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 .
DETAILED ACTION
1. This Action is in response to application 19,057,880 filed on 02/19/2025.
2. Claims 1-23 are pending.
3. Claims 1-23 are rejected.
Drawings
4. Drawings filed on 02/19/2025 are approved by the office.
Information Disclosure Statement
5. IDS filed on 02/19/2025, 05/15/2025, 06/05/2025 , 10/24/2025, 12/30/2025 and 06/25/2026 has been considered.
Double Patenting
6. 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.
7. Claims 1-23 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as anticipated over claims 1-7 and 9-48 of U. S. Patent No. 10,623,361 since the claims, if allowed, would improperly extend the "right to exclude" already granted in the patent. The subject matter claimed in the instant application is fully disclosed in the patent and is covered by the patent since the patent and the application are claiming common subject matter.
8. Claims 1-23 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as anticipated over claims 1-20 of U. S. Patent No. 11,171,907 since the claims, if allowed, would improperly extend the "right to exclude" already granted in the patent. The subject matter claimed in the instant application is fully disclosed in the patent and is covered by the patent since the patent and the application are claiming common subject matter.
9. Claims 1-23 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as anticipated over claims 1-20 of U. S. Patent No. 11,606,327 since the claims, if allowed, would improperly extend the "right to exclude" already granted in the patent. The subject matter claimed in the instant application is fully disclosed in the patent and is covered by the patent since the patent and the application are claiming common subject matter.
10. Claims 1-23 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as anticipated over claims 1-20 of U. S. Patent No. 12,137,074, since the claims, if allowed, would improperly extend the "right to exclude" already granted in the patent. The subject matter claimed in the instant application is fully disclosed in the patent and is covered by the patent since the patent and the application are claiming common subject matter.
11. Claims 1-23 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as anticipated over claims 1-21 of U. S. Patent No.12,255,864, since the claims, if allowed, would improperly extend the "right to exclude" already granted in the patent. The subject matter claimed in the instant application is fully disclosed in the patent and is covered by the patent since the patent and the application are claiming common subject matter.
See chart below for example claim comparison:
Claim 1 of ‘361
A method for managing email on a user device comprising: displaying a histogram on a screen of the user device, the histogram being associated with a plurality of received emails, where an X-axis of the histogram represents a plurality of time periods, and a Y-axis of the histogram represents a number of emails received during respective time periods if the plurality of time periods; displaying a first plurality of email tiles in a first vertical list on the screen of the user device, wherein the first plurality of email tiles in the first vertical list are associated with a first time period of the plurality of time periods; detecting a motion-based gesture from a user of the user device while displaying the first plurality of email tiles in the first vertical list on the screen of the user device, wherein the motion-based gesture includes at least one of a tap on a surface of the screen on a region of the histogram associated with a second time period different from the first time period or a swipe across the surface of the screen in a region associated with the histogram; and in response to detecting the motion-based gesture, changing the display of the first plurality of email tiles in the first vertical list to display a second plurality of email tiles in a second vertical list associated with the second time period.
Claim 1 of ‘907
A method comprising: displaying a graphical display of numerical data on a visual display of a user device, the graphical display being associated with a plurality of electronic messages, each electronic message of the plurality of electronic messages being associated with a time period; displaying a first plurality of message tiles in a vertical list on the visual display of the user device, the first plurality of message tiles being associated with a first portion of the graphical display; detecting a gesture from a user of the user device while displaying the first plurality of message tiles in the vertical list on the visual display of the user device, wherein the gesture includes a touch input on a surface of the visual display corresponding to a second portion of the graphical display different from the first portion of the graphical display; and in response to detecting the gesture, changing the display of the first plurality of message tiles in the vertical list to display a second plurality of message tiles associated with the second portion of the graphical display.
Claim 1 of ‘327
A computer-readable storage medium, excluding transitory signals and carrying instructions, which, when executed by at least one data processor of a virtual reality system, cause the virtual reality system to: cause display of a virtual reality interface including multiple graphical tiles in a particular chronological order, wherein each graphical tile represents an electronic message, and wherein one or more graphical tiles are selectively movable among the multiple graphical tiles based on a user's motion; detect a motion-based gesture of the user relative to the virtual reality interface while displaying the multiple graphical tiles on the virtual reality interface, correlate the motion-based gesture of the user to the display of the virtual reality interface to move a particular graphical tile to a new location among the multiple graphical tiles; and in response to the motion-based gesture: virtually displace another graphical tile of the multiple graphical tiles to accommodate the new location of the particular graphical tile; and cause display, on the virtual reality interface, of the multiple graphical tiles arranged in a new order different from the particular order, wherein the new order includes the particular graphical tile in the new location among the multiple graphical tiles.
