Detailed Action
1. This Office Action is responsive to the Amendment filed 04/24/2026. Claims 1, 9 and 15 have been amended. Claims 1-20 are pending for examination. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Double Patenting
2. The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP §§ 706.02(l)(1) - 706.02(l)(3) for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
3. Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-2, 4-10, 12-16 and 18-23 of U.S. Patent No. 12,177,288. in view of Shah et al. (US 2013/0125226 A1).
Instant application 18/953,194
U.S. Patent No. 12,177,288
Claim 1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a universal hub executing as a utility service running on a background of an end user device, a particular instruction from a user device for sending to a plurality of internet services in communication with the end user device;
authenticating, by the universal hub, a user of the user device with each service in the plurality of internet services;
translating, by the universal hub, the particular instruction to a plurality of translated instructions, each translated instruction of the plurality of translated instructions having a format corresponding to a respective service of the plurality of internet services; and
transmitting, by the universal hub, each translated instruction to the respective service.
Claim 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: causing a user interface to display, on the user device, an integrated view of notifications for a first internet service of the plurality of internet services based on a profile for a user of the user device.
Claim 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the profile for the user of the user device defines a type of information to be delivered to the user device and a schedule for the information to be delivered to the user device.
Claim 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the profile for the user device comprises matching requirements of the plurality of internet services with capabilities of the user device.
Claim 5. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving data from one or more of the internet services of the plurality of internet services by the universal hub.
Claim 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the profile for the user device indicates delivery rules corresponding to device location, content type, calling party, and meeting time.
Claim 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the data is received responsive to a request from the user device, and wherein a first profile associated with the user device is configured to be switched to a second user device utilizing a single user input.
Claim 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the data comprises a notification associated with the internet services that send the data.
Claim 9. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and a memory to store computer program instructions, wherein the computer program instructions when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by a universal hub executing as a utility service running on a background of an end user device, a particular instruction from a user device for sending to a plurality of internet services in communication with the end user device;
authenticating, by the universal hub, a user of the user device with each service in the plurality of internet services;
translating, by the universal hub, the particular instruction to a plurality of translated instructions, each translated instruction of the plurality of translated instructions having a format corresponding to a respective service of the plurality of internet services; and
transmitting, by the universal hub, each translated instruction to the respective service.
Claim 10. The apparatus of claim 9, the operations further comprising: causing a user interface to display, on the user device, an integrated view of notifications for a first internet service of the plurality of internet services based on a profile for a user of the user device.
Claim 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the profile for the user device indicates delivery rules corresponding to device location, content type, calling party, and meeting time.
Claim 12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the profile for the user of the user device defines a type of information to be delivered to the user device and a schedule for the information to be delivered to the user device.
Claim 13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the profile for the user device comprises matching requirements of the plurality of internet services with capabilities of the user device.
Claim 14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising receiving data from one or more of the internet services of the plurality of internet services by the universal hub responsive to a request from the user device, and wherein a first profile associated with the user device is configured to be switched to a second user device utilizing a single user input.
Claim 15. A non-transitory computer readable device that stores computer program instructions for transmitting data, which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by a universal hub executing as a utility service on a background of an end user device, a particular instruction from a user device for sending to a plurality of internet services in communication with the end user device;
authenticating, by the universal hub, a user of the user device with each service in the plurality of internet services;
translating, by the universal hub, the particular instruction to a plurality of translated instructions, each translated instruction of the plurality of translated instructions having a format corresponding to a respective service of the plurality of internet services; and
transmitting, by the universal hub, each translated instruction to the respective service.
Claim 16. The non-transitory computer readable device of claim 15, the operations further comprising: identifying, by the universal hub, certain user devices from a plurality of user devices to which the universal hub should send data received from the plurality of internet services, wherein the certain user devices are identified based on a profile for each of the plurality of user devices and a type of the data, and wherein the profile for each of the plurality of user devices comprises an identity of an entity providing each of the internet services.
Claim 17. The non-transitory computer readable device of claim 16, wherein the profile for the user device indicates delivery rules corresponding to device location, content type, calling party, and meeting time.
Claim 18. The non-transitory computer readable device of claim 16, wherein the profile for a user of the user device defines a type of information to be delivered to the user device and a schedule for the information to be delivered to the user device.
Claim 19. The non-transitory computer readable device of claim 16, wherein the profile for the user device comprises matching requirements of each of the internet services with capabilities of the user device.
