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 .
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application 63/452,541 filed March 16, 2023 under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) is acknowledged.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
Claims 7-10 meet the three prong test as the claims use the word “means”, are modified by functional language and are not modified by sufficient structure, material or acts for performing the claimed function. Therefore 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) is deemed to have been invoked.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 1 recites “…performing multi-user matchmaking based on said first set of room boundary data parameters, said first set of inter-user window definition data parameters, said second set of room boundary data parameters, and said second set of inter-user window definition data parameters, wherein said multi-user matchmaking comprises virtually stitching together a virtual version of said first physical room with a virtual version of said second physical room at a location where said first virtual inter-user window and said second virtual inter- user window coincide at least in part”. Claim 7 contains a similar recitation. As both claims 1 and 7 are computer implemented MPEP § 2161.01 is the applicable section of the MPEP for determining whether there is adequate written description for a computer-implemented functional claim limitation. While the terms “matchmaking” and “stitching” may be common terms used in expressing the operations used in multi-user mixed-reality applications the terms only express outcomes and results achieved but do not “…express that algorithm in any understandable terms including as a mathematical formula, in prose, or as a flow chart, or in any other manner that provides sufficient structure” and therefore must be held as being deficient under the written description requirement.
Claims 2-6 are also rejected as being dependent upon claim 1.
Claims 8-12 are also rejected as being dependent upon claim 7.
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.
Claim 7-12 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.
Claim limitation “means for performing matchmaking” invokes 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. However, the written description fails to disclose the corresponding structure, material, or acts for performing the entire claimed function and to clearly link the structure, material, or acts to the function.
While the terms “matchmaking” and “stitching” may be common terms used in expressing the operations used in multi-user mixed-reality applications the terms only express outcomes and results achieved but do not “…express that algorithm in any understandable terms including as a mathematical formula, in prose, or as a flow chart, or in any other manner that provides sufficient structure”. Matchmaking and stitching only describe outcomes but do not by themselves describe an algorithm used to transform a general purpose computer into a special purpose computer. Furthermore the written disclosure does not go beyond the use of the term matchmaking by describing the underlying algorithm used to achieve the outcome (MPEP § 2181(II)(B).
Therefore, the claim is indefinite and is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph.
Applicant may:
(a) Amend the claim so that the claim limitation will no longer be interpreted as a limitation under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph;
(b) Amend the written description of the specification such that it expressly recites what structure, material, or acts perform the entire claimed function, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)); or
(c) Amend the written description of the specification such that it clearly links the structure, material, or acts disclosed therein to the function recited in the claim, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)).
If applicant is of the opinion that the written description of the specification already implicitly or inherently discloses the corresponding structure, material, or acts and clearly links them to the function so that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize what structure, material, or acts perform the claimed function, applicant should clarify the record by either:
(a) Amending the written description of the specification such that it expressly recites the corresponding structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function and clearly links or associates the structure, material, or acts to the claimed function, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)); or
(b) Stating on the record what the corresponding structure, material, or acts, which are implicitly or inherently set forth in the written description of the specification, perform the claimed function. For more information, see 37 CFR 1.75(d) and MPEP §§ 608.01(o) and 2181.
Claims 8-12 are also rejected as being dependent upon claim 7.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Agarawala et al. (U.S. Patent Publication 2019/0313059, hereinafter referred to as Agarawala).