Claim 1 of ‘493
A method comprising: causing display of a graphical display on a visual display of a user device, the graphical display being associated with a plurality of electronic messages, each electronic message of the plurality of electronic messages being associated with a time period; causing display of a first plurality of message tiles in a first vertical list on the visual display of the user device, the first plurality of message tiles being associated with a first portion of the graphical display; detecting a gesture from a user of the user device while displaying the first plurality of message tiles in the vertical list on the visual display of the user device, wherein the gesture is associated with a sender of electronic messages; and in response to detecting the gesture, changing the display of the first plurality of message tiles in the first vertical list to display a second plurality of message tiles associated with a second portion of the graphical display, wherein the second portion of the graphical display is a second vertical list of a plurality of message tiles associated with the sender of electronic messages.
Claim 1 of ‘864
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed by one or more data processors of a system, cause the system to: cause display, on a user device, of a vertical list of graphical elements arranged in chronological order on a main interface of a message client, wherein each graphical element presents information of an associated electronic message, wherein each electronic message is associated with one or more contacts from a list of contacts, and wherein a particular contact of the one or more contacts of the list of contacts is associated with an icon image; receive a first user input associated with the particular contact of the one or more contacts of the list of contacts; and in response to the first user input, cause presentation of a visualization of contact information associated with the particular contact including the icon image.
Claim 1 of instant application:
A method for managing electronic messages, comprising: displaying, on a device of a user, one or more icons on an interface of a message client; wherein the one or more icons are associated with one or more contacts of the user, and wherein each of the one or more icons is represented as a circle; receiving a gesture-based input from the user associated with an icon of a contact of the one or more contacts of the user; assigning a recipient address to an electronic message based on the gesture-based input from the user, wherein the recipient address is set to an address associated with the contact; and causing a transmission of the electronic message to the recipient address.
Allowable Subject Matter
12. Claims 1-23 are allowable if the claims overcome the Double Patenting rejection rendered above. A detailed reasons for allowance will be provided once the application is in allowable form.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
An electronic device detects a contact associated with a focus selector that controls movement of a respective user interface object; and while continuously detecting the contact, the device detects first movement of the contact. In response to detecting the first movement of the contact, the device moves the focus selector and the respective user interface object, and determines an intensity of the contact. The device detects second movement of the contact and in response to detecting the second movement of the contact: when the contact meets respective intensity criteria, the device moves the focus selector and the user interface object; and when the contact does not meet the respective intensity criteria, the device moves the focus selector without moving the user interface object. (Bernstein et al. ‘563)
An electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface displays, on the display, a first visual indicator that corresponds to a virtual touch. The device receives a first input from an adaptive input device. In response to receiving the first input from the adaptive input device, the device displays a first menu on the display. The first menu includes a virtual touches selection icon. In response to detecting selection of the virtual touches selection icon, a menu of virtual multitouch contacts is displayed. (Fleizach et al. ‘748)
In this paper we propose the development details of a mobile client that allows virtual 3D avatar interaction and virtual 3D annotation control in Second Life. We established adaptation based virtual rendering of the Second Life client and encoded the real-time frames into video stream, which is suitable for mobile client rendering. Additionally, we re-mapped the touch based interaction of the user and feed that to the Second Life client in a form of keyboard and mouse interactions. As a proof of concept, we annotated a virtual environment object in Second Life and linked that with a real object by using X10 controllers. Further, we captured the mobile interaction of the user and provided controller interface to change states of the real object through the virtual object interaction. We argue that by using the mobile Second Life virtual interface the homeowner have a better look to monitor and control the home appliances. We present illustration of the prototype system and show its application in a smart environment setup. (Rahman et al., “Remote rendering based Second Life mobile client system to control smart home appliances”)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVOUD ZAND whose telephone number is (571)272-2697, Fax (571) 273-2697. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 9:30-5:30pm.
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, Oscar A Louie can be reached on (571-270-1684). The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/DAVOUD A ZAND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2445