DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
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 of this title, 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.
Claim 1-7, 12-13, 16, 18-19 and 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Foster U.S. Patent Application 20140304579 in view of Evans U.S. Patent Application 20210004582.
Regarding claim 18, Foster discloses an electronic device, comprising
a memory (non-transitory computer readable media),
a processor (processing units), and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the program, when executed by the processor (paragraph [0041]: The claimed embodiments may be implemented on a device including one or more processing units and a non-transitory computer readable media), causes the device to:
display a reference identification in response to a focus being located on a first content block of a first document, wherein the first content block is a content block that has been referenced by at least one second document (paragraph [0122]: FIG. 4 depicts a "multi-popup" containing links (reference identification in claims) to each of claims 1-20 (first content block in office action), triggered by activating link 102 ("Claims 1-20")... A multi-popup is defined as a popup that contains a plurality of hover-overable links, each to one of the plurality of destinations defined in the citation. Each link may indicate or otherwise describe the particular destination it represents);
display, in an association area of the first content block, reference information of the first content block in response to detecting a first trigger operation for the reference identification, wherein the reference information comprises information of the second document (paragraph [0131]: Multi-popups may have a default link that is triggered when the multi-popup is displayed. FIG. 5 depicts the multi-popup and a popup 502 containing claim 1 (reference information in claims), both triggered by activating the "Claims 1-20" link 102; paragraph [0132]: a link contained on a multi-popup may be activated by a hot-key corresponding to the location in the multi-popup grid. For example, a user may press "1" to activate the first link); and
highlight a first content area in the first document for the information of the second document (paragraph [0104]: when the citation is to a block of text, additional pieces of information within the popup are highlighted; paragraph [0043]: Each link is indicated by an underline, although other indications such as highlights, shading, boxing, or the like are similarly contemplated; paragraph [0112]: all reference identifiers may be highlighted).
Foster discloses all the features with respect to claim 18 as outlined above. However, Foster fails to disclose in response to detecting a second trigger operation, the first content area at least comprises the first content block.
Evans discloses in response to detecting a second trigger operation, the first content area at least comprises the first content block (paragraph [0066]: When the user hovers (second trigger operation) over a content fragment in the selected document, all content fragments from the same source document are highlighted... the graphical link (first content block) is highlighted in a same color as the highlighted content fragments).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Foster’s to highlight all content fragments and links as taught by Evans, to allow user to quickly identify all the content fragments from the same source document.
Claim 1 recites the functions of the apparatus recited in claim 18 as method steps. Accordingly, the mapping of the prior art to the corresponding functions of the apparatus in claim 18 applies to the method steps of claim 1.
Regarding claim 2, Foster as modified by Evans discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the first content area further comprises a second content block, and the second content block is another content block referenced by the second document (Evans’ paragraph [0066]: When the user hovers over a content fragment in the selected document, all content fragments from the same source document are highlighted... the graphical link is highlighted in a same color as the highlighted content fragments; Foster’s paragraph [0132]: a link contained on a multi-popup may be activated by a hot-key corresponding to the location in the multi-popup grid. For example, a user may press "1" to activate the first link, "2" to activate the second link, etc.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Foster’s to highlight all content fragments and links as taught by Evans, to allow user to quickly identify all the content fragments from the same source document.
Regarding claim 3, Foster as modified by Evans discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein the second content block is adjacent to the first content block; or the second content block and the first content block are in a same content block group, the content block group being a plurality of consecutive content blocks in a document; or the second content block and the first content block are spaced by at least one third content block (Evans’ paragraph [0066]: When the user hovers over a content fragment in the selected document, all content fragments from the same source document are highlighted... the graphical link is highlighted in a same color as the highlighted content fragments; see fig. 6B; Foster’s paragraph [0132]: a link contained on a multi-popup may be activated by a hot-key corresponding to the location in the multi-popup grid. For example, a user may press "1" to activate the first link, "2" to activate the second link, etc.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Foster’s to highlight all content fragments and links as taught by Evans, to allow user to quickly identify all the content fragments from the same source document.
