Ex Parte 7680256 et alDownload PDFPatent Trial and Appeal BoardMay 5, 201495001409 (P.T.A.B. May. 5, 2014) Copy Citation UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARKOFFICE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE United States Patent and Trademark Office Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450 www.uspto.gov APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO. 95/001,409 08/13/2010 7680256 51783-2 (256) 6267 52450 7590 05/06/2014 KRIEG DEVAULT LLP ONE INDIANA SQUARE SUITE 2800 INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46204-2079 EXAMINER ESCALANTE, OVIDIO ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER 3992 MAIL DATE DELIVERY MODE 05/06/2014 PAPER Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding. The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication. PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07) UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE ____________________ BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD ____________________ GOOGLE, INC. Requester v. ONE NUMBER CORPORATION Patent Owner ____________________ Appeal 2013-005028 Inter partes Reexamination Control No. 95/001,409 Patent 7,680,256 B2 Technology Center 3900 ____________________ Before JOHN A. JEFFERY, KARL D. EASTHOM, and STEPHEN C. SIU, Administrative Patent Judges. SIU, Administrative Patent Judge. DECISION ON REQUEST FOR REHEARING In papers filed December 13, 2013, Patent Owner requests a rehearing under 37 C.F.R. § 41.79 from the Decision on Appeal of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, dated November 19, 2013. In the Decision, we reversed the Appeal 2013-005028 Inter partes Reexamination Control No. 95/001,409 US Patent 7,680,256 B2 2 Examiner‟s decision not to reject claims 10 and 12 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as anticipated by Hariri; claims 1 and 4 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as anticipated by Hakusui; claims 10 and 41 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as anticipated by Cinema; claims 16-19 under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as unpatentable over Cinema and Ram; claim 43 under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as unpatentable over Cinema and airBand; and claims 21-27 under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as unpatentable over Cinema and Hakusui (Decision 22). Claims 10 and 12 – Hariri Patent Owner argues that we overlooked and/or misapprehended the fact that Hariri supposedly “does not teach „deactivating‟” (Req. Reh‟g. 6). We disagree with Patent Owner for at least the reasons previously discussed in the Decision (see, e.g., Decision 7-8). Claim 10 (and claim 12), for example, recites a call processing server configured to establish an initial communication session between the calling terminal and the server. Patent Owner also argues that Hariri fails to disclose “a system including a server” (Req. Reh‟g 7, citing PO Resp. Br. 3- 4, “Hariri‟s server does not make or establish any calls”). Requester previously argued that Hariri discloses a call processing server configured to establish an initial communication session between a calling terminal and Hariri‟s server (Orig Req. at 115-116, citing Hariri at 4:58-65, 6:65-7:7, and 10:12-36), for example, a server providing “a greeting or other functionality during that initial communication session” (id.). Appeal 2013-005028 Inter partes Reexamination Control No. 95/001,409 US Patent 7,680,256 B2 3 Hariri discloses “a voice response unit (VRU) . . . for receiving voice signals . . . and converting them to textual information” (col. 4, ll. 63-65) that is “programmed to prompt the caller to speak the email address and indicate verbally the type of contact” (col. 7, ll. 1-3). In addition, Hariri discloses that in the disclosed system, a “call[] can be initiated” (col. 10, l. 30). Patent Owner merely provides a general statement that Hariri supposedly fails to disclose a system that includes a server, but does not demonstrate persuasively specific differences between the system of Hariri in which a server receives signals, converts the signals into a message, the system initiating calls, and the claim feature of a server that is configured to establish an initial communication session between the calling terminal and the server. We are not persuaded by Patent Owner‟s arguments. Claims 1 and 4 – Hakusui Patent Owner argues that Hakusui fails to disclose, “identifying deactivated contact numbers” (Req. Reh‟g 7) because, according to Patent Owner, Hakusui fails to disclose allowing, “a user to „visibly‟ recognize which contact numbers are activated and which numbers are deactivated” (Req. Reh‟g 8). Patent Owner further contends that the Specification discloses an example in which “the user [is able] to visibly identify [a number] as activated or deactivated” (Req. Reh‟g 8, citing Spec. at Fig. 5), Appeal 2013-005028 Inter partes Reexamination Control No. 95/001,409 US Patent 7,680,256 B2 4 and, presumably, claims 1 and 4 therefore require that identifying must include the non-recited limitation of “visibly” identifying. Based on Patent Owner‟s arguments, we are not persuaded that we overlooked or misapprehended any points with respect to this issue for at least the reasons previously