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.
Claim(s) 1-3, and 6-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamada et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2004/0255245).
Regarding claim 1, Yamada discloses a method for generating a graphical layout, the method comprising: receiving an input graphical layout (paragraph 141, line(s) 1-3 "This template production method provides advantages similar to those achieved by the template production system"; also, paragraph 167, line(s) 1-8 "As shown in FIG. 1, the layout system includes a template production device 10 to generate a layout template representing a layout distribution of elements, such as text information or image information in a layout and also representing likelihood of the layout distribution, and a layout device 20 to lay one or more layout elements using the layout template generated by the template production device 10 thereby creating a new layout.") having a plurality of cells (C1-4) forming a grid structure, the plurality of cells are configured to be placed with a plurality of objects (paragraph 197, line(s) 1-6 "In the present exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a layout sample including layout elements, such as image information and/or text information, is divided vertically and horizontally in units of, for example, 0.1 mm into basic units called "cells", and a layout element is laid with the aid of the cells."; also, paragraph 198, line(s) 1-14 " FIGS. 7A to 7C illustrate three layout samples including layout elements that are different in image information size or layout location. In the layout sample shown in FIG. 7A, image information "p1" with a size of "200 horizontal units.times.150 vertical units" is laid in the upper left corner of a layout frame 200. In the layout sample shown in FIG. 7B, image information "p2" with a size of "200 horizontal units.times.300 vertical units" is laid in a rectangular area slightly displaced down to the right from the upper left corner of the layout frame 200. In the layout sample shown in FIG. 7C, image information "p3" with a size of "200 horizontal units.times.150 vertical units" is laid on the left side of the layout frame 200, in a substantially vertically central rectangular area thereof"); determining a placement probability score for each cell of the plurality of cells with respect to each object of the plurality of objects at a first point in time (T1) (paragraph 12; line(s) 1-7 "The term "likelihood" is used to generically describe "possibility, likelihood, probability", and "probability of occurrence (not only herein but also in any of the template production program, the template production method, the layout system, the layout program, the layout method, and the data structure, which will be described later)"; also, paragraph 16, line(s) 2-10 "a template production system according to the first aspect, at least one of the plurality of layout elements assigned a weighting factor, and, for the layout element assigned the weighting factor, the template production device weights the likelihood of the layout element in the plurality of layout samples by the weighting factor, and the template production device registers the layout distribution of the layout element in the layout frame in connection with the weighted likelihood."); placing each object of the plurality of objects into the input graphical layout for forming the graphical layout, wherein placing a given object (O2, 304) into the input graphical layout comprises: selecting the given object for placement, based on a predefined placement schedule (paragraph 32, line(s) 1-18 "A tenth aspect of the present invention provides a layout system according to the seventh aspect, the layout device lays the one or more new layout elements by performing the process including the dividing the layout template into a plurality of cells, calculating, for each cell, the mean values of vertical and horizontal lengths of each layout element that contains the cell and also calculates the likelihood of each layout element, calculating the sum of likelihood of all cells included in an element-laying area placed so as to extend, from a cell taken as an extension start point, in a vertical direction by a length equal to the calculated mean vertical length and in a horizontal direction by a length equal to the calculated mean horizontal length, for each possible location of the extension start point, and selecting an extension start point that results in a greatest sum of likelihood and laying a corresponding new layout element in the element-laying area extending from the selected extension start point"; also, paragraph 126, line(s) 1-4 "It is possible to properly determine at which location in the layout template a layout element should be laid, and thus it is possible to easily achieve a wide variety of layouts in a manner desired by a user or a designer"; also, paragraph 127, line(s) 1-3 "The layout element storage device may be in any form as long as it can store layout elements at an arbitrary manner and time"; also paragraph 207, line(s) 1-19 "one piece of image information with an undetermined size is placed in the layout frame 200 as follows. First, the cell "1" is selected as the extension start point. This cell "1" is assigned area-related parameters of "225 (vertical).times.200 (horizontal)", and thus the sum of likelihood is calculated over all cells included in the area which has a size specified by the area-related parameters and which extends from an extension start point taken at the cell "1". After completion of determining the sum of likelihood of image information within the area with the size of "225 (vertical).times.200 (horizontal)" extending from the extension start point taken at the cell "1", the sum of likelihood of all cells included in an area whose extension start point is located at a cell "2" is calculated. Furthermore, the calculation of the sum of likelihood is performed for areas whose extension start point is taken at cell "3", cell "4", and so on for all cells, and a cell resulting in a greatest sum is selected as the extension start point at which to place image information."; also, paragraph 216, line(s)4-5 “the priority is given in the order from left to right and from top to bottom”); identifying one or more constrained cells (C2) from amongst the plurality of cells (paragraph 24, line(s) 3-9 "plurality of layout elements is assigned a weighting factor, and, for the layout element assigned the weighting factor, the likelihood of the layout element in the plurality of layout samples is weighted by the weighting factor, and the layout distribution of the layout element in the layout frame is registered in connection with the weighted likelihood") where at least one predefined constraint is violated if the given object is placed thereon; adjusting the placement probability score, for the one or more constrained cells, to be zero; adjusting the placement probability score, for each cell of constraint-free cells (C1, C3, C4) from amongst the plurality of cells with respect to the given object at a second point in time (T2), based on the placement probability score for each cell of the constraint-free cells, and the adjusted placement probability score for the one or more constrained cells, wherein the given object is placed in a constraint-free cell (C4) having a highest adjusted placement probability score amongst the constraint-free cells with respect to the given object at the second point in time (paragraph 50, line(s) 1-7 "An eighteenth aspect of the present invention provides a layout program according to the seventeenth aspect, when the likelihood is equal for two or more element-laying areas of each layout element, the layout device creates the layout by laying each of the one or more new layout elements in accordance with priority assigned to the two or more element-laying areas"; also, paragraph 51, line(s) 1-7 "By employing the layout program according to the eighteenth aspect, it is possible to reduce the likelihood or prevent two layout elements from being laid in the same element-laying area in a partially or fully overlapping fashion, even if the two layout elements accidentally have the same probability for that element-laying area, as can be achieved in the ninth aspect").
Regarding claim 2, Yamada discloses the method according to claim 1, further comprising adjusting the placement probability score (214), for each cell of constraint-free cells (C1, C3) with respect to a subsequent object (O3, 306) to the given object (O2, 304) at a third point in time (T3), and wherein the subsequent object is placed in a constraint-free cell (C3) having a highest adjusted placement probability score with respect to the subsequent object at the third point in time (paragraph 207, line(s) 1-19 "one piece of image information with an undetermined size is placed in the layout frame 200 as follows. First, the cell "1" is selected as the extension start point. This cell "1" is assigned area-related parameters of "225 (vertical).times.200 (horizontal)", and thus the sum of likelihood is calculated over all cells included in the area which has a size specified by the area-related parameters and which extends from an extension start point taken at the cell "1". After completion of determining the sum of likelihood of image information within the area with the size of "225 (vertical).times.200 (horizontal)" extending from the extension start point taken at the cell "1", the sum of likelihood of all cells included in an area whose extension start point is located at a cell "2" is calculated. Furthermore, the calculation of the sum of likelihood is performed for areas whose extension start point is taken at cell "3", cell "4", and so on for all cells, and a cell resulting in a greatest sum is selected as the extension start point at which to place image information.").
Regarding claim 3, Yamada discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein adjusting the placement probability score (214) for each cell of the constraint-free cells (C1, C3) with respect to the subsequent object (O3, 306) is further based on adjusted placement probability score (212) for the one or more constrained cells (C2, C4) with respect to the given object (O2, 304) at the third point time (T3) (paragraph 211, line(s) 1-18 "In a case in which a plurality of layout elements are laid, one of layout elements is first fixed in an upper left corner as in the case in which only one layout element is laid, and another layout element is placed to the first layout element, on the right, such that those two layout elements do not overlap with each other. Thereafter, the sum of likelihood is calculated over all areas of those two layout elements. The sum of likelihood is calculated while scanning all possible cells for the second layout element. After completion of scanning all possible cells for the second layout element, the extension start point of the first layout element is shifted to a cell on the right and the second layout element is placed to the first layout element, on the right. The sum of likelihood is calculated in a similar manner while scanning all possible cells for the second layout element. The calculation is performed until all cells for the first layout elements have been scanned and locations that result in a greatest sum of likelihood are employed.").