Claim 20. The non-transitory computer readable device of claim 15, the operations further comprising receiving data from one or more of the internet services of the plurality of internet services by the universal hub, wherein the data is received responsive to a request from the user device, and wherein a first profile associated with the user device is configured to be switched to a second user device utilizing a single user input.
Claim 1. A method, comprising:
establishing, by a universal hub executing as a utility service running on a background of an end user device, a signal connection to each service of a plurality of internet services;
authenticating, by the universal hub, a user of a user device with each service in the plurality of internet services;
creating, by the universal hub, a profile for the user for each of the plurality of internet services;
receiving, by the universal hub, a particular instruction from the user device for sending to the plurality of internet services;
translating, by the universal hub, the particular instruction into a plurality of translated instructions, each translated instruction of the plurality of translated instructions having a format corresponding to a respective service of the plurality of internet services; and
transmitting, by the universal hub, each translated instruction to the respective service.
Claim 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: causing a user interface to display, on the user device, an integrated view of notifications for a first internet service of the plurality of internet services based on the profile for the user.
Claim 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile for the user of the user device defines a type of information to be delivered to the user device and a schedule for the information to be delivered to the user device.
Claim 5. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the profile for the user device comprises matching requirements of the plurality of internet services with capabilities of the user device.
Claim 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving data from one or more of the internet services of the plurality of internet services by the universal hub.
Claim 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile for the user device indicates delivery rules corresponding to device location, content type, calling party, and meeting time.
Claim 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the data is received responsive to a request from the user device, and wherein a first profile associated with the user device is configured to be switched to a second user device utilizing a single user input.
Claim 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the data comprises a notification associated with the internet services that send the data.
Claim 9. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
executing a universal hub as a utility service running on a background, wherein the apparatus is an end user;
establishing, by the universal hub, a signal connection to each service of a plurality of internet services;
authenticating, by the universal hub, a user of a user device with each service in the plurality of internet services;
creating, by the universal hub, a profile for the user for each of the plurality of internet services;
receiving, by the universal hub, a particular instruction from the user device for sending to the plurality of internet services;
translating, by the universal hub, the particular instruction into a plurality of translated instructions, each translated instruction of the plurality of translated instructions having a format corresponding to a respective service of the plurality of internet services; and
transmitting, by the universal hub, each translated instruction to the respective service.
Claim 10. The apparatus of claim 9, the operations further comprising: causing a user interface to display, on the user device, an integrated view of notifications for a first internet service of the plurality of internet services based on the profile for the user.
Claim 11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the profile for the user device indicates delivery rules corresponding to device location, content type, calling party, and meeting time.
Claim 12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the profile for the user of the user device defines a type of information to be delivered to the user device and a schedule for the information to be delivered to the user device.
Claim 13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein creating the profile for the user device comprises matching requirements of the plurality of internet services with capabilities of the user device.
Claim 14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising receiving data from one or more of the internet services of the plurality of internet services by the universal hub responsive to a request from the user device, and wherein a first profile associated with the user device is configured to be switched to a second user device utilizing a single user input.
Claim 15. A non-transitory computer readable device storing computer program instructions for transmitting data, which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
establishing, by a universal hub executing as a utility service running on a background of an end user device, a signal connection to each service of a plurality of internet services;
authenticating, by the universal hub, a user of a user device with each service in the plurality of internet services;
creating, by the universal hub, a profile for the user for each of the plurality of internet services;
receiving, by the universal hub, a particular instruction from the user device for sending to the plurality of internet services;
translating, by the universal hub, the particular instruction into a plurality of translated instructions, each translated instruction of the plurality of translated instructions having a format corresponding to a respective service of the plurality of internet services; and
transmitting, by the universal hub, each translated instruction to the respective service.
Claim 16. The non-transitory computer readable device of claim 15, the operations further comprising: identifying, by the universal hub, certain user devices from a plurality of user devices to which the universal hub should send data received from the plurality of internet services, wherein the certain user devices are identified based on the profile for each of the plurality of user devices and a type of the data, and wherein the profile for each of the plurality of user devices comprises an identity of an entity providing each of the internet services.
Claim 17. The non-transitory computer readable device of claim 15, wherein the profile for the user device indicates delivery rules corresponding to device location, content type, calling party, and meeting time.
Claim 18. The non-transitory computer readable device of claim 15, wherein the profile for a user of the user device defines a type of information to be delivered to the user device and a schedule for the information to be delivered to the user device.
