DETAILED ACTION
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 05/26/2026 has been entered. The claim interpretation to claim 1 is withdrawn in view of the amendment.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HA et al. (US 20180130351) in view of CHILDRESS et al. (US 20180018718), and further in view of SEO et al. (US 20140063064).
Regarding claim 1, HA discloses An Augmented Reality (AR) service device comprising: at least one processor; and a memory storing computer programs for controlling operations of a vehicle, when executed by the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute a client configured to perform communication with a server and an AR engine (HA, fig. 7, “[0048] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the vehicle 100 may include a user interface apparatus 200, an object detecting apparatus 300, a communication apparatus 400, a driving control apparatus 500, a vehicle operating apparatus 600, an operation system 700, a navigation system 770, a sensing unit 120, an interface unit 130, a memory 140, a controller 170 and a power supply unit 190. [0219] Hereinafter, description will be given of a vehicle control device and method, which may allow a driver or passenger of a vehicle to intuitively recognize a parking space by providing the parking space (parking area) through augmented reality (AR) information. [0227] The communication unit 803 may be the aforementioned communication apparatus 400. The communication unit 803 may be connected to an external server computer system of the vehicle 100 to allow communication therebetween”. Note that in fig.7, controller 170 corresponds to one processor, the memory 140 corresponds to the memory, the vehicle control device 800 corresponds to the AR engine); and
wherein the AR engine is configured to: render the information sent from the server into an AR object, and output the AR object to be overlaid as an overlay on an image captured through a camera in a preset manner by filtering the AR service information based on real-time information related to a situation a vehicle is in (HA, “[0011] a camera that is configured to capture an outside image of a vehicle in real time; a display that is configured to present the outside image of the vehicle in real time; and a controller that is configured to (i) detect, from the outside image, a virtual parking-available space that corresponds to an actual parking-available space in an area captured in the outside image and that is tagged in the outside image, (ii) generate parking space information based on the virtual parking-available space, and (iii) provide the parking space information to the display to overlay the parking space information over the outside image on the display. [0224] the controller 801 may detect the virtual parking-available space (parking lines) preset in the coordinates information corresponding to the real-time image from a server computer system or the memory 140. [0248] the controller 801 detects only a parking-available space located at the right of a currently-driving road of the vehicle, other than a parking-available space located at the left of the currently-driving road of the vehicle, from the server computer system or the memory 140, and matches the detected parking-available space with the real-time image for output”).
On the other hand, HA fails to explicitly disclose but CHILDRESS discloses make a determination for when to submit a request to a server for service information required for providing a service based on: a distance between a current location of a vehicle and a next location for navigation, and a traveling speed of the vehicle, and based on the determination, submit the request for the service information from the server and receive the service information from the server (CHILDRESS, fig.6, “[0074] As shown in FIG. 6, process 600 may include monitoring a location of a user device (step 610). [0075] Process 600 may further include determining that the user device is within a threshold distance or arrival time of the service provider location (step 620). For example, the service request application 215 of the user device 210 may determine that the user device 210 is within a threshold distance of the service provider location (e.g., within a configurable geofence). Additionally, or alternatively, the service request application 215 may detect that the user device 210 is within a threshold arrival time of the service provider location (e.g., based on the user's travel speed, traffic conditions, etc.). [0076] Process 600 may further include outputting user information to the service provider computing system (step 630). [0081] Process 600 may also include receiving a suggested service list including services associated with the user information (step 640)”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined HA and CHILDRESS. That is, integrating the service information received in response to a request submitted based on the determination of CHILDRESS to the AR system of HA, thus the service information is related to AR service information. The motivation/ suggestion would have been The outputting causes the service provider to receive the user information for serving the user upon the user's arrival to the service provider location (CHILDRESS, [0003]).
