DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Anderson et al., US-PGPUB 2010/0191088 (hereinafter Anderson) in view of Applicant Admitted Prior art, US-PGPUB 2022/0001272 (hereinafter AAPA) and Weiss et al., US-PGPUB 2017/0193666 (hereinafter Weiss)
Regarding Claims 1 and 9-10. Anderson discloses tracker calibration (Abstract, self-calibration, described as follows), comprising: acquiring a plurality of pieces of first tracker data from a camera, the plurality of pieces of the first tracker data from a camera data indicating a position of a first tracker (Paragraph [0014], camera to track motion; Paragraph [0197], sensors utilized for tracking one or more anatomical features, identifying their locations and motions), the position of the first tracker adapted to be located on an external portion of a user’s body (Paragraph [0169], sensors or trackers placed on clothing of the patient adjacent to the anatomical features) and being measured during calibration and expressed in a first coordinate system, the calibration being performed while relative position and orientation of a second tracker are fixed relative to the first tracker (Paragraph [0203], relative orientation and position, and initial coordinate position relative to the known point of reference, the main sensor),
acquiring a plurality of pieces of second tracker data from a plurality of sensors, the plurality of pieces of the second tracker data indicating the position and orientation of the second tracker, the position and orientation of the second tracker adapted to be located on an external portion of a user’s body (Paragraph [0169], sensors placed on clothing of the patient adjacent to the anatomical features) being measured during the calibration and expressed in a second coordinate system that is positionally and orientationally independent of, and in variance from the first coordinate system (Paragraph [0203], reference coordinate position of the main sensor, where the initial and reference coordinate systems are different and unrelated), and
estimating, based on the plurality of pieces of the first tracker data and the plurality of pieces of the second tracker data, parameter values for converting positions expressed in the second coordinate system into expressions in the first coordinate system and a relative position of the second tracker relative to the first tracker, generating, based on the parameter values, tracking results by tracking the user’s body, wherein generating the tracking results comprises expressing a position and orientation of the second tracker and a position and orientation of the third tracker in the first coordinate system (Paragraph [0203], resetting or zeroing out to the coordinate of the main sensor, which involves parameter values for resetting or zeroing out, including orientation and the location of the sensors that are in multi-dimension),
wherein the first tracker and the second tracker are adapted to be worn externally by a user for estimating the positions and orientations of one or more body parts of the user (Paragraph [0169], sensors placed on clothing of the patient adjacent to the anatomical features),
Anderson discloses camera tracking the patient’s motion (Paragraph [0014], cameras tracing the patient’s motion; Paragraph [0176], multi-camera video system)
Anderson does not disclose acquiring a plurality of pieces of first tracker data from a camera disposed on a first tracker, the plurality of pieces of the first tracker data from a camera disposed on a first tracker data, acquiring a plurality of pieces of second tracker data from a plurality of sensors disposed around the second tracker, and generating based on the tracking results, a video signal associated execution of a video game.
Weiss discloses motion capture from a mobile self-tracking device (Abstract), including camera (Fig. 3B), and generating, based on the parameter values, tracking results by tracking the user’s body, wherein generating the tracking results comprises expressing a position and orientation of the second tracker and a position and orientation of the third tracker in the first coordinate system (Paragraphs [0003]-[0006], [0028], converting from coordinates of the second reference frame to coordinates of the first reference frame), and generating based on the tracking results, a video signal associated execution of a video game (Paragraph [0036], [0038]-[0039], Fig. 3B).
AAPA discloses SLAM technology used by other vendors to perform tracking according to the results of analysis of images captured by cameras disclosed on the trackers and acquiring a plurality of pieces of second tracker data from a plurality of sensors disposed around the second tracker (Paragraphs [0002]-[0003]).
At the time of the invention filed, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to use the teaching of Weiss and AAPA in Anderson and use in the common field of gaming and acquire a plurality of pieces of first tracker data from a camera disposed on a first tracker, the plurality of pieces of the first tracker data from a camera disposed on a first tracker data, acquire a plurality of pieces of second tracker data from a plurality of sensors disposed around the second tracker, generate, based on the parameter values, tracking results by tracking the user’s body, wherein generating the tracking results comprises expressing a position and orientation of the second tracker and a position and orientation of the third tracker in the first coordinate system, and generate based on the tracking results, a video signal associated execution of a video game, with accuracy.
Regarding Claim 2. Anderson discloses generating a plurality of pieces of sample data including the plurality of pieces of first tracker data and the plurality of pieces of second tracker data associated with each other in measurement timing corresponding to measurement timing data (Paragraph [0203], relative orientation and position relative to each other; Paragraph [0169], relative distance between the sensors, via ping-response time measurement, where relative distance between the sensors are measurement timing data; Paragraph [0212], coded sensors and network of sensors to establish sensor-to-sensor relationships), wherein the parameter values are estimated, based on the plurality of pieces of the sample data (Paragraph [0203], parameter values for resetting or zeroing out, including orientation and the location of the sensors that are in multi-dimension.)
