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 1-20 are presenting for examination.
non-statutory double patenting rejection
The non-statutory 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 non-statutory 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 non-statutory 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 non-statutory 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 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 12,375.570. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the patent 570 anticipates the pending claims as been shown in the table below.
19/282,700
12,375,570
1. A method, comprising: receiving an indication of availability from a client application executing on a client device associated with an online communication platform; determining a first status associated with a first service provider associated with the online communication platform; determining a second status associated with a second service provider associated with the online communication platform; determining a selected service provider, based at least in part on the first status and the second status, wherein the selected service provider comprises the first service provider or the second service provider; transmitting a request to the selected service provider; receiving a data object from the selected service provider based at least in part on the request; and processing the data object via the client application.
1. A method, comprising: determining, by a client application executing on a client device associated with a contact center, that a user of the client device is available to handle a new work object; determining a first queue status associated with a first queue of an external service provider associated with an interactive communication service; determining a second queue status associated with a second queue of an internal service provider associated with the contact center; determining a selected service provider, based on the first queue status and the second queue status, wherein the selected service provider comprises the external service provider or the internal service provider; transmitting a work object request to the selected service provider; receiving a work object from the selected service provider based at least in part on the request; and rendering the work object via a user interface of the client application
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data object comprises at least one of: an interactive communication session received from the selected service provider over an unsecured public network external to the online communication platform; or a deferred work object received from the selected service provider over a secure private network internal to the online communication platform.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the work object comprises at least one of: an interactive communication session received from the external service provider over an unsecured public network; or a deferred work object received from the internal service provider over a secure private network.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication of availability from the client application comprises at least one: receiving a login via the client application; or determining that a previous interactive communication session between the client application and a third service provider associated with the online communication platform has ended.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the user of the client device is available to handle the new work object comprises at least one: receiving a login via the client application; or determining that a previous interactive communication session between the client application and the external service provider has ended.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first service provider and the second service provider are each associated with a communication service comprising one of: a voice communication service; a video communication service; a chat communication service; or a social media communication service.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a third queue status associated with a third queue of a second external service provider associated with a different second interactive communication service, wherein the interactive communication service and the different second interactive communication service each comprises one of: a voice communication service; a video communication service; a chat communication service; or a social media communication service.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first status comprises: selecting the first service provider from a plurality of service providers providing external communication services for the online communication platform; and determining a first queue status associated with the first service provider.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first queue status associated with the first queue of the external service provider comprises: selecting the external service provider, from a plurality of external service providers, based on one or more device features of the client device.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving policy data from a server associated with the online communication platform, wherein determining the selected service provider is based at least in part on the policy data.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving policy data from a server associated with the contact center, wherein determining the selected service provider is based at least in part on the policy data.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving additional status data associated with at least one additional client application executing on an additional client device associated with the online communication platform, wherein determining the selected
service provider is based at least in part on the additional status data.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving status data associated with at least one additional client application executing on an additional client device associated with a contact center, wherein determining the selected service provider is based at least in part on the status data.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data object comprises an interactive communication session received from the selected service provider, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining a queue backlog associated with the selected service provider; determining that the queue backlog associated with the selected service provider exceeds a queue backlog threshold; and
selecting the selected service provider based at least in part on determining that the queue backlog exceeds the queue backlog threshold.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the work object comprises an interactive communication session received from the external service provider, and wherein the method further comprises: determining a queue backlog associated with the external service provider; determining that the queue backlog associated with the external service provider exceeds a queue backlog threshold; and selecting the external service provider based at least in part on determining that the queue backlog exceeds the queue backlog threshold.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the selected service provider is performed by the client application running a first computing process, and wherein the method further comprises:
launching a second computing process based on selecting the selected service provider; and
initiating an interactive communication session between the client application and the selected service provider, using the second computing process.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the selected service provider is performed by the client application running a first computing process, and wherein the method further comprises: launching a second computing process based on selecting the external service provider; and initiating the interactive communication session between the client application and the external service provider, using the second computing process.
10. A computing system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:
receiving an indication of availability from a client application associated with an interactive communication system; determining a first status associated with a first service provider associated with the interactive communication system; determining a second status associated with a second service provider associated with the interactive communication system; determining a selected service provider, based on the first status and the second status, wherein the selected service provider comprises the first service provider or the second service provider; transmitting a request to the selected service provider; receiving a data object from the selected service provider based at least in part on the request; and processing the data object via the client application.
10. A computing system, comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising: determining, by a client application associated with a contact center, that a user associated with the client application is available to handle a new work object; determining a first queue status associated with a first queue of an external service provider associated with an interactive communication service; determining a second queue status associated with a second queue of an internal service provider associated with the contact center; determining a selected service provider, based on the first queue status and the second queue status, wherein the selected service provider comprises the external service provider or the internal service provider; transmitting a work object request to the selected service provider; receiving a work object from the selected service provider based at least in part on the request; and rendering the work object via a user interface of the client application.
