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 .
Response to Amendment
The objections to claims 1-14 based on informalities have been withdrawn in view of Applicant's amendments filed 03/27/2026.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 03/27/2026 with respects to claims 1-18 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On pages 6-7, applicants argue that claim 1 distinguishes over conventional general interaction notifications because an "inter-user contact event from the second user to the first user is used as a trigger to provide position information that enables the touched user to recognize where the user was touched in the three-dimensional space." Applicant's argument is not commensurate in scope with the claim language. The claim does not recite a "trigger," a "touched user," an "inter-user contact event," or any requirement that the contact be a direct user-to-user touch. The claim recites "virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user," which is much broader. "Virtual contact" is not defined in the claims and encompasses any virtual interaction event constituting contact with or relative to a user. "Of a second user" identifies the actor or source, reading on any virtual contact attributable to, initiated by, involving a body part of, or involving a virtual representation of the second user. "With respect to a first user" is a relational modifier meaning in relation to or in the context of the first user, reading on any virtual contact event occurring in the first user's shared three-dimensional environment. Applicant cannot import limitations from the specification or arguments into the claim. The examiner respectfully disagrees with these arguments.
On page 7, applicants argue that Lacey is directed to single-user virtual-object interaction and therefore fails to teach inter-user virtual contact. Applicant mischaracterizes the rejection. Lacey is not cited for the "of a second user" limitation; that limitation is assigned to Alexander. Lacey is cited for the three-dimensional VR/MR environment and for the position-notification limitation via focus indicators rendered at or near the position of an interaction event, which under BRI satisfies "notified with information about a position of the virtual contact." Applicant's attack on Lacey in isolation for a limitation not assigned to it does not address the combined rejection. The examiner respectfully disagrees with these arguments.
On pages 7-8, applicants argue that Alexander describes only co-presence and shared viewing, and cite Alexander's disclosures regarding view modes, panel placement, and gaze indicators as failing to disclose inter-user virtual contact. Applicant has selectively read Alexander and has not addressed the Examiner's citation of Alexander, which expressly states that "the user may want to ... do a 'fist bump' with another person or player" and that "the wearable system 600 may be configured to leverage a minimum amount of hand gesture." Alexander further confirms that the wearable system "may be configured to track and interpret hand gestures." The fist bump between users, detected through Alexander's hand-gesture tracking, is precisely the inter-user virtual contact event that reads on "detect virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user" under BRI. The paragraphs Applicant cites concern unrelated aspects of view modes and panel placement and are not relied upon for the virtual-contact-detection limitation. The examiner respectfully disagrees with these arguments.
On pages 8-9, applicants argue that the Office Action fails to provide a sufficient articulated reason for modifying Lacey with Alexander. Articulated reasoning has been and is hereby provided: Lacey and Alexander are both assigned to Magic Leap, Inc. and both concern wearable AR/VR/MR systems, making them analogous art in the narrowest sense; Lacey teaches the wearable MR platform, focus-indicator feedback at positions of interaction events, and FOV tracking, while Alexander teaches multi-user telepresence with avatars and tracked hand-gesture interaction between users; a POSITA extending Lacey's single-user focus-indicator paradigm to a multi-user context would naturally look to Alexander (same assignee, same platform) for the multi-user interaction mechanisms; Bailey supplies the well-established user-list-based notification control pattern for claims 7 and 8; and the combination yields the predictable result of a wearable VR/MR system that detects a virtual contact associated with a second user and notifies the first user with position information via Lacey's focus indicators. The examiner respectfully disagrees with these arguments.
The rejections are maintained as set forth below with updated mappings.
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) 1-6, and 9-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lacey et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0362557) in view of Alexander et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2021/0097875).
Regarding claim 1, Lacey discloses an information processing apparatus comprising: a processor; and a memory storing a program which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to (paragraph 101, line(s) 1-5, “The local processing and data module 260 may comprise a hardware processor, as well as digital memory, such as non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory), both of which may be utilized to assist in the processing, caching, and storage of data.”): detect virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user in a three-dimensional space that is a virtual space or a mixed reality space; and perform control such that, in a case where the virtual contact has occurred, the first user is notified with information about a position of the virtual contact.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Alexander et al. discloses detect virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user in a three-dimensional space that is a virtual space or a mixed reality space (Alexander et al.: paragraph 32, line(s) 5-16, “During a telepresence session in which two AR/VR/MR users are interacting with each other, a viewer can perceive an avatar of another user in the viewer's environment and thereby create a tangible sense of the other user's presence in the viewer's environment. The avatar can also provide a way for users to interact with each other and do things together in a shared virtual environment. For example, a student attending an online class can perceive and interact with avatars of other students or the teacher in a virtual classroom. As another example, a user playing a game in an AR/VR/MR environment may view and interact with avatars of other players in the game”; also, paragraph 95, line(s) 1-7, “Hand gesture tracking or recognition may also provide input information. The wearable system 600 may be configured to track and interpret hand gestures for button presses, for gesturing left or right, stop, grab, hold, etc. For example, in one configuration, the user may want to flip through emails or a calendar in a non-gaming environment, or do a “fist bump” with another person or player.”; also, paragraph 83, line(s) 5-10, “The haptic devices or components may be operable to provide a tactile sensation to a user. For example, the haptic devices or components may provide a tactile sensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content (e.g., virtual objects, virtual tools, other virtual constructs).”); and perform control such that, in a case where the virtual contact has occurred, the first user is notified with information about a position of the virtual contact (Alexander et al.: paragraph 83, line(s) 5-15, “The haptic devices or components may be operable to provide a tactile sensation to a user. For example, the haptic devices or components may provide a tactile sensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content (e.g., virtual objects, virtual tools, other virtual constructs). The tactile sensation may replicate a feel of a physical object which a virtual object represents, or may replicate a feel of an imagined object or character (e.g., a dragon) which the virtual content represents. In some implementations, haptic devices or components may be worn by the user (e.g., a user wearable glove).”