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 .
Note: There is no 35 U.S.C. 101 rejection because the claims are integrated into a practical application. The Examiner agrees with Paragraphs 4 and 5 of the Specification noting that id identifying locations of GCPs on a new or updated VFR chart requires an operator to manually review the new updated VER chart, then there is an increased risk of the operator missing GCPs or inaccurately placing a GCP. Without the use of technology, the method could not be run accurately and it would not be proper to assert that a human could practically perform the steps.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-11, 13-17, and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gandhi, https://web.archive.org/web/20240204144528/https://www.qgistutorials.com/en/docs/3/making_a_map.html, Feb 4, 2024.
Regarding claims 1, 11, 14, and 22 Gandhi discloses a method and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:
identifying one or more characteristics of a map of a geographic location (Page 24 shows a geographic map with characteristics);
temporarily projecting plural first lines of longitude and plural first lines of latitude on to the map based on the one or more characteristics that are identified, the plural first lines of longitude and the plural first lines of latitude forming plural theoretical intersections between the plural first lines of longitude and the plural first lines of latitude (Page 24 shows a grid of longitude and latitude lines that create intersections. This also shows a customize grid frame section which means the grid intervals and type can be modified, thus making the plural first lines temporary);
separating the map of the geographic location into plural segments, each of the plural segments containing at least one of the plural theoretical intersections and at least one of plural actual intersections between plural second lines of longitude and plural second lines of latitude (The top corner of the map on Page 24 is a map separation of a particular section. Moreover, the entire reference shows the map can be that of the world, or subsections of it. The map on Page 24 shows many geographic intersections);
changing a magnification of a fist segment of the map, the first segment containing a first theoretical intersection between at least one of the plural first lines of longitude and at least one of the plural first lines of latitude and a first actual intersection between one of plural second lines of longitude and one of plural second lines of latitude (The cross sections are theoretical intersections. Page 5, along with the image on Page 24 shows a magnification of a certain part of the map. The map on Page 24 shows many geographic intersections);
identifying one or more edges within each of the plural segments, the one or more edges associated with at least one of the plural second lines of longitude and at least one of plural second lines of latitude forming the first actual intersection within the magnified first segment (As discussed above, Page 5 shows that there can be magnification of any subsection of the world, and Page 20 shows that grids can be added to any main map section from which a subsection can be zoomed in on. Again, see Page 24 for actual intersections);
modifying the magnified first segment of the map by identifying locations of actual intersections based at least in part on the identifying of the one or more edges, each of the plural locations of the actual intersections corresponding to the at least one of the plural theoretical intersections within each of the plural sections (The map on Page 24 shows many geographic intersections. The zoom in and out is a modification).
For claim 22, the above all shows positions on the surface of the earth.
Regarding claims 2 and 15, Gandhi discloses wherein the location of the first actual intersection is different than a location of the first theoretical intersection (The actual intersections are the geographic intersections, the theoretical intersections are in different locations and are grid lines).
Regarding claim 3, Gandhi discloses identifying a first point of longitude and a first point of latitude associated with the location of the first actual intersection (Page 7 discloses using a coordinate system to identify any location on the map).
Regarding claim 4, Gandhi discloses comprising modifying the map of the geographic location to include the first point of longitude and the first point of latitude associated with the location of the first actual intersection to create an updated map of the geographic location (As discussed above, the map can be zoomed in and out to any coordinate set, thus updating the map. Regarding the new limitation, Pages 7 and 8, as well as many other portions of the reference disclose that map information can be displayed without any lines).
Regarding claims 5, 13, and 20, Gandhi discloses communicating the updated map of the geographic location with one or more of a database and an operator (As shown on at least Page 3, QGIS projects are stored).
Reegarding claims 6-8, 10, and 17, these steps constitute repeating the steps of the first plurality of lines and locations, and as discussed at length above, can be done using the QGIS system for any coordinates multiple times.
Regarding claims 9 and 16, the relationship between the plural locations are defined by grid coordinates as discussed above.
Allowable Subject Matter
The prior art does not teach the specific limitations of claim 18. Specifically, the prior art does not teach characteristics specifically disposed around a perimeter of a map or the utilization of an edge detection algorithm in the specific way put forth by claim 18.
Please see the above, as well as the IDS filed 9/19/2025 for closest prior art.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments are fully considered but deemed unpersuasive because they simply amount to conclusory statements that the prior art does not teach each and every limitation. Please refer to the above rejection for a limitation by limitation analysis.
However, for claim 18, which diverges from claims 1 and 11, the prior art does not teach all the limitations and are thus noted as allowable subject matter.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARYAN E WEISENFELD whose telephone number is (571)272-6602. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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ARYAN E. WEISENFELD
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3689
/ARYAN E WEISENFELD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3663