discussed (see, e.g., Decision 8-9). While Patent Owner argues that a specific limitation disclosed in a single embodiment in the Specification should be imported into the claim (i.e., “visibly” identifying rather than merely “identifying,” as recited in claim 1), Patent Owner has not provided a persuasive rationale as to why importing a single feature from one embodiment into the claim would be appropriate in this instance. In any event, we note that even if we imported the feature of “visibly” identifying into claim 1, Hariri discloses the display of numbers on a pull-down menu and either selecting the number (i.e., “activating”) or setting to “none” (i.e., “deactivating”) (see, e.g., Decision 8- 9). Patent Owner does not demonstrate a sufficient difference between the “visible” identification of Hariri (i.e., as numbers displayed in a pull-down menu) and the selected feature from the single embodiment (i.e., “visibly” identifying) that Patent Owner proposes should be imported into the claim. We are not persuaded by Patent Owner‟s arguments. Requester argues that Hakusui discloses the features recited in claim 4 (Original Request for Inter Partes Reexamination dated August 13, 2010, at 68 and Ex. G), which depends from claim 1. The Examiner refused to adopt Requester‟s proposed ground of rejection of claim 4 over Hakusui Appeal 2013-005028 Inter partes Reexamination Control No. 95/001,409 US Patent 7,680,256 B2 5 because, according to the Examiner, Hakusui fails to disclose that “numbers are identified by the user as being deactivated” (RAN 98). Hence, the Examiner refused to adopt the rejection of claim 4 as anticipated by Hakusui for the same reasons as those set forth by the Examiner for claim 1. Patent Owner argues that “the Opinion overlooks Requestor‟s waiver of this argument [by Requester pertaining to the rejection of claim 4 as anticipated by Hakusui]” (Req. Reh‟g 10) but does not demonstrate sufficiently that Requester, in fact, waived the arguments as originally presented in the original request for Inter Partes Reexamination dated August 13, 2010. We are not persuaded by Patent Owner‟s arguments. Claims 21-27 – Cinema and Hakusui Regarding claims 21 and 24, Patent Owner argues that “Cinema does not discuss a web browser based control panel that allows a user to designate contact numbers as being either activated or deactivated” (Req. Reh‟g 19). This argument was fully addressed in the Decision (see, e.g., Decision 16- 17). We are not persuaded by Patent Owner‟s argument. Regarding claims 21 and 24, Patent Owner argues that “Hakusui does not teach (i) adding a contact number not to be called or (ii) identifying such as a deactivated contact number in its web based control panel” (Req. Reh‟g. 19). This argument was fully addressed in the Decision (see, e.g., Decision 8-9) and above. We are not persuaded by Patent Owner‟s argument. Appeal 2013-005028 Inter partes Reexamination Control No. 95/001,409 US Patent 7,680,256 B2 6 Patent Owner reiterates that the combination of Cinema and Hakusui fails to disclose or suggest “activat[ing] and deactivat[ing] contact numbers by way of a selection item” (Req. Reh‟g. 19). We disagree with Patent Owner for at least the previously discussed reasons (see above and Decision). Claim 21 recites a web based control panel that allows a user to activate and deactivate an option to forward a notification of voicemail messages to a user designated email account. Patent Owner argues that Cinema “discloses a web based voicemail/email interface” (Req. Reh‟g 20) but that the combination of Cinema and Hakusui fails to disclose or suggest “the ability to activate and deactivate this feature using the web-based control panel” or “the option to allow the user [to] designate different email accounts to which the notifications are sent via the web based control panel” (claim 21) (Req. Reh‟g 20-21). As previously discussed, Hakusui discloses identifying numbers as activated or deactivated via a web based control panel. As Patent Owner points out, Cinema discloses a “web based voicemail/email interface.” Patent Owner does not rebut Petitioner‟s showing and the Board‟s finding that the combination of the known system of identifying contact numbers as activated or deactivated in a web-based control panel (e.g., Hakusui) with the known system of contact information (i.e., voicemail and email information) in the web based interface would not have resulted in the mere predictable result of contact information, including Appeal 2013-005028 Inter partes Reexamination Control No. 95/001,409 US Patent 7,680,256 B2 7 voicemail or email information (e.g., Cinema), in a web-based control panel (in which data may be activated or deactivated – Hakusui). Claim 21 recites that the web based control panel allows a user to change a personal identification code and to activate and deactivate a do-not- disturb option. Similarly, claim 27 recites a web based control panel that allows a user to change a personal identification number and claim 26 recites a web based control panel that allows a user to activate and deactivate a do not disturb feature. Patent Owner argues that the combination of Cinema and Hakusui fails to disclose or suggest a control panel “that allows the user to change a personal identification code and to allow the user to temporarily