DETAILED ACTION
Introduction
Claims 1 and 3-15 have been examined in this application. Claims 1, 3, 9, 10, and 12 are amended. Claims 4-8, 11, and 13-15 are as previously presented. Claim 2 is cancelled.
This is a non-final office action in response to the Request for Continued Examination filed 2/19/2026. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Office Action Formatting
The following is an explanation of the formatting used in the instant Office Action:
• [0001] – Indicates a paragraph number in the most recent, previously cited source;
• [0001, 0010] – Indicates multiple paragraphs (in example: paragraphs 1 and 10) in the most recent, previously cited source;
• [0001-0010] – Indicates a range of paragraphs (in example: paragraphs 1 through 10) in the most recent, previously cited source;
• 1:1 – Indicates a column number and a line number (in example: column 1, line 1) in the most recent, previously cited source;
• 1:1, 2:1 – Indicates multiple column and line numbers (in example, column 1, line 1 and column 2, line 2) in the most recent, previously cited source;
• 1:1-10 – Indicates a range of lines within one column (in example: all lines spanning, and including, lines 1 and 10 in column 1) in the most recent, previously cited source;
• 1:1-2:1 – Indicates a range of lines spanning several columns (in example: column 1, line 1 to column 2, line 1 and including all intervening lines) in the most recent, previously cited source;
• p. 1, ln. 1 – Indicates a page and line number in the most recent, previously cited source;
• ¶1 – The paragraph symbol is used solely to refer to Applicant's own specification (further example: p. 1, ¶1 indicates first paragraph of page 1); and
• BRI – the broadest reasonable interpretation.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on application KR10-2021-0004116 filed in the Republic of Korea on 01/12/2021. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 1/20/2026 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 2/19/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the IDS is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments, filed 1/20/2026, have been fully considered.
Regarding the remarks pertaining to the claim objections (presented on p. 7 under the heading “Claim Objections”), the amendments are acceptable. Therefore, the objections have been withdrawn.
Regarding the remarks pertaining to the claim interpretation under 112(f) (presented on p. 7 under the heading “Claim Interpretation under 35 U.S.C. §112(f)”), the remarks are acknowledged and based on the amendments, no terms in the claims are presently interpreted as invoking 112(f).
Regarding the arguments pertaining to the claim rejections under 112 (presented on p. 7-8 under the heading “Claim Rejections under 35 U.S.C. §112(b)”), the arguments and amendments are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections have been withdrawn.
Regarding the arguments pertaining to the claim rejections under 103 (presented on p. 8-11 under the heading “Claim Rejections under 35 U.S.C. §103”), the arguments and amendments are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections have been withdrawn.
Claim Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In Claim 14, “the field of view” should instead read “a field of view”
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1 and 3-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding Claims 1 and 12, the limitation to identify “an entrance side of the building and a rear side of the building which is opposite to the entrance side as a front side, and excluding those sides identified as the front side, as lateral sides” renders the claims indefinite. The limitation recites a single “front side,” but then appears to identify both an entrance side as well as the opposite side as the “front side.” It is not clear whether the limitation encompasses a single front side or plural front sides or something else. Additionally, it is not clear whether “excluding those sides identified as the front side, as lateral sides” is referring to a second identifying functions (i.e. identifying lateral sides), or is some additional step of identifying the front side(s), or something else. The scope of the claim is therefore indefinite. For the purposes of examination, the limitation is interpreted as identifying an entrance side of the building as a front side and a side of the building which is opposite to the front side as a rear side, and identify lateral sides of the building by excluding the front side and the rear side.
Additionally, regarding Claims 1 and 12, the limitation to determine “one of the sides of the building included in the driving image as the side of the building that includes the display area to which the AR digital signage be mapped, based on areas of the display area of each identified side of the building” renders the claims indefinite. The determination is stated to be “based on areas of the display area of each identified side,” however as best understood in the context of the claim, there is only one “display area” in the image (the area to which the AR content will be applied) and not plural display areas on each side of the building. It is not clear whether the limitation is stating that there are plural display areas (e.g. content on more than one side of the building at once) or something else. The scope of the claim is therefore indefinite. For the purposes of examination, the limitation is interpreted as determining one of the front, rear, or lateral sides of the building included in the driving image as the side of the building that includes the display area to which the AR digital signage is to be mapped, based on areas in the driving image of each identified side of the building.
Additionally, regarding Claims 1 and 12, the phrase “change the display area where the AR digital signage is mapped to the display area included in other side of the building according to the area of each side of the building included in the driving image” renders the claim indefinite. It is not clear what it means for the display area to be included in the other side of the building and whether this is referring to changing the display area from corresponding to a first side of a building in the image to a second/different side of the building in the image, or alternatively whether the phrase is stating that the other side also has a display area for AR content but only some digital signage is being changed between sides, or something else. The scope of the claim is therefore indefinite. For the purposes of examination, the phrase is interpreted as changing the display area where the AR digital signage is mapped such that the display area corresponds to a different side of the building according to the area of each side of the building included in the driving image.