On the other hand, HA in view of CHILDRESS fails to explicitly disclose but SEO discloses output the AR object to be overlaid as an overlay on an image in a preset manner by filtering the AR service information based on extracted property information about a point of interest (POI) that matches traveling road (SEO, “[0275] According to the present exemplary embodiment, the information providing vehicle 100 may receive information about gas stations located within a predetermined distance, from the base station 400. [0276] In operation S2040, the information providing vehicle 100 may display the information about the gas stations on the transparent display 121. The information about the gas station may include a location of the gas station, a distance to the gas station, a sign of the gas station, price of the fuel used in the information providing vehicle 100, a route to enter the gas station, and telephone number of the gas station”. Note that the price indicates real time, and gas stations within a predetermined distance correspond to POI matching travelling road).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined SEO into the combination of HA and CHILDRESS, to include all limitations of claim 1. That is, adding the AR information of SEO to the AR system of HA and CHILDRESS. The motivation/ suggestion would have been to provide a system that enables a driver to clearly recognize necessary information while driving or to obtain information about the environment inside and outside the vehicle and that prevents accidents from occurring due to negligence of the driver (SEO, [0006]).
Regarding claim 3, HA in view of CHILDRESS and SEO discloses The AR service device of claim 1.
HA further discloses wherein the AR engine displays the image on a display provided in the vehicle, with the information that is sent from the server being overlaid onto the image (HA, “[0252] The controller 801 provides the parking space information to the display. The parking space information that is overlaid over the outside image 10-1 presented on the display. In some implementations, the virtual parking-available space can be preset by an owner of the actual parking-available space. The controller 180 may also obtain, from the server computer system or the memory 140 of the control device, other parking space information 1020 related to the preset virtual parking-available space as well as the parking line 1010”).
Regarding claim 4, HA in view of CHILDRESS and SEO discloses The AR service device of claim 1.
On the other hand, HA in view of SEO fails to explicitly disclose but CHILDRESS discloses wherein the determination for when to submit the request is further based on the information related to the situation the vehicle is in, the information related to the situation the vehicle is in being received from the vehicle (CHILDRESS, “[0064] Additionally, or alternatively, the application may include an estimated time of arrival (ETA) of the user to the service provider facility, and the ETA may be updated based on traffic conditions, etc. [0075] Additionally, or alternatively, the service request application 215 may detect that the user device 210 is within a threshold arrival time of the service provider location (e.g., based on the user's travel speed, traffic conditions, etc.)”). The same motivation of combining CHILDRESS in claim 1 applies here.
Regarding claim 5, HA in view of CHILDRESS and SEO discloses The AR service device of claim 4.
On the other hand, HA in view of CHILDRESS fails to explicitly disclose but SEO discloses wherein the AR engine determines the current location of the vehicle and the traveling speed of the vehicle, based on the information related to the situation the vehicle is in (SEO, “[0010] The status information of the external vehicle may include at least one of location information of the external vehicle, route information, driving speed information, stoppage status information, used traffic lane information, and turning light manipulation status information. [0018] The status information of the external vehicle may include relative status information of the external vehicle based on the information providing vehicle. The status information of the external vehicle may include at least one of relative speed, relative location, and relative distance information. [0128] An augmented reality technology shows a user a view of real objects overlaid with virtual objects. The augmented reality shows an image by combining the view of real objects with a virtual image having additional information in real-time, and thus, may be referred to as mixed reality (MR)”) .
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined SEO into the combination of CHILDRESS and HA, to include all limitations of claim 5. That is, applying the determining status information of SEO to determine the location and speed of the vehicle in the AR system of CHILDRESS and HA. The motivation/ suggestion would have been to provide an information providing method which provides a driver with useful information by displaying information about an environment inside and outside a vehicle, which is collected by the vehicle, on a transparent display in the vehicle, and an information providing vehicle therefor (SEO, [0007]).
Regarding claim 6, HA in view of CHILDRESS and SEO discloses The AR service device of claim 4.
HA further discloses wherein the AR engine overlays an AR object of information required to provide the AR service onto the image, based on map information and an image received through the camera (HA, “[0249] when a point A (e.g., Los Angeles) is selected within a map output on the display unit 804, the controller 801 may detect a parking space required for the cheapest parking fee within the selected point A from the server computer system or the memory 140, and guide the searched parking space. [0250] the controller 801 captures an outside image of the vehicle in real time through the camera 802, detects a virtual parking-available space (parking lines) preset in coordinates information corresponding to the captured real-time image from the server computer system or the memory 140, and overlaps the detected preset virtual parking-available space (parking lines) with the captured real-time image into one image so as to output the one image”).
Regarding claim 12, HA in view of CHILDRESS and SEO discloses The AR service device of claim 1.