11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the data object comprises at least one of:
an interactive communication session received from the selected service provider over an unsecured public network external to the interactive communication system; or
a deferred work object received from the selected service provider over a secure private network internal to the interactive communication system.
11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the work object comprises at least one of:
an interactive communication session received from the external service provider over an unsecured public network; or a deferred work object received from the internal service provider over a secure private network.
12. The computing system of claim 10, wherein receiving the indication of availability from the client application comprises at least one:
receiving a login via the client application; or
determining that a previous interactive communication session between the client application and a third service provider associated with the interactive communication system has ended.
12. The computer system of claim 10, wherein determining that the user is available to handle the new work object comprises at least one of:
receiving a login via the client application; or determining that a previous interactive communication session between the client application and the external service provider has ended.
13. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the first service provider and the second service provider are each associated with a communication service comprising one of:
a voice communication service;
a video communication service;
a chat communication service; or
a social media communication service.
13. The computer system of claim 10, the operations further comprising: determining a third queue status associated with a third queue of a second external service provider associated with a different second interactive communication service, wherein the interactive communication service and the different second interactive communication service each comprises at least one of:
a voice communication service;
a video communication service;
a chat communication service; or
a social media communication service.
14. The computing system of claim 10, wherein determining the first status comprises:
selecting the first service provider from a plurality of service providers providing external communication services for the interactive communication system; and
determining a first queue status associated with the first service provider.
13. The computer system of claim 10, the operations further comprising: determining a third queue status associated with a third queue of a second external service provider associated with a different second interactive communication service, wherein the interactive communication service and the different second interactive communication service each comprises at least one of: a voice communication service; a video communication service; a chat communication service; or a social media communication service.
15. The computing system of claim 10, the operations further comprising: receiving policy data from a server associated with the interactive communication system, wherein determining the selected service provider is based at least in part on the policy data.
15. The computer system of claim 10, the operations further comprising: receiving policy data from a server associated with the contact center, wherein determining the selected service provider is based at least in part on the policy data.
16. The computing system of claim 10, the operations further comprising: receiving additional status data associated with at least one additional client application executing on an additional client device associated with the interactive communication system, wherein determining the selected service provider is based at least in part on the additional status data.
16. The computer system of claim 10, the operations further comprising: receiving status data associated with at least one additional client application executing on an additional client device associated with a contact center, wherein determining the selected service provider is based at least in part on the status data.
17. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the data object comprises an interactive communication session received from the selected service provider, and wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a queue backlog associated with the selected service provider; determining that the queue backlog associated with the selected service provider exceeds a queue backlog threshold; and
selecting the selected service provider based at least in part on determining that the queue backlog exceeds the queue backlog threshold.
17. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the work object comprises an interactive communication session received from the external service provider, and wherein the operations further comprise: determining a queue backlog associated with the external service provider; determining that the queue backlog associated with the external service provider exceeds a queue backlog threshold; and selecting the external service provider based at least in part on determining that the queue backlog exceeds the queue backlog threshold.
18. The computing system of claim 17, wherein determining the selected service provider is performed by the client application running a first computing process, and wherein the operations further comprise:
launching a second computing process based on selecting the selected service provider; and
initiating an interactive communication session between the client application and the selected service provider, using the second computing process.
18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein determining the selected service provider is performed by the client application running a first computing process, and wherein the operations further comprise: launching a second computing process based on selecting the external service provider; and initiating the interactive communication session between the client application and the external service provider, using the second computing process
19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions executable by a processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving an indication of availability from a client application executing on a client device associated with an online communication platform;
determining a first status associated with a first service provider associated with the online communication platform;
determining a second status associated with a second service provider associated with the online communication platform;
determining a selected service provider, based at least in part on the first status and the second status, wherein the selected service provider comprises the first service provider or the second service provider;
transmitting a request to the selected service provider;
receiving a data object from the selected service provider based at least in part on the request; and
processing the data object via the client application.
19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions executable by a processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: determining, by a client application executing on a client device associated with a contact center, that a user of the client device is available to handle a new work object; determining a first queue status associated with a first queue of an external service provider associated with an interactive communication service; determining a second queue status associated with a second queue of an internal service provider associated with the contact center; determining a selected service provider, based on the first queue status and the second queue status, wherein the selected service provider comprises the external service provider or the internal service provider; transmitting a work object request to the selected service provider; receiving a work object from the selected service provider based at least in part on the request; and rendering the work object via a user interface of the client application.
20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, the operations further comprising:
receiving additional status data associated with at least one additional client application executing on an additional client device associated with the online communication platform, wherein determining the selected service provider is based at least in part on the additional status data.
20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, the operations further comprising: receiving status data associated with at least one additional client application executing on an additional client device associated with a contact center, wherein determining the selected service provider is based at least in part on the status data.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Moustafa M Meky whose telephone number is (571)272-4005. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM.
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/MOUSTAFA M MEKY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2457 09/13/2026