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Lacey's invention of a wearable system with a processor and memory that facilitates user interaction in a three-dimensional VR/AR/MR environment with the features of Alexander's invention of avatar-based telepresence interaction with haptic feedback upon touching virtual content. Regarding element “an information processing apparatus comprising: a processor; and a memory storing a program which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to”, Lacey teaches an information processing apparatus comprising a processor and memory. Lacey discloses a wearable system 200 including a local processing and data module 260 that comprises a hardware processor and digital memory such as non-volatile flash memory, which are utilized to assist in the processing, caching, and storage of data. The hardware processor executes programs stored in the digital memory to perform the functions of the wearable system, including detecting user input modes and facilitating interaction in a 3D environment. Under BRI, this teaches an information processing apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing a program which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the claimed functions. Regarding element “detect virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user in a three-dimensional space that is a virtual space or a mixed reality space”, Alexander teaches detecting virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user in a three-dimensional space that is a virtual space or a mixed reality space. Alexander discloses that during a telepresence session in an AR/VR/MR environment, users interact with each other through avatars in a shared virtual environment. Critically, Alexander discloses that the wearable system tracks hand gestures including a scenario where "the user may want to... do a 'fist bump' with another person or player." A fist bump is direct physical contact between two users; when performed in Alexander's VR/MR environment, this constitutes virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user. Alexander further discloses haptic devices that provide a tactile sensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content, which teaches that the system detects when contact with virtual content occurs. Under BRI, the claim does not specify any particular mechanism for how virtual contact is detected; it merely requires that virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user in a 3D virtual or mixed reality space is detected. Alexander's disclosure of users performing fist bumps in a shared VR/MR environment, combined with haptic devices that detect and respond to touching virtual content, teaches this element. Regarding element “perform control such that, in a case where the virtual contact has occurred, the first user is notified with information about a position of the virtual contact”, Alexander teaches performing control such that, in a case where the virtual contact has occurred, the first user is notified with information about a position of the virtual contact. Alexander discloses haptic devices that provide a tactile sensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content, where these haptic devices may be worn by the user as a "user wearable glove." Under BRI, "notified with information about a position" does not require any specific notification modality. A wearable glove that provides localized tactile sensation (pressure or texture) at the point of contact inherently conveys positional information — the user perceives the haptic feedback at the specific body location where the virtual contact occurred. This localized haptic notification at the point of contact constitutes notifying the first user with information about a position of the virtual contact. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine because Lacey discloses a wearable system with a processor and memory operating in a 3D VR/AR/MR environment, and Lacey's own specification acknowledges multi-user scenarios by listing "a shared pose from another user" among its input modes. However, Lacey does not elaborate on how multi-user interaction such as inter-user contact would be implemented. Alexander, which operates in the same field of wearable AR/VR/MR systems, discloses a detailed telepresence framework where users interact through avatars and the system provides haptic feedback — including tactile sensations of pressure via wearable gloves — when touching virtual content, and specifically contemplates inter-user physical gestures such as performing a "fist bump" with another person or player. A person of ordinary skill working with Lacey's wearable system that already receives shared pose data from other users would naturally look to Alexander's telepresence framework to implement the actual inter-user interaction, because Alexander provides both the avatar rendering architecture and the haptic feedback mechanism needed to detect and notify users of virtual contact. The resulting combination predictably yields a wearable system that detects virtual contact between users and provides localized haptic notification of the contact position.
Regarding claim 2, Lacey et al. as modified by Alexander et al. discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein virtual contact of an avatar of the second user with respect to the first user in the three-dimensional space that is the mixed reality space is detected.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Alexander et al. further discloses the virtual contact of an avatar of the second user with respect to the first user in the three-dimensional space that is the mixed reality space is detected (Alexander et al.: paragraph 124, line(s) 1-5, “A wearable device can use information acquired of a first user and the environment to animate a virtual avatar that will be rendered by a second user's wearable device to create a tangible sense of presence of the first user in the second user's environment.”; also, paragraph 3, line(s) 1-6, “Modern computing and display technologies have facilitated the development of systems for so called “virtual reality,” “augmented reality,” and “mixed reality” experiences, wherein digitally reproduced images are presented to a user in a manner such that they seem to be, or may be perceived as, real”).
Regarding element “virtual contact of an avatar of the second user with respect to the first user in the three-dimensional space that is the mixed reality space is detected”, Alexander teaches detecting virtual contact of an avatar of the second user with respect to the first user in the mixed reality space. Alexander discloses that a wearable device animates a virtual avatar that is rendered by a second user's wearable device to create a tangible sense of presence in the second user's environment, and that the system operates in AR/VR/MR environments including mixed reality. In the MR context, the second user's avatar is rendered in the first user's real-world environment, and when that avatar interacts with the first user (who is a real person in the mixed reality space), the system detects this virtual contact. Under BRI, this teaches detecting virtual contact of an avatar of the second user with respect to the first user in the mixed reality space.
