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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 06/16/2026 has been entered.
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) 1,4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsumoto et al. (US 2022/0083127) in view of Bamji et al. (US 2011/0291988), further in view of Kobayashi et al. (US 2018/0217683), and further in view of Makino et al. (US 2015/0235391).
As to Claim 1, Matsumoto et al. discloses A display control system comprising: a display device that displays an image on a display surface three-dimensionally formed with respect to a floor surface (fig.1-2,4,9,10; para.0024-The projector or LED module projects (displays) an image generated based on the video signal supplied from the control device 20 onto the wall surface 12 with respect to floor surface 11);
a two-dimensional scanning type optical distance measuring sensor that detects a contact position of an object on the display surface of the display device, wherein the optical distance measuring sensor emits inspection light along the display surface;
an imaging device disposed to acquire an image within a range that includes the display surface of the display device and the floor surface on a side of a front face of the display surface (fig.2, para.0023-camera 15 captures entire space 10 or at least the floor surface 11 and wall surface 12), wherein a length of the floor surface included in the range of imaging by the imaging device is 0.5 m or longer (fig.2,10; para.0023-camera 15 captures entire space 10; para.0029-control device 20 utilizes positions of users obtained from camera 15 to determine a user has come within a predetermined distance from the wall surface; para.0041- an arbitrary distance in a range of about several tens of centimeters to about 1 meter can be set); and
a controller that stores, in a memory, data of effect images respectively corresponding to a plurality of types of the object,
analyzes the image acquired by the imaging device to discriminate a type of the object captured in the image acquired by the imaging device (fig.8, para.0033, 0049-0050; movement of a user is detected based on the image captured and determines of detected object is a user or obstacle),
determines a position at which the object of the discriminated type has come into contact with the display surface of the display device by integrating (i) information relating to the contact position of the object detected by the optical distance measuring sensor and (ii) analysis information relating to the type of the object derived from the image acquired by the imaging device (fig.9, para.0033- 0035, 0041-0045, 0061-0063, 0067-0071; the control device 20 analyzes the image capturing screen of the camera 15 and recognizes the position of the user with respect to the floor, and the control device determines whether the detected position of the user is near the wall surface or not; the control device 20 determines whether the user has touched the wall surface based on information received from the camera 15, and processes an application program according to the touch operation), and
controls the display device by reading, from the memory, the data of the effect image corresponding to the type of the object based on information relating to the discriminated type of the object, and drawing the effect image at the contact position of the object on the display surface based on the information of relating to the contact position determined, to change a type or a color of an image displayed at the contact position of the object in accordance with the type of the object.
Matsumoto et al. discloses a motion sensor 27 may be used to detect a movement and position of the user, where the motion sensor 27 emits light with a predetermined wavelength such as infrared rays or laser light, and receives emitted reflected light to detect a movement of the object and any of a position at which the user 50 is located, how closely the user approaches the wall surface when the user 50 is not in contact with the wall surface, and a place of the wall surface that the user 50 is touching when the user is in contact with the wall surface can be acquired. The output of the motion is provided to the control device 20 to recognize the position of the user (fig.1-2,4,9; para.0022, 0034-0035).
Matsumoto et al. does not expressly disclose a two-dimensional scanning type optical distance measuring sensor that detects a contact position of an object on the display surface of the display device, wherein the optical distance measuring sensor emits inspection light along the display surface.
Bamji et al. discloses a two-dimensional scanning type optical distance measuring sensor that detects a contact position of an object on the display surface of the display device (fig.7A,8C,8E; para.0033,0057,0059,0062-0063,0068-0069,0071,0076), wherein the optical distance measuring sensor emits inspection light along the display surface (para.0057,0061-0062,0068-0069).
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 device of Matsumoto et al. with the teachings of Bamji et al., such that the control device (of Matsumoto) also acquires data from a two-dimensional camera and TOF systems (as disclosed by Bamji) to determine a position at which the user (object) has come into contact with the display surface. The motivation being to provide a more robust detection of display surface touching and allow the system to more rapidly and reliably discern and identify user-object interaction with the display surface.
Matsumoto et al. in view of Bamji et al. do not expressly disclose a controller that stores, in a memory, data of effect images respectively corresponding to a plurality of types of the object,
controls the display device by reading, from the memory, the data of the effect image corresponding to the type of the object based on information relating to the discriminated type of the object, and drawing the effect image at the contact position of the object on the display surface based on the information of relating to the contact position determined, to change a type or a color of an image displayed at the contact position of the object in accordance with the type of the object.
