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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Claims 11-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 7/2/2026.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 2/13/2024 and 12/19/2024 were considered by the examiner.
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, 6-10, 16-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zebleckes US 20230311011 in view of Aaltonen US 20170319939.
Regarding claim 1, Zebleckes discloses a show effect system comprising:
a
a sensor (68) configured to monitor a viewing area ([0040]) from which a guest can observe the first mirror
a controller (62) communicatively coupled to the first actuator (Fig. 1), t
determine the guest is in a location within the viewing area based on the sensor data ([0040]); and
instruct the first actuator to adjust a position or an orientation of the first mirror to remove the location from a first reflection of the first mirror ([0041]).
However, it does not teach a second mirror and second actuator, and that the first and second mirror are mounted to a wall.
Aaltonen teaches a show effect system comprising a first and second mirror connected to first and second actuators mounted to a wall (Figs. 3A and 3B). Aaltonen so teaches in order to control the direction of the light and or images to the user ([0073]). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the show effect system of Zebleckes by utilizing the mirrors and actuators of Aaltonen in order to control the direction of light and images observed by a user.
Note that the manner of operating the device does not differentiate apparatus claim from the prior art. "[A]pparatus claims cover what a device is, not what a device does." Hewlett-Packard Co. v. Bausch & Lomb Inc., 909 F.2d 1464, 1469, 15 USPQ2d 1525, 1528 (Fed. Cir. 1990) (emphasis in original). A claim containing a "recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus" if the prior art apparatus teaches all the structural limitations of the claim. See MPEP 2114 (II)
Regarding claim 2, Aaltonen further teaches that the controller is configured to instruct the second actuator to adjust a position or an orientation of the second mirror ([0073]) to remove the location from a second reflection of the second mirror.
Regarding claim 3, Zebleckes further discloses that the sensor is configured to monitor guest movement ([0040]) and the controller is configured to: determine a target angle between the first mirror and the second mirror based on the location the guest is in; instruct the first actuator to adjust the position or the orientation of the first mirror based on the target angle; and instruct the second actuator to adjust the position or the orientation of the second mirror based on the target angle. See Note of claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 6, Aaltonen further teaches an object (340) coupled to an additional actuator (320) and mounted opposite the first mirror and the second mirror (Figs. 3A and 3B), wherein the controller is configured to: instruct the additional actuator to adjust a position of the object to keep the object in the field of view of the first mirror in response to the first actuator adjusting the position or the orientation of the first mirror to remove the location from the first reflection of the first mirror. See Note of claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 7, Aaltonen further teaches a display (128, 124) mounted opposite the first mirror and the second mirror (Fig. 1A), wherein the controller is configured to: instruct the display to adjust image data to keep imagery on the display in the field of view of the first mirror in response to the first actuator adjusting the position or the orientation of the first mirror to remove the location from the first reflection of the first mirror. See Note of claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 8, Aaltonen further teaches a projector (340) configured to project image content onto a projection surface (ground) opposite the first mirror and the second mirror, wherein the controller is configured to: generate image data for projection onto an additional wall opposite the wall; update the image data to updated image data in response to determining the guest is in the location; and instruct the projector to project the updated image data in parallel with instructing the first actuator to adjust the position or the orientation of the first mirror. See Note of claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 9, Zebleckes further discloses that the sensor is configured to monitor eye blinking of the guest ([0040]), wherein the controller is configured to: instruct the first actuator based on eye blinking of the guest. See Note of claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 10, Aaltonen further teaches an output device (340) configured to emit a visual diversion (350), an audio diversion, or both, wherein the controller is configured to instruct the output device to emit the visual diversion, the audio diversion, or both prior to instructing the first actuator to adjust the position or the orientation of the first mirror to remove the location from the first reflection of the first mirror. See Note of claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 16, Zebleckes discloses an attraction system for an attraction, the attraction system comprising:
a first mirror ([0050]);
one or more actuators (60) configured to adjust positioning and/or orientation of the first mirror (Fig. 1),
one or more sensors (68) configured to track a position of a guest within the attraction ([0040]); and
a controller (62) configured to:
receive, from the one or more sensors, sensor data indicative of the position of the guest ([0040]);
determine a target angle between the first mirror and the second mirror ([0005])
instruct the one or more actuators to adjust the positioning and/or the orientation of the first mirror, the second mirror, or both based on the target angle ([0005]).
However, it does not teach a second mirror.
Aaltonen teaches a show effect system comprising a first and second mirror connected to first and second actuators mounted to a wall (Figs. 3A and 3B). Aaltonen so teaches in order to control the direction of the light and or images to the user ([0073]). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the show effect system of Zebleckes by utilizing the mirrors and actuators of Aaltonen in order to control the direction of light and images observed by a user.
Regarding the exclusion of the guest from a first reflection and/or position of the guest, see note of claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 17, see claim 10 above.
Regarding claim 18, see claim 9 above.
Regarding claim 20, see claim 1 above.
Claim(s) 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zebleckes US 20230311011 in view of Aaltonen US 20170319939 as applied to claim 2 above and further in view of Goodenough US 20030128447.
Regarding claim 4, the combination does not teach that the first mirror and the second mirror are rotatably coupled by a hinge, and wherein the first actuator is coupled to an edge of the first mirror opposite the hinge and the second actuator is coupled to an edge of the second mirror opposite the hinge.
Goodenough teaches a first and second mirror (71,72) rotatably coupled by a hinge (75), and an actuator ([0020]) for moving the mirror with a non-inverted image ([0004]). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the mirrors and actuators as taught by Zebleckes by utilizing a double mirror controlled by actuators as taught by Goodenough in order to provide an adjustable mirrors providing a non-inverted image.
Regarding claim 5, the combination does not explicitly recite that first actuator is configured to adjust the position or the orientation of the first mirror in a first direction and the second actuator is configured to adjust the position or the orientation of the second mirror in a second direction opposite the first direction. However, actuators will move the mirrors from an initial position in a first direction to a second position then back to the initial position in a second direction opposite the first direction.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing of the claimed invention, to modify the combination by utilizing first and second actuators that move the first and second mirrors in directions that opposite each other.
Claim(s) 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zebleckes US 20230311011 in view of Aaltonen US 20170319939 as applied to claim 16 above and further in view of Koko JP 2010153983.
Regarding claim 19, the combination does not teach a shutter glasses worn by the guest and configured to temporarily block a view of the guest, wherein the controller is configured to: determine a shutter timing of the shutter glasses; and instruct the one or more actuators to adjust the positioning and/or the orientation of the first mirror, the second mirror, or both during a closing period of the shutter glasses.
Koko teaches an amusement device comprising shutter glasses (23, pg. 27 ln. 29) worn by the guest and configured to temporarily block a view of the guest, wherein the controller is configured to: determine a shutter timing of the shutter glasses (pg. 27 ln. 29-pg. 28 ln. 8); and instruct the one or more actuators to adjust the positioning and/or the orientation of the first mirror, the second mirror, or both during a closing period of the shutter glasses. See note of claim 1.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the show system as taught by the combination by utilizing shutter glasses as taught by Koko in order to project a 3D image (pg. 28 ln. 9-12).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN O PETERS whose telephone number is (571)272-2662. The examiner can normally be reached Tue-Sat, 12:00pm-10pm EST.
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/BRIAN O PETERS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3711
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