Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 25, 2026
Application No. 19/011,390

MEDIA-OBJECT BINDING FOR PREDICTING PERFORMANCE IN A MEDIA

Non-Final OA §DOUBLEPATENT
Filed
Jan 06, 2025
Priority
May 28, 2020 — continuation of 11/602,687 +1 more
Examiner
TORIMIRO, ADETOKUNBO OLUSEGUN
Art Unit
3715
Tech Center
3700 — Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing
Assignee
Sony Group Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
76%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
10m
Est. Remaining
93%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 76% — above average
76%
Career Allowance Rate
772 granted / 1014 resolved
+6.1% vs TC avg
Strong +16% interview lift
Without
With
+16.5%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 8m
Avg Prosecution
24 currently pending
Career history
1044
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
14.1%
-25.9% vs TC avg
§103
36.5%
-3.5% vs TC avg
§102
25.0%
-15.0% vs TC avg
§112
5.1%
-34.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1014 resolved cases

Office Action

§DOUBLEPATENT
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 . The Applicant’s preliminary amendment received on 04/07/2025 has been considered. It is noted that claims 1-21 have been cancelled. New claims 22-41 have been added. 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 time wise 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 claims at issue 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); and 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 a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b). The USPTO internet Web site contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit http://www.uspto.gov/forms/. The filing date of the application will determine what form 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 http://www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp. 4. Claims 22-41 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-25 of U.S. Patent No.11,602,687. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because they both describe similar method and system comprising: receiving, from one or more media stream servers over a communication network, plurality of object data generated during sessions with one or more user devices; identifying a threshold of a milestone event for a current session associated with a stream of a media title based at least in part on one or more factors associated with the current session; generating a prediction of whether one or more object aggregations of object data of the plurality of object data meet the threshold; and causing a presentation of information associated with the prediction of the milestone event (see claims 1-4 of U.S. Patent No. 11,602,687). 5. Claims 1-25 of U.S. Patent No.11,602,687, discloses similar element and limitations to the Claims 22-41 of the present patent application. The present application is therefore an obvious variant thereof of U.S. Patent No.11,602,687. This is an obviousness-type double patenting rejection. The following claim chart shows the claim-to-claim comparison between independent claims from both applications. 19/011,390 11,602,687 22. A method comprising: receiving, from one or more media stream servers over a communication network, plurality of object data generated during sessions with one or more user devices; identifying a threshold of a milestone event for a current session associated with a stream of a media title based at least in part on one or more factors associated with the current session; generating a prediction of whether one or more object aggregations of object data of the plurality of object data meet the threshold; and causing a presentation of information associated with the prediction of the milestone event. 1. A method of predicting performance in a media based on media-object binding, the method comprising: storing, in one or more databases in memory, one or more sets of object data, media-object bindings between stored object data and the media, object-object associations between object data, and object aggregations formed by evaluations formed by evaluations of the object-object associations; and executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by one or more processors: associates one or more sets of object data with the media, wherein the one or more sets of object data comprises data about one or more objects being displayed in the media; forms, based on the associating, one or more media-object bindings between the one or more sets of object data and the media, wherein the one or more media-object bindings are stored in the one or more databases; forms one or more object-object associations between the one or more sets of object data and other stored object data and storing the one or more object-object associations in the one or more databases, wherein the one or more object-object associations form one or more object aggregations; and determines if any of the one or more object aggregations at least meet a set threshold. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising making a suggestion via the media that is displayed to an associated user, the displayed suggestion including a link for streaming the media in real-time when the set threshold is determined to have at least been met. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the media is a live-streaming media. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set threshold is a fastest completion time of reaching a milestone of a previous session, wherein the determination includes comparing a predicted completion time, based on an acceleration calculated over a period of time of a current session, with the fastest completion time. This is an obviousness-type double patenting rejection. 6. Claims 22-41 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-21 of U.S. Patent No.12,239,909 Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because they both describe similar method and system comprising: receiving, from one or more media stream servers over a communication network, plurality of object data generated during sessions with one or more user devices; identifying a threshold of a milestone event for a current session associated with a stream of a media title based at least in part on one or more factors associated with the current session; generating a prediction of whether one or more object aggregations of object data of the plurality of object data meet the threshold; and causing a presentation of information associated with the prediction of the milestone event (see claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 12,239,909). 7. Claims 1-21 of U.S. Patent No. 12,239,909, discloses similar element and limitations to the Claims 22-41 of the present patent application. The present application is therefore an obvious variant thereof of U.S. Patent No. 12,239,909. This is an obviousness-type double patenting rejection. The following claim chart shows the claim-to-claim comparison between independent claims from both applications. 19/011,390 12,239,909 1. A method comprising: receiving, from one or more media stream servers over a communication network, plurality of object data generated during sessions with one or more user devices; identifying a threshold of a milestone event for a current session associated with a stream of a media title based at least in part on one or more factors associated with the current session; generating a prediction of whether one or more object aggregations of object data of the plurality of object data meet the threshold; and causing a presentation of information associated with the prediction of the milestone event. 1. A method of predicting virtual events based on digital object aggregations, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of sets of object data sent over a communication network from one or more media streaming servers, the sets of object data generated during sessions with one or more user devices; storing the sets of object data in one or more databases in memory, wherein the sets of object data include one or more media-object bindings between media files and associated object data; executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by one or more processors: identifies a dynamic threshold for a current session associated with a stream of a media title based on one or more factors associated with the current session; determines that one or more aggregations of the object data meet the dynamic threshold; and generates a prediction regarding a milestone event based on the determination that the dynamic threshold is met by the one or more aggregations of the object data; and provides a suggestion over the communication network to one or more of the user devices based on the prediction This is an obviousness-type double patenting rejection. Conclusion 8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Trombetta et al discloses integrating commentary content and gameplay content over a multi-user platform; Zalewski discloses method and apparatus for real-time viewer interaction with a media presentation. 9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADETOKUNBO OLUSEGUN TORIMIRO whose telephone number is (571)270-1345. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri (8am - 4pm). 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, Peter Vasat can be reached on (571)270-7625. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /ADETOKUNBO O TORIMIRO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
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Prosecution Timeline

Jan 06, 2025
Application Filed
Oct 13, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §DOUBLEPATENT (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
76%
Grant Probability
93%
With Interview (+16.5%)
2y 8m (~10m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1014 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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