Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/639,998

IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PROVIDING SERVER, IMAGE DISPLAY METHOD, AND IMAGE PROVISION METHOD FOR NAVIGATING HORIZONTALLY OR VERTICALLY BETWEEN FLOOR IMAGES

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Apr 19, 2024
Examiner
OSIFADE, IDOWU O
Art Unit
2675
Tech Center
2600 — Communications
Assignee
Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
81%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 2m
To Grant
94%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 81% — above average
81%
Career Allow Rate
545 granted / 671 resolved
+19.2% vs TC avg
Moderate +12% lift
Without
With
+12.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 2m
Avg Prosecution
18 currently pending
Career history
689
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
11.7%
-28.3% vs TC avg
§103
59.9%
+19.9% vs TC avg
§102
11.8%
-28.2% vs TC avg
§112
14.0%
-26.0% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 671 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 . DETAILED ACTION Claims 1 – 15 are pending in this application. Claims 1, 9, 12 and 13 are independent. 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 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 – 4 and 8 – 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Trenciansky, Peter (US-20170053221-A1, hereinafter simply referred to as Peter). Regarding independent claims 1 and 12, Peter teaches: An image processing apparatus (e.g., clients 38 (FIG. 1) of Peter) comprising: a display (e.g., display of Peter); and an interface (e.g., graphical user interface of Peter) configured to receive a user operation related to an image to be displayed on the display (See at least Peter, ¶ [0055]; FIG. 1; "…A graphical user interface is then presented to the user that allows the user to select one or more video feeds from the CCTV system at the target facility…"); and circuitry configured to provide content to be displayed on the display of one of a plurality of images (e.g., “hotspots” 140 (FIG. 3d) of Peter) obtained by photographing a same place (e.g., facilities (e.g. retail establishments, warehouses etc.) of Peter) in different situations in accordance with the user operation (See at least Peter, ¶ [0057, 0079]; FIG. 1, 3d, 8, 11, 12, 15A; "…The floor plan panel 120 shows a layout or floor plan of the selected facility and has selectable “hotspots” 140 representing the various video cameras within the selected facility to which the user has access…the video camera being automatically activated and moved to a preset view. The captured video of that video camera is then streamed to the client 38 and presented in the video camera view panel 122…", "…When a user selects the auditor button 92, the user is presented with an audit view web page comprising a reference image panel 502, the floor plan panel 120, the video camera control panel 124…The reference image panel 502 presents a selected media file…"), wherein the display displays a situation selection icon (e.g., camera view button 86 (FIG. 3a) of Peter) that is selectable to select a photographing situation of the same place as that of the image being displayed (See at least Peter, ¶ [0051, 0057, 0079]; FIG. 1, 3d, 8, 11, 12, 15A; "…When a user of a client 38 has successfully logged into the enterprise management web application, the web server 34 transmits a header 80 and a default map view web page 82 to the client 38 for presentation to the user as shown in FIG. 3a. The header 80 in this embodiment comprises a selectable map view button 84, a selectable video camera view button 86…", "…The floor plan panel 120 shows a layout or floor plan of the selected facility and has selectable “hotspots” 140 representing the various video cameras within the selected facility to which the user has access…the video camera being automatically activated and moved to a preset view. The captured video of that video camera is then streamed to the client 38 and presented in the video camera view panel 122…", "…When a user selects the auditor button 92, the user is presented with an audit view web page comprising a reference image panel 502, the floor plan panel 120, the video camera control panel 124…The reference image panel 502 presents a selected media file…"), and in response to the interface having received notification of the situation selection icon being selected, the circuitry causes the display device to display an image to be photographed in the selected situation (See at least Peter, ¶ [0051, 0057, 0079]; FIG. 1, 3d, 8, 11, 12, 15A; "…When a user of a client 38 has successfully logged into the enterprise management web application, the web server 34 transmits a header 80 and a default map view web page 82 to the client 38 for presentation to the user as shown in FIG. 3a. The header 80 in this embodiment comprises a selectable map view button 84, a selectable video camera view button 86…", "…The floor plan panel 120 shows a layout or floor plan