Obviousness

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 10,664,141 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis identifies combinations of prior art references that would render the claims of US Patent 10,664,141 (hereinafter '141 patent) obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) at the time of the invention (i.e., before the priority date of April 29, 2004). The '141 patent generally describes methods and apparatus for managing and exchanging information using information objects (IOs) displayed in various information views (IVs).

The independent claims, such as Claim 1 and Claim 21, describe a computer-implemented method/system that involves:

1. Storing, in a database, configurations of data items as distinct information objects. Each information object is associated with a picture, a heading, and a link to its corresponding data item.
2. Displaying a representation of at least two of these information objects in a uniform "card" format. This card format includes the picture, heading, a set of indicators, and a function mechanism for graphical access to functions.

A PHOSITA, seeking to enhance information management and user interaction with digital content in a multi-application computing environment, would have been motivated to combine the following prior art references to arrive at the claimed invention.

Combination: US5386561A in view of US6453327B1, US6252601B1, and US6731307B1

1. Foundational Information Objects and Graphical Representation (US5386561A)

US Patent 5,386,561 (hereinafter '561) discloses an object-based information handling system where various kinds of objects holding information are stored in an "object base" (a database system) and manipulated by an operating system. These objects are "represented as icons on a graphical user interface and are manipulated by the user by directly operating the icons." The '561 patent further teaches that a "composite object formed by a set of objects having a logical relation is handled as a single object which may also be represented as an icon."

A PHOSITA would understand that an icon, by its very nature, serves as a visual "picture" for an underlying data item and typically includes a "heading" or label (e.g., a filename or descriptive text). Moreover, selecting or operating an icon inherently "links" the user to the corresponding data item or its associated functionality. Thus, '561 provides the core concept of storing data items as distinct information objects in a database and representing them graphically as icons with associated pictures, headings, and links to the data.

2. Dynamic Presentation and Functionality for Information Objects (US6453327B1)

US Patent 6,453,327 (hereinafter '327) teaches an information object having "dynamically configurable presentation and action data." Specifically, a "presentation portion stores presentation data defining a presentation of the source data on a display device," and an "action portion stores action data defining an action to be taken on the source data responsive to user input." Both the presentation data and the action data are "dynamically configurable independent of the information object's source data."

Motivation to Combine: A PHOSITA would be motivated to combine the teachings of '561 and '327 to enhance the static icons disclosed in '561. The objects in '561, while represented as icons, would benefit significantly from the dynamic configurability taught by '327. By integrating '327's "presentation data," the picture and heading of the icons could be dynamically generated or updated from the underlying data, making the icons more informative and adaptive. Similarly, '327's "action data" directly provides for the "function mechanism giving graphical access to a set of functions" claimed in the '141 patent, allowing users to interact with the information objects beyond simple activation. This combination would create more versatile and interactive graphical representations of information.

3. Flexible Display Across Multiple Views in a Uniform Format (US6252601B1)

US Patent 6,252,601 (hereinafter '601) describes a system and method for "defining and presenting information views." It discloses that "information to be viewed is stored in a structured database" and "can be presented for viewing in a variety of different forms or views to different users depending on the type of information, user preferences and application environment." It also enables users and administrators to "define new views and modify existing views, including the ability to apply filters to the information to be viewed, specify display parameters (e.g. data fields, fonts, colors, etc.) and define access privileges to the information views."

Motivation to Combine: Building upon the dynamically configurable information objects (icons with enhanced presentation and action data) formed by combining '561 and '327, a PHOSITA would be motivated to incorporate the "information views" concept from '601. The ability to present information objects in a "variety of different forms or views" directly addresses the '141 patent's concept of IOs being rendered differently on different IVs. It would be an obvious design choice to adopt a "uniform format" (such as a "card") within each specific view for aesthetic consistency, improved organization, and ease of comparison, particularly when dealing with many information objects. The "display parameters" taught in '601 could define this "uniform format," incorporating the dynamically configurable pictures, headings, and function mechanisms from '327.

4. Indicators and Attribute Management (US6731307B1)

US Patent 6,731,307 (hereinafter '307) describes a system for displaying information objects, where each object is "associated with a plurality of attributes." It also teaches displaying a second graphical user interface (GUI) with "a plurality of graphical representations, wherein each of the plurality of graphical representations represents one of a subset of the plurality of attributes associated with the at least one information object." A "common interface is associated with the first and second graphical user interfaces to enable modification of the plurality of attributes."

Motivation to Combine: To further refine the information objects presented in a uniform card format across various views, a PHOSITA would look to '307 for managing attributes. The "plurality of graphical representations" of attributes taught in '307 directly maps to the "set of indicators, the set of indicators having at least one member" in the '141 patent's claims. These indicators would visually communicate specific attributes or states of the information object within its uniform card format. The "common interface" for modifying attributes aligns with the "function mechanism giving graphical access to a set of functions" in the '141 patent, allowing users to interact with and change the object's properties. This integration provides a complete solution for both displaying status and enabling interaction with the attributes of information objects.

Conclusion on Obviousness of Claims 1 and 21

By combining the teachings of US5386561A, US6453327B1, US6252601B1, and US6731307B1, a PHOSITA would arrive at the claimed method and system of interacting with information objects.

• US5386561A provides the basic concept of storing information as objects represented by interactive icons on a GUI.
• US6453327B1 teaches how to make these icons/objects more informative and interactive through dynamically configurable presentation (picture, heading) and action data (function mechanisms).
• US6252601B1 provides the framework for displaying these enhanced information objects in various "views", where a "uniform format" (such as a card) would be an obvious design choice for consistency and usability, leveraging the configurable display parameters to present the picture, heading, and functionality.
• US6731307B1 further details the inclusion of "graphical representations" of attributes (i.e., "indicators") and mechanisms for their modification (i.e., "function mechanisms") within these displays.

The combination of these references addresses all the elements of claims 1 and 21. The motivation for such a combination arises from the desire to create a more dynamic, user-friendly, and comprehensive system for managing and interacting with digital information, building upon known concepts of object-oriented interfaces, configurable display elements, and multiple viewing paradigms.