Regarding claim 3, Lacey et al. as modified by Alexander et al. discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein virtual contact of an avatar of the second user with respect to an avatar of the first user in the three-dimensional space that is the virtual space is detected.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Alexander et al. further discloses the virtual contact of an avatar of the second user with respect to an avatar of the first user in the three-dimensional space that is the virtual space is detected (Alexander et al.: paragraph 32, line(s) 5-16, “During a telepresence session in which two AR/VR/MR users are interacting with each other, a viewer can perceive an avatar of another user in the viewer's environment and thereby create a tangible sense of the other user's presence in the viewer's environment. The avatar can also provide a way for users to interact with each other and do things together in a shared virtual environment. For example, a student attending an online class can perceive and interact with avatars of other students or the teacher in a virtual classroom. As another example, a user playing a game in an AR/VR/MR environment may view and interact with avatars of other players in the game”; also, paragraph 125, line(s) 3-7, “Multiple users (e.g., two, three, four, five, six, or more) using wearables (or other telepresence devices) may participate in a telepresence session. A particular user's wearable device can present to that particular user the avatars of the other users during the telepresence session”).
Regarding element “the virtual contact of an avatar of the second user with respect to an avatar of the first user in the three-dimensional space that is the virtual space is detected”, Alexander teaches detecting virtual contact of an avatar of the second user with respect to an avatar of the first user in the virtual space. Alexander discloses that during a telepresence session, multiple users interact with each other through their respective avatars in a shared virtual environment, and each user's wearable device presents the avatars of the other users. In a fully virtual (VR) space, both users are represented by their respective avatars. When the second user's avatar contacts the first user's avatar in this shared virtual environment, the system detects this interaction. Under BRI, this teaches detecting virtual contact of an avatar of the second user with respect to an avatar of the first user in the three-dimensional space that is the virtual space.
Regarding claim 4, Lacey et al. as modified by Alexander et al. discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein control is performed such that the information about the position and intensity of the virtual contact is notified.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Alexander et al. further discloses the control is performed such that the information about the position and intensity of the virtual contact is notified (Alexander et al.: paragraph 83, line(s) 5-15, “The haptic devices or components may be operable to provide a tactile sensation to a user. For example, the haptic devices or components may provide a tactile sensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content (e.g., virtual objects, virtual tools, other virtual constructs). The tactile sensation may replicate a feel of a physical object which a virtual object represents, or may replicate a feel of an imagined object or character (e.g., a dragon) which the virtual content represents. In some implementations, haptic devices or components may be worn by the user (e.g., a user wearable glove).”).
Regarding element “the control is performed such that the information about the position and intensity of the virtual contact is notified”, Alexander teaches notifying information about the position and intensity of the virtual contact. Alexander discloses haptic devices that provide a "tactile sensation of pressure or texture" when touching virtual content, where the devices may be worn by the user as a wearable glove. Under BRI, "pressure" is a measure of force or intensity of contact, and thus the pressure component of the tactile sensation teaches the "intensity" of the virtual contact. The positional information is inherently conveyed by the localized nature of the haptic feedback — the wearable glove provides the sensation at the specific body location where the virtual contact occurred. The claim does not specify any particular mechanism for conveying position or intensity; a localized haptic sensation that varies in pressure satisfies both requirements.
Regarding claim 5, Lacey et al. as modified by Alexander et al. discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein control is performed such that the information is notified by display or audio.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Alexander et al. discloses the control is performed such that the information is notified by display or audio (Alexander et al.: paragraph 39, line(s) 1-5, “In some implementations, a speaker 240 is coupled to the frame 230 and positioned adjacent the ear canal of the user (in some implementations, another speaker, not shown, is positioned adjacent the other ear canal of the user to provide for stereo/shapeable sound control)”; also, paragraph 62, line(s) 1-4, “the wearable system 200 is configured to display one or more images of virtual objects (also referred to as “virtual images” herein) based on the accommodation of the user's eyes.”).
Regarding element “the control is performed such that the information is notified by display or audio”, Alexander teaches notifying information by display or audio. Alexander discloses that the wearable system includes a speaker coupled to the frame and positioned adjacent the ear canal for audio output, and a display configured to display images of virtual objects. Under BRI, "notified by display or audio" does not specify what content is displayed or what sound is produced — it merely requires that notification occurs through one of these modalities. Alexander's wearable system includes both display and audio output components that are capable of providing notification of virtual contact information through either modality.
Regarding claim 6, Lacey et al. as modified by Alexander et al. discloses The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein control is performed such that the information is notified by vibration.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Alexander et al. discloses the control is performed such that the information is notified by vibration (Alexander et al.: paragraph 83, line(s) 4-17, “The wearable system may, for example, include one or more haptic devices or components. The haptic devices or components may be operable to provide a tactile sensation to a user. For example, the haptic devices or components may provide a tactile sensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content (e.g., virtual objects, virtual tools, other virtual constructs). The tactile sensation may replicate a feel of a physical object which a virtual object represents, or may replicate a feel of an imagined object or character (e.g., a dragon) which the virtual content represents. In some implementations, haptic devices or components may be worn by the user (e.g., a user wearable glove). In some implementations, haptic devices or components may be held by the user.”).
Regarding element “the control is performed such that the information is notified by vibration”, Alexander teaches notifying information by vibration. Alexander discloses haptic devices or components operable to provide a tactile sensation to a user, including sensations of pressure or texture when touching virtual content, where these devices may be worn or held by the user. Under BRI, the claim recites only that "the information is notified by vibration" without specifying any particular vibration mechanism. Haptic devices that provide tactile sensations of pressure and texture inherently encompass vibration as a fundamental mechanism for generating such tactile feedback. A person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that vibration is one of the primary means by which haptic devices produce tactile sensations such as pressure.
