DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Arguments
2. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-21 have been considered but are moot in view of a new ground(s) of rejection. The amendments to the claims necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection discussed below. This office action is made FINAL.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
4. Claim(s) 1-6, 8-16 and 18-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GONZALEZ (2007/0005795) in view of STECHSCHULTE et al (2017/0036106) and further in view of SIDDIQUE et al (2018/0352303)
As to claims 1-6, 8-16 and 18-21, GONZALEZ discloses object oriented video system and further discloses a system, comprising:
a memory; a processor; and an application stored in the memory and executable by the processor (figs.1-48 and [0064-0084]) for:
Receiving over a communication network, from a plurality of devices, one or more requests to access live multimedia content; providing, based on the one or more requests, a first subset of the plurality of devices access, over the communication network, to a stream comprising the live multimedia content, the stream generated by a plurality of cameras capturing a live event occurring in a physical location (figs.1-48, [0002-0007], [0064-0084] and [0459-0479]), client(s) sends configuration information including capabilities, screen size, memory capacity, CPU, operating system, etc. video monitoring system (SMS) server, generates subsets or multiple streams of the live video of an event, inserts target ads and streams to client(s) based on request; and
selecting, among the first subset of devices, a second subset of the plurality of devices, causing a webcam feed signal of each device in the second subset of devices to be rendered, in real-time, at a given position on a screen provided at the physical location ([0320-0323] and [0447-0450]), and, as a function of the given position, providing the second subset of devices access, over the communication network, to a camera feed signal from a selected one of the plurality of cameras ([0447-0479]), the video monitoring system (SMS) streams real-time many different environment using multiple cameras associated with users or other cameras, SMS streams subsets of streams based on schedule network times of delivering streams to clients as requested or on-demand streaming based on request.
GONZALEZ further discloses where each respective device in the second subset of devices is physically disparate from the physical location for the live event (see [0062-0064], [0433] and [0459])
live streaming of selected number of street traffic cameras or remote from the video capture (e.g., a server encoding process with live video feed located at completely different geographic location;
formatting live streams to different client screen device for presentation, BUT appears silent as to causing a webcam feed signal of each device in the second subset of devices to be rendered, in real-time, at a respective position on least one screen at the physical location and providing each respective device in the second subset of devices access, over the communication network, to a respective camera feed signal from a selected one of the plurality of cameras, wherein the respective camera feed signal is selected to correspond to the respective position on the screen for the respective device.
However. In the same field of endeavor, STECHSCHULTE disclose method and system for portraying a portal with user-selectable icons on a large format display including assigning specific area of the viewing surfaces for different mode or other modes of displays and providing each respective device in the second subset of devices access, over the communication network, to a respective camera feed signal from a selected one of the plurality of cameras, wherein the respective camera feed signal is selected to correspond to the respective position on the screen for the respective device (figs.1-5, Abstract, [0016-0026], [0033-0037] and [0039-0043]), device(s), user(s) or other user(s) within the environment or venue can communicate inputs over the network to change the mode(s)
Hence it would have been obvious before the effective date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the teaching of STECHSCHULTE into the system of GONZALEZ to provide a screen at specific physical location(s) and assigned different region(s) of the screen for viewing specific portion(s) of an event as desired
GONZALEZ as modified STECHSCHULTE allows interaction with objects within a screen, BUT appear silent as to enabling, through the at least one device and the at least one screen, real-time interaction between a user of the at least one device and a performer performing the live event in the physical location
However. In the same field of endeavor, SIDDIQUE allows interaction with objects within a screen, further allows, real-time interaction between a user of the at least one device and a performer performing the live event in the physical location (figs.1-10, [0068-0079], [0122-0132] and [0142-0146]).
Hence it would have been obvious before the effective date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the teaching of SIDDIQUE into the system of GONZALEZ as modified by STECHSCHULTE to allow user or participants to interaction with active presenters or other participants in real-time as desired.
