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
Claims 1-14, 16-21 are presented for examination.
IDS filed on 6/30/25 and 3/5/25 are considered.
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.
Claims 1-4, 6, 11-14, 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Huang et al. CN-107506372-A, hereinafter Huang.
Referring to claim 1, Huang discloses an information processing method (abstract. [0001], Huang discloses a robot automatic session switching robotic and human handlers in a chat environment), comprising:
providing a first control in a target chat, wherein members of the target chat comprise a chat robot and a current user ([0009][0045-0047], establishing a chat session corresponds to providing a first control in a target chat, and where the initial chat includes the chat robot and the customer/user);
creating a first human chat in response to a first operation on the first control (figure 10), wherein members of the first human chat comprise the current user (customer) and a first human handler (robot handler)([0011][0082-0084], figure 10, robot handler initiates conversation with customer); and
creating at least one further human chat through the target chat (figures 10-15, [0048]-[0054]).
Referring to claim 2, Huang discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein after the first human chat is created, the method further comprises: obtaining a first work order corresponding to the first human chat, and updating the first work order based on a message in the first human chat (figures 10-15, [0046]-[0054], the robot handler receiving customer questions and analyzing message type, pre-processing the message, obtaining the message type to inquire the needed information from the knowledge base to provide feedback to the customer is viewed as obtaining a first work order corresponding to the first human chat, and updating the first work order based on a message in the first human chat by updating the chat display).
Referring to claim 3, Huang discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein providing the first control in the target chat comprises: in response to the current user sending, in the target chat, a message related to a first question, replying by the chat robot based on the message related to the first question, and displaying the first control (figures 10-15, [0046]-[0054], chat robot receives questions, processes and answers question and display to the chat session).
Referring to claim 4, Huang discloses the method according to claim 3, further comprising: after the message related to the first question is sent by the current user in the target chat, generating a second work order based on the message related to the first question ([0077]-[0079], secondary question from previous question from the customer is sent to the chat, the secondary question is viewed as a second work ordered based on the message related to the first question); and after the first human chat is created, converting the second work order into the first work order, and updating the first work order based on the message in the first human chat (figures 11-15, the questions and answers could be associated with the initial questions and the questions/answers are updated in the system/display).
Referring to claim 6, Huang discloses the method according to claim 3, wherein after the first human chat is created, the method further comprises: sending a second message in the first human chat, wherein the second message is generated based on the message related to the first question in the target chat (figures 11-15, the questions and answers could be associated with the initial questions and the questions/answers are updated in the system/display).
Referring to claim 11, Huang discloses the method according to claim 2, further comprising: in response to a second operation of transferring the first work order from the first human handler to a second human handler (manual/human customer service)([0082]-[0087]), performing at least one of: creating a third work order, retaining or removing the first human handler in the first human chat based on a transfer setting, or adding the second human handler to the first human chat (manual customer service is taking over when robot cannot answer the questions).
Referring to claim 12, Huang discloses the method according to claim 1, further comprising: in response to a second operation on a second control in the first human chat, performing at least one of: sending an evaluation control in the first human chat, retaining the first human chat (figures 10-15, [0009]-[0012], judging whether artificial customer is accepted, if so, artificial customer service session with the user, if not, the robot continues with user session until session), sending a third message indicating that an interaction with the first human handler has ended in the first human chat, displaying a control for jumping back to the target chat, removing a human handler in the first human chat from the first human chat, or displaying the control for jumping back to the target chat in response to information being sent in the first human chat by the current user.
Referring to claim 13, Huang discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of followings is satisfied: the human chat being created by the chat robot (figures 10-15, chatting with robot); members in the human chat comprising the chat robot; after the first human chat is created, a third control for entering the first human chat being displayed in the target chat; in the first human chat, in response to the first human handler not replying to the current user within a first preset time period, a fourth message being sent to an administrator, the fourth message being used to jump to the first human chat after a third operation is performed, and/or the fourth message being used to remind the first human handler after a fourth operation is performed; or during the at least one further human chat being created through the target chat, an interaction with the first human handler in the first human chat having not ended (abstract, figures 10-15).