Regarding claim 9, Lacey et al. as modified by Alexander et al. discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the second user is present in a field of view of the first user in the three-dimensional space (Lacey: paragraph 175, line(s) 1-8, "FIG. 12B schematically illustrates an example of virtual objects in a user's field of view (FOV) and virtual objects in a field of regard (FOR). In FIG. 12B, the FOR 1200 can contain a group of objects (e.g. 1210, 1220, 1230, 1242, and 1244) which can be perceived by the user via the wearable system. The objects within the user's FOR 1200 may be virtual and/or physical objects."; also, Lacey: paragraph 176, line(s) 1-2, "A virtual object may be a three-dimensional (3D), two-dimensional (2D), or one-dimensional (1D) object."), the information is not notified (Alexander et al.: paragraph 83, line(s) 5-10, "The haptic devices or components may be operable to provide a tactile sensation to a user. For example, the haptic devices or components may provide a tactile sensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content (e.g., virtual objects, virtual tools, other virtual constructs).").
Regarding element "in a case where the second user is present in a field of view of the first user in the three-dimensional space, the information is not notified", Lacey teaches that the wearable system can perceive virtual and physical objects within the user's field of view (FOV), including three-dimensional virtual objects. Alexander teaches haptic feedback that provides a "tactile sensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content". This haptic notification is inherently contact-conditional: it activates only upon contact between the user and virtual content. In the combination of Lacey and Alexander established in claim 1, when the second user is present in the first user's field of view but no virtual contact has occurred, the haptic feedback does not activate because no "touching virtual content" event has taken place. Under BRI, the absence of notification when the second user is merely present in the FOV is an inherent result of the contact-conditional nature of Alexander's haptic feedback as applied to Lacey's FOV-aware system, teaching that the information is not notified in a case where the second user is present in the field of view of the first user in the three-dimensional space.
Regarding claim 10, Lacey et al. as modified by Alexander et al. discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the virtual contact of a hand of the second user with respect to the first user is detected.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Alexander et al. discloses virtual contact of a hand of the second user with respect to the first user is detected (Alexander et al.: paragraph 95, line(s) 1-7, “Hand gesture tracking or recognition may also provide input information. The wearable system 600 may be configured to track and interpret hand gestures for button presses, for gesturing left or right, stop, grab, hold, etc. For example, in one configuration, the user may want to flip through emails or a calendar in a non-gaming environment, or do a “fist bump” with another person or player.”; also, paragraph 100, line(s) 4-7, “a different pair of cameras oriented in front of the user to handle the stereo imaging process 640 and also to capture hand gestures and totem/object tracking in front of the user's face”).
Regarding element “virtual contact of a hand of the second user with respect to the first user is detected”, Alexander teaches detecting virtual contact of a hand of the second user with respect to the first user. Alexander discloses that the wearable system tracks and interprets hand gestures using cameras, and specifically contemplates a user performing a "fist bump" with another person or player. A fist bump is performed with the hand and constitutes contact of one user's hand with another user. Under BRI, when the system tracks a hand gesture that involves contact with another user (such as a fist bump), it detects virtual contact of a hand of the second user with respect to the first user.
Regarding claim 11, Lacey et al. as modified by Alexander et al. discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, portion of a plurality of parts of the second user is tracked, and wherein the virtual contact of a tracked part among the plurality of parts of the second user with respect to the first user is detected.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Alexander et al. discloses at least a portion of a plurality of parts of the second user is tracked (Alexander et al.: paragraph 123, line(s) 6-13, “The wearable devices 902 and 904 can track the users' environments and movements in the environments (e.g., via the respective outward-facing imaging system 464, or one or more location sensors) and speech (e.g., via the respective audio sensor). The wearable devices 902 and 904 can also track the users' eye movements or gaze based on data acquired by the inward-facing imaging system 462”; also, paragraph 115, line(s) 8-12, “The sparse points may be used in determining pose data (e.g., head pose, eye pose, body pose, or hand gestures) that can be used in displaying and understanding the orientation and position of various objects in the user's surroundings.”), and wherein the virtual contact of a tracked part among the plurality of parts of the second user with respect to the first user is detected (Alexander et al.: paragraph 95, line(s) 1-7, “Hand gesture tracking or recognition may also provide input information. The wearable system 600 may be configured to track and interpret hand gestures for button presses, for gesturing left or right, stop, grab, hold, etc. For example, in one configuration, the user may want to flip through emails or a calendar in a non-gaming environment, or do a “fist bump” with another person or player.”). Regarding element “at least a portion of a plurality of parts of the second user is tracked”, Alexander teaches tracking at least a portion of a plurality of parts of the second user. Alexander discloses that the wearable devices track users' movements in the environments via the outward-facing imaging system and location sensors, and separately track users' eye movements or gaze via the inward-facing imaging system. Alexander further discloses determining pose data for "head pose, eye pose, body pose, or hand gestures." These disclosures establish that the system tracks multiple distinct body parts of the user — including the head, eyes, body, and hands — constituting tracking at least a portion of a plurality of parts of the second user. Regarding element “wherein the virtual contact of a tracked part among the plurality of parts of the second user with respect to the first user is detected”, Alexander teaches detecting virtual contact of a tracked part among the plurality of parts of the second user with respect to the first user. Alexander discloses that the wearable system tracks and interprets hand gestures and specifically contemplates a user performing a "fist bump" with another person or player. The hand is one of the tracked parts for which the system determines pose data. When a tracked part such as the hand of the second user's avatar contacts the first user during a telepresence session, the system detects this virtual contact. Under BRI, this teaches detecting virtual contact of a tracked part among the plurality of parts of the second user with respect to the first user.
