Prior art — US Patent 9817562

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 9817562, I will examine the patent citations listed on the Google Patents page for US9817562B2. Prior art refers to any information publicly known before the effective filing date of a U.S. patent application that may be relevant to the patentability of the claimed invention. This includes U.S. patents and published patent applications, foreign patents, and various publications.

Here are the prior art references cited by US9817562B2, along with their details and potential anticipatory relevance:

I. U.S. Patent Documents (Directly Cited by US9817562B2)

US 7,640,511 B1
- Full Citation: US 7,640,511 B1
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: December 29, 2009. The priority date for US9817562B2 is listed as April 29, 2005, which is derived from US 11/118,301, filed on April 29, 2005. US 7,640,511 B1 is also a direct continuation-in-part of US 11/118,301, filed April 29, 2005.
- Brief Description: Titled "Methods and apparatus for managing and inferring relationships from information," this patent describes systems and methods for organizing and managing information, and for inferring relationships between pieces of information. It introduces the concept of using spatial arrangements of graphical icons to identify relationships between underlying information, and then suggesting other relevant information based on these relationships.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is highly relevant as it appears to lay the groundwork for the core concepts of managing information objects and inferring relationships, which are central to US9817562. Specifically, it likely anticipates claims related to:
  - The use of graphical information objects (icons) to represent information.
  - The spatial arrangement of these objects on a graphical user interface.
  - Algorithms for discovering spatial relationships between these objects.
  - Identifying and suggesting related information objects based on these discovered relationships.
  - Claims 1-13, 16-20, 24-27, and 29-30 of US9817562B2, which broadly cover methods and systems for interacting with information objects, configuring them, displaying them, and using spatial relationships to identify related information, may be directly impacted by this prior art.
US 2007/0204230 A1
- Full Citation: US 2007/0204230 A1
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: August 30, 2007.
- Brief Description: The title on Google Patents is "System and method for presenting an online media channel". This patent generally relates to systems and methods for presenting online media channels, which can involve displaying various media content to users.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This may anticipate claims related to:
  - Displaying information from various sources in a structured view, particularly if the "online media channel" could be interpreted as a form of "News View" (like News View 305 described in US9817562) that aggregates information.
  - The chronological organization of information, as a media channel might present content over time.
  - Claims 14 and 15 of US9817562B2, concerning the News View and its chronological organization of information, could be impacted.
US 7,370,283 B2
- Full Citation: US 7,370,283 B2
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: May 6, 2008.
- Brief Description: The title on Google Patents is "System and method for dynamically forming media channels." This patent describes a system and method for dynamically creating media channels, which likely involves selecting and organizing content for presentation to users.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US 2007/0204230 A1, this patent could anticipate claims related to:
  - The dynamic aggregation and presentation of information, particularly within the context of a "News View" that updates automatically.
  - The ability to categorize and filter information presented in such a view.
  - Claims 14 and 15 of US9817562B2, concerning the News View and its dynamic updating, could be impacted.
US 2007/0118804 A1
- Full Citation: US 2007/0118804 A1
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: May 24, 2007. The abstract states a priority date of November 7, 2006.
- Brief Description: Titled "Collaborative content management system with content classification, distribution and discovery functions," this patent describes a system for managing content collaboratively, including classification, distribution, and discovery features. It appears to involve user-authored works and their publishing, and mentions concepts like "Collaborative Classifier" and "Taxonomy Creation and Management".
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is highly relevant to the collaborative aspects of US9817562. It may anticipate claims related to:
  - Sharing of information objects among multiple participants.
  - Communication features associated with information objects (e.g., discussions, comments).
  - Mechanisms for discovering relevant information (e.g., based on classification or user activity).
  - Claims 21-23, which involve hosting conversations, linking participants, and providing a user interface with discussion features, are particularly vulnerable. Also, claims related to the management and exchange of IOs between users (e.g., claims 25-27) could be impacted.
US 7,203,907 B1
- Full Citation: US 7,203,907 B1
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: April 10, 2007.
- Brief Description: The title on Google Patents is "Dynamically linked document with embedded update function and method thereof." This patent describes a system for documents that can be dynamically updated with an embedded update function.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This could anticipate claims related to:
  - The dynamic updating of information objects (IOs) as described in US9817562, where an IO can continuously update itself to reflect changes in the underlying information source.
  - Claims 13 and 28, which relate to information objects that dynamically update, could be impacted.
US 2004/0073550 A1
- Full Citation: US 2004/0073550 A1
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: April 15, 2004.
- Brief Description: Titled "Method and apparatus for contextual query processing," this patent describes methods and apparatus for processing queries in a contextual manner, which implies using surrounding information to improve search results.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This could anticipate claims related to:
  - The discovery of relevant information based on analysis of existing information, particularly the "relation processing algorithms 155" used in US9817562 to identify potentially relevant information.
  - Claims 16-20, which cover identifying a second set of information objects based on relations between a first set, and analyzing context relations, could be impacted.
US 6,957,398 B2
- Full Citation: US 6,957,398 B2
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: October 18, 2005.
- Brief Description: The title on Google Patents is "Contextual search and retrieval system and method for dynamic content." This patent describes a system and method for searching and retrieving dynamic content in a contextual manner.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US 2004/0073550 A1, this patent could anticipate claims related to:
  - The discovery and retrieval of relevant information, especially from dynamic sources (like news feeds in US9817562).
  - The use of context to improve search results and suggest new information.
  - Claims 16-20, especially those concerning identifying related information objects and analyzing context relations, could be impacted.
US 6,973,622 B1
- Full Citation: US 6,973,622 B1
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: December 6, 2005.
- Brief Description: The title on Google Patents is "Method and apparatus for dynamic object manipulation in a graphical user interface." This patent describes techniques for manipulating objects within a graphical user interface in a dynamic way.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This could anticipate claims related to:
  - The manipulation and arrangement of graphical information objects (IOs) within a graphical user interface (GUI).
  - Aspects of the Workspace View (300) in US9817562, which allows users to create, collect, and organize IOs.
  - Claims 1, 2, 8-12, which describe configuring and displaying information objects and user interaction through a GUI, could be impacted.
US 6,366,303 B1
- Full Citation: US 6,366,303 B1
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: April 2, 2002.
- Brief Description: The title on Google Patents is "Personal information management system." This patent describes a system for managing personal information.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This could anticipate claims broadly related to:
  - The organization and management of information by users.
  - Aspects of the Workspace View that enable users to collect and organize information.
  - Claims 1-7, which describe methods for interacting with and managing data items, could be broadly anticipated.
US 6,654,756 B1
- Full Citation: US 6,654,756 B1
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: November 25, 2003.
- Brief Description: The title on Google Patents is "Personal information organizing system." Similar to US 6,366,303 B1, this patent describes a system for organizing personal information.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This could anticipate claims broadly related to:
  - The organization and management of information by users.
  - The functionality of the Workspace View for organizing IOs.
  - Claims 1-7, which describe methods for interacting with and managing data items, could be broadly anticipated.
US 6,708,319 B1
- Full Citation: US 6,708,319 B1
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: March 16, 2004.
- Brief Description: The title on Google Patents is "Method and apparatus for providing dynamic display layouts in a graphical user interface." This patent describes methods and apparatus for dynamically arranging elements within a graphical user interface.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This could anticipate claims related to:
  - The flexible and customizable display of information objects (IOs) in different "Information Views" (IVs) within US9817562.
  - The various arrangements of IOs described for the Workspace View and News View (e.g., timeline, map).
  - Claims 1-2, 8-15, which discuss the uniform format and various display options for information objects, could be impacted.
US 6,026,400 A
- Full Citation: US 6,026,400 A
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: February 15, 2000.
- Brief Description: The title on Google Patents is "Method and apparatus for creating and manipulating electronic information objects." This patent describes techniques for creating and manipulating electronic information objects.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This is a broad claim that could potentially anticipate fundamental aspects of US9817562, particularly:
  - The creation and manipulation of "information objects" (even if not explicitly "IOs" in the specific sense of US9817562).
  - Claims 1-12, which describe configuring and interacting with information objects, could be broadly anticipated.
US 5,493,656 A
- Full Citation: US 5,493,656 A
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: February 20, 1996.
- Brief Description: The title on Google Patents is "System for managing and displaying information." This patent generally relates to systems for managing and displaying information.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This broadly relates to the core function of US9817562 and could potentially anticipate general claims regarding:
  - The display and management of information.
  - Claims 1-7, relating to methods of interacting with and displaying data, could be broadly anticipated.
US 5,301,301 A
- Full Citation: US 5,301,301 A
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: April 5, 1994.
- Brief Description: The title on Google Patents is "Graphical user interface with spatially related objects." This patent describes a graphical user interface where objects have spatial relationships.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is highly relevant to the spatial relationship aspects of US9817562. It likely anticipates claims related to:
  - The spatial arrangement of graphical objects on a GUI.
  - The interpretation of these spatial relationships to infer meaning or connections.
  - Claims 1, 2, 8-12, 16-20, and 24-27, which relate to the display and arrangement of information objects on a GUI and the analysis of spatial relations, are particularly vulnerable.

