Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
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 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.
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 8-27 are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/31/2025 has been considered. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Form PTO-1449 is signed and attached hereto.
Drawings
The drawings filed on 01/31/2025 are accepted by the examiner.
Double Patenting
The non-statutory 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 non-statutory obviousness-type 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); 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 non-statutory double patenting ground provided the conflicting 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.
Effective January 1, 1994, a registered attorney or agent of record may sign a terminal disclaimer. A terminal disclaimer signed by the assignee must fully comply with 37 CFR 3.73(b).
Claims of Patent # 11627001, 10880098, 10055394, contains every element of claims of the instant application. 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 patent claim is not patentably 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 is 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 of 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 v BARR LABORATORIES, INC., United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, ON PETITION FOR REHEARING EN BANC (DECIDED: May 30, 2001).
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 conflicting 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.
Claim Comparison
Instant Application # 19/043,383
US Patent # 11,627,001
8. (New) A method comprising: causing, in response to a request for a digital document, a first device to display the digital document in a first graphical user interface of a document editing application; causing display of a user selection graphical element in the first graphical user interface displayed at the first device; receiving a selection, at the first graphical user interface of the first device, of a user identification element corresponding to a second user account associated with a second device, wherein the user identification element is displayed in the user selection graphical element; determining, in response to receiving the selection of the user identification element, a portion of the digital document that is currently displayed on a second graphical user interface of the second device; and causing the first device to display the determined portion of the digital document in the first graphical user interface.
9. (New) The method of claim 8, wherein determining the portion of the digital document that is currently displayed on the second graphical user interface of the second device comprises determining a cursor location for a cursor displayed in the digital document at the second graphical user interface.
10. (New) The method of claim 9, wherein causing the first device to display the determined portion of the digital document comprises displaying a page of the digital document associated with the determined cursor location.
11. (New) The method of claim 8, further comprising, in response to receiving the request for the digital document: retrieving first document permissions for a first user account associated with the first device, the first document permissions defining first editing functions available to the first user account; and causing the first graphical user interface to display a first set of editing tools that is available for the digital document and corresponding to the first editing functions.
12. (New) The method of claim 11, further comprising in response to receiving a second request for the digital document from the second device: retrieving second document permissions for the second user account associated with the second device, the second document permissions defining second editing functions available to the second user account, different from the first editing functions; and causing the second graphical user interface to display a second set of editing tools that is available for the digital document and corresponding to the second editing functions.
13. (New) The method of claim 8, further comprising in response to receiving a modification to the digital document from the second device, updating the digital document on the first graphical user interface of the first device to reflect the modification to the digital document.
14. (New) The method of claim 13, wherein in accordance with a determination that the modification to the digital document corresponds to a device different from a first user account associated with the first device, presenting an animation associated with the modification on the first graphical user interface for the first device.
15. (New) The method of claim 8, further comprising in response to receiving a modification to the digital document from the first device, updating the digital document on the second graphical user interface of the second device to reflect the modification to the digital document.
16. (New) The method of claim 8, further comprising causing multiple devices to each display the digital document in a respective graphical user interface of the document editing application, each of the multiple devices associated with a different user account.
17. (New) The method of claim 16, wherein the user selection graphical element displayed in the first graphical user interface comprises multiple user identification elements each corresponding to the different user account of the multiple devices.
18. (New) A method comprising: displaying by a first device and in response to a request for a digital document from a server, the digital document in a first graphical user interface of a document editing application; displaying by the first device a user selection graphical element in the first graphical user interface; receiving, at the first device, a selection of a user identification element corresponding to a second user account associated with a second device, wherein the user identification element is displayed in the user selection graphical element; in response to receiving the selection of the user identification element, generating a request to the server for an indication of a portion of the digital document that is currently displayed on a second graphical user interface of the second device; and in response to receiving the indication of the portion of the digital document from the server, displaying at the first device the determined portion of the digital document in the first graphical user interface.
19. (New) The method of claim 18, wherein the user selection graphical element displayed in the first graphical user interface comprises multiple user identification elements each corresponding to a different user device displaying the digital document.