Regarding claim 12, Lacey et al. as modified by Alexander et al. discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein virtual contact of a virtual object held by the second user with respect to the first user is detected.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Alexander et al. discloses the virtual contact of a virtual object held by the second user with respect to the first user is detected (Alexander et al. paragraph 94, line(s) 8-19, “In one implementation, a totem (e.g. a user input device), or an object such as a toy gun may be held by the user and tracked by the system. The system preferably will be configured to know that the user is holding the item and understand what kind of interaction the user is having with the item (e.g., if the totem or object is a gun, the system may be configured to understand location and orientation, as well as whether the user is clicking a trigger or other sensed button or element which may be equipped with a sensor, such as an IMU, which may assist in determining what is going on, even when such activity is not within the field of view of any of the cameras.)”).
Regarding element “the virtual contact of a virtual object held by the second user with respect to the first user is detected”, Alexander teaches detecting virtual contact of a virtual object held by the second user with respect to the first user. Alexander discloses that a totem or object (such as a toy gun) may be held by the user and tracked by the system, where the system knows the user is holding the item and understands the interaction. Under BRI, when the second user holds a tracked object that has a virtual representation in the shared environment, and that virtual object contacts the first user, the system detects this interaction through its object tracking capabilities.
Regarding claim 13, Lacey et al. discloses a control method of an information processing apparatus, comprising (paragraph 5, line(s) 1-6, “Examples of wearable systems and methods described herein can use multiple inputs (e.g., gesture, head pose, eye gaze, voice, from user input devices, or environmental factors (e.g., location)) to determine a command that should be executed or objects in the three dimensional (3D) environment that should be operated on or selected”; also, paragraph 101, line(s) 1-5, " The local processing and data module 260 may comprise a hardware processor, as well as digital memory, such as non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory), both of which may be utilized to assist in the processing, caching, and storage of data.”): detecting virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user in a three-dimensional space that is a virtual space or a mixed reality space; and performing control such that, in a case where the virtual contact has occurred, the first user is notified with information about a position of the virtual contact.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Alexander et al. discloses detecting virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user in a three-dimensional space that is a virtual space or a mixed reality space (Alexander et al.: paragraph 32, line(s) 5-16, “During a telepresence session in which two AR/VR/MR users are interacting with each other, a viewer can perceive an avatar of another user in the viewer's environment and thereby create a tangible sense of the other user's presence in the viewer's environment. The avatar can also provide a way for users to interact with each other and do things together in a shared virtual environment. For example, a student attending an online class can perceive and interact with avatars of other students or the teacher in a virtual classroom. As another example, a user playing a game in an AR/VR/MR environment may view and interact with avatars of other players in the game”; also, paragraph 95, line(s) 1-7, “Hand gesture tracking or recognition may also provide input information. The wearable system 600 may be configured to track and interpret hand gestures for button presses, for gesturing left or right, stop, grab, hold, etc. For example, in one configuration, the user may want to flip through emails or a calendar in a non-gaming environment, or do a “fist bump” with another person or player.”; also, paragraph 83, line(s) 5-10, “The haptic devices or components may be operable to provide a tactile sensation to a user. For example, the haptic devices or components may provide a tactile sensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content (e.g., virtual objects, virtual tools, other virtual constructs).”); and performing control such that, in a case where the virtual contact has occurred, the first user is notified with information about a position of the virtual contact (Alexander et al.: paragraph 83, line(s) 5-15, “The haptic devices or components may be operable to provide a tactile sensation to a user. For example, the haptic devices or components may provide a tactile sensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content (e.g., virtual objects, virtual tools, other virtual constructs). The tactile sensation may replicate a feel of a physical object which a virtual object represents, or may replicate a feel of an imagined object or character (e.g., a dragon) which the virtual content represents. In some implementations, haptic devices or components may be worn by the user (e.g., a user wearable glove).”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Lacey's invention of a wearable system with methods for facilitating user interaction in a three-dimensional environment with the features of Alexander's invention of avatar-based telepresence interaction with haptic feedback upon touching virtual content. Regarding element “a control method of an information processing apparatus, comprising”, Lacey teaches a control method of an information processing apparatus. Lacey discloses "wearable systems and methods" that use multiple inputs to determine commands to be executed or objects in the "three dimensional (3D) environment" to be operated on. Lacey further discloses that the wearable system includes a local processing and data module 260 comprising a hardware processor and digital memory. Under BRI, the "methods" disclosed by Lacey for controlling the wearable system that comprises a hardware processor and memory constitute a control method of an information processing apparatus. Regarding element “detecting virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user in a three-dimensional space that is a virtual space or a mixed reality space”, Alexander teaches detecting virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user in a three-dimensional space that is a virtual space or a mixed reality space. Alexander discloses that during a telepresence session in an AR/VR/MR environment, users interact with each other through avatars in a shared virtual environment. Alexander specifically discloses that the wearable system tracks hand gestures including scenarios where "the user may want to... do a 'fist bump' with another person or player," which constitutes direct contact between users in the virtual environment. Alexander further discloses haptic devices that detect and respond to touching virtual content by providing tactile sensations of pressure or texture. Under BRI, users performing contact gestures such as a fist bump in a shared VR/MR environment, detected through the system's hand tracking and haptic capabilities, teaches detecting virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user. Regarding element “performing control such that, in a case where the virtual contact has occurred, the first user is notified with information about a position of the virtual contact”, Alexander teaches performing control such that the first user is notified with information about a position of the virtual contact. Alexander discloses haptic devices that provide a "tactile sensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content," where these devices "may be worn by the user (e.g., a user wearable glove)." A wearable glove providing localized tactile sensation at the point of virtual contact inherently conveys positional information — the user perceives the haptic feedback at the specific location where the contact occurred. Under BRI, this localized haptic notification constitutes notifying the first user with information about a position of the virtual contact. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine because Lacey discloses "wearable systems and methods" for facilitating user interaction in a 3D environment, and Lacey's specification lists "a shared pose from another user" among its input modes, indicating awareness of multi-user scenarios. However, Lacey does not elaborate on how inter-user contact would be detected or how the user would be notified of the position of such contact. Alexander discloses telepresence sessions where users interact through avatars, including specific inter-user contact gestures where "the user may want to... do a 'fist bump' with another person or player," with haptic feedback providing "tactile sensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content" through wearable devices such as gloves. A person of ordinary skill implementing Lacey's methods for a wearable system that already contemplates receiving shared pose data from other users would naturally adopt Alexander's telepresence interaction framework to implement the multi-user contact detection and notification, because Alexander provides both the avatar-based inter-user contact scenarios and the haptic feedback mechanism for notifying users of contact and its position.