activate and deactivate a do not disturb option” (Req. Reh‟g. 21), as recited in one or more of claims 21, 26, or 27. As Requester points out, however, Cinema discloses an option permitting a user to change a personal identification code (Requester Comments on Owner‟s Response and First Office Action, dated January 21, 2011 (“3PR Comments”) at p. 36, citing Cinema at 16) and an option selected by a user to indicate “don‟t disturb me” (id. at p. 36, citing Cinema at 21). Patent Owner does not point out sufficient differences between changing an identification code and a “do not disturb” option as disclosed by Cinema and the corresponding disputed claim limitations recited in claims 21, 26, or 27. Claim 22 recites a web based control panel that allows a user to activate and deactivate a call screening feature. Patent Owner argues that the combination of Cinema and Hakusui fails to disclose or suggest this Appeal 2013-005028 Inter partes Reexamination Control No. 95/001,409 US Patent 7,680,256 B2 8 feature (Req. Reh‟g. 21). Requester argues that Cinema discloses a “do not disturb” option that “can be implemented to screen calls” (3PR Comments at p. 36, citing Cinema at 21). Patent Owner does not point out specific differences between this disclosure of Cinema and the disputed claim limitation. Claim 43 – Cinema and airBand (or Cinema and Tekelec) The Examiner previously determined that Cinema discloses each limitation of claim 5, from which claim 43 depends (see, e.g., Decision 19, citing ACP 9, 12, 15-18). Patent Owner did not previously dispute the Examiner‟s determination. Patent Owner now argues that the combination of Cinema and airBand fails to disclose or suggest a control panel “to allow a user to temporarily activate and deactivate contact numbers” (Req. Reh‟g 22). Claim 5 (from which claim 43 depends) recites that the “web based control panel is configured to allow said user to temporarily activate and deactivate one or more numbers contained in said plurality of contact numbers.” We agree with Patent Owner. As discussed in the Decision, we agree with the Examiner that Cinema fails to disclose or suggest deactivated contact numbers and that Requester has not sufficiently demonstrated that airBand cures the deficiencies of Cinema (see, e.g., Decision 21 and 3PR App. Br. 46-47). The Examiner also refuses to adopt the rejection of claim Appeal 2013-005028 Inter partes Reexamination Control No. 95/001,409 US Patent 7,680,256 B2 9 43 over Cinema and Tekelec (RAN 9). Because Requester also does not demonstrate sufficiently that Tekelec cures the deficiencies of Cinema (see, e.g., 3PR App. Br. 21, 33, citing Tekelec at 82), we affirm the Examiner‟s decision not to adopt the proposed rejection of claim 43 as obvious over Cinema and Tekelec. Claims 10 and 41 –Cinema Claims 16-19 – Cinema and Ram Claim 41 recites a “web based control panel [that] is configured to allow said user to temporarily activate and deactivate one or more numbers contained in said plurality of contact numbers to identify each of said plurality of contact numbers as an activated contact number or a deactivated contact number.” Claims 10 and 16-19 depend from claim 5, which recites a similar feature. As previously discussed above and in the Decision, we agree that Cinema fails to disclose or suggest deactivating contact numbers (see e.g., Decision 21). With respect to claims 16-19, Requester does not demonstrate sufficiently that Ram cures the deficits of Cinema in this regard. We affirm the Examiner‟s decision not to adopt the proposed rejection of claims 10 and 41 as anticipated by Cinema and of claims 16-19 as unpatentable over the combination of Cinema and Ram. SUMMARY Appeal 2013-005028 Inter partes Reexamination Control No. 95/001,409 US Patent 7,680,256 B2 10 Patent Owner‟s arguments do not persuade us that our Decision has misapprehended or overlooked any point of fact or law regarding the reversal of the Examiner‟s refusal to adopt the rejection of claims 10 and 12 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as anticipated by Hariri; claims 1 and 4 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as anticipated by Hakusui; and claims 21-27 under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as unpatentable over Cinema and Hakusui. We decline to modify the Decision with respect to these issues. However, Patent Owner‟s Request for Rehearing is granted to the extent that we affirm the Examiner‟s decision not to adopt the rejection of claim 43 under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as unpatentable over the combination of Cinema and one of airBand or Tekelec; the rejection of claims 16-19 under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as unpatentable over Cinema and Ram; and the rejection of claims 10 and 41 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as anticipated by Cinema. GRANTED-IN-PART Appeal 2013-005028 Inter partes Reexamination Control No. 95/001,409 US Patent 7,680,256 B2 11 alw THIRD PARTY REQUESTER: Christine H. McCarthy Richard B. Lazarus Barnes & Thornburg LLP 1717 Pennsylvania Ave NW. Suite 500 Washington, DC 20006-4623 PATENT OWNER: Dean E. McConnell, Esquire Krieg DeVault One Indiana Square, Suite 2800 Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2079 Copy with citationCopy as parenthetical citation