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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on November 6, 2024, April 30, 2025, and March 30, 2026 were filed on/after the filing date of the application on November 6, 2024. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on November 6, 2024. These drawings are accepted.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuo (US 2014/0176555).
As to claim 1, Kuo discloses a display control device (Figure 9, computer system 900, [0070]) comprising a processor (e.g. processor 902) configured to: cause a display device (e.g. video display 910) to display a data image indicating a visualized measurement range of analysis target data (e.g. bar chart of total revenues generated by states over a period of time one or more of Figures 5A-5F, where each bar may be considered “a data image indicating a visualized measurement range of analysis target data”) and a range image indicating a visualized analysis range of the analysis target data in a juxtaposed or superimposed fashion (e.g. an axis visual indicator indicating a range, e.g. between a first threshold value and a second threshold value, e.g. provided as a visual underlay, with a first visual threshold guide and second visual threshold guide, e.g. further provided as a visual overlay, with highlighted bars between the first threshold value and the second threshold value) in which directions of the visualized measurement range and the visualized analysis range agree with each other (e.g. each of the bar chart and axis visual indicator are in directions that agree with each other)(e.g. Figure 5D, [0055] notes user may select a first threshold value 522 and a second threshold value 524 (e.g. range), an axis visual indicator 526 provides visualization for values between the first threshold value 522 and the second threshold value 524 on the axis 506, the visualization may include a bold line under portions of the axis 506 with the values between the first threshold value 522 and second threshold value 524, where a first visual threshold guide 528 corresponding to the first threshold value 522 and a second visual threshold guide 530 corresponding to the second threshold value 524, and individual bars with values meeting the highlighting rules or in this ease, between the first threshold value 522 and second threshold value 524 are highlighted with a darker shading color); and perform a predetermined analysis in an analysis range (e.g. Figure 5B, [0053] notes displaying summary data using the exception highlight application 110, where graph may display summary data corresponding to an individual bar that has been identified by a user in a display box, e.g. including summary data, e.g. total revenue, state, year, and product, corresponding to an individual bar).
As noted above, Kuo discloses its axis visual indicator may be an underlay on the axis defining a range further comprising first and second threshold guides that overlay the graph, considered to superimpose over the graph, thus considered the “range image.” Kuo further discloses the axis visual indicator may be a visual underlay or overlay, where the use of a visual overlay on the axis eliminates the need of highlighting data points ([0052]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to consider the axis visual indicator as the range image described, such that a user may be able to detect that there is a difference between a chart without the exception and a chart with the exception triggered ([0052]).
As to claim 2, Kuo discloses the processor is configured to cause the display device to display a plurality of the data images (e.g. bar chart of total revenues generated by states over a period of time one or more of Figures 5A-5F, where each bar may be considered a data image) and the range image in the juxtaposed or superimposed fashion (e.g. an axis visual indicator indicating a range, e.g. between a first threshold value and a second threshold value, e.g. provided as a visual underlay, with a first visual threshold guide and second visual threshold guide, e.g. further provided as a visual overlay) in which the directions of the visualized measurement ranges and the visualized analysis range agree with each other (e.g. each of the bar chart and axis visual indicator are in directions that agree with each other)(please see claim 1).
As to claim 3, Kuo discloses the processor is configured to cause the display device to further display a setting screen for a data processing method in the juxtaposed or superimposed fashion (e.g. implemented by user interface module 202 of exception highlight application 110 at client machine 102 or 104)([0031] notes exception highlight application 110 enables a user at client machine 102 or 104 to define highlight rules for a graph or chart generated by the visualization application 114, where [0036]-[0038] further notes user interface module 202 may receive defined rules, such as highlight rules for a graphical chart, e.g. the user may select the portion of the axis of the graph in which he or she is interested in visualizing, e.g. using a touchscreen or input device such as a mouse, the user may further select a range by highlighting the portion of the axis corresponding to the range of interest), the data processing method being method of causing the visualized measurement range to agree with the visualized analysis range (e.g. further implemented by exception highlight rules module 204 and exception highlight visualization module 206 of exception highlight application 110)([0039] notes the exception highlight rules module 204 may identify portions of the graph satisfying or meeting the highlight rules (see Figure 3, [0043],[0044]), [0040]-[0042] notes the exception highlight visualization module 206 may generate visualization on the graph to highlight the identified portions of the graph satisfying the highlight rules (see Figure 4, [0045]-[0051]).
As to claim 5, Kuo discloses the processor is configured to: determine the data processing method to be recommended for use based on at least one of the analysis target data and a history of the processing methods selected by a user; and cause the display device to display the determined data processing method (e.g. implemented by user interface module 202 of exception highlight application 110 at client machine 102 or 104)(e.g. as noted in claim 3, [0036]-[0038] notes user interface module 202 may receive defined rules, such as highlight rules for a graphical chart, e.g. the user may select a range by highlighting the portion of the axis corresponding to the range of interest, and once the defined rules are received, causing display of the visualization, thus may be further considered the method displayed).
As to claim 6, Kuo discloses a display method to be performed by a computer (Figure 9, computer system 900, [0070]), the display method comprising the steps as performed by the processor of the display control device of claim 1. Please see the rejection and rationale of claim 1.
As to claim 7, Kuo discloses a non-transitory storage medium (Figure 9, main memory 904) storing instructions (e.g. instructions 924) that are executable by one or more processors (processor 902) and that cause the one or more processors to perform functions comprising the steps as performed by the processor of the display control device of claim 1. Please see the rejection and rationale of claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record fails to teach or suggest the limitations of the claim as recited.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
SHI et al. (US 2014/0040009) disclose a system and method of providing and filtering keyword stacks, the method further comprising providing the keyword stacks as a set of horizontal bars vertically stacked with each horizontal bar representing a number of keywords falling within a particular metric measurement or range corresponding to a vertical axis.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACINTA M CRAWFORD whose telephone number is (571)270-1539. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30a.m. to 4:30p.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, King Y. Poon can be reached at (571)272-7440. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JACINTA M CRAWFORD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2617
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