Regarding claim 6, the method according to claim 1, wherein the input graphical layout is one of: an empty graphical layout devoid of objects or a partially-filled graphical layout having at least one object (paragraph 178, line(s) 1-4 "In the present exemplary embodiment, there is no specific limitation on a criterion to select layout samples. For example, layout samples may be selected in accordance with tendency of information technology associated with layout").
Regarding claim 7, Yamada discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the predefined placement schedule is defined based on at least one of: an object-type, an object-size, and a structuring-plan (paragraph 190, line(s) 1-4 "FIG. 5, first in step S408, the layout device 20 determines the types (sizes, shapes, etc.) of layout elements to be placed and the number of layout elements"; also, paragraph 216, line(s) 4-5 “the priority is given in the order from left to right and from top to bottom”).
Regarding claim 8, Yamada discloses the method according to claim 7, wherein objects belonging to similar and dis-similar object-types and object-sizes are selected based on the structuring-plan for generation of the graphical layout (paragraph 191, line(s) 1-14 "In the example shown in FIGS. 3A-3D, in a case in which two pieces of image information "p4" and "p5" with a size and a shape equal to those of image information in a layout sample and also text information "t4" are laid by using a layout template, such as that shown in FIG. 3D, in which the element-laying area for each layout element and the likelihood thereof are registered, because the sum of likelihood of image information has a greatest value for a rectangular area "d1" including "d4" and also for a rectangular area "d3" including "d5" in the layout frame 200, the image information "p4" and the image information "p5" are respectively laid in the rectangular areas "d1" and "d3", and the text information "t4" is laid in the remaining area, as shown in FIG. 3F.").
Regarding claim 9, Yamada discloses the method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one predefined constraint that identifies the one or more constrained cells (C1, C3, C4), is when a cell from amongst the plurality of cells (C1-4) is pre-occupied with an object or unsuitable to be placed with the given object (O2, 304) based on the object-type, the object-size or the structuring-plan (paragraph 273, line(s) 1-7 "In the case in which the degree of significance is not taken into account in the calculation of the likelihood, laying out of layout elements is performed in a similar manner to the first exemplary embodiment such that, as shown in FIG. 16G, image information "p4" is laid in the center of the layout frame 200, and text information "t4" is laid in the remaining area"; also, FIG A-G; also, paragraph 20, line(s) 2-10 “first aspect, at least one of the plurality of layout elements assigned a weighting factor, and, for the layout element assigned the weighting factor, the template production device weights the likelihood of the layout element in the plurality of layout samples by the weighting factor, and the template production device registers the layout distribution of the layout element in the layout frame in connection with the weighted likelihood”).
Regarding claim 10, Yamada discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the constraint-free cell having the highest adjusted placement probability score is determined by normalizing the placement probability score of the constraint-free cells (paragraph 272, line(s) 1-6 "In accordance with the layout template in which the distribution of the layout elements and the likelihood thereof are described, laying of layout elements is performed as follows. As shown in FIG. 16E, image information "p4" is laid in an area in the upper left corner of the layout frame 200, and text information "t4" is laid in the remaining area."; also, paragraph 273, line(s) 1-7 "In the case in which the degree of significance is not taken into account in the calculation of the likelihood, laying out of layout elements is performed in a similar manner to the first exemplary embodiment such that, as shown in FIG. 16G, image information "p4" is laid in the center of the layout frame 200, and text information "t4" is laid in the remaining area."; also, paragraph 271, line(s) 1-5 "In a case in which the degree of significance is not taken into account in the calculation of the likelihood, a layout template, such as that shown in FIG. 16F is produced from the three selected layout samples A, B, and C, in a similar manner to the first exemplary embodiment").
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.
Claim(s) 4-5, and 11-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamada et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2004/0255245) in view of Yu et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2024/0104809).