20. (New) The method of claim 18, further comprising: receiving, at the first device, a selection of a second user identification element corresponding to a third user account associated with a third device, wherein the second user identification element is displayed in the user selection graphical element; in response to receiving the selection of the second user identification element, generating a request to the server for a second indication of a second portion of the digital document that is currently displayed on a third graphical user interface of the third device; and in response to receiving the second indication of the second portion of the digital document from the server, displaying at the first device the determined second portion of the digital document in the first graphical user interface.
21. (New) The method of claim 18, wherein determining the portion of the digital document that is currently displayed on the second graphical user interface of the second device comprises determining a cursor location for a cursor displayed in the digital document at the second graphical user interface.
22. (New) The method of claim 18, further comprising in response to receiving a modification to the digital document from the second device, updating the digital document on the first graphical user interface of the first device to reflect the modification to the digital document.
23. (New) The method of claim 22, further comprising presenting an animation associated with the modification at the first graphical user interface.
24. (New) A method comprising: receiving, at a server, a first request for a digital document from a first device; in response to receiving the first request for the digital document, causing the first device to display the digital document in a first graphical user interface of a document editing application, the first graphical user interface comprising a first portion of the digital document; receiving, at the server, a second request for the digital document from a second device; in response to receiving the second request for the digital document, causing the second device to display the digital document in a second graphical user interface of the document editing application, the second graphical user interface comprising a second portion of the digital document; causing display of a user selection graphical element in the first graphical user interface displayed at the first device; in response to receiving a selection, from the first device, of a particular user identification displayed in the user selection graphical element, the particular user identification corresponding to the second device: determining a currently displayed portion of the digital document in the second graphical user interface of the second device; and causing the first graphical user interface of the first device to display to the currently displayed portion of the digital document in the second graphical user interface.
25. (New) The method of claim 24, further comprising in response to a modification to the digital document from the second device, causing an update to the digital document on the first graphical user interface of the first device to reflect the modification to the digital document.
26. (New) The method of claim 25, further comprising presenting an animation associated with the modification at the first graphical user interface.
27. (New) The method of claim 24, further comprising in response to receiving the first request for the digital document, causing the first graphical user interface to display a first set of editing tools that is available for the digital document.
1. A method comprising: presenting, on a display of a first device, a first portion of a document in a graphical user interface of a document editing application; receiving, at the first device and from a second device, a text message including one or more words; after receiving the text message, identifying that a set of one or more words of the one or more words is associated with a location within the document; based on identifying that the set of one or more words is associated with the location, presenting, as a replacement for the set of one or more words, a selectable link; and in response to selection of the selectable link, causing the document editing application to display, in the graphical user interface, a second portion of the document that is different from the first portion of the document, wherein the second portion corresponds to the location.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein: the document editing application includes a chat interface; and he the text message is displayed in the chat interface.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the chat interface and a portion of the document are simultaneously displayed in the graphical user interface of the document editing application.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more words comprises a page number of the document.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more words comprises a reference to a figure contained in the document.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a cursor location associated with the second device on the graphical user interface associated with the first device.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein: the document editing application receiving a modification to the document from the second device at a second location; and the document editing application changes a presentation of the document on the display of the first device to reflect the modification to the document.
8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processes, causes: presenting, on a display of a first device, a first portion of a document in a graphical user interface of a document editing application; receiving, at the first device and from a second device, a text message including one or more words; after receiving the text message, identifying that a set of one or more words of the one or more words is associated with a location within the document; based on identifying that the set of one or more words is associated with the location, presenting, as a replacement for the set of one or more words, a selectable link; and in response to selection of the selectable link, causing the document editing application to display, in the graphical user interface, a second portion of the document that is different from the first portion of the document, wherein the second portion corresponds to the location.
9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein: the document editing application includes a chat interface; and the text message is displayed in the chat interface.
10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the chat interface and a portion of the document are simultaneously displayed in the graphical user interface of the document editing application.
11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the set of one or more words comprises a page number of the document.
12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the set of one or more words comprises a reference to a figure contained in the document.
13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising displaying a cursor location associated with the second device on the graphical user interface associated with the first device.
