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 § 102
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 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) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (2) as being anticipated by Cutrell et al (US 2019/0155404).
Re claim 1, Cutrell discloses a system comprising: at least one processor and memory storing instructions (fig. 1, 118, 120) causing the processor to: receive game data of a game session in a virtual interactive environment (par. [0007], the computing system executes a VR application with the user being able to explore and interact with the VR world), the game data including at least user configuration data and a location of a virtual object on a virtual path within the virtual interactive environment ([0009], the position, direction of movement, and velocity of the virtual cane based on the rod is considered user configuration data, and the real-world positioning of the rod is reflected by a virtual cane in the VR environment); identify a navigation assist corresponding to the virtual path based on the game data ([0009] and [0010], when the VR application determines that the virtual cane impacts a virtual surface, the game applies a brake signal to the player); determine, based in part on the game data and the navigation assist, an assist indication type from among a plurality of assist indication types ([0009] and [0010], in addition to the haptic mechanism applied to the rod, auditory feedback can be provided to the user); determine a configuration of an assist indication based at least in part on the game data, the assist indication type, and the user configuration data ([0009] and [0010], the game is able to implement an assist indication based on the assist type and user situation); generate the assist indication based on the configuration of the assist indication (see above); and output, during gameplay, the assist indication corresponding to the virtual path of the virtual interactive environment of the game session (see above, during user navigation of the VR environment, the system outputs the preferred assist indications, e.g. auditory and haptic feedback based on the virtual path of the user).
Re claim 2, Cutrell discloses auditory, visual, and haptic rendering ([0009] to [0012], in addition to the haptic and auditory feedback, the visuals of the user in the VR environment provide visual feedback to users, e.g. a virtual cane in contact with a carpet, rowing in a kayak, and surgery).
Re claim 3, Cutrell discloses the user configuration data includes one or more accessibility settings ([0028] to [0031], the system supports multiple types of cane strategies for people with visual impairments, thus being considered accessibility settings).
Re claim 4, Cutrell discloses an auditory rendering of at least channel, direction, duration, intensity, frequency, tone, or volume ([0027]).
Re claim 5, Cutrell discloses the haptic signal output including signal data including at least one of duration, intensity, or frequency ([0026], since vibrotactile feedback is disclosed, there is an inherent duration, intensity, and frequency to the feedback).
Re claim 6, Cutrell discloses a visual rendering ([0009] to [0012], in addition to the haptic and auditory feedback, the visuals of the user in the VR environment provide visual feedback to users, e.g. a virtual cane in contact with a carpet, rowing in a kayak, and surgery).
Re claim 7, Cutrell discloses the one or more characteristics of the output of the assist indication is based in part on a distance between the virtual object and virtual path (see [0025], when the virtual cane hits a virtual object in the virtual space, the assist indication is output, therefore the assist indication is based on the distance between the path of the virtual cane and the virtual object in the virtual environment).
Re claims 8-20, see the rejections to claims 1-7.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hari et al discloses a tensor-based driving scenario characterization with navigation assistance (see fig. 3). Herbrich et al discloses a virtual reality environment with visualized navigation paths (fig. 1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kevin Y Kim whose telephone number is (571)270-3215. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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/KEVIN Y KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715