As per claims 1 and 7
Agarawala discloses a computer-implemented method for generating a shared multi-user mixed reality environment (0048 “The user may perform any number of interactions with the data elements within the AR environment. Example interactions include summon (bring an element spatially closer, reduce its depth), push (move or toss an element spatially further, increase its depth), zoom (make an element bigger or smaller), merge (managing multiple elements or objects together as one element, or multiple meshes onto the same mesh or place them in the same area), pan (scrolling through various elements or meshes), stack/fan-out (stack elements together like playing cards, or fan out the elements of a stack so that one or more of the elements is more or fully visible), blur (reduce the visibility of a particular elements such the that element remains within the view area, but is not or is less readable), and hide/delete (removing an element from the AR display area)”, 0228 “Digital objects 6110 may include visual displays of webpages, documents, images, videos, or any other multimedia that is capable of being displayed on the screen of a computing device, but which is rendered in an AR environment. The digital objects 6110 may be rendered or displayed as three-dimensional or holographic representations of the underlying data or objects. Through performing actions and gestures which are captured or detectable by AR device 6103, an AR user 6102 can interact with the digital objects 6110 in the AR environment (e.g., picking them up, passing them to another AR user, zooming in, trashing them, opening new objects, editing them, etc., 0235 “In an embodiment, a remote anchor 6114 may have been previously designated for saved meeting space 6106 by one or more of the participants on the meeting space. By aligning remote anchor 6114 with current anchor 6112, and using room scan information 6122, AR environment 6104 may visually configure, manipulate, or adjust the digital canvases and digital objects 6110 of saved meeting space 6106 to align and/or fit within a new Room 2. This adjusted alignment of the saved meeting space 6106 (e.g., digital canvases and objects) may be transmit to one or more AR devices 6103 (for different users 6102) who may be participating in the meeting in Room 2”) (Examiner would add that a clearly stated definition of mixed reality was not revealed in Examiner’s search; however the effects stated for mixed reality included shared or aligned anchors, 3D images, holograms and the ability to allow users to interact with the digital objects that appear within the displayed physical environment which is clearly taught by Agarawala and therefore Examiner deems that Agarawala meets the a definition of a shared multi-user mixed reality environment as envisioned by those skilled in the art).
Agarawala discloses receiving a first set of room boundary data parameters associated with a first mixed-reality headset user located in a first physical room (0028 “FIG. 3 is an example usage of the AR system, according to another example embodiment. As may be seen in the example of FIG. 3, the AR system may map a grid or mesh to the various surfaces or at various depths or positions within or relative to the physical environment of a user. In an embodiment, a scan of a room may be performed. As part of the scan, the various surfaces of the room or other physical area may be identified. The various surfaces may include walls, ceilings, floors, screens, table tops, etc. In an embodiment, the AR system may superimpose a mesh, grid, or screen on each of these surfaces. These meshes may indicate a default or initial starting point for where data may be positioned”, 0070 “In the example of FIG. 16, the actual physical space where an individual is going to engage the AR system may be scanned for both imagery and depth. Then, for example, when the user activates the AR system (e.g., puts on the AR goggles or headset, or otherwise logs into the AR system from an AR enabled device) the AR system may track the user's movements and location within the scanned room. In an embodiment, the AR system may track relationships and locations between the display objects, including the users/avatars and display elements, objects, or other data overlaying the physical environment, and the physical objects of environment which may have been previously scanned and are accounted for”)
Agarawala discloses receiving a first set of inter-user window definition data parameters associated with said first set of room boundary data parameters, wherein said first set of inter-user window definition data parameters defines the location of a first virtual inter-user window (0229 “In an embodiment, digital objects 6110 may be organized across various digital canvases (as described in various figures above, and as further described below as digital canvas 6310 with respect to FIG. 63). A digital canvas may be a transparent (or translucent) digital surface often aligned with one or more walls or other surfaces (tables, desktops ceilings, floors) of a room (e.g., Room 1) on which one or more digital objects 6110 may be placed. In another embodiment, saved meeting space 6106 may also include a digital canvas that is not aligned to wall or other surface, but instead may a free-standing or user-generated digital canvas. For example, AR user 610 may place a digital canvas between two physical walls of a room, or in an open grass field (if using AR device 6103 outdoors) without any physical walls”, 0267 “In the example shown, AR user 1 may select Wall A (6308) as the wall on which to render a digital canvas 6310 (which may or may not include one or more digital objects 6110). In an embodiment, the location A may include multiple walls or surfaces (e.g., table tops, desk tops, etc.) on which one or more digital canvases are displayed, each of which may include their own digital objects. In an embodiment, as described above, AR user 1 may select an anchor (6114) as being a primary wall A or point on wall A. In an embodiment, AR environment 6301 may track and store the location of various digital objects 6110, including AR users 6102, from the designated anchor point in a particular room or location. In an embodiment, the anchor 6114 may be the center of the largest wall in the room, or a place where a user wants to generate or display a first digital canvas 6310”)