Regarding claim 4, Foster as modified by Evans discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein highlighting the first content area in the first document comprises: highlighting all content blocks referenced by the second document in the first document (Evans’ paragraph [0066]: When the user hovers over a content fragment in the selected document, all content fragments from the same source document are highlighted... the graphical link is highlighted in a same color as the highlighted content fragments; Foster’s paragraph [0104]: when the citation is to a block of text, additional pieces of information within the popup are highlighted; paragraph [0043]: Each link is indicated by an underline, although other indications such as highlights, shading, boxing, or the like are similarly contemplated; paragraph [0112]: all reference identifiers may be highlighted).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Foster’s to highlight all content fragments and links as taught by Evans, to allow user to quickly identify all the content fragments from the same source document.
Regarding claim 5, Foster as modified by Evans discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the reference information comprises at least one of a document identification, referrer information, or a reference time (Foster’s paragraph [0122]: FIG. 4 depicts a "multi-popup" containing links to each of claims 1-20, triggered by activating link 102 ("Claims 1-20")... A multi-popup is defined as a popup that contains a plurality of hover-overable links, each to one of the plurality of destinations defined in the citation. Each link may indicate or otherwise describe the particular destination it represents).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Foster’s to highlight all content fragments and links as taught by Evans, to allow user to quickly identify all the content fragments from the same source document.
Regarding claim 6, Foster as modified by Evans discloses the method according to claim 5, further comprising:
jumping to a target area of the second document in response to detecting a third trigger operation for a document identification of the second document, wherein the target area comprises the highlighted first content block (Foster’s paragraph [0122]: FIG. 4 depicts a "multi-popup" containing links to each of claims 1-20, triggered by activating link 102 ("Claims 1-20")... A multi-popup is defined as a popup that contains a plurality of hover-overable links, each to one of the plurality of destinations defined in the citation. Each link may indicate or otherwise describe the particular destination it represents; paragraph [0132]: a link contained on a multi-popup may be activated by a hot-key corresponding to the location in the multi-popup grid. For example, a user may press "1" to activate the first link, "2" to activate the second link, etc.; paragraph [0104]: when the citation is to a block of text, additional pieces of information within the popup are highlighted; paragraph [0043]: Each link is indicated by an underline, although other indications such as highlights, shading, boxing, or the like are similarly contemplated).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Foster’s to highlight all content fragments and links as taught by Evans, to allow user to quickly identify all the content fragments from the same source document.
Regarding claim 7, Foster as modified by Evans discloses the method according to claim 6, wherein in response to the first content block being referenced multiple times in the second document, jumping to the target area of the second document comprises:
jumping to a target area of the first content block which appears for the first time (Foster’s paragraph [0025]: FIG. 10 depicts a popup containing the cover page of the Jones reference, triggered by activating the "Kirmse" link; see fig. 10 “Kirmse” is referenced multiple times; paragraph [0165]: FIG. 10 depicts a popup 1002 containing the cover page of the Kirmse reference, triggered by activating the "Kirmse" link 1004).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Foster’s to highlight all content fragments and links as taught by Evans, to allow user to quickly identify all the content fragments from the same source document.
Regarding claim 12, Foster as modified by Evans discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the reference identification comprises a number identification for indicating a number of the second documents (Foster’s paragraph [0122]: FIG. 4 depicts a "multi-popup" containing links to each of claims 1-20, triggered by activating link 102 ("Claims 1-20")... A multi-popup is defined as a popup that contains a plurality of hover-overable links, each to one of the plurality of destinations defined in the citation. Each link may indicate or otherwise describe the particular destination it represents; paragraph [0132]: a link contained on a multi-popup may be activated by a hot-key corresponding to the location in the multi-popup grid. For example, a user may press "1" to activate the first link, "2" to activate the second link, etc.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Foster’s to highlight all content fragments and links as taught by Evans, to allow user to quickly identify all the content fragments from the same source document.
