DETAIL ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Notice on Prior Art Rejections
2. In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Status of Claims
3. This Office Action is in response to the Applicant's application filed May 29, 2025. Claims 1-10 are presently pending and are presented for examination.
Judicial Exception Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
4. 35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
5. Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim recites “while navigating along a first predefined route using a maps application, receiving, via the one or more input devices, an indication that one or more criteria are satisfied, including a first criterion that is satisfied when a current location of the electronic device is at least a threshold distance away from the first predefined route and a second criterion that is satisfied when the electronic device is moving towards a second location on the first predefined route that is more than a threshold route distance away from a first location on the first predefined route at which the electronic device deviated from the first predefined route to the current location of the electronic device; in response to receiving the indication, displaying, via the display generation component, a selectable option to navigate to the first predefined route from the current location of the electronic device; receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input selecting the selectable option; and in response to receiving the input: presenting navigation directions from the current location of the electronic device to a respective location on the first predefined route that is less than the threshold route distance away from the first location.”.
The limitations of claim 1 above, as drafted, are processes that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind but for the recitation of generic computer components. That is, other than reciting “an electronic device” nothing in the claims elements precludes the steps from practically being performed as part of human activities. For example, “using a maps application, receiving, via the one or more input devices, an indication that one or more criteria are satisfied, including a first criterion” in the context of this claim encompasses the user the user manually or mentally thinking about criteria to navigate along a first route. Similarly, the limitation of “displaying, via the display generation component, a selectable option to navigate to the first predefined route from the current location of the electronic device”, as drafted, is a process that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind where a person is mentally able to determine what travel route best meets the user needs, based on a personal preference. If a claim limitation, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind but for the recitation of generic computer components, then it falls within the “Mental Processes” grouping of abstract ideas. Accordingly, the claim recites an abstract idea.
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claim does not recite any additional elements that integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. “presenting navigation directions from the current location of the electronic device to a respective location on the first predefined route that is less than the threshold route distance away from the first location” is not a practical application. Accordingly, the claim lack of additional elements that integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because it does not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. The claim is directed to an abstract idea.
The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, there are no additional elements that integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. Mere instructions to apply an exception using a generic computer component cannot provide an inventive concept. The claim is not patent eligible. The independent claims 2-8 are also rejected for their dependency upon claim 1. Further, claims 9-10 are also rejected because they amount no more than the same mere instructions of the method of claim 1 in a system which does not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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.
7. Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over Rehorst et al, US 2020/0025579, in view of Grochocki et al. US 2020/0217682, hereinafter referred to as Rehorst and Grochocki, respectively.
Regarding claim 1, Rehorst discloses a method comprising: at an electronic device in communication with one or more input devices and a display generation component:
while navigating along a first predefined route using a maps application (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 16, 7, “A driver of a vehicle may deviate from the original route and then utilize the navigation device to request a new set of directions from a current location to the same destination as the original route”), receiving, via the one or more input devices, an indication that one or more criteria are satisfied, including a first criterion that is satisfied when a current location of the electronic device is at least a threshold distance away from the first predefined route (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 16, 7, 59, 17, “As shown in FIG. 10, and by reference number 135, the vehicle platform may identify a point ( e.g., P oRcL) along the original route that is closest to the current location (e.g., P cL) within a predetermined distance”) and a second criterion that is satisfied when the electronic device is moving towards a second location on the first predefined route that is more than a threshold route distance away from a first location on the first predefined route at which the electronic device deviated from the first predefined route to the current location of the electronic device (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 16, 13, “assume that the vehicle travels along the original route past waypoint 1 and then deviates from the original route to a current location ( e.g., P cL)- Further assume that the driver of the vehicle wishes to travel from the current location ( e.g., P cL) to the destination (e.g., City B), and utilizes the device to generate a request for a new route from the current location to the destination. As further shown in FIG. 1B, and by reference number 120, the vehicle platform may receive, from the device, the request for the new route from the current location to the destination”);
in response to receiving the indication, displaying, via the display generation component, a selectable option to navigate to the first predefined route from the current location of the electronic device (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 16, 13, 42, 66, “A user interface may include a graphical user interface, a non-graphical user interface, a text-based user interface, or the like. A user interface may provide information for display. In some implementations, a user may interact with the information, such as by providing input via an input component of a device that provides the user interface for display”);
receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input selecting the selectable option (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 16, 13, 66, 42, “Input component 350 includes a component that permits device 300 to receive information, such as via user input (e.g., a touch screen display, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a button, a switch, and/or a microphone).”); and
in response to receiving the input: presenting navigation directions from the current location of the electronic device to a respective location on the first predefined route that is less than the threshold route distance away from the first location (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 16, 7, 59, 17, “the vehicle platform may determine which distance is a shortest distance between the current location ( e.g., P CL) and a point ( e.g., P oRcL) along the original route”).
