UNITED STA" ~DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`Patent and Trnimark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS AND TRADEMARKS
`Washington, D.C. 20231
`
`APPLICATION NO.
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`FILING DATE
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`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
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`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
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`VJ .. 0 ~:::l.Fl Cl F:< !\i E:
`_J U J· .. ! l\1
`MORGAN & FINNEGAN, LLP
`:34!;_:;, F'f.~H!< !·~VEI\!1.../E:
`NEW YORK NY 10154
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`'T'!YJi)2/ 11 :Z9
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`i<
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`EXAMINER
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`''rr::;r 'YFN c·
`I PAPER NUMBER
`ARTUNIT
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`I
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`217:3
`DATE MAILI!D:
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`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning thla application or
`proceeding.
`
`Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks
`
`PT0·90C (Rev. 2195)
`•u.s. GPO; 2000-473-000/44602
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`1· File Copy
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`Apple Inc. Exhibit 1015
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`Office Action Summary
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`Applic-. ;,(s)
`
`Application No.
`09/400,413
`Examiner
`Cao "Kevin" Nguyen
`
`McNally et al.
`
`Group Art Unit
`2173
`
`I
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`[2g Responsive to communication(s) filed on 9121199
`n This action is FINAL
`0 Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is closed
`in accordance with the practice under Ex parte Quayll935 C.D. 11; 453 O.G. 213.
`A shortened statutory period for response to this action is set to expire
`3
`month(s), or thirty days, whichever is
`longer, from the mailing date of this communication. Failure to respond within the period for response will cause the
`application to become abandoned. (35 U.S.C. § 133). Extensions oftime may be obtained under the provisions of
`37 CFR 1.136(a).
`
`Disposition of Cia in
`[2g Claim(s) 1-43
`
`Of the above, claim(s)
`119 Claim(s) 20-30 and 40-43
`119 Claim(s) 1-19 and 31-39
`U Claim(s)
`0 Claims
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`is/are pending in the apr
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`is/are withdrawn from consider
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`is/are allowed.
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`is/are rejected.
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`is/are objected
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`are subject to restriction or election requirerr
`
`Application Papers
`[2g See the attached Notice of Draftsperson's Patent Drawing Review, PT0-948.
`0 The drawing(s) filed on
`D The proposed drawing correction, filed on
`n The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`0 The oath or declaration is objected to by the Examiner.
`
`is/are objected to by the Examiner.
`ilil approved] disapproved.
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`0 Acknowledgement is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d).
`IJ'IIone of the CERTIFIED copies of the priority documents have been
`OAII C::Some•
`D received.
`0 received in Application No. (Series Code/Serial Number)
`0 received in this national stage application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`·certified copies not rece1ved: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
`0 Acknowledgement is made of a claim for domestic priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e).
`
`Attachment(s)
`[2g Notice of References Cited, PT0-892
`0 Information Disclosure Statement(s), PT0-1449, Paper No(s). ___ _
`0 Interview Summary, PT0-413
`119 Notice of Draftsperson's Patent Drawing Review, PT0-948
`0 Notice of Informal Patent Application, PT0-152
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`I
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`I
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`I
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`u S. Patent and Trademark Office
`PT0-326 (Rev. 9-95)
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`Office Action Summary
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`'art of Paper No. _ _::.5 __
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`- SEE OFFICE ACTION ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES---
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`Apple Inc. Exhibit 1015
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 09/400,413
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`Art Unit: 2173
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`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Claim Rejections- 35 USC§ 102
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`I.
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`The followingis a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of35 U.S. C. 102 that form the
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`basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
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`A person shall be entitled to a patent unless --
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`(e) the invention was described in a patent granted on an application lor patent by another filed in the United
`States before the invention th.,.eofby the applicant for patent, or on an intemational application by another who
`has fulfilled the requirements of paragraphs (1),' (Z); and (4) of section 371 '';' of this title before the invention
`thereof by the applicant for patent.
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`2.
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`Claims 1-19 and 31-39 are rejeqted llnqer ~.~.U.S.(:, 102(e) as being anticipated by Cupps
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`et al. (5,991,739).
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`Regarding claim 1, Cup!)s diselqses an i~ofll1ationtnanagement and synchronous
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`communications system for generating menus comprising: a central processing unit, a data
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`storage device connected to said central processing unit, an operating system including a graphical
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`user interface (see figure 2 ), a first menu stored on said data storage device, application software
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`for generating a second menu from said first menu, wherein the application software facilitates the
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`generation of the second menu by allowing selection of items from the first menu, addition of
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`items to the second menu and assignment of parameters to items in the second menu using the
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`graphical user interface of said operating system (see col. 9, lines 42-67).