Regarding claim 14, Lacey et al. discloses a non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a program, wherein the program causes a computer to execute a control method of an information processing apparatus, the control method comprising (paragraph 117, line(s) 3-6, “The controller 460 includes programming (e.g., instructions in a non-transitory computer-readable medium) that regulates the timing and provision of image information to the waveguides”): ; and ”): detecting virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user in a three-dimensional space that is a virtual space or a mixed reality space; and performing control such that, in a case where the virtual contact has occurred, the first user is notified with information about a position of the virtual contact.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Alexander et al. discloses detecting virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user in a three-dimensional space that is a virtual space or a mixed reality space (Alexander et al.: paragraph 32, line(s) 5-16, “During a telepresence session in which two AR/VR/MR users are interacting with each other, a viewer can perceive an avatar of another user in the viewer's environment and thereby create a tangible sense of the other user's presence in the viewer's environment. The avatar can also provide a way for users to interact with each other and do things together in a shared virtual environment. For example, a student attending an online class can perceive and interact with avatars of other students or the teacher in a virtual classroom. As another example, a user playing a game in an AR/VR/MR environment may view and interact with avatars of other players in the game”; also, paragraph 95, line(s) 1-7, “Hand gesture tracking or recognition may also provide input information. The wearable system 600 may be configured to track and interpret hand gestures for button presses, for gesturing left or right, stop, grab, hold, etc. For example, in one configuration, the user may want to flip through emails or a calendar in a non-gaming environment, or do a “fist bump” with another person or player.”; also, paragraph 83, line(s) 5-10, “The haptic devices or components may be operable to provide a tactile sensation to a user. For example, the haptic devices or components may provide a tactile sensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content (e.g., virtual objects, virtual tools, other virtual constructs).”); and performing control such that, in a case where the virtual contact has occurred, the first user is notified with information about a position of the virtual contact (Alexander et al.: paragraph 83, line(s) 5-15, “The haptic devices or components may be operable to provide a tactile sensation to a user. For example, the haptic devices or components may provide a tactile sensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content (e.g., virtual objects, virtual tools, other virtual constructs). The tactile sensation may replicate a feel of a physical object which a virtual object represents, or may replicate a feel of an imagined object or character (e.g., a dragon) which the virtual content represents. In some implementations, haptic devices or components may be worn by the user (e.g., a user wearable glove).”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Lacey's invention of a wearable system with programming stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium that facilitates user interaction in a three-dimensional VR/AR/MR environment with the features of Alexander's invention of avatar-based telepresence interaction with haptic feedback upon touching virtual content. Regarding element “a non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a program, wherein the program causes a computer to execute a control method of an information processing apparatus, the control method”, Lacey teaches a non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a program causing a computer to execute a control method. Lacey discloses that the controller 460 includes "programming (e.g., instructions in a non-transitory computer-readable medium)" that controls the operation of the wearable system. Under BRI, Lacey's disclosure of instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium that cause the controller to execute operations teaches this element, as the preamble's term "non-transitory computer readable medium" is directly matched by Lacey's specification language. Regarding element “detecting virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user in a three-dimensional space that is a virtual space or a mixed reality space”, Alexander teaches detecting virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user in a three-dimensional space that is a virtual space or a mixed reality space. Alexander discloses that during a telepresence session in an AR/VR/MR environment, users interact with each other through avatars in a shared virtual environment. Alexander specifically discloses that the wearable system tracks hand gestures including scenarios where "the user may want to... do a 'fist bump' with another person or player," which constitutes direct contact between users in the virtual environment. Alexander further discloses haptic devices that detect and respond to touching virtual content by providing tactile sensations of pressure or texture. Under BRI, users performing contact gestures such as a fist bump in a shared VR/MR environment, detected through the system's hand tracking and haptic capabilities, teaches detecting virtual contact of a second user with respect to a first user. Regarding element “performing control such that, in a case where the virtual contact has occurred, the first user is notified with information about a position of the virtual contact”, Alexander teaches performing control such that the first user is notified with information about a position of the virtual contact. Alexander discloses haptic devices that provide a "tactile sensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content," where these devices "may be worn by the user (e.g., a user wearable glove)." A wearable glove providing localized tactile sensation at the point of virtual contact inherently conveys positional information — the user perceives the haptic feedback at the specific location where the contact occurred. Under BRI, this localized haptic notification constitutes notifying the first user with information about a position of the virtual contact. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine because Lacey discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium with programming instructions for controlling a wearable system in a 3D VR/AR/MR environment, and Lacey's specification lists "a shared pose from another user" among its input modes, indicating awareness of multi-user scenarios. Alexander discloses systems for telepresence sessions where users interact through avatars, including specific inter-user contact gestures such as "fist bumps," with haptic feedback providing "tactile sensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content" through wearable devices such as gloves. A person of ordinary skill implementing Lacey's computer-readable medium instructions for a wearable system that already contemplates receiving shared pose data from other users would naturally incorporate Alexander's telepresence interaction teachings into the stored programming, because Alexander provides both the avatar-based inter-user contact architecture and the haptic feedback mechanism that the multi-user functionality implied by Lacey's shared pose input requires.
