DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable WINTER (WO 2020/180771 A1) in view of AWAD (WO2019/203952 A1).
Referring to claim 1, WINTER discloses comprising: a set of chemical pieces to be used to form representations of chemical structures, the set of chemical pieces including: a first plurality of atom pieces, each atom piece representing an atom (Fig. 2A – Fig, 10); a second plurality of chemical bond pieces, each chemical bond piece representing a chemical bond (Fig. 2A – Fig, 10); one or more video cameras configured to view a target area (Fig. 2A – Fig, 10); a display (Figs. 11 & 12); and a computer device in communication with the one or more video cameras and the display, the computer device configured to recognize atom pieces and chemical bond pieces placed within the target area, the computer device configured to recognize chemical bonds when a selected chemical bond piece is placed between two atom pieces, the computer device further configured to render recognize atom pieces and chemical bond pieces on the display (Figs. 11 & 12). WINTER does not disclose one or more video cameras configured to view a target area; and a computer device in communication with the one or more video cameras and the display, the computer device configured to recognize atom pieces and chemical bond pieces placed within the target area, the computer device configured to recognize chemical bonds when a selected chemical bond piece is placed between two atom pieces, the computer device further configured to render recognize atom pieces and chemical bond pieces on the display. AWAD discloses physical and virtual objects/environments (paragraphs 0018-0024). However, AWAD teaches one or more video cameras configured to view a target area (paragraphs 0018-0024); and a computer device in communication with the one or more video cameras and the display, the computer device configured to recognize atom pieces and chemical bond pieces placed within the target area, the computer device configured to recognize chemical bonds when a selected chemical bond piece is placed between two atom pieces, the computer device further configured to render recognize atom pieces and chemical bond pieces on the display (paragraphs 0018-0024). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to include one or more video cameras configured to view a target area; and a computer device in communication with the one or more video cameras and the display, the computer device configured to recognize atom pieces and chemical bond pieces placed within the target area, the computer device configured to recognize chemical bonds when a selected chemical bond piece is placed between two atom pieces, the computer device further configured to render recognize atom pieces and chemical bond pieces on the display, as disclosed by AWAD, incorporated into WINTER in order to view and interact with three-dimensional representations of objects so students can gain a better understanding of the objects.
Referring to claim 2, WINTER discloses wherein each atom piece and each chemical bond piece includes a magnetic to magnetically attach to the target area when the target area also includes one or magnets (Fig. 2A – Fig, 10).
Referring to claim 3, WINTER discloses further comprising a magnetic board that defines the target area (Figs. 11 & 12).
Referring to claim 4, WINTER discloses wherein the chemical bond pieces includes single bond pieces representing single bonds, double bond pieces representing double bonds, and triple bond pieces representing triple bonds (paragraph 0064 of AWAD).
Referring to claim 5, WINTER discloses wherein the set of chemical pieces further includes positive charge pieces representing positive charges and negative charge pieces representing negative charges (paragraph 0064 of AWAD).
Referring to claim 6, WINTER discloses wherein the set of chemical pieces further includes electron pair pieces representing a lone pair of electrons and single electron pieces representing a radical (paragraph 0064 of AWAD).
Referring to claim 7, WINTER discloses wherein the set of chemical pieces further includes a hint token that provides feedback regarding the number of valence electrons and/or formal charge when the hint token is positioned proximate to an atom piece or a chemical bond piece (Fig. 2A – Fig, 10).
Referring to claim 8, WINTER discloses wherein the feedback includes an indication of missing parts of a chemical bond or octet (Fig. 2A – Fig, 10).
Referring to claim 9, WINTER discloses wherein the computer device is configured to recognize atom piece and chemical bond pieces by one or more computer vision algorithms (Figs. 11 & 12).
Referring to claim 10, WINTER discloses wherein the computer device is configured to recognize atom piece and chemical bond pieces by shape recognition and color recognition (paragraph 00119 of AWAD).
Referring to claim 11, WINTER discloses wherein move-by-move data is collected from a plurality of users using the augmented reality Lewis structure explorer as crowd source data (Fig. 2A – Fig, 10).
Referring to claim 12, WINTER discloses wherein move-by-move data is collected from a plurality of users in solving one or more Lewis Structure exercises as crowd source data (Fig. 2A – Fig, 10).
