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 .
Double Patenting
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 § 2146 et seq. 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 filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
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Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-18 of U.S. Patent No. 12328198. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because conflicting claims are in a patent by the same inventive entity. Furthermore, where claims in the instant application are broader than the claims of the ‘198 patent, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to omit elements when the remaining elements perform as before. A person of ordinary skill could have arrived at the present claims by omitting the details of the ‘198 patent claims. See In re Karlson (CCPA) 136 USPQ 184, decided January 16, 1963 ("Omission of element and its function in combination is obvious expedient if remaining elements perform same function as before").
Instant application
‘198 patent
claims 1, 8, 14 (claim 1 exemplary)
A method, comprising:
generating a focus score based on a topic;
generating a calendar entry for a conference based on one or more conference settings and the focus score,
wherein the calendar entry is generated for a timeslot when the focus score is below a threshold and the calendar entry is generated for a different timeslot when the focus score meets the threshold;
enabling a single-speaker mode that allows one participant to speak at a time,
wherein a participant device of the one participant is unmuted and participant devices of non-speaking participants are muted;
facilitating the conference between the participant device of the one participant and the participant devices of the non-speaking participants in the single-speaker mode; and
disabling a video component of the conference for the participant during the timeslot based on the one or more conference settings.
claim 7, 20 (claim 7 exemplary)
The method of claim 1, further comprising:
obtaining, for each participant of participants of the conference, respective conference preference information (CPI) associated with the timeslot, wherein the CPI of a participant of the participants indicates that the participant is in-transit during the timeslot.
claim 1, 7, 13 (claim 1 exemplary)
A method, comprising:
receiving a request to generate a calendar entry for a conference that includes an audio component and a video component, wherein the request includes a topic and a timeslot for the conference;
obtaining, for each participant of participants of the conference, respective conference preference information (CPI) associated with the timeslot, wherein the CPI of a participant of the participants indicates that conferences while the participant is in-transit during the timeslot enables a single-speaker mode wherein only one participant of the conference is enabled to speak at a time;
generating a focus score based on the topic,
wherein the focus score is associated with an amount of user focus required for the conference;
generating the calendar entry for the conference based on one or more conference settings and the focus score,
wherein the calendar entry is generated for the timeslot when the focus score is below a threshold and the calendar entry is generated for a different timeslot when the focus score meets the threshold;
enabling a single-speaker mode that allows one participant to speak at a time based on the CPI of the participant,
wherein a participant device of the one participant is unmuted and participant devices of non-speaking participants are muted;
facilitating the conference between devices of the participants in the single-speaker mode; and disabling the video component of the conference for the participant during the timeslot based on the one or more conference settings.
claims 2, 9 (claim 2 exemplary)
The method of claim 1, wherein the conference includes a messaging component, the method further comprising:
disabling the messaging component of the conference for the participant during the timeslot based on the one or more conference settings.
claim 2, 8 (claim 2 exemplary)
The method of claim 1, wherein the conference
includes a messaging component, the method further comprising:
disabling the messaging component of the conference for the participant during the timeslot based on the one or more conference settings.
claim 3, 10 (claim 3 exemplary)
The method of claim 1, wherein the conference includes a polling component, the method further comprising:
disabling the polling component of the conference for the participant during the timeslot based on the one or more conference settings.
claim 3, 9 (claim 3 exemplary)
The method of claim 1, wherein the conference
includes a polling component, the method further comprising:
disabling the polling component of the conference for the participant during the timeslot based on the one or more conference settings.
claim 4, 11 (claim 4 exemplary)
The method of claim 1, further comprising:
transmitting one or more questions for display on a device from which a request is received;
receiving one or more responses to the one or more questions from the device; and
determining the one or more conference settings based on the one or more responses.
claim 4, 10 (claim 4 exemplary)
The method of claim 1, further comprising:
transmitting one or more questions for display on a device from which the request is received;
receiving one or more responses to the one or more questions from the device; and
determining the one or more conference settings based on the one or more responses.
claim 5, 12 (claim 5 exemplary)
The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining the timeslot for the calendar entry; and scheduling the conference for the timeslot.
claim 5, 11 (claim 5 exemplary)
The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining the timeslot for the calendar entry based on the CPI of the participant; and
scheduling the conference for the timeslot.