of the selected facility and has selectable “hotspots” 140 representing the various video cameras within the selected facility to which the user has access…the video camera being automatically activated and moved to a preset view. The captured video of that video camera is then streamed to the client 38 and presented in the video camera view panel 122…", "…When a user selects the auditor button 92, the user is presented with an audit view web page comprising a reference image panel 502, the floor plan panel 120, the video camera control panel 124…The reference image panel 502 presents a selected media file…"). Regarding independent claims 9 and 13, Peter teaches: A image providing server (e.g., server 34 (FIG. 1) of Peter) that establishes communication with an image processing apparatus operated by a user and transmits data of an image of a place (e.g., facilities (e.g. retail establishments, warehouses etc.) of Peter) designated by the user in the image processing apparatus to the image processing apparatus (See at least Peter, ¶ [0051, 0057, 0079]; FIG. 1, 3d, 8, 11, 12, 15A; "…When a user of a client 38 has successfully logged into the enterprise management web application, the web server 34 transmits a header 80 and a default map view web page 82 to the client 38 for presentation to the user as shown in FIG. 3a. The header 80 in this embodiment comprises a selectable map view button 84, a selectable video camera view button 86…", "…The floor plan panel 120 shows a layout or floor plan of the selected facility and has selectable “hotspots” 140 representing the various video cameras within the selected facility to which the user has access…the video camera being automatically activated and moved to a preset view. The captured video of that video camera is then streamed to the client 38 and presented in the video camera view panel 122…", "…When a user selects the auditor button 92, the user is presented with an audit view web page comprising a reference image panel 502, the floor plan panel 120, the video camera control panel 124…The reference image panel 502 presents a selected media file…"), the image providing server comprising: a database that stores respective information regarding a plurality of images (e.g., “hotspots” 140 (FIG. 3d) of Peter) obtained by photographing a same place in different situations in associations with respective photographing situations (See at least Peter, ¶ [0057, 0079]; FIG. 1, 3d, 8, 11, 12, 15A; "…The floor plan panel 120 shows a layout or floor plan of the selected facility and has selectable “hotspots” 140 representing the various video cameras within the selected facility to which the user has access…the video camera being automatically activated and moved to a preset view. The captured video of that video camera is then streamed to the client 38 and presented in the video camera view panel 122…", "…When a user selects the auditor button 92, the user is presented with an audit view web page comprising a reference image panel 502, the floor plan panel 120, the video camera control panel 124…The reference image panel 502 presents a selected media file…"); a data transmitter configured to read out data of a corresponding image from the database and transmit the data to the image processing apparatus in response to a user operation of selection of the photographing situation (See at least Peter, ¶ [0043, 0057, 0079, 0087]; FIG. 1, 3d, 8, 11, 12, 15A; "…enterprise module 50 and enterprise access control logic module 52 communicate with the web server 34 and access enterprise and user data 64 stored in the web server database. The enterprise resources module 54 also communicates with the web server 34 and accesses an enterprise resources repository 66 stored in the web server database…", "…The floor plan panel 120 shows a layout or floor plan of the selected facility and has selectable “hotspots” 140 representing the various video cameras within the selected facility to which the user has access…the video camera being automatically activated and moved to a preset view. The captured video of that video camera is then streamed to the client 38 and presented in the video camera view panel 122…", "…When a user selects the auditor button 92, the user is presented with an audit view web page comprising a reference image panel 502, the floor plan panel 120, the video camera control panel 124…The reference image panel 502 presents a selected media file…", "…The computer readable medium can store data, which can thereafter be read by a computer system…"). Regarding independent claim 2, Peter teaches: wherein when the interface receives an operation of moving the viewpoint with respect to an omnidirectional image (e.g., virtual building in virtual reality of Peter) being displayed (See at least Peter, ¶ [0007]; FIG. 1, 3d, 8, 11, 12, 15A; "…Information regarding the location and status of the sensors, control devices, and the like, which may be points of interest, may be mapped on the virtual depiction or model of the building. A