14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein: the document editing application receiving a modification to the document from the second device at a second location; and the document editing application changes a presentation of the document on the display of the first device to reflect the modification to the document.
15. A system comprising: one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause: presenting, on a display of a first device, a first portion of a document in a graphical user interface of a document editing application; receiving, at the first device and from a second device, a text message including one or more words; after receiving the text message, identifying that a set of one or more words of the one or more words is associated with a location within the document; based on identifying that the set of one or more words is associated with the location, presenting, as a replacement for the set of one or more words, a selectable link; and in response to selection of the selectable link, causing the document editing application to display, in the graphical user interface, a second portion of the document that is different from the first portion of the document, wherein the second portion corresponds to the location.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein: the document editing application includes a chat interface; and the text message is displayed in the chat interface.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the chat interface and a portion of the document are simultaneously displayed in the graphical user interface of the document editing application.
18. The system of claim 15, wherein the set of one or more words comprises a page number of the document.
19. The system of claim 15, wherein the set of one or more words comprises a reference to a figure contained in the document.
20. The system of claim 15, further comprising displaying a cursor location associated with the second device on the graphical user interface associated with the first device.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
1. Claims 8-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takahashi (US Publication No. 2010/0199191, hereinafter “Takahashi”).
Regarding claim 8, Takahashi does disclose a method comprising: causing, in response to a request for a digital document, a first device to display the digital document in a first graphical user interface of a document editing application; causing display of a user selection graphical element in the first graphical user interface displayed at the first device (Takahashi, (para. [0076]), when the manipulation area detection unit detects which area on the display screen is requested by each user, the detected area is set as a manipulation area. As one of methods of detecting the requested manipulation area, when a cursor of a certain user tries to access a certain manipulation area, that manipulation area may be detected as the manipulation area requested by the user; (para. [0063), … where a functional construction of the large scale display device 3 as a collaborative work apparatus and a functional construction of each of the terminal devices 5a, 5b, and 5n as a collaborative work apparatus); receiving a selection, at the first graphical user interface of the first device, of a user identification element corresponding to a second user account associated with a second device (Takahashi, (para. [0084]), detects whether or not the user is requesting a certain manipulation area on the display screen. If the requested manipulation area is detected, then it is determined whether or not the manipulation authority over the requested manipulation area can be granted to the corresponding user based on the manipulation authority information; (para. [0067]), … where the invention is constructed in such a manner in order to allow the large scale display device 3 to execute control subjectively based on the cursor manipulation signal according to an embodiment of the invention and the terminal devices 5a, 5b, and 5n to be operated subordinately depending on the control result of the large scale display device 3), wherein the user identification element is displayed in the user selection graphical element (Takahashi, (para. [0111] and figure 8), when the cursor of the user "S. J" accesses the manipulation area of the window 101 of which the manipulation authority has not yet been granted to anybody, the manipulation authority over that window 101 is granted to the user "S. J"); determining, in response to receiving the selection of the user identification element, a portion of the digital document that is currently displayed on a second graphical user interface of the second device (Takahashi, (para. [0111] and figure 8), the cursor image of the user "S. J" is changed so that the window 101 is enclosed with a predetermined frame line. In the manipulation authority information as shown in FIG. 9, the manipulation authority user ID of the user "S. J" is registered in association with the manipulation area ID "Sample.doc" of the window 101; (para. [0072]), each of the large scale display device 3 and other terminal devices 5a, 5b, and 5n may communicate with one another through the cursor control signal, receive the cursor manipulation signals of all users, and independently control the cursor location and the manipulation authority); and causing the first device to display the determined portion of the digital document in the first graphical user interface (Takahashi, (para. [0112]), the user "S. J" is allowed to edit a file or the like displayed on the window 101 by obtaining the manipulation authority over the window 101. Meanwhile, when other users "Ichi" and "Tar" try to access that window 101, a dialog, for example, "under editing" is displayed, and the cursors of other users "Ichi" and "Tar" are rejected to access the window 101).
