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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 1/20/26 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1/20/26 have been fully considered but they are not moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 2-4, 6, 9-10, 20-24, and 27-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Griffin et al. (US 2015/0286456, cited by Applicant, hereinafter “Griffin”) in view of Amar (US 2015/0138210) and Azam et al. (US 2020/0184924, hereinafter “Azam”). Regarding claim 1, Griffin discloses a method for calibrating an image display device comprising (Abstract, [0025], method of video-wall color calibration): storing a plurality of calibration setting values for calibration of a plurality of image display devices in a server, wherein the plurality of calibration setting values includes a first calibration setting value received from at least one of the plurality of image display devices and a second calibration setting value input by a user ([0008-0014, 0025], storing a plurality of calibration setting values for calibration of a plurality of image display devices in a server (server performs color adjustments from the plurality of calibration setting values of each display of the video wall)), wherein the plurality of calibration setting values includes a first calibration setting value received from at least one of the plurality of image display devices and a second calibration setting value input by a user ([0025], first calibration setting value is the current calibration value of the display and second calibration setting value is dynamically adjusted value by the user when dragging the color slider to provide updated color calibration by the user for controlling monitor settings via the centralized server); and when one of the plurality of calibration setting values is selected, remotely requesting, by the server, the plurality of image display devices to perform calibration based on the selected calibration setting value ([0025], “In one embodiment the user dynamically adjusts the color for an individual display by selecting the display within the GUI then dragging a color calibration slider causing the corresponding display to adjust in real-time to the user's input. Once adjusting the sliders has brought color consistency across the canvas and once this has been signaled to the server it proceeds to provide the next color for evaluation. In one embodiment of the invention color calibration is done by controlling monitor settings via the centralized server software being in communication with the display settings (potentially via an RS232 or other interface) and a uniform image canvas is output to the display”; slider position determines calibration setting values that are requested by the server to perform calibration of each of the displays of the video wall). Griffin does not explicitly disclose grouping the plurality of image display devices into two or more groups, such that each group shares no common image display device with the rest of the two or more groups; and performing calibration for each group. Amar teaches performing calibration of display devices by grouping the plurality of image display devices into two or more groups, such that each group shares no common image display device with the rest of the two or more groups; and performing calibration for each group (Fig. 1, [0002-0004, 0007, 0011-0012, 0028-0029], displays such as 105a and 105b are each a separate group (with no common image display device being shared) that are calibrated separately by respective I2C pipelines from could display management server 120 via client drivers 115A and 115B). 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 method of Griffin to include steps of grouping the plurality of image display devices into two or more groups, such that each group shares no common image display device with the rest of the two or more groups; and performing calibration for each group, such as taught by Amar, for the purpose of more robustly updated each group of display devices to maintain good viewing characteristics of the multi-display imaging system. Griffin as modified by Amar does not explicitly disclose each of at least one of the two or more groups includes more than one image display device. Azam teaches transmitting different calibration instructions to different groups of monitors that include more than one image display device or monitor ([0036], “Transmitting calibration instructions to a sub-group of monitors can allow for ease of calibration of such monitors …”.) 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 method of Griffin as modified by Amar to have multiple monitors grouped together such that each of at least one of the two or more groups includes more than one image display device, such as taught by Azam, for the purpose of easily performing calibration to the group of monitors within the group. Regarding claim 2, Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam discloses the method according to claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose further comprising: storing a plurality of verification setting values for verification of the plurality of image display devices in the server, wherein the plurality of verification setting values includes a first verification setting value received from at least one of the plurality of image display devices; and when one of the plurality of verification setting values is selected, remotely requesting, by the server, the plurality of image display devices to perform verification based on the selected verification setting value. Amar further teaches storing a plurality of verification setting values for verification of the plurality of image display devices in the server, wherein the plurality of verification setting values includes a first verification setting value received from at least one of the plurality of image display devices (Amar, Figs. 1 and 6, [0063, 0067, 0069], operations such as verification is performed on display devices 105A,B via the server 125 storing the verification setting values including a first verification setting value from device 105A); and when one of the plurality of verification setting values is selected, remotely requesting, by the server, the plurality of image display devices to perform verification based on the selected verification setting value (Amar, Figs. 1 and 6, [0012, 0041, 0066] calibration of video wall merges sub-displays (e.g., device 105B) to provide automatic calibration; display parameters are provided by I2C pipeline to display devices based on selected verification setting value). 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 method of Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam to include storing a plurality of verification setting values for verification of the plurality of image display devices in the server, wherein the plurality of verification setting values includes a first verification setting value received from at least one of the plurality of image display devices; and when one of the plurality of verification setting values is selected, remotely requesting, by the server, the plurality of image display devices to perform verification based on the selected verification setting value, such as further taught by Amar, for the purpose of having one server control calibration of each of the display devices forming a larger display. Regarding claim 3, Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein: the plurality of calibration setting values further includes a third calibration setting value stored as a default in the server (Griffin, Figs. 2-3, [0025, 0040-0041], calibration setting value of third display 3 has third calibration setting value stored as a default in the server for video-wall 31), wherein the plurality of verification setting values further includes a second verification setting value stored as a default in the server (Amar, Figs. 1 and 6, [0063, 0067, 0069], operations such as verification is performed on display devices 105A,B via the server 125 storing the verification setting values including a second verification setting value from device 105B or second device in Griffin). The motivation the same as in claim 2.
