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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 04/23/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Newly found reference Beric (US 2019/0102868) contains the amended subject matter. When considering making further amendments another reference to consider is Roulet (US Patent 11,790,495) with reference to fig.3 “FIG. 3 shows the resolution curve of a more pleasing wide-angle image, either obtained directly from a wide-angle lens having a drop of resolution toward the edges after having a maximum value in a region between the center and the edge or obtained after modifying on purpose the image distortion with hardware or software dewarping or correction algorithm to avoid the undesirable effect of FIG. 2.”
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.
Claims 1,3,5-13,15 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bassi (US 2024/0368606) in view of Beric (US 2019/0102868).
As per claims 1, 13, and 20 Bassi teaches, an information processing apparatus and system and method, comprising circuitry configured to: perform correction on a wide-angle image to correct the wide-angle image (Bassi, fig.26A “¶[0046] FIG. 26a illustrates an exemplary large region of interest (FOV of 90.degree.), selected as the middle room in the image, that is corrected for perspective;” this represents wide-angle image to correct that image), the correction involving rotation around a vertical direction as a rotation axis (Bassi, ¶[0101] “The image within the circle 2430 is slightly rotated in order to smoothly connect with the surrounding ZCL correction. This was achieved by using .phi..sub.0p1=25.degree.; by varying this angle the rotation can be changed and in turn the twisting in the transition region. The rotation does not distort the perspective correction. “ this represents correction involving rotation around a vertical rotation as a rotational axis as the image is being rotated for example in fig.26a-b in the vertical axis as shown ); and convert the wide-angle image into a cube map format (Bassi, ¶[0060] “A point in the 3D real world space with coordinates (x,y,z) is mapped to a point in the image (u,v)” and ¶[007] “[0007] The embodiments described herein provide in one aspect, a method for transforming an input image captured through at least one ultra wide-angle (UWA) lens, said UWA lens characterized by a corresponding transformation that maps 3D object space onto a plane that displays the input image” this represents convert the wide-angle image into a cube map format or 3D model).
Bassi doesn’t clearly teach, obtain wide angle image by a camera with a wide-angle lens and calculate a parameter for the correction; calculate a shape of a lower surface in a captured space of the wide-angle image, calculate an angle for alignment for the lower surface, and apply the calculated parameter as the correction parameter; and display, on a display, the wide-angle image that has been corrected and converted into the cube map format.
However Beric teaches, obtain wide angle image by a camera with a wide-angle lens (Beric, ¶[0012] “FIG. 10A is a flow chart illustrating an example method of distortion correction for wide-angle lens cameras that use a radii ratio look-up table according to at least one of the implementations disclosed herein;” this represents using wide-angle lens camera) and calculate a parameter for the correction (Beric, ¶[0022] “homography distortion correction for wide-angle lens cameras according to at least one of the implementations disclosed herein;” This represents calculate a parameter for the correction ); calculate a shape of a lower surface in a captured space of the wide-angle image (Beric, ¶[0100] “Here, for the purposes of homography for distortion correction, blocks of image point locations on the distorted image can be treated as planar distorted shapes to be converted into regular shapes on the non-distorted image.” This represents calculating the shape of the wide-angle image), calculate an angle for alignment for the lower surface (Beric, ¶[0220] “forming a single LUT for a particular field of view angle,” this represents angle for alignment for the lower surface since it calculates the view angle), and apply the calculated parameter as the correction parameter (Beric, ¶[0221] “a homography-based distortion correction with multiple coefficients of multiple degrees of freedom either (a) before the LDC is performed to provide modified image point locations to be used as the undistorted pixel locations to determine radii of the pixel locations while performing the LDC” distortion correction with multiple coefficients represent calculated parameter as the correction parameter and in camera calibration, the calculated parameter (the coefficient estimated during calibration) and the correction parameter (the coefficient applied in undistortion algorithms) are theoretically the same mathematical values ); and display, on a display, the wide-angle image that has been corrected and converted into the cube map format ( Baric, fig.2-4 represents cube map format, since cube maps can be structured as a 2D grid layout (usually a horizontal \(3 \times 2\) or a vertical \(1 \times 6\) cross). Because cube map faces are mathematically flat rectilinear planes, they are perfectly suited for de-warping, stitching, and storing rectified images from wide-angle or fisheye lenses ).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to combine the teachings of Beric with those of Bassi to be able to produce an image from a wide-angle camera lens and then be able to display in cube format.