user or operator may thus move through the building and view and affect rooms, sensing and control devices, and other items, including quick navigation to points of interest, in virtual reality…" The Examiner notes that images in virtual reality are well-known to have spherical coordinates – which are omnidirectional in nature), the circuitry causes the display to switch to the omnidirectional image at the destination viewpoint, which is captured in a most recently selected situation (See at least Peter, ¶ [0007, 0057]; FIG. 1, 3d, 8, 11, 12, 15A; "…Information regarding the location and status of the sensors, control devices, and the like, which may be points of interest, may be mapped on the virtual depiction or model of the building. A user or operator may thus move through the building and view and affect rooms, sensing and control devices, and other items, including quick navigation to points of interest, in virtual reality…" The Examiner notes that images in virtual reality, as disclosed in Peter, are well-known in the art to have spherical coordinates – which are omnidirectional in nature. "…The floor plan panel 120 shows a layout or floor plan of the selected facility and has selectable “hotspots” 140 representing the various video cameras within the selected facility to which the user has access…the video camera being automatically activated and moved to a preset view. The captured video of that video camera is then streamed to the client 38 and presented in the video camera view panel 122…"). Regarding independent claim 3, Peter teaches: wherein the display displays the situation selection icon in which a situation related to a subject (e.g., FIG. 15c of Peter) is represented as an option (See at least Peter, ¶ [0087]; FIG. 1, 3d, 8, 11, 12, 15A, 15c; "…When a user selects the auditor button 92, the user is presented with an audit view web page comprising a reference image panel 502, the floor plan panel 120, the video camera control panel 124…The reference image panel 502 presents a selected media file…"). Regarding independent claim 4, Peter teaches: wherein the display displays the situation selection icon as a thumbnail image, and enlarges and displays an image captured in a selected situation (See at least Peter, ¶ [0057, 0079, 0080]; FIG. 1, 3d, 8, 11, 12, 15a, 15c; "…The floor plan panel 120 shows a layout or floor plan of the selected facility and has selectable “hotspots” 140 representing the various video cameras within the selected facility to which the user has access…the video camera being automatically activated and moved to a preset view. The captured video of that video camera is then streamed to the client 38 and presented in the video camera view panel 122…", "…When a user selects the auditor button 92, the user is presented with an audit view web page comprising a reference image panel 502, the floor plan panel 120, the video camera control panel 124…The reference image panel 502 presents a selected media file…", "…If the enlarge video button 510 is selected, the video camera view panel 122 is partitioned into multiple video camera view panels. The live video feed from the video camera is presented in one of the video camera view panels and the reference image is presented in an adjacent video camera view panel allowing a side-by-side comparison of the displayed images to be made as shown in FIG. 15c…"). Regarding independent claim 8, Peter teaches: wherein the display displays a map and an image of a place corresponding to a position designated by a user on the map (See at least Peter, ¶ [0057, 0079, 0080]; FIG. 1, 3d, 8, 11, 12, 15a, 15c; "…The floor plan panel 120 shows a layout or floor plan of the selected facility and has selectable “hotspots” 140 representing the various video cameras within the selected facility to which the user has access…the video camera being automatically activated and moved to a preset view. The captured video of that video camera is then streamed to the client 38 and presented in the video camera view panel 122…", "…When a user selects the auditor button 92, the user is presented with an audit view web page comprising a reference image panel 502, the floor plan panel 120, the video camera control panel 124…The reference image panel 502 presents a selected media file…", "…If the enlarge video button 510 is selected, the video camera view panel 122 is partitioned into multiple video camera view panels. The live video feed from the video camera is presented in one of the video camera view panels and the reference image is presented in an adjacent video camera view panel allowing a side-by-side comparison of the displayed images to be made as shown in FIG. 15c…"). Regarding independent claim 10, Peter teaches: wherein the transmitter transmits, to the image processing apparatus, information related to a photographing situation that can be selected for a place designated by a user (See at least Peter, ¶ [0057, 0079, 0080]; FIG. 1, 3d, 8, 11, 12, 15a, 15c; "…The floor plan panel 120 shows a