Regarding claim 4, Yamada discloses a method according to claim 3, wherein determining and adjusting the placement probability scores (Yamada: paragraph 211, line(s) 1-18 "In a case in which a plurality of layout elements are laid, one of layout elements is first fixed in an upper left corner as in the case in which only one layout element is laid, and another layout element is placed to the first layout element, on the right, such that those two layout elements do not overlap with each other. Thereafter, the sum of likelihood is calculated over all areas of those two layout elements. The sum of likelihood is calculated while scanning all possible cells for the second layout element. After completion of scanning all possible cells for the second layout element, the extension start point of the first layout element is shifted to a cell on the right and the second layout element is placed to the first layout element, on the right. The sum of likelihood is calculated in a similar manner while scanning all possible cells for the second layout element. The calculation is performed until all cells for the first layout elements have been scanned and locations that result in a greatest sum of likelihood are employed.") (210, 212, 214) for each cell of the plurality of cells (C1-4) with respect to the given and subsequent objects (O2, O3) of the plurality of objects (O1-4) at the first, second and third points in time (T1-3). Yamada does not disclose the use of an Artificial Intelligence model.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Yu discloses the use of an Artificial intelligence model (Yu: paragraph 21, line(s) 2-16 "framework 100 of layout generator, according to some embodiments described herein. The framework 100 comprises a transformer decoder 130 which generates bounding boxes via bounding box decoders (e.g., bounding box decoders 132 and 134) based on encoded inputs with cross attention to bounding box detected features of a background image 102. Specifically, a background image 102 is first encoded using a convolutional neural network (CNN) 104 to produce image representation 106 which is a compact feature representation of the background image 102. Image representation 106 is concatenated with a positional encoding 108 and encoded using a multi-head visual transformer (ViT) encoder 110 to produce output tokenized visual features 112. The tokenized visual features 112 may represent bounding boxes of features present in background image 102.").
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified Yamada's method according to claim 3, determining and adjusting the placement probability scores at the first, second, and third points in time with the features of an Artificial intelligence model. As demonstrated by Yu, one could have added in the support for determining the placement probability during a set point in time with an artificial intelligence model.
Regarding claim 5, Yamada as modified by Yu, discloses the method according to claim 4, wherein the Artificial intelligence model is a neural network model based on an encoder decoder Vision Transformer model operable based on a discrete diffusion process for determining and adjusting the placement probability scores (210, 212, 214) (Yu: paragraph 21, line(s) 2-16 "framework 100 of layout generator, according to some embodiments described herein. The framework 100 comprises a transformer decoder 130 which generates bounding boxes via bounding box decoders (e.g., bounding box decoders 132 and 134) based on encoded inputs with cross attention to bounding box detected features of a background image 102. Specifically, a background image 102 is first encoded using a convolutional neural network (CNN) 104 to produce image representation 106 which is a compact feature representation of the background image 102. Image representation 106 is concatenated with a positional encoding 108 and encoded using a multi-head visual transformer (ViT) encoder 110 to produce output tokenized visual features 112. The tokenized visual features 112 may represent bounding boxes of features present in background image 102."; also, FIG. 10-13).
Regarding claim 11, Yamada discloses a system for generating a graphical layout (Yamada: paragraph 141, line(s) 1-3 "This template production method provides advantages similar to those achieved by the template production system"), receive an input graphical layout having a plurality of cells (C1-4) forming a grid structure, the plurality of cells are configured to be placed with a plurality of objects (O1-4) to form the graphical layout (Yamada: paragraph 197, line(s) 1-6 "In the present exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a layout sample including layout elements, such as image information and/or text information, is divided vertically and horizontally in units of, for example, 0.1 mm into basic units called "cells", and a layout element is laid with the aid of the cells."; also, paragraph 198, line(s) 1-14 " FIGS. 7A to 7C illustrate three layout samples including layout elements that are different in image information size or layout location. In the layout sample shown in FIG. 7A, image information "p1" with a size of "200 horizontal units.times.150 vertical units" is laid in the upper left corner of a layout frame 200. In the layout sample shown in FIG. 7B, image information "p2" with a size of "200 horizontal units.times.300 vertical units" is laid in a rectangular area slightly displaced down to the right from the upper left corner of the layout frame 200. In the layout sample shown in FIG. 7C, image information "p3" with a size of "200 horizontal units.times.150 