Agarawala discloses receiving a second set of room boundary data parameters associated with a second mixed-reality headset user located in a second physical room (0270 “In the collaborative AR meeting space 6314, both users 6102A, 6102B may interact with the various digital canvases 6310 and digital objects 6110 in the shared meeting space, but from their respective physical locations 6306, 6316. When one user moves, adds, edits, or deletes a digital object 6110 in collaborative AR meeting space 6314, the changes are rendered in real-time for the other(s) or attendees in collaborative AR meeting space 6314 by AR environment 6301 in their respective physical locations. For example, if user 6102A moves a digital object 6110 from a first wall to a second wall, user 6102B may see the digital object move from the same relative first wall to the same relative second wall in collaborative AR meeting space 6314”, 0272 “AR user 2 (6102B) may be located in a different geographic space at location B (6316), which may include a physical wall B (6318), on which an anchor area (6112) may be designated. AR user 2 may seek to join the AR meeting space of AR user 1. In order to generate collaborative AR meeting space 6314, AR environment 6301 may map location A and location B together to generate a common workspace (based on the designated anchors 6112, 6114). AR environment 6301 may generate this common workspace even though the room sizes at the various locations may be of varying shapes and sizes”, also 0028 and 0070 as recited above)
Agarawala discloses receiving a second set of inter-user window definition data parameters associated with said second set of room boundary data parameters, wherein said second set of inter-user window definition data parameters defines the location of a second virtual inter-user window (0233 “AR environment 6104 may receive or store room scans 6122 of Room 1 and Room 2. Room scans 6122 may include images and/or video of the visual appearance of the rooms including the physical objects in the room (e.g., tables, chairs, individuals, paintings, equipment, etc.), relative location of objects in the room, and may include actual or approximated room and/or object dimensions. In an embodiment, room scans 6122 may be received from one or more AR devices 6103 which may include cameras and (2D or 3D) room scanning capabilities operating or having operated in a particular room or location”, 0272 “AR user 2 (6102B) may be located in a different geographic space at location B (6316), which may include a physical wall B (6318), on which an anchor area (6112) may be designated. AR user 2 may seek to join the AR meeting space of AR user 1. In order to generate collaborative AR meeting space 6314, AR environment 6301 may map location A and location B together to generate a common workspace (based on the designated anchors 6112, 6114). AR environment 6301 may generate this common workspace even though the room sizes at the various locations may be of varying shapes and sizes”)
Agarawala discloses performing multi-user matchmaking based on said first set of room boundary data parameters, said first set of inter-user window definition data parameters, said second set of room boundary data parameters, and said second set of inter-user window definition data parameters (0231 “Rather than randomly placing digital objects and canvases anywhere within the new AR environment or workspace, AR environment 6104 may maintain a similar relative alignment of the digital canvases and objects in Room 2 as they were arranged in Room 1 using anchors 6112, 6114. The anchors 6112, 6114 in the various physical locations may provide AR environment 6104 a user's preferences on how they want the workspace or meeting space opened and aligned to their current physical location”, 0273 “In an embodiment, the AR users 6102A, 6102B may make a room selection 6320. Room selection 6320 may indicate whether to use location A, location B, or a merging or blending of both locations A and B as the common digital meeting space or workspace for collaborative AR meeting space 6314”, Figures 61 and 63:
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Agarawala discloses wherein said multi-user matchmaking comprises virtually stitching together a virtual version of said first physical room with a virtual version of said second physical room at a location where said first virtual inter-user window and said second virtual inter- user window coincide at least in part (0231 “Rather than randomly placing digital objects and canvases anywhere within the new AR environment or workspace, AR environment 6104 may maintain a similar relative alignment of the digital canvases and objects in Room 2 as they were arranged in Room 1 using anchors 6112, 6114. The anchors 6112, 6114 in the various physical locations may provide AR environment 6104 a user's preferences on how they want the workspace or meeting space opened and aligned to their current physical location”, 0233 “AR environment 6104 may receive or store room scans 6122 of Room 1 and Room 2. Room scans 6122 may include images and/or video of the visual appearance of the rooms including the physical objects in the room (e.g., tables, chairs, individuals, paintings, equipment, etc.), relative location of objects in the room, and may include actual or approximated room and/or object dimensions. In an embodiment, room scans 6122 may be received from one or more AR devices 6103 which may include cameras and (2D or 3D) room scanning capabilities operating or having operated in a particular room or location” 0235 “By aligning remote anchor 6114 with current anchor 6112, and using room scan information 6122, AR environment 6104 may visually configure, manipulate, or adjust the digital canvases and digital objects 6110 of saved meeting space 6106 to align and/or fit within a new Room 2”)
As per claims 2 and 8
Agarawala discloses receiving a first set of object boundary data parameters associated with said first set of room boundary data parameters (0137 “One part of the framework may handle the logistics related to aligning users and their interactions when they are co-located within the space room or physical space. This functionality may include performing room scans including depth scans understanding the relative placement and images of physical objects to one another (chairs, tables, floor, ceiling, furniture, etc.). This functionality may also include spatial registration where the location of each user/attendee of an AR meeting is tracked through the room and relative to one another. This may help prevent, for example, an avatar of a virtual attendee intersecting with another avatar or with a user who is physically present in the room”)
As per claims 3 and 9
Agarawala discloses receiving a second set of object boundary data parameters associated with said second set of room boundary data parameters (0137 “One part of the framework may handle the logistics related to aligning users and their interactions when they are co-located within the space room or physical space. This functionality may include performing room scans including depth scans understanding the relative placement and images of physical objects to one another (chairs, tables, floor, ceiling, furniture, etc.). This functionality may also include spatial registration where the location of each user/attendee of an AR meeting is tracked through the room and relative to one another. This may help prevent, for example, an avatar of a virtual attendee intersecting with another avatar or with a user who is physically present in the room”, 0235 “By aligning remote anchor 6114 with current anchor 6112, and using room scan information 6122, AR environment 6104 may visually configure, manipulate, or adjust the digital canvases and digital objects 6110 of saved meeting space 6106 to align and/or fit within a new Room 2”, 0273 “In an embodiment, the AR users 6102A, 6102B may make a room selection 6320. Room selection 6320 may indicate whether to use location A, location B, or a merging or blending of both locations A and B as the common digital meeting space or workspace for collaborative AR meeting space 6314”)
As per claims 4 and 10
Agarawala discloses receiving a second set of object boundary data parameters associated with said second set of room boundary data parameters (0228 “Digital objects 6110 may include visual displays of webpages, documents, images, videos, or any other multimedia that is capable of being displayed on the screen of a computing device, but which is rendered in an AR environment. The digital objects 6110 may be rendered or displayed as three-dimensional or holographic representations of the underlying data or objects. Through performing actions and gestures which are captured or detectable by AR device 6103, an AR user 6102 can interact with the digital objects 6110 in the AR environment (e.g., picking them up, passing them to another AR user, zooming in, trashing them, opening new objects, editing them, etc.)”, 0231 “Rather than randomly placing digital objects and canvases anywhere within the new AR environment or workspace, AR environment 6104 may maintain a similar relative alignment of the digital canvases and objects in Room 2 as they were arranged in Room 1 using anchors 6112, 6114. The anchors 6112, 6114 in the various physical locations may provide AR environment 6104 a user's preferences on how they want the workspace or meeting space opened and aligned to their current physical location”, 0235 “By aligning remote anchor 6114 with current anchor 6112, and using room scan information 6122, AR environment 6104 may visually configure, manipulate, or adjust the digital canvases and digital objects 6110 of saved meeting space 6106 to align and/or fit within a new Room 2”, 0273 “In an embodiment, the AR users 6102A, 6102B may make a room selection 6320. Room selection 6320 may indicate whether to use location A, location B, or a merging or blending of both locations A and B as the common digital meeting space or workspace for collaborative AR meeting space 6314”)
As per claims 5 and 11