Regarding claim 4, Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein: the server requests the plurality of image display devices to perform at least one of the calibration or the verification through a plurality of client terminals (Griffin, Fig. 1, [0039], client terminals 15 as G1-6). Regarding claim 6, Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein: when there are two or more image display devices belonging to each group, the two or more image display devices are connected to the server through different client terminals (Griffin, Fig. 1, [0025], in the modified method the group of adjacent display units 1 and 2 are connected to the server though client terminals G1 and G2 and another group of adjacent display units 5 and 6 are connected to the server though different client terminals G5 and G6; Azam, [0036], teaches using multiple monitors for each group). Regarding claim 9, Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam discloses the method according to claim 1, further comprising: displaying, by the server, a user interface for creating, modifying, storing and deleting one of the plurality of calibration setting values (Griffin, [0025], GUI adjusts color calibration value with a slider which is stored by the server; sliding the slider to a zero value deletes the calibration value, and then sliding the slider from the zero value creates the calibration setting value; adjusting the slider modifies the calibration setting value).
Regarding claim 10, Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein: the selected calibration setting value includes data related to luminance, color temperature, and gamma setting of the image display device (Griffin, [0025], GUI includes slider bar for color calibration; claim 12, selected RGB color, intensity, gamma are adjusted).
Regarding claim 20, Griffin discloses a recording medium for storing instructions configured to be executed by a computer for calibration of an image display device, the instructions that, based on being executed, cause the computer to perform operations comprising (Abstract, [0027], claim 20, computer readable medium has instructions for processors to control and calibrate displays): storing a plurality of calibration setting values for calibration of a plurality of image display devices, wherein the plurality of calibration setting values includes a first calibration setting value received from at least one of the plurality of image display devices and a second calibration setting value input by a user ([0008-0014, 0025], server provides a command configured to store a plurality of calibration setting values for calibration of a plurality of image display devices in the server (server performs color adjustments from the plurality of calibration setting values of each display of the video wall)), wherein the plurality of calibration setting values includes a first calibration setting value received from at least one of the plurality of image display devices and a second calibration setting value input by a user ([0025], first calibration setting value is the current calibration value of the display and second calibration setting value is dynamically adjusted value by the user when dragging the color slider to provide updated color calibration by the user for controlling monitor settings via the centralized server); when one of the plurality of calibration setting values is selected, remotely requesting that the plurality of image display devices perform calibration based on the selected calibration setting value ([0025], server provides a command; “In one embodiment the user dynamically adjusts the color for an individual display by selecting the display within the GUI then dragging a color calibration slider causing the corresponding display to adjust in real-time to the user's input. Once adjusting the sliders has brought color consistency across the canvas and once this has been signaled to the server it proceeds to provide the next color for evaluation. In one embodiment of the invention color calibration is done by controlling monitor settings via the centralized server software being in communication with the display settings (potentially via an RS232 or other interface) and a uniform image canvas is output to the display”; slider position determines calibration setting values that are requested by the server as the command to perform calibration of each of the displays of the video wall). Griffin does not explicitly disclose grouping the plurality of image display devices into two or more groups, such that each group shares no common image display device with the rest of the two or more groups; andperforming calibration for each group. Amar teaches performing calibration of display devices by grouping the plurality of image display devices into two or more groups, such that each group shares no common image display device with the rest of the two or more groups; and performing calibration for each group (Fig. 1, [0002-0004, 0007, 0011-0012, 0028-0029], displays such as 105a and 105b are each a separate group (with no common image display device being shared) that are calibrated separately by respective I2C pipelines from could display management server 120 via client drivers 115A and 115B). 