On the other hand, HA in view of CHILDRESS fails to explicitly disclose but SEO discloses wherein the filtering includes at least one of removing overlapping POIs, adjusting size depending on distance, and determining an arrangement sequence according to priority (SEO, “[0193] According to the present exemplary embodiment, the information providing vehicle 100 may change at least one of a size, a display interval, and a color of the identification mark of the external vehicle based on the distance to the external vehicle”). The same motivation of claim 5 applies here.
Regarding claim 13, HA in view of CHILDRESS and SEO discloses The AR service device of claim 12.
On the other hand, HA in view of CHILDRESS fails to explicitly disclose but SEO discloses wherein the AR engine determines a size of the AR object based on a distance to the POI (SEO, “[0021] The displaying of the object may include changing at least one of a size, a displaying interval, and a color of the object corresponding to the external vehicle based on a distance between the vehicle and the external vehicle”). The same motivation of claim 5 applies here.
Regarding claim 15, HA in view of CHILDRESS and SEO discloses The AR service device of claim 12.
On the other hand, HA in view of CHILDRESS fails to explicitly disclose but SEO discloses wherein, if the POI in the image where the AR object is overlaid corresponds to a destination, the AR engine varies the AR object depending on a distance to the destination (SEO, “[0221] The destination guide information according to the present exemplary embodiment may include location information of the destination, information about a distance to the destination, information about a route to the destination, speed limit information, and speed camera information”. Therefore, information about a distance to the destination varies depending on a distance to the destination). The same motivation of claim 5 applies here.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HA et al. (US 20180130351) in view of CHILDRESS et al. (US 20180018718), and further in view of SEO et al. (US 20140063064) and LEBECK et al. (US 20220012923).
Regarding claim 7, HA in view of CHILDRESS and SEO discloses The AR service device of claim 6.
On the other hand, HA in view of CHILDRESS and SEO fails to explicitly disclose but LEBECK discloses wherein the AR engine determines which a point of interest (POI) in the image the AR object is to be overlaid onto, based on the type of the AR object (LEBECK, “[0063] Returning to FIG. 3, at block 310, the real-world object engine 222 determines a first location for the first virtual object based in part on the first virtual object type. [0066] At block 404, the real-world object engine 222 determines a second location for the second virtual object based in part on the second virtual object type”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined LEBECK into the combination of CHILDRESS, HA and SEO, to include all limitations of claim 7. That is, adding the determining AR object location based on its type of LEBECK to the AR system of CHILDRESS and HA, SEO. The motivation/ suggestion would have been to allow applications to cause virtual objects to be presented in association with the real-world object (LEBECK, [0056]).
Claim(s) 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HA et al. (US 20180130351) in view of CHILDRESS et al. (US 20180018718), and further in view of SEO et al. (US 20140063064) and JEONG et al. (US 20210007459).
Regarding claim 9, HA in view of CHILDRESS and SEO discloses The AR service device of claim 1.
On the other hand, HA in view of CHILDRESS and SEO fails to explicitly disclose but JEONG discloses wherein the request for the information for providing the AR service includes information related to the AR object (JEONG, “[0084] When receiving AR sticker information from the mobile terminal (S550), the server transmits, to the mobile terminal 1000, AR content corresponding to the AR sticker information”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined JEONG into the combination of CHILDRESS and HA, SEO, to include all limitations of claim 9. That is, adding the transmitting AR content of JEONG to the AR system of CHILDRESS and HA, SEO. The motivation/ suggestion would have been to provide an augmented reality service using an AR sticker image and directly fabricated AR content (JEONG, [0012]).
Regarding claim 10, HA in view of CHILDRESS and SEO discloses The AR service device of claim 9.
On the other hand, HA in view of CHILDRESS and SEO fails to explicitly disclose but JEONG discloses wherein the information related to the AR object includes at least one of: a type of the AR object, a number of times the AR object is to be displayed, the display time of the AR object, or a number of clicks by a user on to the AR object (JEONG, “[0114] When receiving AR information, including marker information, location information, or time information, from the mobile terminal 5000, the determination unit 6400 extracts, from the storage unit, AR content corresponding to the marker information. [0128] That is, various types of AR content corresponding to respective nail stickers may be provided based on location information and time information”). The same motivation of claim 9 applies here.
Regarding claim 11, HA in view of CHILDRESS and SEO discloses The AR service device of claim 9.