Claims 3-11 and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being dependent on rejected Claim 1 (for Claims 3-11), or Claim 12 (for Claims 13-15) and for failing to cure the deficiencies listed above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 and 3-15 are rejected under 112(b) but would be allowable if amended to overcome these rejections.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for indicating allowable subject matter:
Regarding Independent Claims 1 and 12, the most similar prior art, US2019/0180485A1 (Kim et al.) teaches a display device (see Figure 8, [0248] vehicle control device 800 having [0275] display) linked to a vehicle (see [0241]), the display device comprising:
a communication unit (see [0250] communication unit 810 [0157] RF circuit) configured to communicate with a server system (see [0256] communicates with server);
a display (see [0100, 0275] display unit 830 / display module 251, e.g. LCD) configured to display a driving image of the vehicle acquired through a camera (see Figure 9, [0293] further detailed in Figure 10, [0303-0304, 0347] superposing of graphic objects on camera image output to display);
and a control unit (see [0280] processor 870) configured to receive sensing data of the vehicle (see [0331] processor acquiring GPS current location of vehicle) obtain POI information (see [0310] obtaining information relating to destination (POI information) from server, through communication unit 810),
wherein the control unit is further configured to:
determine that a POI is recognized as a building in an image (see Figure 10, [0334], determine a destination is identified in image, [0257] destination can be building) and recognize a spatial location of a building associated with a plurality of POI information (see [0257], location and information relating to building);
transmit a rendering request (see [0339] transmitting to AR graphic rendering engine) for generating augmented reality (AR) digital signage (see [0339] rendering AR graphic object) corresponding to the plurality of POI information (see Figure 13A, [0372-0373]);
receive a rendering result comprising the generated AR digital signage (see [0339-0340] engine outputting graphic object), wherein the AR digital signage is generated based on the sensing data of the vehicle (see Figure 10, rendering at S1070 based on specific information 1000, including [0331] current GPS location of vehicle), the spatial location of the building (see Figure 10, [0334] based on the identification of the building in the image at S1020), and floor number information of the plurality of POI information (see [0339] using the information relating to the destination, which [0257] includes information on shops on each floor of the building);
cause the display to display the driving image having the AR digital signage mapped to a display area in the driving image (see [0293, 0303-0304, 0347] superposing of graphic objects on camera image output to display); and
in response to the display area being changed in the driving image, transmit information related to the changed display area and receive an updated rendering result for mapping the AR digital signage to the changed display area in the driving image (see [0327] in response to shape of destination changing, output is also changed, i.e. another iteration of the rendering therefore including the transmitting to and receiving from the rendering engine).
US2017/0200048A1 (Yamada) teaches a technique for display of AR information (see [0005, 0030]), including a server as:
a digital signage platform providing system (see [0063], Figure 5, performed by server 100, including [0070] generation of AR information), communicating with a server (see Figure 1, the server connected to the internet, i.e. communicate with any other server on the internet),
and a control unit (see [0081] user terminal 200) to:
transmit the rendering request, to the digital signage platform providing system (see [0084-0085]), for digital signage: on a floor-by-floor basis (see Figure 7, [0092]).
US2015/0153191A1 (Ma et al.) teaches a technique to acquire POI data, wherein a client is configured to:
transmit to the system, via the communication unit, a request for point of interest (POI) information based on the sensing data (see [0044] mobile device request to server including current location, for POIs).
US2009/0177383A1 (Tertoolen) teaches identifying face of building at a destination which is closest to street of a postal address (see Claim 8).
However, the prior art does not disclose or render obvious a system/method to:
identify an entrance side of the building and a rear side of the building which is opposite to the entrance side as a front side, and excluding those sides identified as the front side, as lateral sides
determine one of the sides of the building included in the driving image as the side of the building that includes the display area to which the AR digital signage be mapped, based on areas of the display area of each identified side of the building;
display the AR digital signage in the display area of the determined one of the sides of the building; and
when the area of the display area to which the AR digital signage is mapped in the driving image changes according to the driving of the vehicle, change the display area where the AR digital signage is mapped to the display area included in other side of the building according to the area of each side of the building included in the driving image.
Examiner’s note: the prior art does not disclose or render obvious the limitations as best understood and interpreted based on the issues of indefiniteness identified above.
Applicant’s arguments and the amendments addressing the rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 112 and 103 are persuasive and the prior rejections are withdrawn. The combination of limitations defining the particular identifying of building sides, combined with the determination of side for AR content display based on areas, combined with the changing of the display, and combined with the particularly claimed parts integrated into the vehicle is not found or made obvious by the prior art. The combination with the other claim limitations are neither anticipated nor made obvious by the prior arts on record. A search of foreign prior art and Non-Patent Literature was conducted; however, no relevant prior art was found.
As such the claimed subject matter of Claims 1 and 12 would be allowable. The subject matter of Claims 3-11 and 13-15 would also therefore be allowable as being dependent on Claims 1, 8, or 15.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Paul Allen whose telephone number is (571) 272-4383. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday from 9am to 5pm, Eastern.
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/P.A./Examiner, Art Unit 3669
/Erin M Piateski/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3669