layout or floor plan of the selected facility and has selectable “hotspots” 140 representing the various video cameras within the selected facility to which the user has access…the video camera being automatically activated and moved to a preset view. The captured video of that video camera is then streamed to the client 38 and presented in the video camera view panel 122…", "…When a user selects the auditor button 92, the user is presented with an audit view web page comprising a reference image panel 502, the floor plan panel 120, the video camera control panel 124…The reference image panel 502 presents a selected media file…", "…If the enlarge video button 510 is selected, the video camera view panel 122 is partitioned into multiple video camera view panels. The live video feed from the video camera is presented in one of the video camera view panels and the reference image is presented in an adjacent video camera view panel allowing a side-by-side comparison of the displayed images to be made as shown in FIG. 15c…"). Regarding independent claim 11, Peter teaches: circuitry configured to obtain data of an image from an external device, and obtain, based on additional information of the data of the image, information on a place and a situation where the image is captured (See at least Peter, ¶ [0010, 0057]; FIG. 1, 3d, 8, 11, 12, 15a, 15c; "…The controlling, comparing and completing may be performed by an auditor who is a member of an enterprise embodying the facility or who is external to the enterprise…", "…The floor plan panel 120 shows a layout or floor plan of the selected facility and has selectable “hotspots” 140 representing the various video cameras within the selected facility to which the user has access…the video camera being automatically activated and moved to a preset view. The captured video of that video camera is then streamed to the client 38 and presented in the video camera view panel 122…"), and register the information in the database in association with the data of the image (See at least Peter, ¶ [0004, 0007]; FIG. 1, 3d, 8, 11, 12, 15a, 15c; "…a visual record is captured by CCTV systems and is available for review at later times…", "…A recorder and play mechanism may be a significant portion of the system for recording structures, parameters, environment, events and other information of the system…"). Regarding independent claim 14, Peter teaches: A non-transitory, computer readable storage medium containing a program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the image display method of claim 12 (See at least Peter, ¶ [0079, 0087]; FIG. 1, 3d, 8, 11, 12, 15A; "…When a user selects the auditor button 92, the user is presented with an audit view web page comprising a reference image panel 502, the floor plan panel 120, the video camera control panel 124…The reference image panel 502 presents a selected media file…", "…The computer readable medium can store data, which can thereafter be read by a computer system…"). Regarding independent claim 15, Peter teaches: A non-transitory, computer readable storage medium containing a program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the image display method of claim 13 (See at least Peter, ¶ [0079, 0087]; FIG. 1, 3d, 8, 11, 12, 15A; "…When a user selects the auditor button 92, the user is presented with an audit view web page comprising a reference image panel 502, the floor plan panel 120, the video camera control panel 124…The reference image panel 502 presents a selected media file…", "…The computer readable medium can store data, which can thereafter be read by a computer system…"). Allowable Subject Matter Dependent claim 5 is objected to as being allowable – including all of the limitations of its base claim(s) and any intervening and/or dependent claims, if re-written in independent form. Claims 6 and 7 are also objected to as being allowable because of their dependencies to claim 5. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure: See the Notice of References Cited (PTO–892) Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IDOWU O OSIFADE whose telephone number is (571)272-0864. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm EST. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s Supervisor, ANDREW MOYER can be reached on (571) 272 – 9523. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273 – 8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at (866) 217 – 9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call (800) 786 – 9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or (571) 272 – 1000. /IDOWU O OSIFADE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2675
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Apr 19, 2024
Application Filed
Mar 19, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
81%
Grant Probability
94%
With Interview (+12.4%)
2y 2m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 671 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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