Claim 19. The non-transitory computer readable device of claim 15, wherein creating the profile for the user device comprises matching requirements of each of the internet services with capabilities of the user device.
Claim 20. The non-transitory computer readable device of claim 15, the operations further comprising receiving data from one or more of the internet services of the plurality of internet services by the universal hub, wherein the data is received responsive to a request from the user device, and wherein a first profile associated with the user device is configured to be switched to a second user device utilizing a single user input.
4. Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claims 1-2, 4-10, 12-16 and 18-23 of U.S. Patent No. 12,177,288 substantially contain limitations of claims 1-20 of the instant application, except the newly added limitation “authenticating, by the universal hub, a user of the user device with each service in the plurality of internet services”. However, in an analogous art, Shah et al. (US 2013/0125226 A1) discloses “authenticating, by the universal hub, a user of the user device with each service in the plurality of internet services” ([0063]: The SSO subsystem may serve as the hub for the SSO process; [0073-0074]: The SSO subsystem 308 may be the local entity on the user device 304 configured to perform authentication of the user 302 … allow the user to access multiple service providers without further user involvement in the authentication process). Hence, claims 1-20 of the instant application would have been obvious over the reference claim(s). Claims of the instant application therefore are not patently distinct from the earlier patent claims and as such are unpatentable over obvious-type double patenting. A later application claim is not patently distinct from an earlier claim if the later claim is anticipated by the earlier claim.
“A later patent claim is not patentably distinct from an earlier patent claim if the later claim obvious over, or anticipated by, the earlier claim. In re Longi, 759 F.2d at 896, 225 USPQ at 651 (affirming a holding of obviousness-type double patenting because the claims at issue were obvious over claims in four prior art patents); In re Berg, 140 F.3d at 1437, 46 USPQ2d at 1233 (Fed. Cir. 1998) (affirming a holding obviousness-type double patenting where a patent application claim to a genus is anticipated by a patent claim to a species within that genus)”. ELI LILLY AND COMPANY vs. BARR LABORATORIES INC., United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, ON PETITION FOR REHEARING EN BANC (DECIDED: May 30, 2001).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
6. Claims 1, 9 and 15 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Brown et al. (US 6,385,652 B1), in view of Matthews et al. (US 2013/0298037 A1), and further in view of Shah et al. (US 2013/0125226 A1), hereinafter “Brown”, “Matthews” and “Shah” correspondingly.
7. As to claim 1, Brown teaches a method, comprising:
receiving, by a universal hub (IPS 103), a particular instruction from a user device for sending to a plurality of internet services in communication with the end user device (col. 13, line 58 – col. 14. line 3: which describes the ability for the user to send instructions related to reporting actions for multiple services);
translating, by the universal hub, the particular instruction to a plurality of translated instructions, each translated instruction of the plurality of translated instructions having a format corresponding to a respective service of the plurality of internet services (col. 10, line 57 – col. 11, line 13: which describes the ability to distinguish between particular types of services or actions taken by the system in the form of an abstraction layer); and
transmitting, by the universal hub, each translated instruction to the respective service (col. 3, lines 8-22: which describes the intention to use the system to transfer information from a user device to the system and further from the system to task specific services).
Brown does not explicitly teach “the universal hub executing as a utility service running on a background of an end user device”.
In an analogous art, Matthews teaches “the universal hub executing as a utility service running on a background of an end user device” ([0093-0095]: the mobile device 702 includes a hub operating system service 734 that is implemented to integrate cloud-based services, a hub application 708, and local device applications 736 with the operating system to implement aspects of the private interaction hubs 718. The hub operating system service 734 may directly access the stored hub data 726 at the cloud storage and service 716; [0112]: the hub coordination architecture 822 may be implemented for the coordination of time, messaging, data activities, and any other shared services) (FIGS. 7-10, [0084], [0093-0095], [0099], [0105] and [0108-0122]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to combine the teachings of Brown and Matthews to achieve “a universal hub executing as a utility service running on a background of an end user device” to permit a user of the mobile device to access, create, and/or modify the hub data, private data of the user, as well as any data that is managed by any of the data and messaging services at the cloud storage and service ([0095]).
Brown-Matthews does not explicitly teach “authenticating, by the universal hub, a user of the user device with each service in the plurality of internet services”.
