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 .
Claim Interpretation
Claim 14 recites the following contingent limitations:
A) checking for one or more notifications;
B) detecting at least one first user interaction;
C) launching a low power management process in response to detecting at least one notification and in response to detecting the at least one first user interaction, wherein the low power management process uses at least part of a boot memory of a processor, and wherein the low power management process runs while at least one operational layer of the apparatus is deactivated; and
D) enabling provision of one or more first user interface elements corresponding to the at least one detected notification.
Limitations A and B are not predicated on any conditions and are therefore required. Limitations C and D are contingent because they recite steps that are only required to be performed if their conditions are met. Limitations C and D only need to be performed if a notification is detected (limitation B assumes detection of a user interaction, so C is only predicated upon detecting a notification). Therefore, the broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI) of claim 14 requires only limitations A and B, and may also include any and all embodiments where the condition for C and D are not true. Notably, limitation A only requires checking for a notification without further limiting the result of such checking, and therefore C and D are only carried out when a notification is detected upon checking.
This interpretation does not apply to product claims. A product claim reciting structure for a function that is only performed if a condition is true, still requires that structure for performing the function whether or not the condition occurs.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “the detecting of at least one notification” in lines 7-8. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation. There is no prior original recitation of detecting at least one notification. Claim 1 has previously recited a step of checking for a notification without explicitly indicating that a notification is detected. Similar language appears in the last line of claim 1.
Claim 1 also recites “a processor” in line 10. Claim 1 has already provided an original recitation of “at least one processor” in line 2. It is therefore unclear whether the processor of line 10 is one of the at least one processors of line 2, or a new processor.
Claim 1 recites a step to “enable provision of one or more first user interface elements”. Because “enabling” may be defined as merely making something possible (rather than explicitly causing it or requiring it), the BRI includes anything and everything that does not explicitly prevent the provision of user interface elements. It is therefore indefinite because it is unclear what is excluded by the limitation.
Claims 7-9 recite “the detected at least one notification”, and are rejected on the same basis as claim 1.
Claims 13 and 14 include language similar to claim 1 and are therefore rejected on the same basis.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 4-9, and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lemay et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0357439, in view of Han et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0062450.
Regarding claim 1, Lemay discloses an apparatus comprising:
at least one processor [Fig. 1: processor(s) 120]; and
at least one memory storing instructions [memory 102] that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
check for one or more notifications;
detect at least one first user interaction [para. 0314: “In accordance with a determination that the swipe gesture is in a fourth direction (e.g., downward along a path indicated by arrow 518 in FIG. 5F-1 and/or downward along a path indicated by arrow 536 in FIG. 5F-5)...”];
launch a low power management process in response to the detecting of at least one notification and in response to the detecting of the at least one first user interaction [para. 0314: “…the device displays a notifications user interface 520 that is configured to display a plurality of notifications…”], wherein the low power management process [para. 0062, display of notifications user interface implies use of display and therefore display state: “Device/global internal state 157 includes one or more of: active application state, indicating which applications, if any, are currently active; display state, indicating what applications, views or other information occupy various regions of touch-sensitive display system 112; sensor state, including information obtained from the device's various sensors and other input or control devices 116…”] uses at least part of a boot memory [Fig. 1: memory 102, including device/global internal state 157; para. 0045: “Memory 102 optionally includes high-speed random access memory…”; volatile memory storing OS and system applications indicates they are loaded into the memory, i.e., booted] of a processor, and wherein the low power management process runs while at least one operational layer of the apparatus is deactivated [para. 0315: “Providing… a notifications user interface accessible via input received at a user interface that corresponds to a display-on state of the device allows a user to view information (e.g., prevalent information, such as application information and device settings) on a device display without fully activating the device. Providing access to such information in a display-on state of the device… makes the user-device interface more efficient (e.g., by allowing a user to access information in a display-on state of the device without fully activating the device) which, additionally, reduces power usage and improves battery life of the device by enabling the user to use the device more quickly and efficiently.”]; and
enable provision of one or more first user interface elements corresponding to the at least one detected notification [para. 0314: “…the device displays a notifications user interface 520 that is configured to display a plurality of notifications (e.g., calendar invitation notification 550, message notification 542, voicemail notification 544, and/or notification 5108).”].
Lemay does not disclose checking for one or more notifications.
