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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-8, 13-19 in the reply filed on 05/11/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 8, 13-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Woo et al. (KR20210044673).
To claim 1, Woo teach a target monitoring system, comprising:
a camera, mounted in a ship (paragraphs 0007, 0026);
a detecting apparatus, mounted in the ship and detecting an actual position of a target present around the ship (paragraphs 0037-0039); and
processing circuity, configured to:
detect an in-image position of the target comprised in an image imaged by the camera (paragraphs 0034-0035);
estimate a range of a distance from the ship to the target based on the in-image position of the target (paragraphs 0033-0035); and
identify the target detected from the image and the target detected by the detecting apparatus based on the range of the distance that is estimated and the actual position that is detected (paragraphs 0038-0043, 0069, 0080, 0086, wherein actual position would be interpreted as position determined based on sensed information from one or more different sensory sources).
To claim 18, Woo teach a target monitoring method (as explained in response to claim 1 above).
To claim 19, Woo teach a non-transient computer-readable recording medium, recording a program, executed by a computer (as explained in response to claim 1 above).
To claim 2, Woo teach claim 1.
Woo teach wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: detect a region of the target in the image, and estimate the range of the distance based on an in-image position of a lower end of the region of the target (paragraphs 0033-0035).
To claim 3, Woo teach claim 2.
Woo teach wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: set, as the range of the distance, a range of a particular size with a distance estimated based on the in-image position of the lower end of the region of the target as reference (paragraphs 0045-0060, 0096-0102).
To claim 8, Woo teach claim 2.
Woo teach wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: detect a posture of the ship; and estimate the range of the distance further based on the posture of the ship (Fig. 8, paragraphs 0049-0050, 0077).
To claim 13, Woo teach claim 1.
Woo teach wherein, in a case where a plurality of targets detected by the detecting apparatus are present within the range of the distance that is estimated, the processing circuitry is further configured to: identify the target detected from the image as one closest to the ship among the targets (obvious in Fig. 8, paragraphs 0062, 0073).
To claim 14, Woo teach claim 1.
Woo teach wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: estimate the range of the distance based on a height, a posture, and a camera parameter of the camera (paragraphs 0031, 0045-0051, 0096-0099).
To claim 15, Woo teach claim 1.
Woo teach wherein the detecting apparatus is a radar, and the processing circuitry is further configured to: display the range of the distance on a radar image based on echo data detected by the radar (paragraphs 0037-0038).
To claim 16, Woo teach claim 1.Woo teach wherein the detecting apparatus is an automatic identification system (AIS) (paragraph 0042).
To claim 17, Woo teach claim 1.
Woo teach wherein the detecting apparatus is an electronic charge display and information system (ECDIS) (Fig. 1).
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) 4-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Woo et al. (KR20210044673).
To claim 4, Woo teach claim 2.
Woo teach wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: discard detection of the target in a case where the range of the distance is above a horizon (Fig. 1, obvious as target being outside of range, which is preferential by design and well-known in the art, hence Official Notice is taken).
To claim 5, Woo teach claim 3.
Woo teach wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: discard detection of the target in a case where the range of the distance is above a horizon (as explained in response to claim 4 above).
To claim 6, Woo teach claim 4.
Woo teach wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: set a position of the horizon based on a height and a posture of the camera (paragraphs 0093-0102, obvious because live feed camera would need to coordinate with display setting, which is well-known practice in the art, hence Official Notice is taken).
To claim 7, Woo teach claim 5.
Woo teach wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: set a position of the horizon based on a height and a posture of the camera (as explained in response to claim 6 above).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHIYU LU whose telephone number is (571)272-2837. The examiner can normally be reached Weekdays: 8:30AM - 5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephen R Koziol can be reached at (408) 918-7630. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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ZHIYU . LU
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2669
/ZHIYU LU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2665 May 20, 2026
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