Kobayashi et al. discloses a controller that stores, in a memory, data of effect images respectively corresponding to a plurality of types of the object (fig.1-2,4,6; para.0024,0058-0059; 0062-0064; light emitting pens 30a-c have different light emitting patterns 35a,35b,35c, respectively),
analyzes the image acquired by the imaging device to discriminate a type of the object captured in the image acquired by the imaging device (para.0046, 0048-0049- display device 100 recognizes and identifies the position and the shape of each light emitting pattern 35 as shown in FIG. 4 from an infrared-light image captured by the sensor 12; para.0058-0059,0063),
controls the display device by reading, from the memory, the data of the effect image corresponding to the type of the object based on information relating to the discriminated type of the object (figs.4-7; para.0046, 0048, 0058, 0064- projection-type image display device 100 recognizes/identifies a difference in details between the light emitting patterns 35, so that the attributes (line color, thickness, etc.) corresponding to the pattern details can be automatically made when a line, a figure, etc., are drawn; para.0066-0067), and drawing the effect image at the contact position of the object on the display surface based on the information of relating to the contact position determined, to change a type or a color of an image displayed at the contact position of the object in accordance with the type of the object (figs.4,6-7, para. 0036, para.0048-0049, 0058, 0064- projection-type image display device 100 recognizes/identifies a difference in details between the light emitting patterns 35, so that the attributes (line color, thickness, etc.) corresponding to the pattern details can be automatically made when a line, a figure, etc., are drawn; para.0066-0067).
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 device disclosed by Matsumoto et al. in view of Bamji et al., with the teachings of Kobayashi et al., the motivation being to allow for an image system having an interactive function in which the attributes of a pointing tool can be more flexibly switched based on the light pattern of the pointing tool.
Matsumoto et al. in view of Bamji et al., as modified by Kobayashi et al., do not expressly disclose “reading, from the memory, the data of the effect image..”
Kobayashi et al. discloses where the image display device comprises a memory (fig.110), and where interactive functional unit 113, may be executed on the information processing 300 side (para.0038), and the interactive functional unit 113 may have a function of recognizing/identifying a difference in details between the light emitting patterns (para.0058). Kobayashi et al. further discloses where it recognizes/identifies difference between the light emitting patterns from a difference in protrusions of the shape of the light emitting patterns and a type of light pen head it corresponds to (para.0059- a case of the light emitting pen head 32 without the light non-transmitting portion 34 (light blocking pattern). In this case, a condition of “the number of protrusions=zero” can be used). Kobayashi et al. further discloses it is desirable to set, for example, the light blocking patterns of the light emitting pen heads 32 so that the respective numbers of protrusions of the light emitting patterns 35 are not so close to each other (para.0063).
Makino et al. discloses a storage unit (102) that stores setting information (140) used in pen drawing processing (para.0052, 0059, 0062, 0071).
Therefore, 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 device disclosed by Matsumoto et al. in view of Bamji et al., and Kobayashi et al., with the teachings of Makino et al., such that light emitting patterns (35) corresponding to each light emitting pen are set and stored in a storage unit (as disclosed by Makino). The motivation being to reduce the amount of time from input to display and thereby provide users a realistic writing/drawing experience.
As to Claim 4, Matsumoto et al. in view of Bamji et al., as modified by Kobayashi et al and Makino et al., disclose wherein the object includes a light emission unit that emits light in a pattern or a color that differs depending on the type, and the controller analyzes the light emission pattern or the color of the light emission unit captured in the image to discriminate the type of the object captured in the image (Kobayashi- figs.4,6-7; para.0024,0042,0048,0058-0059,0062-0064,0066-0067).
As to Claim 5, Matsumoto et al. in view of Bamji et al., as modified by Kobayashi et al and Makino et al., disclose wherein the controller captures the object before the object comes into contact with the display surface based on the image acquired by the imaging device (Matsumoto-para.0034,0063; Kobayashi-para.0035), and estimates that the object has come into contact with the display surface or estimates the contact position of the object on the display surface (Matsumoto-fig.9; para.0034,0067-0068; Kobayashi-para.0036,0048-0049), and detects that the object captured by the imaging device has come into contact with the display surface and detects the contact position of the object based on the information detected by the optical distance measuring sensor (Matsumoto- para.0034, 0044, 0067-0068; Bamji-para.0063,0068-0069,0071,0076; Kobayashi-para.0036,0048-0049).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground applied as necessitated by amendment.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: see PTO-892 form.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DISMERY E. MERCEDES whose telephone number is (571)272-7558. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, EST.
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, Ke Xiao can be reached at 571-272-7776. 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.
/DISMERY MERCEDES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2627
Prosecution Insights