Appeal 2007-0345
Application 09/812,417
We will sustain the Examiner’s rejection of independent claims 1, 9,
17, and 23. In Fig. 8, Lawler shows a program time guide along with an
exemplary future program options menu 136. Significantly, the future
program options menu includes a set of buttons that, when activated,
perform certain actions with respect to the selected future program. The
buttons include: (1) an “Order” button 138 that allows the user to order the
selected program; (2) a “Remind” button 140 that causes the system to set a
reminder for the selected program; (3) a “Record” button 130 that causes the
system to record the show when it becomes available in the future; and (4) a
“Cancel” button 132 that returns the user to the program time guide without
performing any action (Lawler, Fig. 8; col. 14, ll. 23-48).
In addition, user-specific icons may be provided to indicate certain
characteristics set by the user such as whether the user set a reminder for the
indicated program, or (2) whether the user requested recording of the
indicated program (Lawler, col. 10, ll. 34-39).
We agree with the Examiner that Lawler’s system enables the user to
perform and indicate certain selected “future program actions” and therefore
fully meets the independent claims. In our view, Lawler’s icon function
indicates a future program action, particularly since these “action-
descriptive” icons (claims 2, 10, 18, and 24) indicate at least two functions
that are activated by the buttons on the future program options menu: (1)
setting a reminder, and (2) requesting recording. Not only does Lawler’s
system allow the user to accept the action (i.e., by activating the function
corresponding to the selected button on the future program options menu), it
also allows the user to modify the action as claimed by merely selecting the
“Cancel” button.
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