On the other hand, HA in view of CHILDRESS and SEO fails to explicitly disclose but JEONG discloses wherein the server saves the information related to the AR object in conjunction with location information of the AR service device, and, upon receiving a next request from the AR service device, determines what information to send based on the saved information related to the AR object (JEONG, “[0092] Referring to FIG. 14, in the method of providing AR content based on location information and time information, an AR server 6000 stores a plurality of pieces of AR content in a storage unit 6200 (S710). [0098] The mobile terminal 5000 requests AR content corresponding to marker information by transmitting, to the AR server 6000, AR information including at least one of the identified marker information, location information of the mobile terminal, and current time information (S785). [0099] The AR server 6000 determines whether to provide the AR content based on the AR information (S790). In this case, the AR server extracts the AR content corresponding to the marker information by searching for the AR content, and may determine whether to provide the AR content by comparing a location range in which AR content will be provided, which is preset in the condition setting unit of the server, with the location information received from the mobile terminal”). The same motivation of claim 9 applies here.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 14 is/are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
regarding claim 14, as amended, it recites, wherein the AR engine groups POIs by category, and maps representative images of categories when the traveling speed is higher than a threshold speed. None of the prior arts on the record or any of the prior arts searched, alone or in combination, renders obvious the combination of elements recited in the claim(s) as a whole.
Response to Arguments
The claim interpretation to claim 1 is withdrawn in view of the amendment.
Applicant's arguments filed on 05/26/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant submitted: Specifically, the "notifying a user's arrival" of Childress is not the same as Applicant's clarified term of "the AR service information." Further, "Childress does not distinguish "real-time information" from AR service information, as recited in amended claim 1 (Remarks, page 8, 1st paragraph).
The examiner respectfully disagrees. As illustrated in fig.6, Childress discloses “[0074] As shown in FIG. 6, process 600 may include monitoring a location of a user device (step 610). [0075] Process 600 may further include determining that the user device is within a threshold distance or arrival time of the service provider location (step 620). For example, the service request application 215 of the user device 210 may determine that the user device 210 is within a threshold distance of the service provider location (e.g., within a configurable geofence). Additionally, or alternatively, the service request application 215 may detect that the user device 210 is within a threshold arrival time of the service provider location (e.g., based on the user's travel speed, traffic conditions, etc.). [0076] Process 600 may further include outputting user information to the service provider computing system (step 630). [0081] Process 600 may also include receiving a suggested service list including services associated with the user information (step 640)”. Therefore, the suggested service list corresponds to the service information.
Note that it is the combination of Childress, HA and SEO to teach all limitations of claim 1. For instance, combining Childress and HA includes integrating the service information received in response to a request submitted based on the determination of CHILDRESS to the AR system of HA, thus the service information is related to AR service information.
Furthermore, real time information was taught by HA and SEO, not Childress. As set forth in the above claim mapping, HA discloses “[0011] a camera that is configured to capture an outside image of a vehicle in real time; a display that is configured to present the outside image of the vehicle in real time”, indicating the overlay is real time information. Additionally, the price taught by SEO also indicates real time information.
The applicant submitted: However, the Applicant's claimed invention does not simply display POI property information but filters AR service information based on both: a) real-time information of the vehicle and b) POI property information that matches a traveling road. This is not taught by Seo. Specifically, "a sign of the gas station, price of the fuel used in the information providing vehicle 100, a route to enter the gas station, and telephone number of the gas station" of Seo are merely POI property information that is not related to and therefor does not match the traveling road of Applicant's claimed invention. Therefore, Seo fails to disclose or imply filtering AR service information based on POI property information that matches a traveling road (Remarks, page 8, 3rd-4th paragraphs).
The examiner respectfully disagrees. SEO discloses “[0261] The target object may denote a building at the destination set by the driver, a destination location, a route to the destination, or a point of interest (POI) (for example, a gas station or a car repair shop). [0275] the information providing vehicle 100 may receive information about gas stations located within a predetermined distance, from the base station 400. [0276] In operation S2040, the information providing vehicle 100 may display the information about the gas stations on the transparent display 121”. In this case, and gas stations within a predetermined distance correspond to POI matching travelling road, and the overlay image is output by filtering the gas station information based on the distance of the gas station.
Conclusion
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/GRACE Q LI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2618 7/10/2026
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