Rehorst fails to explicitly disclose an input selecting the selectable option.
However, Grochocki teaches an input selecting the selectable option (See at least fig 1-14, ¶ 24, 30, 103, “the method 1300 may include receiving a user selection of one of the at least two different routes. The user may select the route via any suitable input method. For example, the user may enter a touch input to a GUI element to select from among the at least two different routes”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Rehorst and include an input selecting the selectable option as taught by Grochocki because it would allow the method to generate the one or more personalized routes 102 by (1) monitoring deviations of the navigation device 104 from a standard route, (2) generating route deviation information 114 comprising one or more deviation segments 132 based on each deviations from the standard route, and (3) substituting the deviation segments 132 into future standard routes to create personalized routes (Grochocki ¶ 24).
Regarding claim 2, Rehorst discloses the method of claim 1, wherein presenting navigation directions from the current location of the electronic device to the respective location on the first predefined route includes navigating using a second route from the current location of the electronic device to a third location on the first predefined route (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 16, 13, 7, “Waypoints may be presented, by a navigation device, as intermediate stops along an original route. A driver of a vehicle may deviate from the original route and
then utilize the navigation device to request a new set of directions from a current location to the same destination as the original route. The driver may deviate from the original
route based on security reasons, efficiency reasons, traffic conditions, and/or the like. However, the driver may wish to preserve information associated with the original route, such
as the waypoints”).
Regarding claim 3, Rehorst discloses the method of claim 2, wherein navigating along the first predefined route further includes: while the current location of the electronic device is within the threshold distance of the first predefined route, displaying, via the display generation component, a route line of the first predefined route including a first portion of the route line previously traveled by the electronic device with a first value for a visual characteristic and a second portion of the route line not traveled by the electronic device with a second value for the visual characteristic (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 16, 42, 66, 13, “As shown in FIG. 1B, assume that the vehicle travels along the original route past waypoint 1 and then deviates from the original route to a current location ( e.g., P cL)- Further assume that the driver of the vehicle wishes to travel from the current location ( e.g., P cL) to the destination (e.g., City B), and utilizes the device to generate a request for a new route from the current location to the destination. As further shown in FIG. 1B, and by reference number 120, the vehicle platform may receive, from the device, the request for the new route from the current location to the
destination.”); and in response to receiving the indication: in response to receiving the input: while the electronic device is at the third location on the predefined route, displaying, via the display generation component: a route line corresponding to the first predefined route from the first location on the predefined route to the third location on the first predefined route with the second value for the visual characteristic; and a route line corresponding to the second route from the first location on the first predefined route to the third location on the first predefined route with the second value for the visual characteristic (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 42, 66, 13, 16, “the vehicle platform may determine that information identifying the destination in the request for the new route matches a destination associated with a stored route. In such implementations, and as further shown by reference number 130 in FIG. l C, the vehicle platform may receive the original route information (e.g., S0 R) associated with the
destination from the data structure and based on determining that the original route is associated with the destination”).
Regarding claim 4, Rehorst discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: while navigating along the first predefined route using the maps application, in accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are not satisfied, forgoing displaying the selectable option to navigate to the first predefined route from the current location of the electronic device (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 42, 66, 13, 16, 14, “the vehicle platform may compare information identifying the destination with information stored in the destination field of the data structure. In some implementations, if the information identifying the destination does not match information stored in the destination field, the vehicle platform may determine that information identifying the destination in the request for the new route does not match a destination associated with a stored route.”).
Regarding claim 5, Rehorst discloses the method of claim 1, wherein presenting navigation directions from the current location of the electronic device to the respective location on the first predefined route includes: in accordance with a determination that the electronic device used a first path to travel to the current location of the electronic device, navigating to the first location on the predefined route including navigating the first path (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 42, 66, 13, 16, 14, 48, “a first request for a route from an origination to a destination (block 410). For example, the vehicle platform (e.g., using computing resource 224, processor 320, communication interface 370, and/or the like) may receive, from a navigation device associated with a vehicle, a first request for a route from an origination to a destination, as described above in connection with FIGS. lA-2.”); and in accordance with a determination that the electronic device used a second path different from a first path to travel to the current location of the electronic device, navigating to the first location in the predefined route including navigating the second path (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 42, 66, 13, 16, 14, 48, 20, “the vehicle platform may identify, in the data structure, new route information for the new route (e.g., SNEw) from the current location (e.g., PcL) to the destination (e.g., City B). In some implementations, the new route information may include information indicating the new route (e.g., SNE w) from the current location ( e.g., P c L) to the destination (e.g., City B), the waypoints (e.g., waypoints 2 and 3) located along the new route,”).
