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 .
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) 1-9 and 11-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshimura et al., US PGPUB No. 20180184072 A1, hereinafter Yoshimura, and further in view of Iwakiri, US Patent/PGPUB No. 20180359458 A1, hereinafter Iwakiri.
Regarding claim 1, Yoshimura discloses a display control apparatus (Yoshimura; a display control (i.e. image processing) apparatus [¶ 0021 and ¶ 0026]; moreover, computer system [¶ 0089]) comprising:
one or more memories storing instructions (Yoshimura; one or more memories storing instructions [¶ 0021-0023]); and
one or more processors executing the instructions (Yoshimura; one or more processors executing the instructions [¶ 0021-0022]; moreover, CRM [¶ 0089]) to:
acquire virtual viewpoint information including a position of a point of gaze which is a position gazed at from a virtual viewpoint (Yoshimura; acquire virtual viewpoint information including a position of a point of gaze which is a position gazed at from a virtual viewpoint [¶ 0024 and ¶ 0026-0027]; moreover, virtual viewpoint settings [¶ 0028-0030]), wherein the virtual viewpoint corresponds to a virtual viewpoint image that is generated based on a plurality of images captured by a plurality of imaging apparatuses (Yoshimura; the virtual viewpoint corresponds to a virtual viewpoint image that is generated based on a plurality of images captured by a plurality of imaging apparatuses [¶ 0024], as illustrated within Figs. 2A-B; wherein, a plurality of images captured by a plurality of imaging apparatuses [¶ 0002]); and
display an image including a point of gaze object indicating the position of the point of gaze and a projected point of gaze object indicating a position of the point of gaze on a projection plane (Yoshimura; display an image including a point of gaze object indicating the position of the point of gaze and a projected point of gaze object indicating a position of the point of gaze on a projection plane (i.e. image capturing-target area) [¶ 0051-0053], as illustrated within Figs. 4A-B and 5A-B).
Yoshimura fails to explicitly disclose line-of-sight of a virtual camera.
However, Iwakiri teaches line-of-sight of a virtual camera (Iwakiri; line-of-sight of a virtual camera [¶ 0035-0036]; and, virtual viewpoint info of a virtual camera [¶ 0037-0039] based on a plurality of images captured ([¶ 0033-0034]).
Yoshimura and Iwakiri are considered to be analogous art because both pertain to generating and/or managing data in relation with providing media data to a user, wherein one or more computerized units are utilized in order to produce a visualization effect.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention was made to modify Yoshimura, to incorporate line-of-sight of a virtual camera (as taught by Iwakiri), in order to provide improved image quality within challenging capture environments (Iwakiri; [¶ 0002-0005]).
Regarding claim 2, Yoshimura in view of Iwakiri further discloses the display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the virtual viewpoint information includes a position of the virtual viewpoint and a line of sight direction from the virtual viewpoint (Yoshimura; the virtual viewpoint information includes a position of the virtual viewpoint and a line of sight direction from the virtual viewpoint [¶ 0051-0053], as illustrated within Figs. 4A-B and 5A-B; moreover, virtual gaze point settings and image capturing parameters[¶ 0028-0030 and ¶ 0043-0044]).
Regarding claim 3, Yoshimura in view of Iwakiri further discloses the display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the projected point of gaze object is generated based on a projection of the point of gaze on the projection plane (Yoshimura; the projected point of gaze object is generated based on a projection of the point of gaze on the projection plane (i.e. image capturing-target area) [¶ 0051-0053], as illustrated within Figs. 4A-B and 5A-B).
Regarding claim 4, Yoshimura in view of Iwakiri further discloses the display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image is a virtual viewpoint image corresponding to another virtual viewpoint different from the virtual viewpoint (Yoshimura; the image is a virtual viewpoint image corresponding to another virtual viewpoint (i.e. another gaze point location or vicinity thereof) different from the virtual viewpoint [¶ 0051-0053], as illustrated within Figs. 4A-B and 5A-B).
