.e., initiating a group content presentation viewing event); identifying a segment of the content item at which presentation of the content item is to be synchronized for at least the first user device and the second user device (¶0015, ¶0035, ¶0039, ¶0044, ¶0057);
Eklund does not teach based at least in part on detecting that a consumption progress of the content item of at least one of the first user device and the second user device has reached the identified segment: based at least in part on determining that a first consumption progress of the content item for the first user device is different than a second consumption progress of the content item for the second user device, causing the first consumption progress of the content item for the first user device and the second consumption progress of the content item for the second user device to be synchronized for the presentation of the content item (¶0112, from the other participating user devices via communications network 414, synchronization data that allows the synchronization master to automatically maintain the synchronized viewing for the participants (step 1702). For example, the synchronization data may include information indicating a particular screen or segment and the time at the screen or segment was or will be displayed so that the synchronization master can compare the screens or segments displayed by particular devices at a particular time. In other embodiments, the synchronization master determines or receives an indication of the amount of time it takes for data to be received from the other participating devices, i.e., the communication delays in communications network 414 between each participating device and the synchronization master. This way, the synchronization master can determine the time at which a screen or segment was displayed by subtracting the communication lag from the time that the information related to the screen or segment was received at the synchronization master). In view of the teachings of Klappert, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teachings of Eklund. The suggestion/motivation would be synchronizing simultaneous media asset viewing for users at different geographical viewing locations
As to claim 4, Eklund and Klappert teaches the method of claim 2, wherein the causing the first consumption progress of the content item for the first user device and the second consumption progress of the content item for the second user device to be synchronized comprises: presenting additional content to the at least one of the first user device or the second user device to synchronize the consumption progress at the first user device and the second user device by the start of the identified segment (Klappert, ¶0113).
As to claim 5, Eklund and Klappert teaches the method of claim 2, wherein the causing the first consumption progress of the content item for the first user device and the second consumption progress of the content item for the second user device to be synchronized comprises: automatically controlling a playback speed of the content item on the at least one of the first user device or the second user device to synchronize the consumption progress of the first user device and the second user device by the start of the identified segment (Klappert, ¶0113).
As to claim 6, Eklund and Klappert teaches the method of claim 2, wherein the determining that the first consumption progress of the content item for the first user device is different than the second consumption progress of the content item for the second user device comprises: determining a duration of the content item between each of the first consumption progress for the first user device and the second consumption progress for the second user device and the identified segment of the content item (¶0012, ¶0017, ¶0054, ¶0057).
As to claim 7, Eklund and Klappert teaches the method of claim 2, wherein the determining that the first consumption progress of the content item for the first user device is different than the second consumption progress of the content item for the second user device comprises: determining a duration of the content item between the first consumption progress for the first user device and the second consumption progress for the second user device (¶0012, ¶0017, ¶0054, ¶0057).
As to claim 8, Eklund and Klappert teaches the method of claim 2, further comprising generating a synchronization schedule for the group consumption session, the synchronization schedule comprising the identified segment (Klappert, ¶0076).
As to claim 10, Eklund and Klappert teaches the method of claim 8, further comprising controlling playback functionality for the at least one of the first user device or the second user device based on the synchronization schedule (Klappert, ¶0113).
As to claim 11, Eklund and Klappert teaches the method of claim 2, wherein the causing the first consumption progress of the content item for the first user device and the second consumption progress of the content item for the second user device to be synchronized comprises: automatically controlling a playback speed of the content item on the at least one of the first user device or the second user device to synchronize the consumption progress of the first user device and the second user device by the start of the identified segment, wherein automatically controlling the playback speed of the content item causes the at least one of the first user device or the second user device to skip a portion of the content item; and presenting the skipped portion at the at least one of the first user device or the second user device after presentation of the identified segment (Klappert, ¶0113).
As to claim 12, see the rejection of claim 2.
As to claim 14, see the rejection of claim 4.
As to claim 15, see the rejection of claim 5.
As to claim 16, see the rejection of claim 6.
As to claim 17, see the rejection of claim 7.
As to claim 18, see the rejection of claim 8.
As to claim 20, see the rejection of claim 10.
As to claim 21, see the rejection of claim 11.
Claim(s) 3, 9, 13 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eklund and Klappert as applied to claim 2 and 12 above, and further in view of US 10536542 B1 to Dorner et al. (“Dorner”) .
As to claim 3, Eklund and Klappert teaches the method of claim 2, wherein the identified segment is a first segment, the method further comprising (Klappert, ¶0076); and based at least in part on detecting that the consumption progress of the content item of at least one of the first user device and the second user device has reached the second segment: based at least in part on determining that the first consumption progress of the content item for the first user device is different than the second consumption progress of the content item for the second user device, allowing the first consumption progress of the content item for the first user device (Klappert, ¶0076).
Dorner teaches identifying a second segment of the content item at which the presentation of the content item is not to be synchronized for the at least the first user device and the second user device and the second consumption progress of the content item for the second user device to be unsynchronized for the presentation of the content item (Col. 2, ll. 5-25). In view of the teachings of Dorner, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teachings of Eklund and Klappert. The suggestion/motivation would be a dynamic content delivery service inserts users into groups based on when they access the service and/or known user interests, and the group provides reactions to videos or other content served to the group.
As to claim 9, Eklund and Klappert teaches the method of claim 8, wherein the identified segment is a first segment, Eklund and Klappert does not teach wherein the synchronization schedule further comprises a second segment of the content item at which the presentation of the content item is not to be synchronized for the at least the first user device and the second user device. Dorner teaches wherein the synchronization schedule further comprises a second segment of the content item at which the presentation of the content item is not to be synchronized for the at least the first user device and the second user device (Col. 2, ll. 5-25). In view of the teachings of Dorner, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teachings of Eklund and Klappert. The suggestion/motivation would be a dynamic content delivery service inserts users into groups based on when they access the service and/or known user interests, and the group provides reactions to videos or other content served to the group.
As to claim 13, see the rejection of claim 3.
As to claim 19, see the rejection of claim 9.
Conclusion
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/CHRISTINE A KURIEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2421 /NATHAN J FLYNN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2421