Regarding claim 15, Lacey et al. as modified by Alexander et al. discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein control is performed such that a direction indicating the position of the virtual contact in a visual field of the first user is calculated.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Alexander et al. discloses the control is performed such that a direction indicating the position of the virtual contact in a visual field of the first user is calculated (Alexander et al.: paragraph 190, line(s) 1-7, “FIG. 18A illustrates a positional tracking view, which is one example of a classroom view. In this view, the presenter is able to see participants as they move around the environment in real time. Thus, the position and rotation (relative to the statue or other virtual object) of the participants headset will be seen by the movements of the sphere avatars 1810”; also, paragraph 115, line(s) 8-12, “The sparse points may be used in determining pose data (e.g., head pose, eye pose, body pose, or hand gestures) that can be used in displaying and understanding the orientation and position of various objects in the user's surroundings”).
Regarding element “the control is performed such that a direction indicating the position of the virtual contact in a visual field of the first user is calculated”, Alexander teaches calculating a direction indicating the position of the virtual contact in a visual field of the first user. Alexander discloses a positional tracking view where the presenter sees participants as they move around the environment in real time, with the position and rotation of participants' headsets visible through sphere avatar movements. Alexander further discloses determining pose data (head pose, eye pose, body pose, hand gestures) to understand the orientation and position of various objects in the user's surroundings. Under BRI, calculating a direction indicating the position of virtual contact in the user's visual field requires determining where in the FOV the contact occurred. Alexander's system, which tracks the real-time position and rotation of other users relative to objects in the environment and uses pose data to determine orientation and position, teaches this directional calculation.
Regarding claim 16, Lacey et al. as modified by Alexander et al. discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control is performed such that a notification item superimposed on video of the three-dimensional space is displayed (Lacey: paragraph 97, line(s) 7-10, “The display 220 can present AR/VR/MR content to a user. The display 220 can comprise a head mounted display (HMD) that is worn on the head of the user”; also, paragraph 4, line(s) 1-6, “Modern computing and display technologies have facilitated the development of systems for so called “virtual reality”, “augmented reality”, or “mixed reality” experiences, wherein digitally reproduced images or portions thereof are presented to a user in a manner wherein they seem to be, or may be perceived as, real.”).
Regarding element “the control is performed such that a notification item superimposed on video of the three-dimensional space is displayed”, Lacey teaches displaying a notification item superimposed on video of the three-dimensional space. Lacey discloses that the display 220 presents AR/VR/MR content to a user through a head mounted display, where in augmented reality and mixed reality, digitally reproduced images are presented as an augmentation to the user's view of the actual world. Under BRI, virtual content displayed through an AR/MR HMD is inherently superimposed on the user's view of the three-dimensional space, which constitutes video of the 3D space. A notification item (such as a visual indicator of virtual contact, as established in the combination of claim 1) displayed through this HMD would be superimposed on the user's view of the three-dimensional space.
Regarding claim 17, Lacey et al. as modified by Alexander et al. discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein display position of the notification item indicates the position of the virtual contact, and a display size of the notification item indicates an intensity of the virtual contact.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Alexander et al. discloses a display position of the notification item indicates the position of the virtual contact (Alexander et al.: paragraph 190, line(s) 1-7, “FIG. 18A illustrates a positional tracking view, which is one example of a classroom view. In this view, the presenter is able to see participants as they move around the environment in real time. Thus, the position and rotation (relative to the statue or other virtual object) of the participants headset will be seen by the movements of the sphere avatars 1810”), and a display size of the notification item indicates an intensity of the virtual contact (Alexander et al.: paragraph 83, line(s) 5-15, “The haptic devices or components may be operable to provide a tactile sensation to a user. For example, the haptic devices or components may provide a tactile sensation of pressure or texture when touching virtual content (e.g., virtual objects, virtual tools, other virtual constructs). The tactile sensation may replicate a feel of a physical object which a virtual object represents, or may replicate a feel of an imagined object or character (e.g., a dragon) which the virtual content represents. In some implementations, haptic devices or components may be worn by the user (e.g., a user wearable glove).”). Regarding element “a display position of the notification item indicates the position of the virtual contact”, Alexander teaches that the display position of the notification item indicates the position of the virtual contact. Alexander discloses a positional tracking view where the position of participants is shown in real time through sphere avatars whose display positions correspond to the participants' actual positions in the environment. Under BRI, placing a visual notification item at the display position corresponding to where the virtual contact occurred teaches a display position that indicates the position of the virtual contact. Regarding element “a display size of the notification item indicates an intensity of the virtual contact”, Alexander teaches that a display size of the notification item indicates an intensity of the virtual contact. Alexander discloses that haptic devices provide tactile sensations of "pressure" when touching virtual content, teaching that the system is aware of the degree of pressure (intensity) of contact. Under BRI, representing intensity through display size is a well-known visual encoding technique. A person of ordinary skill in the art would find it obvious to vary the size of a visual notification to correspond with the pressure or intensity of virtual contact, as mapping magnitude to visual size is a standard approach in user interface design.