II. U.S. Patent Application Publications (Directly Cited by US9817562B2)

US 61/116,747 (U.S. Provisional Application No.)
- Full Citation: U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/116,747
- Publication/Filing Date: Filing date: November 21, 2008.
- Brief Description: Titled "Information Objects (IOs) and Information Views (IVs)," this provisional application is a direct precursor to US9817562. It would have introduced the fundamental concepts of Information Objects (IOs) and Information Views (IVs) as described in US9817562.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): As a direct priority document, it is expected that much of the core invention of US9817562 would be present in this provisional application. Therefore, it likely anticipates most, if not all, of the claims in US9817562, particularly those defining IOs, IVs, and their basic functionalities.
US 14/664,178
- Full Citation: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/664,178
- Publication/Filing Date: Filing date: March 20, 2015.
- Brief Description: This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/925,031, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/563,416. US9817562B2 itself is a continuation of US 14/664,178. This indicates a chain of applications building on the same core invention.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): As a direct parent application, US 14/664,178 would contain subject matter that anticipates claims in US9817562. The exact claims anticipated would depend on the scope of the claims in the parent application, but it is highly probable that many, if not all, claims of US9817562 were present in some form in this application or its predecessors.
US 13/925,031
- Full Citation: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/925,031
- Publication/Filing Date: Filing date: June 24, 2013.
- Brief Description: This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/563,416, and a parent to US 14/664,178.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US 14/664,178, this application would likely anticipate many, if not all, claims of US9817562 due to the continuation chain.
US 12/563,416
- Full Citation: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/563,416
- Publication/Filing Date: Filing date: September 21, 2009. (Issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,499,248 on July 30, 2013).
- Brief Description: This application is titled "Methods and apparatus for managing and exchanging information using information objects," which is the same title as US9817562B2. It claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/116,747 and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/118,301.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Given the identical title and its position in the priority chain, this application (and subsequently, the granted patent US 8,499,248) is highly likely to anticipate most, if not all, of the claims in US9817562. This document represents the core concepts that US9817562 further refines or re-claims.
US 11/118,301
- Full Citation: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/118,301
- Publication/Filing Date: Filing date: April 29, 2005. (Issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,640,511 on December 29, 2009).
- Brief Description: Titled "Methods and apparatus for managing and inferring relationships from information," it claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/566,723. This is the direct parent application for the priority date claimed by US9817562.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): As the earliest non-provisional application in the chain to which US9817562 claims priority, it is expected to anticipate a significant portion, if not all, of the claims related to managing and inferring relationships from information objects, as detailed in the description of US 7,640,511 B1 above.
US 60/566,723 (U.S. Provisional Application No.)
- Full Citation: U.S. provisional application having Ser. No. 60/566,723
- Publication/Filing Date: Filing date: April 29, 2004.
- Brief Description: Titled "METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING AND INFERRING RELATIONSHIPS FROM INFORMATION," this is the earliest provisional application in the priority chain.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): As the ultimate priority document, this provisional application is likely to anticipate the fundamental concepts of managing and inferring relationships from information, which form the basis of US9817562. Many, if not all, of the claims in US9817562 would likely find support and thus be anticipated by the disclosure in this provisional application.

Summary of Anticipation and Most Relevant Prior Art:

The most relevant prior art documents are the applications and patents within the direct priority chain of US9817562, specifically:

US 7,640,511 B1 (and its parent application US 11/118,301)
US 8,499,248 (derived from US 12/563,416)
The provisional applications US 61/116,747 and US 60/566,723.

These documents describe the foundational concepts of Information Objects (IOs), Information Views (IVs), the use of spatial relationships for inferring connections between information, and collaborative features. Due to the continuation and priority claims, these documents would almost certainly anticipate a substantial number of the claims in US9817562 under 35 U.S.C. § 102, as the later patent is building directly on the disclosed subject matter of these earlier applications.

Beyond the direct priority chain, US 5,301,301 A ("Graphical user interface with spatially related objects") is also highly relevant as it addresses the concept of spatially related objects in a GUI, which is a core element of US9817562's invention regarding inferring relationships from spatial arrangements.

The other cited U.S. patents and applications generally cover broader concepts like information management, dynamic content display, and collaborative systems, and would likely anticipate claims in US9817562 that touch upon those general areas. For example, patents related to "dynamic display layouts" (e.g., US 6,708,319 B1) could anticipate claims about the various Information Views (IVs) and their display characteristics in US9817562. Similarly, patents concerning "collaborative content management" (e.g., US 2007/0118804 A1) would be highly relevant to claims involving shared IOs and communication features.