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 .
1. This communication is responsive to the application filed 12/3/2024.
2. Claims 1-25 are pending in this application. Claims 1, 18 and 22 are independent claims. This action is made Non-Final.
Double Patenting
3. 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 § 2146 et seq. 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 filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
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4. Claims 1-25 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-40 of U.S. Patent No. 12/169,687. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because they are substantially similar.
Present Invention 18/967,076
Patent No. 12/169,687
1. As an alternative to formatting cells, when the cells are populated by a spreadsheet flex copy-paste, a method applying formatting as an argument of the spreadsheet flex copy-paste including: receiving a first signal from a user invoking a selection list panel, in a context of a user-specified spreadsheet flex copy-paste that populates a plurality of cells in a spreadsheet range with flex copy-paste results; responsive to the first signal, causing display of the selection list panel that includes a list of specifications appropriate to the context that are useable with the spreadsheet flex copy-paste, wherein a plurality of first specifications in the list are formatting specifications that configure the formatting of output of a plurality of cells in a spreadsheet flex copy-paste range and override cell formatting otherwise applied to the spreadsheet flex copy-paste range; and receiving at least one second signal from the user selecting at least one of the formatting specifications, and configuring the formatting of the output from the spreadsheet flex copy-paste accordingly when the spreadsheet flex copy-paste is committed to the spreadsheet cells.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein when a change in cells populated by the spreadsheet flex copy-paste expands the formatted range, that expanded range overrides the cell formatting otherwise applied to the spreadsheet range.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein when a change in cells populated by the spreadsheet flex copy-paste contracts the formatted range, the spreadsheet flex copy-paste formatted cells no longer occupied by the spreadsheet flex copy-paste revert to the cell formatting otherwise applied to those cells or the default formatting.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user selected formatting specification is non-conditional cell formatting.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user selected formatting specification is conditional formatting.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected formatting specification is populated as argument text in an argument list of a spreadsheet formula in the spreadsheet cell.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the formatting specifications are visible in the selection list panel and not visible as argument text in an argument list of a spreadsheet formula in the spreadsheet cell.
8. The method of claim 1, further including the selection list panel displaying corresponding selected configuration descriptions aligned with at least some of the specifications in the list of specifications.
9. The method of claim 1, further including, in the selection list panel, multiple separate lists with multiple value selections, wherein the multiple lists present the multiple value selections for respective ones of the formatting specifications.
10. The method of claim 1, further including in the selection list panel a first list of specification topics, each of which is accompanied by a second list of specifications applicable to the specification topics in the first list.
11. The method of claim 1, further including in the selection list panel a first list of specifications, each of which is accompanied by a second cascading list, that is selectable using a control, that presents specification alternatives applicable to specifications in the first list.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein a user selectable selection list panel button is positioned adjacent to a formula bar of the spreadsheet.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein a user selectable selection list panel button becomes visible when a spreadsheet cell that holds a spreadsheet flex copy-paste is selected.
14. The method of claim 1, further including receiving a normal user application of cell formatting to all the cells within a target range of a spreadsheet flex copy-paste and then automatically converting the cell formatting to control of the spreadsheet flex copy-paste.
15. The method of claim 1, further including receiving a normal user application of cell formatting to a subset of cells within the spreadsheet flex copy-paste range and then automatically propagating the normal user application of the cell formatting for that subset of cells to control the formatting of the spreadsheet flex copy-paste range.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the automatically converting extends the user-applied cell formatting throughout all the cells in the spreadsheet copy-paste target range.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the extension of user-applied cell formatting throughout all the cells in the spreadsheet copy-paste target range can be reverted using a ribbon action or shortcut.