Referring to claim 14, Huang discloses the method according to claim 4, wherein at least one of followings is satisfied: after the second work order is generated based on the message related to the first question, in response to no interaction existing in the target chat for a second preset time period, closing the second work order ([0047], after establishing a session, waiting the user question, then 30 seconds heart beat detection, the system starts the countdown, if time is up, judging whether the user leaves, if it is, ending the conversation and storing the chatting record); and after the first human chat is created, in response to a message related to a second question being sent in the target chat, generating a fourth work order based on the message related to the second question (abstract, figures 10-15).
Referring to claims 16-20, the claims encompass the same scope of the invention as that of the claims 1-4. Therefore, claims 16-20 are rejected on the same ground as the claims 1-4.
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.
Claims 5, 9 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang in view of Nahum et al., US Patent Publication Number 2022/0150251, hereinafter Nahum.
Referring to claims 5 and 21, Huang discloses the invention as described in claims 1 and 16. Huang discloses in response to the form function being not enabled, creating the first human chat (figure 10, chat with no form function enabled).
Huang does not explicitly teach determining whether a form function is enabled in response to the first operation on the first control; in response to the form function being enabled, displaying a to-be-filled form in the target chat, creating the first human chat after the form is filled, and sending a first message generated based on the form to the first human chat; and in response to the form function being not enabled, creating the first human chat.
Nahum discloses determining whether a form function is enabled in response to the first operation on the first control (figure 7A, robot determined a form function is enabled to the initiation of the user chat); in response to the form function being enabled, displaying a to-be-filled form in the target chat (figure 7A, form 710 is enabled and displayed in the chat), creating the first human chat after the form is filled (figures 7B, chat 700 is created with the formed being filled with 730), and sending a first message generated based on the form to the first human chat (figures 7B, chat 700).
It would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the concept of form functions of Nahum into Huang because both Huang Nahum discloses inventions using chat robots, and Nahum suggests the use of form functions to provide pre-generated options to the user.
A person with ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make the modification to Huang to improve the communication and efficiency in the server and customer chat session as suggested by Nahum.
Referring to claim 9, Huang in view of Nahum discloses the method according to claim 5, wherein a name (conversation name) of the first human chat comprises: at least part of information (“add new employee) filled in the form (form filled in figure 7B)(Nahum, figures 5A, shows the Name 514 for the conversations/chat 510 is the information (“Add New Employee”) filled in the form shown in figure 7B). The limitation of claim is rejected in the analysis of claim 5 above, and the claim is rejected on that basis.
Claims 7, 8, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang in view of Orr, US Patent Publication Number 2015/0295873, hereinafter Orr.
Referring to claims 7, 8 and 10, Huang discloses the method as described in claims 1-3, Huang does not explicitly teach wherein a name of the first human chat comprises: an information interaction state of the first human handler and/or the current user; and the name of the first human chat changes with a change in the information interaction state of the first human handler and/or the current user; wherein a name of the first human chat comprises: at least part of a number of the first work order; and at least part of information in the message related to the first question.
Orr discloses the user can then edit the title of the stream of messages for this message thread to better track the current topic of conversation. Upon changing the title for the conversation, a notice may be published in the stream of messages stating that the title has been changed, in order to alert the participants of the conversation ([0099]).
It would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the concept to allow the user and system modifying the name of the human chat allow better track of current topic of the conversation as suggested by Orr because both Huang and Orr discloses inventions relating to network chats and Orr suggest dynamic name change for the chat conversation ([0099]).
A person with ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make the modification to Huang to use the information listed in claims 7, 8, and 10 to better track the topic of the chat conversation as suggested by Orr ([0099]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Applicant is reminded that in amending in response to a rejection of claims, the patentable novelty must be clearly shown in view of the state of the art disclosed by the references cited and the objection made. Applicant must show how the amendments avoid such references and objections. See 37 CFR 1.111(c).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LIANGCHE A WANG whose telephone number is (571)272-3992. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:00am to 6:30pm.
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Liang-che Alex Wang
June 8, 2026
/LIANG CHE A WANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2447
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