Regarding claim 5, Yoshimura in view of Iwakiri further discloses the display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image includes a virtual viewpoint object representing the virtual viewpoint (Yoshimura; the image includes a virtual viewpoint object representing the virtual viewpoint [¶ 0051-0053]).
Regarding claim 6, Yoshimura in view of Iwakiri further discloses the display control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the one or more processers further execute the instructions to determine another virtual viewpoint corresponding to an image including the point of gaze object, the projected point of gaze object, and the virtual viewpoint object (Yoshimura; the one or more processers further execute the instructions [as addressed within the parent claim(s)] to determine another virtual viewpoint corresponding to an image including the point of gaze object, the projected point of gaze object, and the virtual viewpoint object [¶ 0051-0053], as illustrated within Figs. 4A-B and 5A-B), the another virtual viewpoint being different from the virtual viewpoint (Yoshimura; the another virtual viewpoint being different from the virtual viewpoint [¶ 0051-0053], as illustrated within Figs. 4A-B and 5A-B).
Regarding claim 7, Yoshimura in view of Iwakiri further discloses the display control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the virtual viewpoint object is at a position not overlapping the point of gaze object in the image (Yoshimura; the virtual viewpoint object is at a position not overlapping the point of gaze object in the image [¶ 0106], as illustrated within Fig. 11A; moreover, missing information within a view [¶ 0108]).
Regarding claim 8, the rejection of claim 8 is addressed within the rejection of claim 7, due to the similarities claim 8 and claim 7 share, therefore refer to the rejection of claim 7 regarding the rejection of claim 8.
Regarding claim 9, the rejection of claim 9 is addressed within the rejection of claim 7, due to the similarities claim 9 and claim 7 share, therefore refer to the rejection of claim 7 regarding the rejection of claim 9.
Regarding claim 11, Yoshimura in view of Iwakiri further discloses the display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the projected point of gaze object is separated from the point of gaze object (Yoshimura; the projected point of gaze object is implicitly separated from the point of gaze object [¶ 0053], as illustrated within Fig. 5B).
Regarding claim 12, the rejection of claim 12 is addressed within the rejection of claim 1, due to the similarities claim 12 and claim 1 share, therefore refer to the rejection of claim 1 regarding the rejection of claim 12. Although, claim 12 and claim 1 may not be identical, it is reasonable to reject claim 12 based on the prior art teachings and rational within the rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claim 13, the rejection of claim 13 is addressed within the rejection of claim 1, due to the similarities claim 13 and claim 1 share, therefore refer to the rejection of claim 1 regarding the rejection of claim 13. Although, claim 13 and claim 1 may not be identical, it is reasonable to reject claim 13 based on the prior art teachings and rational within the rejection of claim 1.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshimura in view of Iwakiri as applied to claim(s) 4 above, and further in view of Robertson et al., US PGPUB No. 20020140698 A1, hereinafter Robertson.
Regarding claim 10, Yoshimura in view of Iwakiri further discloses the display control apparatus according to claim 4, the virtual viewpoint object (Yoshimura; the virtual viewpoint object [as addressed within the parent claim]).
Robertson teaches the virtual viewpoint object is displayed semi-transparent (Robertson; the virtual viewpoint object is displayed semi-transparent [¶ 0023 and ¶ 0049]).
Yoshimura in view of Iwakiri and Robertson are considered to be analogous art because they pertain to generating and/or managing data in relation with providing media data to a user, wherein one or more computerized units are utilized in order to produce a visualization effect.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention was made to modify Yoshimura as modified by Iwakiri, to incorporate the virtual viewpoint object is displayed semi-transparent (as taught by Robertson), in order to provide improved navigation techniques within virtualized environments (Robertson; [¶ 0002-0006]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Refer to PTO-892, Notice of Reference Cited for a listing of analogous art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Charles Lloyd Beard whose telephone number is (571)272-5735. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5: 00 PM, alternate Fridays EST.
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CHARLES LLOYD. BEARD
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2616
/CHARLES L BEARD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2616