18. A non-transitory computer readable medium holding program instructions that, when executed on a processor as an alternative to formatting cells, when the cells are populated by a spreadsheet flex copy-paste, a method applying formatting as an argument of the spreadsheet flex copy-paste including: receiving a first signal from a user invoking a selection list panel, in a context of a user-specified spreadsheet flex copy-paste that populates a plurality of cells in a spreadsheet range with flex copy-paste results; responsive to the first signal, causing display of the selection list panel that includes a list of specifications appropriate to the context that are useable with the spreadsheet flex copy-paste, wherein a plurality of first specifications in the list are formatting specifications that configure the formatting of output of a plurality of cells in a spreadsheet flex copy-paste range and override cell formatting otherwise applied to the spreadsheet flex copy-paste range; and receiving at least one second signal from the user selecting at least one of the formatting specifications, and configuring the formatting of the output from the spreadsheet flex copy-paste accordingly when the spreadsheet flex copy-paste is committed to the spreadsheet cells.
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein when a change in cells populated by the spreadsheet flex copy-paste expands the formatted range, that expanded range overrides the cell formatting otherwise applied to the spreadsheet range.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein when a change in cells populated by the spreadsheet flex copy-paste contracts the formatted range, the spreadsheet flex copy-paste formatted cells no longer occupied by the spreadsheet flex copy-paste revert to the cell formatting otherwise applied to those cells or the default formatting.
21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein at least some of the formatting specifications are visible in the selection list panel and not visible as argument text in an argument list of a spreadsheet formula in the spreadsheet cell.
22. A computer-implemented system including at least one processor and memory coupled to the processor, the memory holding program instructions that as an alternative to formatting cells, when the cells are populated by a spreadsheet flex copy-paste, a method applying formatting as an argument of the spreadsheet flex copy-paste including: receiving a first signal from a user invoking a selection list panel, in a context of a user-specified spreadsheet flex copy-paste that populates a plurality of cells in a spreadsheet range with flex copy-paste results; responsive to the first signal, causing display of the selection list panel that includes a list of specifications appropriate to the context that are useable with the spreadsheet flex copy-paste, wherein a plurality of first specifications in the list are formatting specifications that configure the formatting of output of a plurality of cells in a spreadsheet flex copy-paste range and override cell formatting otherwise applied to the spreadsheet flex copy-paste range; and receiving at least one second signal from the user selecting at least one of the formatting specifications, and configuring the formatting of the output from the spreadsheet flex copy-paste accordingly when the spreadsheet flex copy-paste is committed to the spreadsheet cells.
23. The system of claim 22, wherein when a change in cells populated by the spreadsheet flex copy-paste expands the formatted range, that expanded range overrides the cell formatting otherwise applied to the spreadsheet range.
24. The system of claim 22, wherein when a change in cells populated by the spreadsheet flex copy-paste contracts the formatted range, the spreadsheet flex copy-paste formatted cells no longer occupied by the spreadsheet flex copy-paste revert to the cell formatting otherwise applied to those cells or the default formatting.
25. The system of claim 22, wherein at least some of the formatting specifications are visible in the selection list panel and not visible as argument text in an argument list of a spreadsheet formula in the spreadsheet cell.
1. As an alternative to formatting cells, when the cells are populated by a built-in spreadsheet function contained in a cell of a spreadsheet, a method applying formatting as an argument of the built-in spreadsheet function including: receiving a first signal from a user invoking a selection list panel, in a context of a user-specified built-in spreadsheet function in a spreadsheet cell that populates a plurality of cells in a spreadsheet range with function results; responsive to the first signal, causing display of the selection list panel that includes a list of specifications appropriate to the context that are useable with the built-in spreadsheet function, wherein a plurality of first specifications in the list are formatting specifications that configure formatting of output from the built-in spreadsheet to populate a plurality of cells in a spreadsheet range and override cell formatting otherwise applied to the spreadsheet range; and receiving at least one second signal from the user selecting at least one of the formatting specifications, and configuring the formatting of the output from the built-in spreadsheet function accordingly when the spreadsheet function is committed to the spreadsheet cell.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein when a change in cells populated by the built-in spreadsheet function expands the formatted range, that expanded range overrides the cell formatting otherwise applied to the spreadsheet range.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein when a change in cells populated by the built-in spreadsheet function contracts the formatted range, the built-in function formatted cells no longer occupied by the function revert to the cell formatting otherwise applied to those cells or no formatting.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user selected formatting specification is non-conditional cell formatting.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user selected formatting specification is conditional formatting.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected formatting specification is populated as argument text in an argument list of the built-in spreadsheet function in the spreadsheet cell.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the formatting specifications are visible in the selection list panel and not visible as argument text in an argument list of the built-in spreadsheet function in the spreadsheet cell.