Regarding claim 9, Takahashi further discloses the method of claim 8, wherein determining the portion of the digital document that is currently displayed on the second graphical user interface of the second device comprises determining a cursor location for a cursor displayed in the digital document at the second graphical user interface (Takahashi, (para. [0111] and figure 8), the cursor image of the user "S. J" is changed so that the window 101 is enclosed with a predetermined frame line. In the manipulation authority information as shown in FIG. 9, the manipulation authority user ID of the user "S. J" is registered in association with the manipulation area ID "Sample.doc" of the window 101).
Regarding claim 10, Takahashi further discloses the method of claim 9, wherein causing the first device to display the determined portion of the digital document comprises displaying a page of the digital document associated with the determined cursor location (Takahashi, (para. [0111] and figure 8), the cursor image of the user "S. J" is changed so that the window 101 is enclosed with a predetermined frame line. In the manipulation authority information as shown in FIG. 9, the manipulation authority user ID of the user "S. J" is registered in association with the manipulation area ID "Sample.doc" of the window 101).
Regarding claim 11, Takahashi further discloses the method of claim 8, further comprising, in response to receiving the request for the digital document: retrieving first document permissions for a first user account associated with the first device, the first document permissions defining first editing functions available to the first user account; and causing the first graphical user interface to display a first set of editing tools that is available for the digital document and corresponding to the first editing functions (Takahashi, (para. [0084]), detects whether or not the user is requesting a certain manipulation area on the display screen. If the requested manipulation area is detected, then it is determined whether or not the manipulation authority over the requested manipulation area can be granted to the corresponding user based on the manipulation authority information).
Regarding claim 12, Takahashi further discloses the method of claim 11, further comprising in response to receiving a second request for the digital document from the second device: retrieving second document permissions for the second user account associated with the second device, the second document permissions defining second editing functions available to the second user account, different from the first editing functions; and causing the second graphical user interface to display a second set of editing tools that is available for the digital document and corresponding to the second editing functions (Takahashi, (para. [0117]), when the cursor of another user "Ichi" accesses a second manipulation area 105 (e.g., a second paragraph of the same file) different from the first manipulation area 103, the manipulation authority over the second manipulation area 105 is granted to another user "Ichi").
Regarding claim 13, Takahashi further discloses the method of claim 8, further comprising in response to receiving a modification to the digital document from the second device, updating the digital document on the first graphical user interface of the first device to reflect the modification to the digital document (Takahashi, (para. [0085]), the terminal device 5a which received the manipulation authority grant information from the large scale display device 3 updates the manipulation authority information within the terminal device 5a based on the manipulation authority grant information. Also, the terminal device 5a executes change of the cursor image of that user (e.g., change of the cursor color) within the manipulation area occupied by that user (in step S6) (the same operation is also executed in the large scale display device 3).
Regarding claim 14, Takahashi further discloses the method of claim 13, wherein in accordance with a determination that the modification to the digital document corresponds to a device different from a first user account associated with the first device, presenting an animation associated with the modification on the first graphical user interface for the first device (Takahashi, (para. [0075]), when a certain file is opened on that window, each of the file itself and components of that file (such as a paragraph, a sentence, a character, an image, a figure, a table, and a picture image) may be set as a manipulation area).
Regarding claim 15, Takahashi further discloses the method of claim 8, further comprising in response to receiving a modification to the digital document from the first device, updating the digital document on the second graphical user interface of the second device to reflect the modification to the digital document (Takahashi, (para. [0120]), as a modified example, manipulation authority over the manipulation area may be granted when the user starts editing after the cursor accesses the manipulation area. FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary display screen when the cursor of the user "S. J" accesses the window 101 in such a modified example. FIG. 17 illustrates an exemplary display screen when the user "S. J" starts editing on a certain file within the window 101 in succession to the state of FIG. 16).
Regarding claim 16, Takahashi further discloses the method of claim 8, further comprising causing multiple devices to each display the digital document in a respective graphical user interface of the document editing application, each of the multiple devices associated with a different user account (Takahashi, (para. [0072]), each of the large scale display device 3 and other terminal devices 5a, 5b, and 5n may communicate with one another through the cursor control signal, receive the cursor manipulation signals of all users, and independently control the cursor location and the manipulation authority).