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 of Griffin to include steps of grouping the plurality of image display devices into two or more groups, such that each group shares no common image display device with the rest of the two or more groups; and performing calibration for each group, such as taught by Amar, for the purpose of more robustly updated each group of display devices to maintain good viewing characteristics of the multi-display imaging system. Griffin as modified by Amar does not explicitly disclose each of at least one of the two or more groups includes more than one image display device. Azam teaches transmitting different calibration instructions to different groups of monitors that include more than one image display device or monitor ([0036], “Transmitting calibration instructions to a sub-group of monitors can allow for ease of calibration of such monitors …”.) 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 recording medium of Griffin as modified by Amar to have multiple monitors grouped together such that each of at least one of the two or more groups includes more than one image display device, such as taught by Azam, for the purpose of easily performing calibration to the group of monitors within the group. Regarding claim 21, Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam discloses the recording medium according to claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise: storing a plurality of verification setting values for verification of the plurality of image display devices, wherein the plurality of verification setting values includes a first verification setting value received from at least one of the plurality of image display devices (Amar, Figs. 1 and 6, [0063, 0067, 0069], operations such as verification is performed on display devices 105A,B via the server 125 storing the verification setting values including a first verification setting value from device 105A); and when one of the plurality of verification setting values is selected, remotely requesting the plurality of image display devices to perform verification based on the selected verification setting value (Amar, Figs. 1 and 6, [0012, 0041, 0066] calibration of video wall merges sub-displays (e.g., device 105B) to provide automatic calibration; display parameters are provided by I2C pipeline to display devices based on selected verification setting value).
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 recording medium of Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam to include storing a plurality of verification setting values for verification of the plurality of image display devices in the server, wherein the plurality of verification setting values includes a first verification setting value received from at least one of the plurality of image display devices; and when one of the plurality of verification setting values is selected, remotely requesting, by the server, the plurality of image display devices to perform verification based on the selected verification setting value, as further taught by Amar, for the purpose of having one server control calibration of each of the display devices forming a larger display. Regarding claim 22, Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam discloses the recording medium according to claim 21, wherein: the plurality of calibration setting values further includes a third calibration setting value stored as a default (Griffin, Figs. 2-3, [0025, 0040-0041], calibration setting value of third display 3 has third calibration setting value stored as a default in the server for video-wall 31), wherein the plurality of verification setting values further includes a second verification setting value stored as a default (Amar, Figs. 1 and 6, [0063, 0067, 0069], operations such as verification is performed on display devices 105A,B via the server 125 storing the verification setting values including a second verification setting value from device 105B or second device in Griffin).
The motivation the same as in claim 20.
Regarding claim 23, Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam discloses the recording medium according to claim 21, wherein: the computer requests the plurality of image display devices to perform at least one of the calibration or the verification through a plurality of client terminals (Griffin, Fig. 1, [0039], client terminals 15 as G1-6).
Regarding claim 24, Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam discloses the recording medium according to claim 20, wherein: when there are two or more image display devices belonging to each group, the two or more image display devices are connected to the computer through different client terminals (Griffin, Fig. 1, [0025], in the modified method the group of adjacent display units 1 and 2 are connected to the server though client terminals G1 and G2 and another group of adjacent display units 5 and 6 are connected to the server though different client terminals G5 and G6; Azam, [0036], teaches grouping multiple display units in each group).
Regarding claim 27, Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam discloses the recording medium according to claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise: displaying a user interface for creating, modifying, storing and deleting one of the plurality of calibration setting values (Griffin, [0025], GUI adjusts color calibration value with a slider which is stored by the server; sliding the slider to a zero value deletes the calibration value, and then sliding the slider from the zero value creates the calibration setting value; adjusting the slider modifies the calibration setting value).