claim 6, 13 (claim 13 exemplary)
The system of claim 8, wherein the server is further configured to:
automatically record the conference, wherein the recorded conference includes one or more tags associated with a segment of the recorded conference associated with a screen share.
claim 6, 12 (claim 12 exemplary)
The system of claim 7, wherein the server is further configured to:
automatically record the conference based on the CPI of the participant that is in-transit during the timeslot, wherein the recorded conference includes one or more tags associated with a segment of the recorded conference
associated with a screen share.
claim 15
The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the conference includes a screen share component, the operations further comprising:
disabling the screen share component of the conference for the participant during the timeslot based on the one or more conference settings.
claim 14
The non-transitory computer-readable medium of
claim 13, wherein the conference includes a screen share component, the operations further comprising:
disabling the screen share component of the conference for the participant during the timeslot based on the one or more conference settings.
claim 16
The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the conference includes a whiteboard component, the operations further comprising:
disabling the whiteboard component of the conference for the participant during the timeslot based on the one or more conference settings.
claim 15
The non-transitory computer-readable medium of
claim 13, wherein the conference includes a whiteboard component, the operations further comprising:
disabling the whiteboard component of the conference for the participant during the timeslot based on the one or more conference settings.
claim 17
The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising:
detecting that a connection between a client device of the participant and the conference is lost; and
automatically restoring the connection between the client device of the participant and the conference.
claim 16
The non-transitory computer-readable medium of
claim 13, the operations further comprising:
detecting that a connection between a client device of the participant and the conference is lost; and
automatically restoring the connection between the client device of the participant and the conference.
claim 18
The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising:
detecting that a connection between a client device of the participant and the conference is lost;
transmitting a reconnection message to the client device of the participant; and
automatically restoring the connection between the client device of the participant and the conference.
claim 17
The non-transitory computer-readable medium of
claim 13, the operations further comprising:
detecting that a connection between a client device of the participant and the conference is lost;
transmitting a reconnection message to the client device of the participant; and
automatically restoring the connection between the client device of the participant and the conference.
claim 19
The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising:
detecting that a connection between a client device of the participant and the conference is lost;
receiving a reconnection message from the client device of the participant; and
automatically restoring the connection between the client device of the participant and the conference based on the reconnection message.
claim 18
The non-transitory computer-readable medium of
claim 13, the operations further comprising:
detecting that a connection between a client device of the participant and the conference is lost;
receiving a reconnection message from the client device of the participant; and
automatically restoring the connection between the client device of the participant and the conference based on the reconnection message.
Conclusion
The following prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
A) US 20240089405 Deng
A best available video stream is determined for each of multiple conference participants within a conference room including multiple cameras based on scores determined for video streams obtained from the cameras. The scores are determined based on representations of the conference participants within the video streams, for example, based on percentages of conference participant faces visible within the video streams, directions of conference participant faces relative to the cameras, directions of eye gaze of the conference participants relative to the cameras, and/or degrees to which conference participant faces are obscured within the video streams. The best available video streams are output for rendering within separate user interface tiles of conferencing software.
B) US 20260156168 – Moore
A video conferencing system organizes participants into groups based on stored organizational data and displays participants in a graphical interface with visual organization by group. The system maintains a knowledge base containing group-specific information and monitors communications during video conference calls using artificial intelligence. The system automatically provides relevant information from the knowledge base to participants during calls based on monitored communications. The system includes dynamic group reorganization capabilities that automatically reassign participants between groups or subgroups based on real-time analysis of conference data. Additional features include group isolation to virtual waiting rooms during sensitive discussions, permanent user URL login systems that eliminate multiple credential management, and automated post-call summary generation with action item extraction. The system integrates with multiple conference calling applications through a single login interface while providing contextual knowledge base access based on group membership and security permissions.
C) US 12573431 – Parish
An apparatus and method for generating an output media file as a function of determining a media source. The apparatus includes at least an audio input device configured to detect at least an audio signal and convert the at least an audio signal into an electronic signal, and at least a processor communicatively connected to a memory, the processor configured to identify, using a first model, one or more engaged devices based on sensor data, receive input data, filter the input data based on a signal level and a context datum of the at least an electronic signal, and determine, using a second model, a key audio source as a function of the one or more engaged devices and the filtered input data, generate, using a virtual director, an output media file as a function of the key audio source, and present the output media file.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUNE SISON whose telephone number is (571)270-5693. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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/JUNE SISON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2455
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