8. The method of claim 1, further including the selection list panel displaying corresponding selected configuration descriptions aligned with at least some of the specifications in the list of specifications.
9. The method of claim 1, further including, in the selection list panel, multiple separate lists with multiple value selections, wherein the multiple lists present the multiple value selections for respective ones of the formatting specifications.
10. The method of claim 1, further including in the selection list panel a first list of specification topics, each of which is accompanied by a second list of specifications applicable to the specification topics in the first list.
11. The method of claim 1, further including in the selection list panel a first list of specifications, each of which is accompanied by a second cascading list, that is selectable using a control, that presents specification alternatives applicable to specifications in the first list.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein a user selectable selection list panel button is positioned adjacent to a formula bar of the spreadsheet.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein a user selectable selection list panel button becomes visible when the spreadsheet cell that holds the built-in spreadsheet function is selected or when a cursor is moved to an argument list of the built-in spreadsheet function.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the formatting of the spreadsheet range targeted for the output of the built-in spreadsheet function, that initially was formatted by normal cell formatting UIs before the display of the selection list panel, is automatically converted to preselected formatting specifications in the selection list panel that the user can choose to override.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein initial preselection of formatting specifications displayed in the selection list panel is based on a manual selection of a cell, range of cells, a segment or segments of the spreadsheet range holding the output of the built-in spreadsheet function.
16. The method of claim 1, further including receiving a user application of cell formatting to a cell or cells within a target range of a built-in function and then automatically converting the cell formatting to configuration of the argument of the built-in spreadsheet function that controls the formatting of the output of at least a segment from the built-in spreadsheet function.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the automatically converting extends the user-applied cell formatting throughout the target range of at least the segment of the built-in function.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the automatically converting and extension of user-applied cell formatting throughout at least the segment of the target range can be reverted to the built-in function formatting control effective prior to the automatic converting and extension.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein the automatically converting can be reverted using a ribbon action or shortcut.
20. The method of claim 1, wherein function argument input changes are automatically propagated to related arguments using the changed input.
21. A non-transitory computer readable medium holding program instructions that, when executed on a processor as an alternative to formatting cells, when the cells are populated by a built-in spreadsheet function contained in a cell of a spreadsheet, implement a method applying formatting as an argument of the built-in spreadsheet function including: receiving a first signal from a user invoking a selection list panel, in a context of a user-specified built-in spreadsheet function in a spreadsheet cell that populates a plurality of cells in a spreadsheet range with function results; responsive to the first signal, causing display of the selection list panel that includes a list of specifications appropriate to the context that are useable with the built-in spreadsheet function, wherein a plurality of first specifications in the list are formatting specifications that configure formatting of output from the built-in spreadsheet to populate a plurality of cells in a spreadsheet range and override cell formatting otherwise applied to the spreadsheet range; and receiving at least one second signal from the user selecting at least one of the formatting specifications, and configuring the formatting of the output from the built-in spreadsheet function accordingly when the spreadsheet function is committed to the spreadsheet cell.
22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein when a change in cells populated by the built-in spreadsheet function expands the formatted range, that expanded range overrides the cell formatting otherwise applied to the spreadsheet range.
