Obviousness

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 7,610,277 Under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis assesses the obviousness of US patent 7,610,277 (hereinafter '277 patent) under 35 U.S.C. § 103, considering the prior art cited within the '277 patent's "Prior Art" section. The invention claimed in the '277 patent generally relates to a method and system for efficiently launching a browser to perform a search, either on a publicly accessible network or a local computer, using a minimal "interim graphical user interface" (GUI) triggered by a specific keyboard message. The priority date for the '277 patent is March 29, 2007. A person having ordinary skill in the art (POSITA) at this time would be a software developer familiar with operating system interactions, GUI design, network programming, and browser integration.

Core Elements of the '277 Patent's Independent Claims

The independent claims (Claims 1, 14, and 22) of the '277 patent generally describe the following key elements:

• Triggering Mechanism: Receiving a "first keyboard message" (Claims 1, 14), which can be a low-level message (Claim 12) or involve remapping a registry entry (Claim 13), interpreted as a request to perform a search.
• Interim GUI: Visibly displaying an "interim graphical user interface" with a text string entry field in response to the request (Claims 1, 14, 22). This GUI is distinct from a general-purpose browser program and primarily serves for search parameter entry.
• Input and Search String Construction: Receiving a text string (comprising text and a type of file to be targeted) via the interim GUI's text entry field and constructing a search string based on it (Claims 1, 14, 22).
• Browser Launch: Issuing a launch command to activate a separate browser program, where the launch command contains the constructed search string (Claims 1, 14, 22).
• Search Scope: The search can be on a "publicly accessible network" (Claims 1, 14) or a "local computer" (Claim 22).

Analysis of Prior Art References

The relevant prior art cited in the '277 patent includes:

Patent Citations:

• US6564254B1 (Dream Technologies Corporation): Describes a system and method for specifying a network location or search term via a GUI (including a "floating window") and then launching a browser to display the content or search results.
• US20050050084A1 (Atm Shafiqul Khalid): Relates to dynamic registry partitioning, relevant to the concept of remapping registry entries.
• US7107548B2 (Yahoo! Inc.): Describes controlling an Internet browser interface.
• US20070066364A1 (Elad Gil): Concerns customized data retrieval applications for mobile devices.
• US20070157118A1 (Thomas Wuttke): Discloses a customizable multi-function button for invoking applications, including launching a web browser with custom parameters like a search query.

Non-Patent Literature (NPL) Citations:

• Windows Vista: Features Explained: Instant Search (2007): This describes Microsoft Windows Vista's system-wide search functionality, accessible from the Start Menu, which allowed users to search local files and web content, often launching a browser for web search results.
• Keystroke logging-Wikipedia (2007): Explains the known technique of intercepting low-level keyboard messages.
• Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator (MSKLC) Version 1.3.4073 (2007): A tool demonstrating the ability to remap keyboard entries.
• Konfabulator-Gallery (2002-2005): Showcased small, dedicated graphical user interface applications (widgets) for specific tasks, implying the concept of an "interim GUI".

Obviousness Combinations and Motivation to Combine

The core inventive step described in the '277 patent involves combining readily available technologies to create a more efficient search initiation process. The motivation for a POSITA would be to improve user convenience and streamline the interaction with search functionalities, as explicitly stated in the '277 patent's summary.

Combination 1: Windows Vista "Instant Search" + Keystroke Logging / MSKLC + Konfabulator / US6564254B1 / US20070157118A1

1. Starting Point: Windows Vista "Instant Search"

   • Windows Vista, released in January 2007 (before the '277 patent's priority date), provided a system-wide "Instant Search" feature. This allowed users to type into a search box (e.g., within the Start Menu) to find both local files and initiate web searches. For web searches, it would launch a browser displaying the results. This feature directly demonstrates:
     • Receiving keyboard input for a search request.
     • Displaying a text entry field (the search box) functioning as an "interim GUI."
     • Receiving a text string.
     • Constructing a search string.
     • Launching a browser with the search string (for web searches).
   • The problem addressed by Instant Search—reducing the need to navigate multiple interfaces to access a search utility—is the same problem articulated in the '277 patent.