In an analogous art, Shah discloses “authenticating, by the universal hub, a user of the user device with each service in the plurality of internet services” ([0063]: The SSO subsystem may serve as the hub for the SSO process; [0073-0074]: The SSO subsystem 308 may be the local entity on the user device 304 configured to perform authentication of the user 302 … allow the user to access multiple service providers without further user involvement in the authentication process).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to combine the teachings of Brown-Matthews and Shah to achieve the claimed invention to allow the system to provide a seamless means for accessing internet services whereby user interaction in the provisioning of credentials may be minimized or even eliminated entirely ([0025]).
8. Claims 9 and 15 are corresponding apparatus and computer readable device claims that recite similar limitations as of method claim 1 and do not contain any additional limitations with respect to novelty and/or inventive steps; therefore, they are rejected under the same rationale.
9. Claims 2-8, 10-14 and 16-20 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Brown-Matthews-Shah, in view of Stahl (US 7,072,932 B1).
10. As to claim 2, Brown-Matthews-Shah teaches the method of claim 1, but does not explicitly teach “causing a user interface to display, on the user device, an integrated view of notifications for a first internet service of the plurality of internet services based on a profile for a user of the user device”.
In an analogous art, Stahl teaches “causing a user interface to display, on the user device, an integrated view of notifications for a first internet service of the plurality of internet services based on a profile for a user of the user device” (col. 4, lines 50-54 and col. 6, line 60 – col. 7, line 31: the user has flexibility to change the selection of preferences and information requests in the user profile).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to combine the teachings of Brown-Matthews and Stahl to achieve a system capable of “displaying an integrated view of notifications for an internet service based the user profile” to provide control capabilities to the user to control the delivery of the information (Stahl, col. 7, lines 32-34).
11. As to claim 3, Brown-Matthews-Shah-Stahl teaches the method of claim 2, wherein the profile for the user of the user device defines a type of information to be delivered to the user device and a schedule for the information to be delivered to the user device (Stahl, col. 3, lines 1-11: local weather reports and traffic reports delivered every morning at 6 AM).
12. As to claim 4, Brown-Matthews-Shah-Stahl teaches the method of claim 2, wherein the profile for the user device comprises matching requirements of the plurality of internet services with capabilities of the user device (Stahl, col. 1, lines 40-48: Internet radio configured to receive audio information from the Internet; internet television configured to receive video information from the Internet).
13. As to claim 5, Brown-Matthews-Shah-Stahl teaches the method of claim 2, further comprising receiving data from one or more of the internet services of the plurality of internet services by the universal hub (Stahl, col. 3, lines 45-50; col. 4, line 43 – col. 5, line 17 and col. 6, lines 27-52: Internet Service Provider (ISP) 103 receives the user profile and begins to prepare customized information requested in the user profile. IPS 103 may utilize a plurality of databases 119 connected to world-wide web 115).
14. As to claim 6, Brown-Matthews-Shah-Stahl teaches the method of claim 5, wherein the profile for the user device indicates delivery rules corresponding to device location, content type, calling party, and meeting time (Stahl, col. 1, lines 40-48: Internet radio configured to receive audio information from the Internet; internet television configured to receive video information from the Internet; col. 3, lines 1-36: local weather reports and traffic reports delivered to his Internet radio every morning at 6 AM; stock market information, videos, audio tracks and other current news to be delivered at 2 PM every day to his office computer).
15. As to claim 7, Brown-Matthews-Shah-Stahl teaches the method of claim 5, wherein the data is received responsive to a request from the user device, and wherein a first profile associated with the user device is configured to be switched to a second user device utilizing a single user input (Stahl, col. 3, lines 37-41 and col. 4, lines 4-10: if the user is away from home, the user may call a telephone number to direct the user’s information to a different user device).
16 As to claim 8, Brown-Matthews-Stahl teaches the method of claim 7, wherein the data comprises a notification associated with the internet services that send the data (Stahl, col. 7, lines 27-31: any news related to a particular stock, generates an audio or video alarm).
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17. Claims 10-14 and 16-20 are corresponding apparatus and computer readable device claims that recite similar limitations as of method claims 2-4 and 6-7 and do not contain any additional limitations with respect to novelty and/or inventive steps; therefore, they are rejected under the same rationale.
18. Applicant’s arguments filed 04/24/2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection.
19. 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.
20. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUANG N NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571) 272-3886.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, KAMAL B. DIVECHA, can be reached at (571) 272-5863. The fax phone number for the organization is (571) 273-8300.
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/QUANG N NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2441
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