Referring to claim 13, WINTER discloses wherein the computer device is configured to provide audio feedback and/or guidance to a user when a representation for molecule is formed with chemical pieces or when a representation for chemical reaction or mechanism is constructed with the set of chemical pieces (Figs. 11 & 12).
Referring to claim 14, WINTER discloses a computer device running a chemical structure and/or chemical mechanism program (Fig. 2A – Fig, 10); and an augmented reality Lewis structure explorer configured as an input device for the chemical structure and/or chemical mechanism program, the augmented reality Lewis structure explorer comprising: a set of chemical pieces to be used to form representations of chemical structures, the set of chemical pieces including: a first plurality of atom pieces, each atom piece representing an atom (Fig. 2A – Fig, 10); a second plurality of chemical bond pieces, each chemical bond piece representing a chemical bond (Fig. 2A – Fig, 10); and one or more video cameras configured to view a target area (Figs. 11 & 12); and a display, wherein the computer device is in communication with the one or more video cameras and the display, the computer device configured to recognize atom pieces and chemical bond pieces placed within the target area, the computer device configured to recognize chemical bonds when a selected chemical bond piece is placed between two atom pieces, the computer device further configured to render recognize atom pieces and chemical bond pieces on the display (Figs. 11 & 12). WINTER does not disclose one or more video cameras configured to view a target area; and a computer device in communication with the one or more video cameras and the display, the computer device configured to recognize atom pieces and chemical bond pieces placed within the target area, the computer device configured to recognize chemical bonds when a selected chemical bond piece is placed between two atom pieces, the computer device further configured to render recognize atom pieces and chemical bond pieces on the display. AWAD discloses physical and virtual objects/environments (paragraphs 0018-0024). However, AWAD teaches one or more video cameras configured to view a target area (paragraphs 0018-0024); and a computer device in communication with the one or more video cameras and the display, the computer device configured to recognize atom pieces and chemical bond pieces placed within the target area, the computer device configured to recognize chemical bonds when a selected chemical bond piece is placed between two atom pieces, the computer device further configured to render recognize atom pieces and chemical bond pieces on the display (paragraphs 0018-0024). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to include one or more video cameras configured to view a target area; and a computer device in communication with the one or more video cameras and the display, the computer device configured to recognize atom pieces and chemical bond pieces placed within the target area, the computer device configured to recognize chemical bonds when a selected chemical bond piece is placed between two atom pieces, the computer device further configured to render recognize atom pieces and chemical bond pieces on the display, as disclosed by AWAD, incorporated into WINTER in order to view and interact with three-dimensional representations of objects so students can gain a better understanding of the objects.
Referring to claim 15, WINTER discloses wherein each atom piece and each chemical bond piece includes a magnetic to magnetically attach to the target area when the target area also includes one or magnets (Fig. 2A – Fig, 10).
Referring to claim 16, WINTER discloses further comprising a magnetic board that defines the target area (Figs. 11 & 12).
Referring to claim 17, WINTER discloses wherein the chemical bond pieces includes single bond pieces representing single bonds, double bond pieces representing double bonds, and triple bond pieces representing triple bonds (Fig. 2A – Fig, 10).
Referring to claim 18, WINTER discloses wherein the set of chemical pieces further includes positive charge pieces representing positive charges and negative charge pieces representing negative charges (Fig. 2A – Fig. 10).
Referring to claim 19, WINTER discloses wherein the set of chemical pieces further includes electron pair pieces representing a lone pair of electrons and single electron pieces representing a radical (Fig. 2A – Fig, 10).
Referring to claim 20, WINTER discloses wherein the computer device is configured to recognize atom piece and chemical bond pieces by one or more computer vision algorithms (Figs. 11 & 12).
Referring to claim 21, WINTER discloses wherein the computer device is configured to recognize atom piece and chemical bond pieces by shape recognition and color recognition (Fig. 2A – Fig, 10).
Referring to claim 22, WINTER discloses wherein the computer device is configured to provide audio feedback and/or guidance to a user when a representation for molecule is formed with chemical pieces or when a representation for chemical reaction or mechanism is constructed with the set of chemical pieces (Figs. 11 & 12).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1/12/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The applicant argues on pages 2 & 3 of the remarks that WINTER does not disclose physical objects; however, the claims do not positively recite such. The rejections have been adjusted based on the new reference being applied
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KESHA FRISBY whose telephone number is (571)272-8774. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 730AM-4PM.
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/KESHA FRISBY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715