As to claims 2-3, GONZALEZ further discloses providing subset of devices access, over the communication network, to camera feed signals from other ones of the plurality of cameras, BUT appears silent as to causing audio and video signals generated by the device to be directed at a performer performing the live event in the physical location, the audio and video signals directed at the performer as a function of the respective position and for selecting at least one device among the second subset of devices, and for enabling, through the at least one device and the at least one screen, real-time interaction between a user of the at least one device and a performer performing the live event in the physical location.
However. In the same field of endeavor, STECHSCHULTE further discloses causing audio and video signals generated by the device to be directed at a performer performing the live event in the physical location, the audio and video signals directed at the performer as a function of the given position and for selecting at least one device among the second subset of devices, and for enabling, through the at least one device and the at least one screen, real-time interaction between a user of the at least one device and a performer performing the live event in the physical location (figs.1-5, Abstract, [0017-0025] and [0033-0040]), video clips of other players may be selected via an icon.
Hence it would have been obvious before the effective date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the teaching of STECHSCHULTE into the system of GONZALEZ to direct camera to specific players or performers on interest and generate real-time streams of the player or performer as desired.
As to claims 4-5, GONZALEZ further discloses providing the second subset of devices access, over the communication network, to camera feed signals from other ones of the plurality of cameras; wherein the application is executable by the processor for selecting, among the first subset of devices, a new subset of devices to become the second subset of devices and wherein the application is executable by the processor for selecting the new subset of devices after a predetermined time period has elapsed ([0018-0020], [0027-0029], [0329-0334] and [0447-0479]).
As to claims 8-9, GONZALEZ further discloses causing at least one streaming server to introduce a pre-determined time delay into the stream and broadcast the stream having the pre-determined time delay to the first subset of devices over the communication network, and for causing the at least one streaming server to remove the pre-determined time delay from the stream and broadcast the stream in which the pre-determined time delay is removed to the second subset of devices over the communication network and causing the live multimedia content to be rendered on a graphical user interface presented on each device of the first subset of devices and of the second subset of devices, and for causing the webcam feed signal of each device in the second subset of devices to be rendered on the graphical user interface ([0329-0334] and [0447-0479]).
Claim 10 is met as previously discussed in claim 1.
As to claim 11, the claimed “A computer-implemented method comprising…” is composed of the same structural elements that were discussed with respect to claim 1.
Claims 12-13 are met as previously discussed in claims 2-3.
Claims 14-16 are met as previously discussed in claims 4-6.
Claims 18-19 are met as previously discussed in claims 8-9.
Claim 20 is met as previously discussed in claim 1.
As to claim 21, the claimed “A computer readable medium having stored thereon program code…” is composed of the same structural elements that were discussed with respect to claim 1.
5. Claim(s) 7 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GONZALEZ (2007/0005795) in view of STECHSCHULTE et al (2017/0036106) and further in view of SIDDIQUE et al (2018/0352303) and further in view of FREDETTE WO 2020/069622)
As to claims 7 and 17, GONZALEZ as modified by STECHSCHULTE and SIDDIQUE, discloses all the claim limitations as discussed above with respect to claims 1 and 11 respectively, BUT appears silent as to receiving in real-time, during a bidding procedure, one or more bids for acquiring access to the live multimedia content based on user-specific criteria, and for selecting the first subset of devices and the second subset of devices and providing access to the stream based on the one or more bids
However. In the same field of endeavor, FREDETTE further discloses system and method for event admission and further discloses receiving in real-time, during a bidding procedure, one or more bids for acquiring access to the live multimedia content based on user-specific criteria, and for selecting the first subset of devices and the second subset of devices and providing access to the stream based on the one or more bids (figs.1+, Abstract, pages 1-11).
Hence it would have been obvious before the effective date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the teaching of FREDETTE into the system of GONZALEZ as modified by STECHSCHULTE and SIDDIQUE to provide real-time biding to specific events of interest.
Conclusion
6. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANNAN Q SHANG whose telephone number is (571)272-7355. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7-4.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, BRUCKART BENJAMIN can be reached on 571-272-3982. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ANNAN Q SHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2424
ANNAN Q. SHANG