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`Apple Inc. Exhibit 1015
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 09/400,413
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`Art Unit: 2173
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`Page 3
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`Regarding claim 2, Cupps discloses an information management and synchronous
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`communications system, wherein the second menu is a restaurant menu (see col. 5, lines 27-67).
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`Regarding claim 3, Cupps discloses an information management and synchronous
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`communications system, wherein the second menu is capable of being displayed on the display
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`screen of a wireless computing device (see col. 4, lines 1-55).
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`Regarding claims 4 and 5, Cupps discloses an information management and synchronous
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`communications system, wherein selections from the second menu are capable of being
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`transmitted to a receiving computer by wireless link:( see figures 1-2).
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`Regarding claims 6 and 7, Cupps discloses an information management and synchronous
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`communications system in, wherein the computer network is the internet; and selections from the
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`second menu an: capable of being transmitted to a receiving computer via the irternet (see col. 9,
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`lines 16-65 and figure 8-1 0).
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`Regarding claims 8-11, Cupps discloses .an information management and synchronous
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`communications system, wherein the second menu is created in conformity with hypertext markup
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`language or extensible markup language (see col. 10, lines 8-56 and figures 7-10).
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`As claims 12-19 and 31-39 are analyzed as previously discussed with respect to claims I(cid:173)
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`ll above.
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`Apple Inc. Exhibit 1015
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 09/400,413
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`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 2173
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`Allowable Subject Matter
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`3.
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`Claims 20-30 and 40-43 are allowed ov¢r the prior art of record.
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`Applicant has claimed uniquely distinct features in the instant invention which are not
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`found in the prior art. either singularly or ip. combination. They are an information management
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`and synchronous communications systentfot generating and transmitting menus a sub-modifier
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`menu stored on data storage device and displayable in a window of graphical user interface, and
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`application software for generating a second menu from first menu and transmitting second menu
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`to a wireless handheld computing device or Web page. These features are not found or suggested
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`in the prior art.
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`The present invention is directed to an information management and synchronous
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`communications system for gen¢rating and transfuitting menus. Each independent claims 20 and
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`40 are identified the uniquely distinct features ''a sub-modifjer menu stored on data storage
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`device and displqyable in a window Qfgraphi'cqluser interface, and am)/icqtion software for
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`H~
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`generating a second menu from first. menu and transmitting second menu to a wireless handheld
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`computing device or Web page". The closest prior art, Cupps (US Patent No. 5,991,739) and
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`Chen (US Patent No. 5, 724,069) discloses convention of user interactive interface providing an
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`on-line ordering distribution, either singularly or in combination, fail to anticipate or render the
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`above underlined limitations obvious.
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`Apple Inc. Exhibit 1015
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 09/400,413
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`Art Unit: 2173
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`Page 5
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`Conclusion
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`4.
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`The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's
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`disclosure and provided on the attached Form 892.
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`Response
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`5.
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`Responses to this action should be mailed to: Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks,
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`Washington, D.C. 20231. If applicant desires to fax a response, (703) 308-6306 may be used for
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`formal communications.
`
`Please label "PROPOSED" or "DRA.FT'~forinf<wmai facsimile communications. For after
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`final responses, please label "AFTER FINAL" or "EXPEDITED PROCEDURE" on the
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`document.
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`Hand-delivered responses should be brought to Crystal Park II, 2121 Crystal Drive,
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`Arlington, VA. Sixth Floor (Receptionist).
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`Inquires
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`6.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner
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`should be directed to Cao (Kevin) Nguyen whose telephone number is (703) 305-3972. The
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`examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:30am to 6:00pm.
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`Apple Inc. Exhibit 1015
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 09/400,413
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`Page 6
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`Art Unit: 2173
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
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`supervisor, John W. Cabeca, can be reached on (703) 308-3116. The fax number for this group is
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`(703) 308-6360.
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`Any inquiry ofa general nature or r(llating to the.,status of this application or proceeding
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`should be directed to the Group receptionist whose telephone number is (703) 305-3900.
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`PATENT EXAMINER
`
`~c:
`
`Cao "Kevin" Nguyen
`November 27,2000
`
`Apple Inc. Exhibit 1015
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`

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`Notice of References Cited
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`Applicant/· ..
`
`Application No.
`09/400,413
`Examiner
`Cao "Kevin" Nguyen
`
`- - - - - - - - - - - ,
`
`McNally et al.
`Group Art Unit
`2173
`
`Page1 of 1
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`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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`U S. Patent and Trademark Office
`PT0-892 (Rev. 9-95)
`
`Notice of References Cited
`
`'art of Paper No. _ __::5 __
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`DOCUMENT (Including Author, Title, Source, and Pertinent Pages)
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`DATE
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`Apple Inc. Exhibit 1015