Regarding claim 6, Rehorst discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the first predefined route includes a first portion of the route starting at a third location and ending at a fourth location in a first direction and a second portion of the route, wherein the second portion of the route is the first portion of the route in a second direction starting at the fourth location and ending at the third location (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 42, 66, 13, 16, 14, 48, 20, 23, “the vehicle platform may provide the new route information for the new route (e.g., SNEw) to the device. In some implementations, the device may receive the new route information, and may present the new route information to the driver of the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle may
utilize the new route information to travel from the current location (e.g., PcJ to the point (e.g., PaRcL), then to waypoints 2 and 3, and finally to the destination”).
Regarding claim 7, Rehorst discloses the method of claim 6, wherein while navigating along the first predefined route using the maps application: in accordance with a determination that the current location of the electronic device is a fifth location on the first portion of the route, displaying, via the display generation component, a route line from the third location to the fifth location on the route with a first value for a visual characteristic and displaying a route line from the fifth location to the fourth location with a second value for the visual characteristic different from the first value (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 16, 42, 66, 13, “As shown in FIG. 1B, assume that the vehicle travels along the original route past waypoint 1 and then deviates from the original route to a current location ( e.g., P cL)- Further assume that the driver of the vehicle wishes to travel from the current location ( e.g., P cL) to the destination (e.g., City B), and utilizes the device to generate a request for a new route from the current location to the destination. As further shown in FIG. 1B, and by reference number 120, the vehicle platform may receive, from the device, the request for the new route from the current location to the destination.”); and in accordance with a determination that the current location of the electronic device is the fifth location on the second portion of the route, displaying the portion of the route line from the fourth location to the fifth location with the second value for the visual characteristic and displaying the portion of the route line from the fifth location to the third location with the first value for the visual characteristic (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 42, 66, 13, 16, “the vehicle platform may determine that information identifying the destination in the request for the new route matches a destination associated with a stored route. In such implementations, and as further shown by reference number 130 in FIG. l C, the vehicle platform may receive the original route information (e.g., S0 R) associated with the
destination from the data structure and based on determining that the original route is associated with the destination”).
Regarding claim 8, Rehorst discloses the method of claim 7, wherein the first value for the visual characteristic includes a first visual emphasis less than a second visual emphasis of the second value for the visual characteristic (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 42, 66, 13, 16, 14, 48, 20, 23, 19, “As shown in FIG. lE, and by reference number 145, the vehicle platform may combine the route (e.g., SR) and the original route, at the point ( e.g., P oRcL), to create a
new route ( e.g., SNEw) from the current location ( e.g., P cL) to the destination (e.g., City B). In some implementations, when creating the new route (e.g., SNEw), the vehicle platform may remove points from the original route that are located prior to the point ( e.g., P oRcL), such as a point for the origination”).
Regarding claim 9, Rehorst discloses an electronic device in communication with a display generation component, one or more output devices, and one or more input devices, the electronic device comprising: one or more processors; memory; and one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
while navigating along a first predefined route using a maps application (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 16, 7, “A driver of a vehicle may deviate from the original route and then utilize the navigation device to request a new set of directions from a current location to the same destination as the original route”), receiving, via the one or more input devices, an indication that one or more criteria are satisfied, including a first criterion that is satisfied when a current location of the electronic device is at least a threshold distance away from the first predefined route (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 16, 7, 59, 17, “As shown in FIG. 10, and by reference number 135, the vehicle platform may identify a point ( e.g., P oRcL) along the original route that is closest to the current location (e.g., P cL) within a predetermined distance”) and a second criterion that is satisfied when the electronic device is moving towards a second location on the first predefined route that is more than a threshold route distance away from a first location on the first predefined route at which the electronic device deviated from the first predefined route to the current location of the electronic device (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 16, 13, “assume that the vehicle travels along the original route past waypoint 1 and then deviates from the original route to a current location ( e.g., P cL)- Further assume that the driver of the vehicle wishes to travel from the current location ( e.g., P cL) to the destination (e.g., City B), and utilizes the device to generate a request for a new route from the current location to the destination. As further shown in FIG. 1B, and by reference number 120, the vehicle platform may receive, from the device, the request for the new route from the current location to the destination”);
in response to receiving the indication, displaying, via the display generation component, a selectable option to navigate to the first predefined route from the current location of the electronic device (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 16, 13, 42, 66, “A user interface may include a graphical user interface, a non-graphical user interface, a text-based user interface, or the like. A user interface may provide information for display. In some implementations, a user may interact with the information, such as by providing input via an input component of a device that provides the user interface for display”);
receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input selecting the selectable option (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 16, 13, 66, 42, “Input component 350 includes a component that permits device 300 to receive information, such as via user input (e.g., a touch screen display, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a button, a switch, and/or a microphone).”); and
in response to receiving the input: presenting navigation directions from the current location of the electronic device to a respective location on the first predefined route that is less than the threshold route distance away from the first location (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 16, 7, 59, 17, “the vehicle platform may determine which distance is a shortest distance between the current location ( e.g., P CL) and a point ( e.g., P oRcL) along the original route”).