2. Adding the "First Keyboard Message" Trigger (Claims 1, 14):

   • The '277 patent emphasizes initiating the search via a specific "first keyboard message." The techniques for achieving this were well-known:
     • Keystroke logging demonstrated the ability to intercept low-level keyboard messages.
     • Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator (MSKLC) showed that remapping registry entries was a known method to alter keyboard behavior and trigger actions.
   • A POSITA would be motivated to combine the keyboard interception/remapping techniques with the "Instant Search" functionality to make the search initiation even more immediate and context-independent. This directly addresses the '277 patent's goal of "efficient use of space on a display device" and reducing the "effective time of the searching operation" by circumventing graphical navigation. US20070157118A1 further supports this, teaching that a customizable button (which can be keyboard-mapped) can invoke applications and launch a web browser with a search query.

3. Refining the "Interim GUI" (Claims 1, 14, 22):

   • While Windows Vista's search box served as an interim input field, the concept of a small, dedicated, and non-general-purpose GUI was also well-established.
   • Konfabulator (later Yahoo! Widgets) explicitly taught the use of small, single-purpose applications ("widgets") that could reside on the desktop to provide quick access to information or functions without requiring a full application launch. A POSITA familiar with Konfabulator would be motivated to implement the search input field as a minimalist, transient "interim GUI" that appears on demand, consistent with the '277 patent's description of an interim GUI that "does not show search results and, is not a general purpose program".
   • Similarly, US6564254B1 describes a "floating window" for inputting network locations or search terms, serving a similar function as an interim GUI for search.
   • The motivation would be to achieve a less intrusive and more focused user interface for search input, directly supporting the patent's objective of "efficient use of space on a display device".

4. Including "Type of File to be Targeted" in Search String (Claims 1, 14, 22):

   • The '277 patent specifies that the text string "comprises text and a type of file to be targeted". Search engines and operating system search utilities commonly included options to filter searches by file type (e.g., documents, images, videos). Windows Vista's Instant Search itself offered basic filtering capabilities.
   • A POSITA would find it obvious to enhance any search utility by allowing users to specify the type of file to be searched for. This could be done through additional input elements (like radio buttons) or by structuring the text string itself, as mentioned in the '277 patent's description. This is a conventional improvement to make search results more relevant and efficient.

Specific Obviousness Argument for Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Method for launching a browser program on a computing device over a publicly accessible network): The combination of Windows Vista's Instant Search (for the core search-initiation-to-browser-launch functionality) with Keystroke logging or MSKLC (for triggering with a "first keyboard message") and Konfabulator or US6564254B1 (for implementing the "interim graphical user interface" as a lightweight, dedicated input field) renders this claim obvious. The inclusion of a "type of file to be targeted" is a conventional refinement of search queries. The phrase "receiving a text string via the text string entry field over the network" in Claim 1, while grammatically unusual for direct user input, is understood by a POSITA in context to mean that the input is received locally for the purpose of initiating a search on the network, consistent with the overall disclosure.
• Claim 14 (Computer-operated searching system): This claim describes a system incorporating the same functional elements as Claim 1. The monitoring, interface, and launching software routines are obvious implementations of the method steps using known programming practices. The distinction that "the browser program is different from the monitoring software routine, the interface software routine and the launching software routine" is inherent in the concept of launching a separate, existing browser application, as taught by US6564254B1 and US20070157118A1.
• Claim 22 (Method for searching on a local computer): This claim describes a local search scenario, which is explicitly covered by Windows Vista's Instant Search. The steps of using an interim GUI, receiving a text string (including file type), constructing a search string "adapted for searching the local computer," and launching a browser with it are all direct applications or obvious variations of the reasoning for Claim 1, tailored to a local search index.

Conclusion

Considering the state of the art in March 2007, the claimed invention of US7610277B2 would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art. The motivation to combine the various prior art elements—namely, the system-wide search functionality exemplified by Windows Vista's Instant Search, the known techniques for keyboard message interception and remapping, and the concept of lightweight, dedicated user interfaces from Konfabulator widgets or US6564254B1's floating window—would have been to enhance user efficiency and streamline the process of initiating searches. This combination would yield a predictable improvement in user experience by providing quick, context-independent access to search functions without occupying significant screen space.