vertical units" is laid on the left side of the layout frame 200, in a substantially vertically central rectangular area thereof"; also, paragraph 167, line(s) 1-8 "As shown in FIG. 1, the layout system includes a template production device 10 to generate a layout template representing a layout distribution of elements, such as text information or image information in a layout and also representing likelihood of the layout distribution, and a layout device 20 to lay one or more layout elements using the layout template generated by the template production device 10 thereby creating a new layout."); determine a placement probability score for each cell of the plurality of cells with respect to each object of the plurality of objects at a first point in time (T1) (Yamada: paragraph 12; line(s) 1-7 "The term "likelihood" is used to generically describe "possibility, likelihood, probability", and "probability of occurrence (not only herein but also in any of the template production program, the template production method, the layout system, the layout program, the layout method, and the data structure, which will be described later)"; also, paragraph 16, line(s) 2-10 "a template production system according to the first aspect, at least one of the plurality of layout elements assigned a weighting factor, and, for the layout element assigned the weighting factor, the template production device weights the likelihood of the layout element in the plurality of layout samples by the weighting factor, and the template production device registers the layout distribution of the layout element in the layout frame in connection with the weighted likelihood."); place each object of the plurality of objects into the input graphical layout for forming the graphical layout, wherein placing a given object (O2, 304) into the input graphical layout comprises: selecting the given object for placement, based on a predefined placement schedule (Yamada: paragraph 32, line(s) 1-18 "A tenth aspect of the present invention provides a layout system according to the seventh aspect, the layout device lays the one or more new layout elements by performing the process including the dividing the layout template into a plurality of cells, calculating, for each cell, the mean values of vertical and horizontal lengths of each layout element that contains the cell and also calculates the likelihood of each layout element, calculating the sum of likelihood of all cells included in an element-laying area placed so as to extend, from a cell taken as an extension start point, in a vertical direction by a length equal to the calculated mean vertical length and in a horizontal direction by a length equal to the calculated mean horizontal length, for each possible location of the extension start point, and selecting an extension start point that results in a greatest sum of likelihood and laying a corresponding new layout element in the element-laying area extending from the selected extension start point"; also, paragraph 126, line(s) 1-4 "It is possible to properly determine at which location in the layout template a layout element should be laid, and thus it is possible to easily achieve a wide variety of layouts in a manner desired by a user or a designer"; also, paragraph 127, line(s) 1-3 "The layout element storage device may be in any form as long as it can store layout elements at an arbitrary manner and time"; also paragraph 207, line(s) 1-19 "one piece of image information with an undetermined size is placed in the layout frame 200 as follows. First, the cell "1" is selected as the extension start point. This cell "1" is assigned area-related parameters of "225 (vertical).times.200 (horizontal)", and thus the sum of likelihood is calculated over all cells included in the area which has a size specified by the area-related parameters and which extends from an extension start point taken at the cell "1". After completion of determining the sum of likelihood of image information within the area with the size of "225 (vertical).times.200 (horizontal)" extending from the extension start point taken at the cell "1", the sum of likelihood of all cells included in an area whose extension start point is located at a cell "2" is calculated. Furthermore, the calculation of the sum of likelihood is performed for areas whose extension start point is taken at cell "3", cell "4", and so on for all cells, and a cell resulting in a greatest sum is selected as the extension start point at which to place image information."; also, paragraph 216, line(s) 4-5 “the priority is given in the order from left to right and from top to bottom”); identifying one or more constrained cells (Yamada: paragraph 24, line(s) 3-9 "plurality of layout elements is assigned a weighting factor, and, for the layout element assigned the weighting factor, the likelihood of the layout element in the plurality of layout samples is weighted by the weighting factor, and the layout distribution of the layout element in the layout frame is registered in connection with the weighted likelihood") (C2) from amongst the plurality of cells where at least one predefined constraint is violated if the given object is placed thereon (Yamada: paragraph 50, line(s) 1-7 "An eighteenth aspect of the present invention provides a layout program according to the seventeenth aspect, when the likelihood is equal for two or more element-laying areas of each layout element, the layout device creates the layout by laying each of the one or more new layout elements in accordance with priority assigned to the two or more element-laying areas"; also, paragraph 51, line(s) 1-7 "By employing the layout program according to the eighteenth aspect, it is possible to reduce the likelihood or prevent two layout elements from being laid in the same element-laying area in a partially or fully overlapping fashion, even if the two layout elements accidentally have the same probability for that element-laying area, as can be achieved in the ninth aspect"; also, paragraph 20, line(s) 2-10 “first aspect, at least one of the plurality of layout elements assigned a weighting factor, and, for the layout element assigned the weighting factor, the template production device weights the likelihood of the layout element in the plurality of layout samples by the weighting factor, and the template production device registers the layout distribution of the layout element in the layout frame in connection with the weighted likelihood"); adjusting the placement probability score, for the one or more constrained cells, to be zero; adjusting the placement probability score, for each cell of constraint-free cells (C1, C3, C4) from amongst the plurality of cells with respect to the given object at a second point in time (T2),based on the placement probability score for each cell of the constraint-free cells, and the adjusted placement probability score for the one or more constrained cells wherein the given object is placed in a constraint-free cell (C4) having a highest adjusted placement probability score amongst the constraint-free cells with respect to the given object at the second point in time.(Yamada: paragraph 207, line(s) 1-19 "one piece of image information with an undetermined size is placed in the layout frame 200 as follows. First, the cell "1" is selected as the extension start point. This cell "1" is assigned area-related parameters of "225 (vertical).times.200 (horizontal)", and thus the sum of likelihood is calculated over all cells included in the area which has a size specified by the area-related parameters and which extends from an extension start point taken at the cell "1". After completion of determining the sum of likelihood of image information within the area with the size of "225 (vertical).times.200 (horizontal)" extending from the extension start point taken at the cell "1", the sum of likelihood of all cells included in an area whose extension start point is located at a cell "2" is calculated. Furthermore, the calculation of the sum of likelihood is performed for areas whose extension start point is taken at cell "3", cell "4", and so on for all cells, and a cell resulting in a greatest sum is selected as the extension start point at which to place image information."; also, paragraph 211, line(s) 1-18 "In a case in which a plurality of layout elements are laid, one of layout elements is first fixed in an upper left corner as in the case in which only one layout element is laid, and another layout element is placed to the first layout element, on the right, such that those two layout elements do not overlap with each other. Thereafter, the sum of likelihood is calculated over all areas of those two layout elements. The sum of likelihood is calculated while scanning all possible cells for the second layout element. After completion of scanning all possible cells for the second layout element, the extension start point of the first layout element is shifted to a cell on the right and the second layout element is placed to the first layout element, on the right. The sum of likelihood is calculated in a similar manner while scanning all possible cells for the second layout element. The calculation is performed until all cells for the first layout elements have been scanned and locations that result in a greatest sum of likelihood are employed.").
Yamada does not disclose the processor comprised within the system.
However, in a similar field of endeavor. Yu discloses the system comprising a processor (Yu: paragraph 57, line(s) 4-5 " computing device 700 includes a processor 710")
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified Yamada's system for generating a graphical layout, receive an input graphical layout having a plurality of cells (C1-4) forming a grid structure, the plurality of cells are configured to be placed with a plurality of objects (O1-4) to form the graphical layout, determine a placement probability score for each cell of the plurality of cells with respect to each object of the plurality of objects at a first point in time (T1); place each object of the plurality of objects into the input graphical layout for forming the graphical layout, wherein placing a given object (O2, 304) into the input graphical layout, identifying one or more constrained cells (C2) from amongst the plurality of cells where at least one predefined constraint is violated if the given object is placed, and adjusting the placement probability score, for the one or more constrained cells, to be zero; adjusting the placement probability score, for each cell of constraint-free cells (C1, C3, C4) from amongst the plurality of cells with respect to the given object at a second point in time (T2),based on the placement probability score for each cell of the constraint-free cells, and the adjusted placement probability score for the one or more constrained cells wherein the given object is placed in a constraint-free cell (C4) having a highest adjusted placement probability score amongst the constraint-free cells with respect to the given object at the second point in time with the features of a processor stored within users system. As demonstrated by Yu, one could have indicated the use of a processor to handle all other proceeds related to a system.