23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein when a change in cells populated by the built-in spreadsheet function contracts the formatted range, the built-in function formatted cells no longer occupied by the function revert to the cell formatting otherwise applied to those cells or no formatting.
24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the user selected formatting specification is non-conditional cell formatting.
25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the user selected formatting specification is conditional formatting.
26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein a user selectable selection list panel button is positioned adjacent to a formula bar of the spreadsheet.
27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein a user selectable selection list panel button becomes visible when the spreadsheet cell that holds the built-in spreadsheet function is selected or when a cursor is moved to an argument list of the built-in spreadsheet function.
28. A computer-implemented system including at least one processor and memory coupled to the processor, the memory holding program instructions that as an alternative to formatting cells, when the cells are populated by a built-in spreadsheet function contained in a cell of a spreadsheet, implement a method applying formatting as an argument of the built-in spreadsheet function including: receiving a first signal from a user invoking a selection list panel, in a context of a user-specified built-in spreadsheet function in a spreadsheet cell that populates a plurality of cells in a spreadsheet range with function results; responsive to the first signal, causing display of the selection list panel that includes a list of specifications appropriate to the context that are useable with the built-in spreadsheet function, wherein a plurality of first specifications in the list are formatting specifications that configure formatting of output from the built-in spreadsheet to populate a plurality of cells in a spreadsheet range and override cell formatting otherwise applied to the spreadsheet range; and receiving at least one second signal from the user selecting at least one of the formatting specifications, and configuring the formatting of the output from the built-in spreadsheet function accordingly when the spreadsheet function is committed to the spreadsheet cell.
29. The system of claim 28, wherein when a change in cells populated by the built-in spreadsheet function expands the formatted range, that expanded range overrides the cell formatting otherwise applied to the spreadsheet range.
30. The system of claim 28, wherein when a change in cells populated by the built-in spreadsheet function contracts the formatted range, the built-in function formatted cells no longer occupied by the function revert to the cell formatting otherwise applied to those cells or no formatting.
31. The system of claim 28, wherein the user selected formatting specification is non-conditional cell formatting.
32. The system of claim 28, wherein the user selected formatting specification is conditional formatting.
33. The system of claim 28, wherein the selected formatting specification is populated as argument text in an argument list of the built-in spreadsheet function in the spreadsheet cell.
34. The system of claim 28, further including in the selection list panel a first list of specification topics, each of which is accompanied by a second list of specifications applicable to the specification topics in the first list.
35. The system of claim 28, further including in the selection list panel a first list of specifications, each of which is accompanied by a second cascading list, that is selectable using a control, that presents specification alternatives applicable to specifications in the first list.
36. The system of claim 28, wherein the formatting of the spreadsheet range targeted for the output of the built-in spreadsheet function, that initially was formatted by normal cell formatting UIs before the display of the selection list panel, is automatically converted to preselected formatting specifications in the selection list panel that the user can choose to override.
37. The system of claim 36, wherein initial preselection of formatting specifications displayed in the selection list panel is based on a manual selection of a cell, range of cells, a segment or segments of the spreadsheet range holding the output of the built-in spreadsheet function.
38. The system of claim 28, further including receiving a user application of cell formatting to a cell or cells within a target range of a built-in function and then automatically converting the cell formatting of the output of at least a segment from the built-in spreadsheet function.
39. The system of claim 38, wherein the automatically converting extends the user-applied cell formatting throughout the target range of at least the segment of the built-in function.
40. The system of claim 39, wherein the automatically converting and extension of user-applied cell formatting throughout at least the segment of the target range can be reverted to the built-in function formatting control effective prior to the automatic converting and extension.
Conclusion
5. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yost (US 11,074,403).
Honsowetz (US 2013/0073940).
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RASHAWN N TILLERY whose telephone number is (571)272-6480. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00a - 5:30p.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William L Bashore can be reached at (571) 272-4088. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RASHAWN N TILLERY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2174
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