The motivation would have been to improve wide-angle image correction and provide a good quality image see ¶[001] of Beric.
As per claims 3 and 15, Bassi in view of Beric teaches, the information processing apparatus and system of claim 2, wherein the circuitry is further configured to: divide a back image of the wide-angle image converted into the cube map format into a right-back image and a left-back image (Bassi, ¶[0077] “The horizontal object lines are also made more curved than the original UWA lens image which distorts the perspective towards the left and right of the field of view” this represents divide the image right back and left back image); and display, on the display, the right back image on right of a right image of the wide-angle image converted into the cube map format and the left back image on left of a left image of the wide-angle image converted into the cube map format (Bassi, fig.25 would be the display as such).
As per claims 5 and 17, Bassi in view of Beric teaches, the information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to perform additional correction, the additional correction correcting a tilt to the vertical direction in the wide-angle image (Bassi, [0034] “FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary envelope transformation for a 270.degree. UWA lens for a set of points on the output image; [0035] FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary envelope transformation for a 180.degree. UWA lens for a set of points on the output image” these two examples represent a tilt in the vertical direction).
As per claims 6 and 18, Bassi in view of Beric teaches, the information processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the circuitry is configured to calculate the parameter based on an image obtained by reducing a size of the wide-angle image (Bassi, ¶ [0050] “FIG. 27 illustrates the result of four locally perspective corrected rooms, each corresponding to a 90. degree. FOV as extracted from a 360.degree. view;” This represents reducing a size of the wide-angle image as separate multiple images).
As per claims 7 and 19, Bassi in view of Beric teaches, the information processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the circuitry is configured to calculate the parameter with which a specific subject of the wide-angle image is to be placed in a front image of the wide-angle image converted into the cube map format (Bassi, fig.29 showing which specific subject 2920 is placed in front of the image).
As per claim 8, Bassi teaches, the information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to perform the correction, in a case that the wide-angle image is an image captured indoors (Bassi, fig.29 is indoors).
As per claim 9, Bassi in view of Beric teaches, the information processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the circuitry is configured to convert the wide-angle image into the cube map format based on the wide-angle image on which the correction and the additional correction have been performed (Bassi, fig.28-29 Additional corrections get performed).
As per claim 10, Bassi in view of Beric teaches, the information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to convert an annotation added to the wide-angle image into coordinates on the wide-angle image converted into the cube map format (Bassi, ¶ [0021] “FIG. 2 illustrates the conventional Cartesian and spherical coordinate systems and conventions used in the disclosure;” this represents coordinates on the wide-angle image and ¶[0060] “A point in the 3D real world space with coordinates (x,y,z) is mapped to a point in the image (u,v)” meaning any sort of annotation is mapped to coordinates).
As per claim 11, Bassi in view of Beric teaches, the information processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the circuitry is further configured to position the annotation such that an area including the wide-angle image in the cube map format and the annotation is displayed within a display area of a display (Bassi, fig.28-29 is what the user then sees on the display).
As per claim 12, Bassi in view of Beric teaches, the information processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the circuitry is configured to display, on the display, the wide-angle image in a perspective projection format and the wide-angle image converted into the cube map format (Bassi, ¶ [0040] FIG. 21a illustrates an ZCL envelope mapping for a 180.degree. UWA lens, and a perspective envelope mapping for a specific region of interest;” this represents display, the wide-angle image being displayed in a perspective projection format and the wide-angle image converted into the cube map format).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SANTIAGO GARCIA whose telephone number is (571)270-5182. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:30am-5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chineyere Wills-Burns can be reached at (571) 272-9752. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SANTIAGO GARCIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2673
/SG/
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