2012年11月28日 星期三

微軟US7,933,632審查過程克服了101核駁理由

微軟US7,933,632揭示了目前Windows8動態磚的技術內容,專利涉及用於行動裝置的使用者介面,透過多個磚(tiles)表示資料與服務,這些"磚"自動提供各種內容的即時狀態的畫面,並且讓使用者可以隨意改變磚的顯示方式與內容,各"磚"也是連結到各種軟體的快速鍵。

根據各核准範圍獨立項,顯然微軟也是企圖保護更廣的範圍,其中Claim 1界定了在行動裝置上顯示內容的使用者介面,包括取得內容的介面元件、磚空間元件,可以管理多個磚在特定位置顯示動態更新內容,每個磚空間元件可以根據使用者資訊設定,與一顯示磚的顯示元件。另有方法包括以處理器產生客製的顯示空間置放"磚",處理器根據使用者設定選擇各磚,以及顯示在顯示螢幕上。相關系統則限定在處理器與電腦可讀取儲存裝置內的程式步驟。

1. A user interface for a mobile device facilitating surfacing of content available through the mobile device, comprising:
an interface component that obtains the content;
a tile space component that manages a plurality of tiles dynamically updated based at least in part on the content and the plurality of tiles positioned within a tile space, wherein the tile space component includes a profile component that manages at least one user profile and the plurality of tiles are selected from a set of available tiles based at least in part on the at least one user profile; and
a display component that displays a view of the tile space.
11. A processor-implemented method, comprising:
a processor generating a customizable display space capable of managing a plurality of dynamically updating tiles;
the processor populating the customizable display space with the plurality of tiles, wherein the plurality of tiles are selected from a set of available tiles based at least in part on at least one user profile; and
displaying a view of the display space on a display screen of a mobile device.
17. A system comprising a processor and a computer-readable storage device, the device storing executable instructions that when processed by said processor cause said processor to implement the steps comprising:
generating a customizable tile space capable of managing a plurality of tiles;
populating the customizable tile space with the plurality of tiles;
selecting one or more tiles from a set of available tiles based at least in part on a user profile;
dynamically updating the plurality of tiles with the one or more selected tiles based at least in part on content of the selected one or more tiles; and
displaying a view of the tile space.

事實上,最後呈現的上述各項範圍中,在審查過程中遭遇過101的核駁理由,以下整理一點此案的答辯過程。

第一次OA中,Claims 11-20不符35USC101規定,引用Bilski判例,認為專利範圍Claims 11-16並未連結特定硬體或是有任何可專利性的轉換(different state or thing),非101所界定可專利的標的。
 再對Claims 17-20提出101核駁,原因是認為其為電腦程式本身(computer program per se),非具體的東西(physical "things"),電腦程式與其他元件沒有結構或功能的關聯。
於是,微軟提出的解決方案就是於Claim 11併入「processor-implemented」的描述,並且引入「a processor」以及processor的工作。

 對於Claim 17,前言併入「a processor and a computer-readable storage medium」儲存可執行指令的描述,並同時將means for的寫法刪除,而改以明確的動作。

 之後,又接獲第二次OA,其中僅針對Claim 17仍不滿足"該審查委員"認定的應有硬體特徵的要求,尤其是"系統"應為具有電腦程式的載體(device, carrier, media),如硬碟、CD等,認為前次修改併入的"computer-readable storage medium",堅稱其中的medium為一種載波(carrier wave)形式,用於描述傳送與接收電子訊號,非法定可專利的標的。
 於是,微軟簡單地將medium改為device,並沒有任何爭辯。
 

Ron
其他參考:http://enpan.blogspot.tw/2012/11/live-tilesus6724403.html

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