Regarding claim 12, Yamada as modified by Yu, discloses the system according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the placement probability score, for each cell of constraint-free cells (C1, C3) with respect to a subsequent object (O3, 306) to the given object (O2, 304) at a third point in time (T3), and wherein the subsequent object is placed in a constraint-free cell (C3) having a highest adjusted placement probability score with respect to the subsequent object at the third point in time (Yamada: paragraph 211, line(s) 1-18 "In a case in which a plurality of layout elements are laid, one of layout elements is first fixed in an upper left corner as in the case in which only one layout element is laid, and another layout element is placed to the first layout element, on the right, such that those two layout elements do not overlap with each other. Thereafter, the sum of likelihood is calculated over all areas of those two layout elements. The sum of likelihood is calculated while scanning all possible cells for the second layout element. After completion of scanning all possible cells for the second layout element, the extension start point of the first layout element is shifted to a cell on the right and the second layout element is placed to the first layout element, on the right. The sum of likelihood is calculated in a similar manner while scanning all possible cells for the second layout element. The calculation is performed until all cells for the first layout elements have been scanned and locations that result in a greatest sum of likelihood are employed.").
Yamada does not disclose the use of a processor.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Yu discloses the use of a processor (Yu: paragraph 57, line(s) 4-5 " computing device 700 includes a processor 710").
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified Yamada's and Yu's system according to claim 11 and adjust the placement probability score, for each cell of constraint-free cells (C1, C3) with respect to a subsequent object (O3, 306) to the given object (O2, 304) at a third point in time (T3), and wherein the subsequent object is placed in a constraint-free cell (C3) having a highest adjusted placement probability score with respect to the subsequent object at the third point in time with the features of using a processor to configure such adjustments. As demonstrated by Yu, one could indicate that the use of a processor can make adjustments to the probability score.
Regarding claim 13, Yamada as modified by Yu, discloses the system according to claim 12, wherein adjusting the placement probability score (214) for each cell of the constraint-free cells (C1, C3) with respect to the subsequent object (O3) is further based on adjusted placement probability score for the one or more constrained cells (C4) with respect to the given object (O2, 304) at the third point time (T3) (Yamada: paragraph 207, line(s) 1-19 "one piece of image information with an undetermined size is placed in the layout frame 200 as follows. First, the cell "1" is selected as the extension start point. This cell "1" is assigned area-related parameters of "225 (vertical).times.200 (horizontal)", and thus the sum of likelihood is calculated over all cells included in the area which has a size specified by the area-related parameters and which extends from an extension start point taken at the cell "1". After completion of determining the sum of likelihood of image information within the area with the size of "225 (vertical).times.200 (horizontal)" extending from the extension start point taken at the cell "1", the sum of likelihood of all cells included in an area whose extension start point is located at a cell "2" is calculated. Furthermore, the calculation of the sum of likelihood is performed for areas whose extension start point is taken at cell "3", cell "4", and so on for all cells, and a cell resulting in a greatest sum is selected as the extension start point at which to place image information.").
Regarding claim 14, Yamada as modified by Yu, discloses the system according to claim 11, wherein the predefined placement schedule is defined based on at least one of: an object-type, an object-size, and a structuring-plan (Yamada: paragraph 190, line(s) 1-4 "FIG. 5, first in step S408, the layout device 20 determines the types (sizes, shapes, etc.) of layout elements to be placed and the number of layout elements"; also, paragraph 216, line(s) 4-5 “the priority is given in the order from left to right and from top to bottom”).
Regarding claim 15, Yamada as modified by Yu, discloses the system according to claim 14, wherein the at least one predefined constraint that identifies the one or more constrained cells (C1, C3, C4), is when a cell from amongst the plurality of cells (C1-4) is pre-occupied with an object or unsuitable to be placed with the given object (O2, 304) based on the object-type, the object-size or the structuring-plan (Yamada: paragraph 273, line(s) 1-7 "In the case in which the degree of significance is not taken into account in the calculation of the likelihood, laying out of layout elements is performed in a similar manner to the first exemplary embodiment such that, as shown in FIG. 16G, image information "p4" is laid in the center of the layout frame 200, and text information "t4" is laid in the remaining area"; also, FIG A-G; also, paragraph 20, line(s) 2-10 “first aspect, at least one of the plurality of layout elements assigned a weighting factor, and, for the layout element assigned the weighting factor, the template production device weights the likelihood of the layout element in the plurality of layout samples by the weighting factor, and the template production device registers the layout distribution of the layout element in the layout frame in connection with the weighted likelihood”).
Conclusion
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/JAI W LI/Junior Examiner, Art Unit 2613
/XIAO M WU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2613