Han discloses an apparatus that checks for one or more notifications and launches a low power management process in response to detecting at least one notification [Fig. 8, step 801: does message or event occur; step 803: display message or event through low power mode UI].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Lemay and Han by modifying Lemay to include a step of checking for one or more notifications, as taught by Han. Lemay and Han are both directed to mobile devices that operate with a low power management process (displaying messages/notifications). Lemay’s disclosure assumes the presence of notifications and launches a low power management process (i.e., displaying the notifications user interface) in response to detecting the first user interaction (i.e., swipe gesture). Han discloses an apparatus that checks for notifications, displays the notifications when they are present, and otherwise does not display the notifications (i.e., step 805, continues to display the standard low power mode UI). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to apply the teaching of Han to Lemay based on Han’s teaching that when notifications are not present, they do not need to be displayed, and the device may continue to display the standard low power mode UI [Fig. 8, step 805]. Thus, in the combination of Lemay and Han, by checking for notifications (as taught by Han), Lemay’s system could, upon detecting a first user interaction, display the notifications user interface when notifications are detected (i.e., launch the low power management process in response to detecting at least one notification and in response to detecting the at least one first user interaction), and otherwise not display the notifications user interface (i.e., wake screen, para. 0312).
Regarding claim 4, Lemay teaches that the one or more first user interface elements further comprise a preview of the detected at least one notification [Fig. 5G], and at least one element for allowing user interaction corresponding to the detected one or more notifications [para. 0320: “…while the notifications user interface 520 is displayed, the device detects (724) a dismissal gesture (e.g. a leftward swipe or a gesture received at an affordance, e.g., an “X” affordance (e.g., 566 in FIG. 5M) or a quick action item, such as an “accept calendar invitation” quick action item) at a location on the touch-sensitive surface 112 corresponding to a respective notification (e.g., within and/or adjacent to a notification platter at a location that corresponds to the respective notification) included in the notifications user interface…”].
Regarding claim 5, Lemay teaches that the one or more notifications further comprise one or more system notifications [Fig. 5H: voicemail].
Regarding claim 6, Lemay teaches that the one or more notifications further comprise one or more communication notifications [Fig. 5H: messages from Alice].
Regarding claim 7, Lemay teaches storing the detected at least one notification in a notification buffer [Fig. 5M].
Regarding claim 8, Lemay teaches reading the stored detected at least one notification from the notification buffer [Fig. 5M].
Regarding claim 9, Lemay teaches that the apparatus
detects at least one second user interaction [para. 0321: “In some embodiments, while the notification user interface is displayed, the device detects (728) a launch gesture…”]; and
launch one or more applications relating to the detected at least one notification in response to the detecting of the at least one second user interaction [para. 0321: “…and in response to detecting the launch gesture, the device launches (730) an application that corresponds to the first notification (e.g., as shown in FIG. 5Q).”].
Regarding claim 13, Lemay teaches that the device is a mobile communication device [Fig. 4A]. Han discloses a smart wearable device [Fig. 10-13].
Claims 14 and 15 recite the same functions as claim 1 and are therefore rejected on the same basis.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lemay in view of Han as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Andou et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0095914.
Regarding claim 10, Lemay and Han disclose the apparatus of claim 1, but do not teach the step to deactivate the low power management process (i.e., displaying a notifications user interface) after a first predefined time period.
Andou discloses a step to deactivate a “low power management process” after a first predetermined time period [para. 0041: “This power-saving setup item is used for executing control to turn off power of the display at an idle time. In this setup item, a time period from when the system is set in the idle state to when the power of the display is turned off is set.“].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to combine the teachings of Lemay, Han, and Andou by modifying Lemay to deactivate a low power management process (i.e. deactivate the display) after a first predetermined time period, as taught by Andou. Lemay discloses a device that activates a display from a display-off mode to receive a user gesture and display a notifications user interface [para. 0265, 0266, 0314]. Andou discloses a portable device that may deactivate a display after an idle time period. It would have been obvious to apply the teachings of Andou to the system of Lemay based on Andou’s teaching that deactivating the display after an idle time results in power savings.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Rosinko et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0184309, discloses an invention receives notifications and allows a user interaction to acknowledge the notifications without activating a display [para. 0380].
Kim et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0349680, discloses an invention that detects a user input after a tactile/haptic output indicating reception of media, the user input triggering a transition to a standard power state to display a notification [para. 0426].
Tyler et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0335920, discloses an invention that receives notifications while in a screen-off state, detects an input for waking the device, and transitions to a screen-on state to display the notifications [abstract].
Steeves et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0004945, discloses an invention that receives and displays a notification, detects a gesture, and generates a second notification representation with an action area that allows a user to respond to the notification [para. 0063].
Du et al., U.S. Patent No. 7,890,741, discloses an invention that selectively boots a first or second operating system, the second operating system being a mini OS that enables a low power playback of media [Fig. 2].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JI H BAE whose telephone number is (571)272-7181. The examiner can normally be reached Tuesday to Friday and every other Monday, 9 am to 6 pm.
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/JI H BAE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2176 U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Phone: 571-272-7181
Fax: 571-273-7181
ji.bae@uspto.gov
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