Regarding Claim 3. Anderson discloses generating the plurality of pieces of the sample data is generated according to the plurality of pieces of first and the plurality of pieces of second tracker data selected in such a manner as to increase variation in orientation (Fig. 13; Paragraph [0085], planning step: desired orientation and range of accuracy; Paragraph [0197], sensors utilized for tracking the position of anatomical features; [0210], sensors selected based on parameters to be monitored)
Regarding Claim 4. Anderson discloses the plurality of pieces of sample data is generated according to time series of at least one of velocity, acceleration, and angular velocity the first tracker that is identified based on the plurality of pieces of the first tracker data and time series of at least one of velocity, acceleration, and angular velocity of the second tracker that is identified based on the plurality of pieces of the second tracker data (Paragraph [0211], different types of sensors to monitor various physical parameters, including velocity, acceleration, angular displacement; Paragraph [0212], network of sensors)
Regarding Claim 5. Anderson discloses the plurality of pieces of sample data is generated according to norm time series of at least one of velocity, acceleration, and angular velocity of the first tracker and norm time series of at least one of velocity, acceleration, and angular velocity of the second tracker that are identified based on the plurality of pieces of the second tracker data (Paragraph [0169], Paragraph [0211], different types of sensors to monitor various physical parameters, including usual or typical velocity, acceleration, angular displacement; Note: the limitation “norm” is defined as something usual, typical, etc. according to the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary)
Regarding Claim 6. Anderson discloses the first tracker and the second tracker are disposed in a housing (Paragraphs [0209], [0239], housing; Claim 2), while the relative position and orientation of the second tracker are fixed relative to the first tracker (Paragraph [0203])
Regarding Claim 7. Anderson discloses the first tracker and the second tracker are different types of trackers (Paragraph [0169], Paragraph [0211], different types of sensors to monitor various physical parameters)
Regarding Claim 8. Anderson discloses after the parameter values for converting the positions expressed in the second coordinate system into the expressions in the first coordinate system and the relative position of the second tracker relative to the first tracker are estimated during the calibration, the first tracker and the second tracker are separately usable (Paragraph [0169], Paragraphs [0210]-[0211], different types of sensors are separately usable, as different sensors are used to monitor various different physical parameters in different parts of the patient’s anatomy), and, during the calibration performed again in a state where the relative position and orientation of the second tracker relative to the first tracker are fixed so as to be different from those estimated during the last calibration after the separate use of the first and second trackers, the relative position of the second tracker relative to the first tracker that is different from the relative position estimated during the last calibration (Paragraph [0203], self-calibrating as needed, including when the sensors are placed in different parts of the patient’s anatomy)
3. Claims 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Anderson et al., US-PGPUB 2010/0191088 in views of Applicant Admitted Prior art, US-PGPUB 2022/0001272, Weiss et al., US-PGPUB 2017/019366 as applied to Claims 1, 9 and 10 and further in view of Rastgar et al., US-PGPUB 2017/0061229 (hereinafter Rastgar)
Regarding Claims 11-13. The modified Anderson does not disclose converting measurement timing data associated with either the plurality of pieces of the first tracker data or the plurality of pieces of second tracker data; producing measurement timing values associated with i) velocity, ii) acceleration, or iii) angular velocity of the first tracker and the second tracker based on the converted measurement timing data, wherein the measurement timing values of the first tracker correspond to measurement timing values of the second tracker, wherein estimating is further based on the measurement timing values.
Rastgar discloses converting measurement timing data associated with either the plurality of pieces of the first tracker data or the plurality of pieces of second tracker data, producing measurement timing values associated with i) velocity, ii) acceleration, or iii) angular velocity of the first tracker and the second tracker based on the converted measurement timing data (Paragraphs [0069]-[0071], at frames t and t-1, and calculating tracker velocity), wherein the measurement timing values of the first tracker correspond to measurement timing values of the second tracker, wherein estimating is further based on the measurement timing values (Paragraphs [0061]-[0066], first tracker at time t and second tracker at time t, Fig. 3-4; Paragraphs [0005]-[0006]; Abstract)
At the time of the invention filed, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to use the teaching of Rastgar in the modified Anderson and convert measurement timing data associated with either the plurality of pieces of the first tracker data or the plurality of pieces of second tracker data; producing measurement timing values associated with i) velocity, ii) acceleration, or iii) angular velocity of the first tracker and the second tracker based on the converted measurement timing data, wherein the measurement timing values of the first tracker correspond to measurement timing values of the second tracker, wherein estimating is further based on the measurement timing values, so as to accurately track objects.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 09/18/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In Response, the Examiner respectfully disagrees and state that in Paragraphs [0002]-[0003] of the AAPA (parts of which are reproduced below) discloses a plurality of trackers worn by a user for the purpose of determining the position and orientation, and also acquiring tracker data from a plurality of sensors (such as camera) disposed on the (first) tracker (SLAM technology) and disposed around a (second) tracker (such as camera), that are all known and in recent years from other vendors, that are known before the claimed invention.
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Paragraph [0007] also has not been cited in the rejection, as prior art.
Note that Anderson and Weiss are not used to teach the above claimed limitations. As an example, the part of Paragraph [0014] in Anderson was simply to show usage of cameras to track the patient’s motion. In Summary, AAPA discloses the claimed invention involving the first and second trackers with camera disposed on the first tracker and a plurality of sensors disposed around the second tracker as claimed.
In regard to Claim 2, Anderson discloses generating a plurality of pieces of sample data including the plurality of pieces of first tracker data and the plurality of pieces of second tracker data associated with each other in measurement timing corresponding to measurement timing data (Paragraph [0203], relative orientation and position relative to each other; Paragraph [0169], relative distance between the sensors, via ping-response time measurement). Anderson also discloses wherein the parameter values are estimated, based on the plurality of pieces of the sample data (Paragraph [0203], parameter values for resetting or zeroing out, including orientation and the location of the sensors that are in multi-dimension)
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HYUN D PARK whose telephone number is (571)270-7922. The examiner can normally be reached 11-4.
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/HYUN D PARK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2857