Regarding claim 13, Foster as modified by Evans discloses the method according to claim 1, further comprising:
in response to the reference identification being displayed, further displaying a comment identification about the first content block (Foster’s paragraph [0133]: a claim status "e.g. (Currently amended)" (comment identification) is identified as a citation and is the basis for link 504. As discussed below, hovering over link 504 will cause another level of popup to be displayed that contains a previous version of claim 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Foster’s to highlight all content fragments and links as taught by Evans, to allow user to quickly identify all the content fragments from the same source document.
Regarding claim 16, Foster as modified by Evans discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the second document comprises a first target document and a second target document different from the first target document, the first target document comprising a document in the second document that corresponds to the first content area (Foster’s paragraph [0133]: a claim status "e.g. (Currently amended)" (first target document) is identified as a citation and is the basis for link 504. As discussed below, hovering over link 504 will cause another level of popup to be displayed that contains a previous version of claim 1 (second target document); paragraph [0132]: a link contained on a multi-popup may be activated by a hot-key corresponding to the location in the multi-popup grid. For example, a user may press "1" to activate the first link, "2" to activate the second link, etc.); and
the method further comprises:
highlighting a second content area in the first document in response to detecting a seventh trigger operation for information of the second target document, wherein the second content area at least comprises the first content block and a fourth content block, and the fourth content block is another content block referenced by the second target document (Foster’s paragraph [0104]: when the citation is to a block of text, additional pieces of information within the popup are highlighted; paragraph [0043]: Each link is indicated by an underline, although other indications such as highlights, shading, boxing, or the like are similarly contemplated; Evans’ paragraph [0066]: When the user hovers over a content fragment in the selected document, all content fragments from the same source document are highlighted... the graphical link is highlighted in a same color as the highlighted content fragments).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Foster’s to highlight all content fragments and links as taught by Evans, to allow user to quickly identify all the content fragments from the same source document.
Claim 19 recites the functions of the apparatus recited in claim 18 as medium steps. Accordingly, the mapping of the prior art to the corresponding functions of the apparatus in claim 18 applies to the medium steps of claim 19.
Claim 21 recites the functions of the method recited in claim 2 as apparatus steps. Accordingly, the mapping of the prior art to the corresponding functions of the method in claim 2 applies to the apparatus steps of claim 21.
Claim 22 recites the functions of the method recited in claim 3 as apparatus steps. Accordingly, the mapping of the prior art to the corresponding functions of the method in claim 3 applies to the apparatus steps of claim 22.
Claim 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Foster U.S. Patent Application 20140304579 in view of Evans U.S. Patent Application 20210004582, and further in view of Walkin U.S. Patent Application 20200326839.
Regarding claim 8, Foster as modified by Evans discloses displaying a referrer information interface about the referrer in response to a fourth trigger operation for the referrer information (Foster’s paragraph [0166]: FIG. 11 depicts a user interface 200 containing a link hierarchy 1102 representing documents extracted from a file wrapper and references (e.g. Kirmse) cited in the instant office action... this same information may be embedded in the cover page of an office action, an email, a website, a popup, or the like). However, Foster as modified by Evans fails to disclose the referrer information interface comprises at least one of an instant messaging component or an email component explicitly.
Walkin discloses the referrer information interface comprises at least one of an instant messaging component or an email component (paragraph [0396]: fourth contact is detected at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to first content (e.g., a user interface object representing an email message, an instant message, a contact name, a document link, etc.) represented in the first user interface of the first application... dragging the user interface object from the first user interface and dropping it onto the stack of slide-over windows causes the device to open a new application window to display the document or content; see Figs. 4A46-4A49 and 4C1-4C17).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Foster and Evans’ to use instant messaging and email component as taught by Walkin, to simultaneously accessing multiple functions or applications quickly and efficiently.