Regarding claim 28, Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam discloses the recording medium according to claim 20, wherein: the selected calibration setting value includes data related to luminance, color temperature, and gamma setting of the image display device (Griffin, [0025], GUI includes slider bar for color calibration; claim 12, RGB color, intensity, gamma are adjusted).
Claims 7 and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Griffin in view of Amar and Azam as applied to claims 1, 2-4, 6, 9-10, 20-24, and 27-28, and further in view of Kahn et al. (US 2022/0337806, hereinafter “Kahn”). Regarding claim 7, Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam discloses the method according to claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose further comprising: setting, by the server, a schedule for calibration of image display devices of each group; and performing, by the server, calibration of the image display device of each group according to the schedule.
Kahn discloses setting, by the server, a schedule for calibration of image display devices of each group ([0050, 0057], server includes calibration module and can calibrate based on calibration schedule); and performing, by the server, calibration of the image display device of each group according to the schedule ([0050, 0057], server includes calibration module and can calibrate based on calibration schedule for each group as taught by Amar). 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 method of Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam to include setting, by the server, a schedule for calibration of image display devices of each group, and performing, by the server, calibration of the image display device of each group according to the schedule, such as taught by Kahn, for the purpose of checking the status of the displays on a periodic basis. Regarding claim 25, Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam discloses the recording medium according to claim 20, but does not explicitly disclose further comprising: wherein the operations further comprise: setting a schedule for calibration of image display devices of each group; and performing the calibration of the image display device of each group according to the schedule.
Kahn discloses setting a schedule for calibration of image display devices of each group ([0050, 0057], server includes calibration module and can calibrate based on calibration schedule); and performing the calibration of the image display device of each group according to the schedule ([0050, 0057], server includes calibration module and can calibrate based on calibration schedule for each group as taught by Amar). 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 recording medium of Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam to include setting a schedule for calibration of image display devices of each group, and performing the calibration of the image display device of each group according to the schedule, such as taught by Kahn, for the purpose of checking the status of the displays on a periodic basis.
Claims 8 and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Griffin in view of Amar and Azam as applied to claims 1, 2-4, 6, 9-10, 20-24, and 27-28, and further in view of Kallio et al. (US 2022/0353387, hereinafter “Kallio”). Regarding claim 8, Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam discloses the method according to claim 1, further comprising: storing, by the server, characteristic information of the plurality of image display devices (Griffin, [0023], server stores “unique differentiating symbol/number/character/code on each of the available displays”), but does not explicitly disclose when the plurality of image display devices is unable to support the selected calibration setting value according to the characteristic information, changing the selected calibration setting value based on the characteristic information. Kallio discloses when the plurality of image display devices is unable to support the selected calibration setting value according to the characteristic information, changing the selected calibration setting value based on the characteristic information ([0057], calibration of displays for each group based on characteristic information of display number; when display devices are unable to support the calibration setting values for groups of adjacent displays then Kallio teaches to change the selected calibration setting value for the next group). 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 method of Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam to have when the plurality of image display devices is unable to support the selected calibration setting value according to the characteristic information, changing the selected calibration setting value based on the characteristic information, such as taught by Kallio, for the purpose of calibrating displays based on their native color space for each of the displays (Kallio [0003]). Regarding claim 26, Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam discloses the recording medium according to claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise: storing characteristic information of the plurality of image display devices (Griffin, [0023], server stores “unique differentiating symbol/number/character/code on each of the available displays”), but does not explicitly disclose when the plurality of image display devices is unable to support the selected calibration setting value according to the characteristic information, changing the selected calibration setting value based on the characteristic information. Kallio discloses when the plurality of image display devices is unable to support the selected calibration setting value according to the characteristic information, changing the selected calibration setting value based on the characteristic information ([0057], calibration of displays for each group based on characteristic information of display number; when display devices are unable to support the calibration setting values for groups of adjacent displays then Kallio teaches to change the selected calibration setting value for the next group). 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 recording medium of Griffin as modified by Amar and Azam to have when the plurality of image display devices is unable to support the selected calibration setting value according to the characteristic information, changing the selected calibration setting value based on the characteristic information, such as taught by Kallio, for the purpose of calibrating displays based on their native color space for each of the displays (Kallio [0003]).
Conclusion
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JOSEPH PATRICK FOX
Examiner
Art Unit 2622
/J.P.F/Examiner, Art Unit 2622
/PATRICK N EDOUARD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2622