Rehorst fails to explicitly disclose an input selecting the selectable option.
However, Grochocki teaches an input selecting the selectable option (See at least fig 1-14, ¶ 24, 30, 103, “the method 1300 may include receiving a user selection of one of the at least two different routes. The user may select the route via any suitable input method. For example, the user may enter a touch input to a GUI element to select from among the at least two different routes”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Rehorst and include an input selecting the selectable option as taught by Grochocki because it would allow the system to generate the one or more personalized routes 102 by (1) monitoring deviations of the navigation device 104 from a standard route, (2) generating route deviation information 114 comprising one or more deviation segments 132 based on each deviations from the standard route, and (3) substituting the deviation segments 132 into future standard routes to create personalized routes (Grochocki ¶ 24).
Regarding claim 10, Rehorst discloses a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device in communication with a display generation component and one or more input devices, cause the electronic device to perform a method comprising:
while navigating along a first predefined route using a maps application (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 16, 7, “A driver of a vehicle may deviate from the original route and then utilize the navigation device to request a new set of directions from a current location to the same destination as the original route”), receiving, via the one or more input devices, an indication that one or more criteria are satisfied, including a first criterion that is satisfied when a current location of the electronic device is at least a threshold distance away from the first predefined route (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 16, 7, 59, 17, “As shown in FIG. 10, and by reference number 135, the vehicle platform may identify a point ( e.g., P oRcL) along the original route that is closest to the current location (e.g., P cL) within a predetermined distance”) and a second criterion that is satisfied when the electronic device is moving towards a second location on the first predefined route that is more than a threshold route distance away from a first location on the first predefined route at which the electronic device deviated from the first predefined route to the current location of the electronic device (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 16, 13, “assume that the vehicle travels along the original route past waypoint 1 and then deviates from the original route to a current location ( e.g., P cL)- Further assume that the driver of the vehicle wishes to travel from the current location ( e.g., P cL) to the destination (e.g., City B), and utilizes the device to generate a request for a new route from the current location to the destination. As further shown in FIG. 1B, and by reference number 120, the vehicle platform may receive, from the device, the request for the new route from the current location to the destination”);
in response to receiving the indication, displaying, via the display generation component, a selectable option to navigate to the first predefined route from the current location of the electronic device (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 16, 13, 42, 66, “A user interface may include a graphical user interface, a non-graphical user interface, a text-based user interface, or the like. A user interface may provide information for display. In some implementations, a user may interact with the information, such as by providing input via an input component of a device that provides the user interface for display”);
receiving, via the one or more input devices, an input selecting the selectable option (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 7, 16, 13, 66, 42, “Input component 350 includes a component that permits device 300 to receive information, such as via user input (e.g., a touch screen display, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a button, a switch, and/or a microphone).”); and
in response to receiving the input: presenting navigation directions from the current location of the electronic device to a respective location on the first predefined route that is less than the threshold route distance away from the first location (See at least fig 1-4, ¶ 8, 10, 11, 12, 16, 7, 59, 17, “the vehicle platform may determine which distance is a shortest distance between the current location ( e.g., P CL) and a point ( e.g., P oRcL) along the original route”).
Rehorst fails to explicitly disclose an input selecting the selectable option.
However, Grochocki teaches an input selecting the selectable option (See at least fig 1-14, ¶ 24, 30, 103, “the method 1300 may include receiving a user selection of one of the at least two different routes. The user may select the route via any suitable input method. For example, the user may enter a touch input to a GUI element to select from among the at least two different routes”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Rehorst and include an input selecting the selectable option as taught by Grochocki because it would allow the system to generate the one or more personalized routes 102 by (1) monitoring deviations of the navigation device 104 from a standard route, (2) generating route deviation information 114 comprising one or more deviation segments 132 based on each deviations from the standard route, and (3) substituting the deviation segments 132 into future standard routes to create personalized routes (Grochocki ¶ 24).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUIS A MARTINEZ BORRERO whose email is luis.martinezborrero@uspto.gov and telephone number is (571)272-4577. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00-5:00. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, HUNTER LONSBERRY can be reached on (571)272-7298. 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.
/LUIS A MARTINEZ BORRERO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3665
Prosecution Insights