Regarding claim 9, Foster as modified by Evans and Walkin discloses the method according to claim 8, further comprising: displaying a communication page for the referrer in an instant messaging application in response to a fifth trigger operation for the at least one of the instant messaging component or the email component (Walkin’s paragraph [0396]: fourth contact is detected at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to first content (e.g., a user interface object representing an email message, an instant message, a contact name, a document link, etc.) represented in the first user interface of the first application... dragging the user interface object from the first user interface and dropping it onto the stack of slide-over windows causes the device to open a new application window to display the document or content; see Figs. 4A46-4A49 and 4C1-4C17).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Foster and Evans’ to use instant messaging and email component as taught by Walkin, to simultaneously accessing multiple functions or applications quickly and efficiently.
Regarding claim 10, Foster as modified by Evans and Walkin discloses the method according to claim 8, further comprising: displaying an email page for the referrer in response to a sixth trigger operation for the email component (Walkin’s paragraph [0396]: fourth contact is detected at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to first content (e.g., a user interface object representing an email message, an instant message, a contact name, a document link, etc.) represented in the first user interface of the first application... dragging the user interface object from the first user interface and dropping it onto the stack of slide-over windows causes the device to open a new application window to display the document or content; see Figs. 4A46-4A49).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Foster and Evans’ to use instant messaging and email component as taught by Walkin, to simultaneously accessing multiple functions or applications quickly and efficiently.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Foster U.S. Patent Application 20140304579 in view of Evans U.S. Patent Application 20210004582, and further in view of Bond U.S. Patent Application 20180083980.
Regarding claim 11, Foster as modified by Evans discloses all the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above. However, Foster as modified by Evans fails to disclose updating, in response to detecting that content of the first content block is changed, the second document based on the changed content.
Bond discloses updating, in response to detecting that content of the first content block is changed, the second document based on the changed content (paragraph [0019]: automatically detect changes (e.g., to content, dependencies, etc.) associated with the shareable units and update the manifest file accordingly).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Foster and Evans’ to update content as taught by Bond, to improve over legacy techniques.
Claim 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Foster U.S. Patent Application 20140304579 in view of Evans U.S. Patent Application 20210004582, and further in view of Ward U.S. Patent Application 20070143461.
Regarding claim 14, Foster as modified by Evans discloses in response to detecting the first trigger operation, display an association area of the first content area (Foster’s paragraph [0131]: Multi-popups may have a default link that is triggered when the multi-popup is displayed. FIG. 5 depicts the multi-popup and a popup 502 containing claim 1, both triggered by activating the "Claims 1-20" link 102; paragraph [0132]: a link contained on a multi-popup may be activated by a hot-key corresponding to the location in the multi-popup grid. For example, a user may press "1" to activate the first link). However, Foster as modified by Evans fails to disclose for a user who does not have an access permission, refusing to display, or displaying a request control for requesting for the access permission in the association area.
Ward discloses for a user who does not have an access permission, refusing to display, or displaying a request control for requesting for the access permission in the association area (paragraph [0008]: monitor users logging into or using a network resource and can refuse access to those who enter without authorization).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Foster and Evans’ to monitor users login as taught by Ward, to monitor and report data in real time.
Regarding claim 15, Foster as modified by Evans and Ward discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein displaying the reference identification comprises:
displaying the reference identification for a user who has an access permission for the first document (Foster’s paragraph [0122]: FIG. 4 depicts a "multi-popup" containing links to each of claims 1-20, triggered by activating link 102 ("Claims 1-20")... A multi-popup is defined as a popup that contains a plurality of hover-overable links, each to one of the plurality of destinations defined in the citation. Each link may indicate or otherwise describe the particular destination it represents); and/or
refusing to display the reference identification for a user who does not have the access permission for the first document (Ward’s paragraph [0008]: monitor users logging into or using a network resource and can refuse access to those who enter without authorization).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Foster and Evans’ to monitor users login as taught by Ward, to monitor and report data in real time.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Yi Yang whose telephone number is (571)272-9589. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-6:00 PM EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Daniel Hajnik can be reached on 571-272-7642. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/YI YANG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2616
Prosecution Insights