Regarding claim 17, Takahashi further discloses the method of claim 16, wherein the user selection graphical element displayed in the first graphical user interface comprises multiple user identification elements each corresponding to the different user account of the multiple devices (Takahashi, (para. [0112]), the user "S. J" is allowed to edit a file or the like displayed on the window 101 by obtaining the manipulation authority over the window 101. Meanwhile, when other users "Ichi" and "Tar" try to access that window 101, a dialog, for example, "under editing" is displayed, and the cursors of other users "Ichi" and "Tar" are rejected to access the window 101).
Regarding claim 18, the substance of the claimed invention is similar to that of claim 8. Accordingly, this claim is rejected under the same rationale.
Regarding claim 19, the substance of the claimed invention is similar to that of claim 17. Accordingly, this claim is rejected under the same rationale.
Regarding claim 20, the substance of the claimed invention is similar to that of claim 12. Accordingly, this claim is rejected under the same rationale.
Regarding claim 21, the substance of the claimed invention is similar to that of claim 9. Accordingly, this claim is rejected under the same rationale.
Regarding claim 22, the substance of the claimed invention is similar to that of claim 13. Accordingly, this claim is rejected under the same rationale.
Regarding claim 23, the substance of the claimed invention is similar to that of claim 14. Accordingly, this claim is rejected under the same rationale.
Regarding claim 24, the substance of the claimed invention is similar to that of claim 8. Accordingly, this claim is rejected under the same rationale.
Regarding claim 25, the substance of the claimed invention is similar to that of claim 13. Accordingly, this claim is rejected under the same rationale.
Regarding claim 26, the substance of the claimed invention is similar to that of claim 14. Accordingly, this claim is rejected under the same rationale.
Regarding claim 27, the substance of the claimed invention is similar to that of claim 11. Accordingly, this claim is rejected under the same rationale.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US Patent No. 6785740, Yoneda et al., “the invention is related to supplying a file over a network to an information processing apparatus requesting the file which is written in a predetermined page description language and which describes information for linking to other files on the network, the information providing and processing method including the steps of: recording relations between a predetermined keyword on the one hand, and an address for uniquely designating a file corresponding to the keyword on the network on the other hand; and translating the keyword included in text data received from the information processing apparatus into data with a tag related to the address corresponding to the keyword”.
US Publication No. 2013/0262574, Cohen, “the invention includes receiving chat content from participants in a chat session. The method also includes detecting, within the chat content, an embedded request to invite a specified user to join the chat session. The method further includes sending an invitation to the specified user in response to detecting the embedded request. Further, the detecting includes detecting a predefined symbol in the chat content followed by one or more characters entered after the predefined symbol, identifying one or more contact suggestions based on the one or more characters entered after the predefined symbol, and sending the one or more contact suggestions to the client. The contact suggestions are from an address book of the respective participant. In some embodiments, the identifying of one or more contact suggestions and the sending of the contact suggestions are repeated upon receiving each successive character of the one or more characters following the predefined symbol’.
US Publication No. 2010/0205541, Rapaport et al., “the invention relates generally to real time social networks and to production of on-topic search results including that of automatically producing matches between currently online people for instant engagement in real time with one another in forums such as chat rooms. One aspect of the disclosure relates more specifically to helping isolated online users of a network (or even strangers at a social gathering, e.g., a large business conference) in automatically finding one another at times when they are in the mood to do so and when they have roughly concurrent focus on same or similar content and/or when they have approximately concurrent interest in a same or similar particular topic or topics and/or when they have current personality co-compatibility for instantly chatting with, or for otherwise exchanging information with one another in short order online (or even in person) and for example with regard to the content and/or topic of shared current focus or with regard simply to a likelihood that they have current personality co-compatibility for instantly chatting online (or even in person) with each other and potentially developing focus on a particular topic of common interest’.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MORSHED MEHEDI whose telephone number is (571) 270-7640. The examiner can normally be reached on M - F, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm EST. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Linglan Edwards can be reach on (571) 270-5440. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/MORSHED MEHEDI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2408
Prosecution Insights