Agarawala discloses initiating a shared multi-user mixed-reality session, wherein a portion of said virtual version of said second physical room is visible to said first user through said first virtual inter-user window (0269 “AR user 2 (6102B) may join AR user 1 in the AR meeting space to create a collaborative AR meeting space 6314. For example, as described above with respect to FIG. 61, AR user 6102 may join an ongoing meeting space 6108. AR environment 6301 may generate a collaborative AR meeting space 6314 for various users who may be remotely located in different geographic areas or rooms”, 0270 “In the collaborative AR meeting space 6314, both users 6102A, 6102B may interact with the various digital canvases 6310 and digital objects 6110 in the shared meeting space, but from their respective physical locations 6306, 6316. When one user moves, adds, edits, or deletes a digital object 6110 in collaborative AR meeting space 6314, the changes are rendered in real-time for the other(s) or attendees in collaborative AR meeting space 6314 by AR environment 6301 in their respective physical locations. For example, if user 6102A moves a digital object 6110 from a first wall to a second wall, user 6102B may see the digital object move from the same relative first wall to the same relative second wall in collaborative AR meeting space 6314”, 0281 “In another embodiment, a digital room or AR workspace generated based on the dimension of the first user's room may displayed in the second user's room as is, regardless of the relative sizes of the rooms and/or the workspace. In this case, part of the digital objects might appear to be behind physical objects or inside or behind a physical wall. This approach may save computing resources relative to resizing the AR workspace to the room of the second user”)
As per claims 6 and 12
Agarawala discloses initiating a shared multi-user mixed- reality session, wherein a portion of said virtual version of said second physical room is visible to said first user through said first virtual inter-user window and a portion of said virtual version of said first physical room is visible to said second user through said second virtual inter-user window (0269 “AR user 2 (6102B) may join AR user 1 in the AR meeting space to create a collaborative AR meeting space 6314. For example, as described above with respect to FIG. 61, AR user 6102 may join an ongoing meeting space 6108. AR environment 6301 may generate a collaborative AR meeting space 6314 for various users who may be remotely located in different geographic areas or rooms”, 0270 “In the collaborative AR meeting space 6314, both users 6102A, 6102B may interact with the various digital canvases 6310 and digital objects 6110 in the shared meeting space, but from their respective physical locations 6306, 6316. When one user moves, adds, edits, or deletes a digital object 6110 in collaborative AR meeting space 6314, the changes are rendered in real-time for the other(s) or attendees in collaborative AR meeting space 6314 by AR environment 6301 in their respective physical locations. For example, if user 6102A moves a digital object 6110 from a first wall to a second wall, user 6102B may see the digital object move from the same relative first wall to the same relative second wall in collaborative AR meeting space 6314”, 0281 “In another embodiment, a digital room or AR workspace generated based on the dimension of the first user's room may displayed in the second user's room as is, regardless of the relative sizes of the rooms and/or the workspace. In this case, part of the digital objects might appear to be behind physical objects or inside or behind a physical wall. This approach may save computing resources relative to resizing the AR workspace to the room of the second user”)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
“Build Local Multiplayer Experiences with Shared Spatial Anchors on Meta Quest”, December 15, 2022, 9 pages, retrieved from https://developers.meta.com/horizon/blog/build-local-multiplayer-experiences-shared-spatial-anchors/ discloses a new feature that allows anchors created by one user to be shared with others in the same physical space.
Milgram et al. “A Taxonomy of Mixed Reality Visual Displays”, IEICE Trans. Inf. & Syst., Vol. E77-D, No. 12 December 1994, pp. 1321-1329 is considered to be the first paper regarding Mixed Reality which describes combining elements from the physical and virtual worlds along what the authors describe as the “virtuality continuum”.
Introduction to Rooms and Portals, retrieved from Internet Archive scraped on January 29, 2023, 3 pages describes windows and portals
Cao et al. “Mobile Augmented Reality: User Interfaces, Frameworks and Intelligence, retrieved from arXiv:2106.08710v1, June 16, 2021, pp. 111:1 to 111:35, discloses the integration of virtual objects with physical environments for mobile devices and provides a comprehensive overview of the tools and software available at the time of writing.
BasuMallick “What is Mixed Reality? Definition, Working and Applications, retrieved from https://www.spiceworks.com/tech/innovation/articles/mixed-reality/, December 6, 2022, 23 pages defines mixed reality as “…an immersive technology that combines physical and digital elements to enable them to interact with each other”
Gunnarson et al. (U.S. Patent Publication 2024/0119680, hereinafter referred to as Gunnarson) discloses a mixed reality simulated environment and the use of shared spatial anchors.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES D NIGH whose telephone number is (571)270-5486. The examiner can normally be reached 6:00 to 9:45 and 10:30 to 2:45.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Neha Patel can be reached at (571) 270-1492. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES D NIGH/ Senior Examiner, Art Unit 3699