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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This responds to Applicant’s Arguments/Remarks filed 06/25/2026. Claims 1-2, 4-5, 8-9, 11-12, 15-16, 18-19 have been amended. Claims 1-20 are now pending in this Application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 06/25/2026 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.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5, 11-12 and 18-19 are 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.
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, 6-10, 13-17 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable Heng et al (U.S. Pub No. 2013/0297206 A1), and in view of Abhyanker (U.S. Pub No. 2015/0161719 A1).
As per claim 1, Heng discloses a method implanted by one or more processors, the method comprising:
obtaining, contextual data related to a given physical location, wherein the given physical location is a particular type, wherein the contextual data related to the given physical location, of the given physical location, and wherein the particular type is one of: a business, a landmark, a tourist attraction, or a park (Par [0010, 0022, 0025-0026, 0039]);
automatically generating, based on at least the client with the given physical location, a textual description of the given physical location, wherein the textual description of the given physical location describes one or more of: characteristics of the given physical location, or the given physical location in comparison to other physical locations of the particular type (Par [0023, 0032]);
receiving, via an interface of a given additional client device of a given user, a search query that is associated with the given physical location; and in response to receiving the search query that is associated with the given physical location: causing the textual description of the given physical location to be rendered via the interface of the given client device (par [0032, 0034]).
Heng does not explicitly disclose physical location comprise a plurality of reviews, based on at least the reviews, wherein the plurality of reviews were provided by a plurality of different users; wherein the textual description comprises a summary of the plurality of reviews of the given physical location (Par [0134, 0203]).
However, Abhyanker discloses physical location comprise a plurality of reviews, based on at least the reviews, wherein the plurality of reviews were provided by a plurality of different users; wherein the textual description comprises a summary of the plurality of reviews of the given physical location (Par [0134, 0203]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the features as disclosed in Abhyanker into the teachings of Heng in order to provide services needed for the search system (Par [0144]).
As per claim 2, Heng discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the interface of the given client device is a software application interface of a software application, and wherein the software application comprises one of: a browser software application, or a mapping software application (Par [0022]).
As per claim 3, Heng discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the contextual data related to the given physical location further comprises: directional queries that seek directions to or from the given physical location or one or more additional physical locations (Par [0023-0026]).
As per claim 6, Heng discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: causing additional information associated with the given physical location to be rendered, along with the textual description of the given physical location, via the interface of the given additional client device (par [0032, 0034]).
As per claim 7, Heng discloses the method of claim 6, wherein the additional information is dependent on the particular type of the given physical location (Par [0022-0023]).
As per claim 8, Heng discloses a system, comprising:
at least one processor; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to be operable to (par [0070]):
obtain, contextual data related to a given physical location, wherein the contextual data related to the given physical location, of the given physical location, wherein the given physical location is a particular type, and wherein the particular type is one of: a business, a landmark, a tourist attraction, or a park (Par [0010, 0022]);
automatically generate, based on at least the given physical location, a textual description of the given physical location, wherein the textual description of the given physical location describes one or more of: characteristics of the given physical location, or the given physical location in comparison to other physical locations of the particular type (Par [0023, 0032]);
receive, via an interface of a given client device of a given user, a search query that is associated with the given physical location; and in response to receiving the search query that is associated with the given physical location: cause the textual description of the given physical location to be rendered via the interface of the given client device (Par [0032-0034]).
Heng does not explicitly disclose physical location comprise reviews, based on at least the reviews; wherein the plurality of reviews were provided by a plurality of different users; wherein the textual description comprises a summary of the plurality of reviews of the given physical location.
However, Abhyanker discloses physical location comprise reviews, based on at least the reviews; wherein the plurality of reviews were provided by a plurality of different users; wherein the textual description comprises a summary of the plurality of reviews of the given physical location (Par [0134, 0203]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the features as disclosed in Abhyanker into the teachings of Heng in order to provide services needed for the search system (Par [0144]).
As per claim 9, Heng discloses the system of claim 8, wherein the interface of the given client device is a software application interface of a software application, and wherein the software application comprises one of: a browser software application, or a mapping software application (par [0022]).
As per claim 10, Heng discloses the system of claim 8, wherein the contextual data related to the given physical location further comprises: directional queries that seek directions to or from the given physical location or one or more additional physical locations (Par [0023-0026]).
As per claim 13, Heng discloses the system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to: cause additional information associated with the given physical location to be rendered, along with the textual description of the given physical location, via the interface of the given additional client device (par [0032, 0034]).
As per claim 14, Heng discloses the system of claim 13, wherein the additional information is dependent on the particular type of the given physical location (par [0022-0023]).
As per claim 15, Heng discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to execute the instructions to:
obtain, contextual data related to a given physical location, wherein the contextual data related to the given physical location, of the given physical location, and wherein the given physical location is a particular type, and wherein the particular type is one of: a business, a landmark, a tourist attraction, or a park (Par [0010, 0022]);
automatically generate, based on at least the given physical location, a textual description of the given physical location, wherein the textual description of the given physical location describes one or more of: characteristics of the given physical location, or the given physical location in comparison to other physical locations of the particular type (Par [0023, 0032]);
receive, via an interface of a given additional client device of a given user, a search query that is associated with the given physical location; and in response to receiving the search query that is associated with the given physical location: cause the textual description of the given physical location to be rendered via the interface of the given additional client device (Par [0032-0034]).
Heng does not explicitly disclose physical location comprise plurality of reviews, based on at least the reviews; wherein the plurality of reviews were provided by a plurality of different users; wherein the textual description comprises a summary of the plurality of reviews of the given physical location.
However, Abhyanker discloses physical location comprise plurality of reviews, based on at least the reviews; wherein the plurality of reviews were provided by a plurality of different users; wherein the textual description comprises a summary of the plurality of reviews of the given physical location (Par [0134, 0203] summary/total stars).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the features as disclosed in Abhyanker into the teachings of Heng in order to provide services needed for the search system (Par [0144]).
As per claim 16, Heng discloses the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the interface of the given additional client device is a software application interface of a software application, and wherein the software application comprises one of: a browser software application, or a mapping software application (Par [0022]).
As per claim 17, Heng discloses the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the contextual data related to the given physical location further comprises: directional queries that seek directions to or from the given physical location or one or more additional physical locations (par [0032, 0034]).
As per claim 20, Heng discloses the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to execute the instructions to: cause additional information associated with the given physical location to be rendered, along with the textual description of the given physical location, via the interface of the given additional client device, wherein the additional information is dependent on the particular type of the given physical location (par [0032, 0034]).
Conclusion
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.
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August 31, 2026
/THU N NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2154
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