Regarding claim 18, Lacey et al. as modified by Alexander et al. discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, program causes the processor to: acquire contact part information about a contact part of the second user that has come into the virtual contact, determine whether or not the contact part is a tracking part based on the contact part information, and determine that the virtual contact has been detected in a case where the contact part is the tracking part or the contact part is a hand.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Alexander et al. discloses the program causes the processor to: acquire contact part information about a contact part of the second user that has come into the virtual contact (Alexander et al.: paragraph 123, line(s) 6-13, “The wearable devices 902 and 904 can track the users' environments and movements in the environments (e.g., via the respective outward-facing imaging system 464, or one or more location sensors) and speech (e.g., via the respective audio sensor). The wearable devices 902 and 904 can also track the users' eye movements or gaze based on data acquired by the inward-facing imaging system 462”; also, paragraph 115, line(s) 8-12, “The sparse points may be used in determining pose data (e.g., head pose, eye pose, body pose, or hand gestures) that can be used in displaying and understanding the orientation and position of various objects in the user's surroundings.”), determine whether or not the contact part is a tracking part based on the contact part information, and determine that the virtual contact has been detected in a case where the contact part is the tracking part or the contact part is a hand (Alexander et al.: paragraph 95, line(s) 1-7, “Hand gesture tracking or recognition may also provide input information. The wearable system 600 may be configured to track and interpret hand gestures for button presses, for gesturing left or right, stop, grab, hold, etc. For example, in one configuration, the user may want to flip through emails or a calendar in a non-gaming environment, or do a “fist bump” with another person or player.”; also, paragraph 115, line(s) 8-12, “The sparse points may be used in determining pose data (e.g., head pose, eye pose, body pose, or hand gestures) that can be used in displaying and understanding the orientation and position of various objects in the user's surroundings.”).
Regarding element “the program causes the processor to: acquire contact part information about a contact part of the second user that has come into the virtual contact”, Alexander teaches acquiring contact part information about a contact part of the second user that has come into the virtual contact. Alexander discloses that wearable devices track users' movements via the outward-facing imaging system and track users' eye movements via the inward-facing imaging system, and further discloses determining pose data for "head pose, eye pose, body pose, or hand gestures." When a body part of the second user comes into virtual contact with the first user during a telepresence session, the system acquires information about which body part is involved through this multi-part tracking and pose determination. Under BRI, the tracking and pose data identifying which body part made contact constitutes contact part information. Regarding element “determine whether or not the contact part is a tracking part based on the contact part information”, Alexander teaches determining whether or not the contact part is a tracking part based on the contact part information. Alexander discloses that the wearable system tracks specific body parts including hands (for gesture recognition) and determines pose data for head, eyes, body, and hands. The system distinguishes between different tracked body parts when processing pose data. Under BRI, determining whether a body part that made contact is among the parts being actively tracked by the system constitutes determining whether the contact part is a tracking part. Regarding element “determine whether or not the contact part is a tracking part based on the contact part information, and determine that the virtual contact has been detected in a case where the contact part is the tracking part or the contact part is a hand”, Alexander teaches determining that the virtual contact has been detected in a case where the contact part is the tracking part or the contact part is a hand. Alexander discloses tracking hand and finger gestures using cameras and specifically contemplates hand-based contact with other users such as a "fist bump" with another person or player. The system specifically tracks hands for gesture recognition. Under BRI, when the system detects that the body part making virtual contact is either a tracked part (a part for which pose data is being determined) or a hand (which is specifically tracked for gesture recognition and used for contact gestures like fist bumps), the system determines that virtual contact has been detected.
Claim(s) 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lacey et al. (U.S. Pub. No 2019/0362557) as modified by Alexander et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2021/0097875) in further view of Bailey (U.S. Pub. No. 2020/0042742).
Regarding claim 7, Lacey et al. as modified by Alexander et al. discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in case where the second user is not included in a first list, the information is not notified.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Bailey discloses a case where the second user is not included in a first list, the information is not notified (Bailey: paragraph 9, line(s) 1-12, “Embodiments of the invention involve using a communication system of a plurality of computing devices equipped with network interfaces communicatively coupled to each other or a server to identify users who are connected; receive updates of personal data of the users; detect, by processing the updates, that a first user has matching personal data, wherein first user's personal data matches to a predetermined extent the personal data of one or more users connected to the first user; present to the first user a first list of users connected to the first user comprising one or more connected users with matching personal data and one or more connected users without matching personal data;”; also, paragraph 22, line(s) 1-6, “An illustrative embodiment of the present invention is a system which shows a user contacts that are nearby but protects those contacts' privacy by also listing contacts that are not nearby and disclosing proximity only after two users have each mutually selected the other from a list of users that is obfuscated by spuriously injected contacts.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Lacey's invention of a wearable system, as combined with Alexander's avatar-based telepresence interaction with haptic feedback, with the features of Bailey's invention of user contact list management and notification control. Regarding element “a case where the second user is not included in a first list, the information is not notified”, Bailey teaches that in a case where the second user is not included in a first list, the information is not notified. Bailey discloses presenting to a first user a "first list of users connected to the first user," where the system only discloses proximity after two users have each mutually selected the other from the list. Users who are not included in the first list (not connected to the first user) do not receive proximity notifications. The system protects privacy by obfuscating the list with spuriously injected contacts and requiring mutual selection before disclosing information. Under BRI, not disclosing proximity information about a user not included in the first list of connected users teaches not notifying information in a case where the second user is not included in a first list. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine because the combination of Lacey and Alexander provides a wearable system for detecting virtual contact between users in a VR/MR environment and providing haptic notification, but does not teach controlling whether notifications are provided based on list membership. Bailey discloses a system that presents a "first list of users connected to the first user" and "discloses proximity only after two users have each mutually selected the other from a list," providing a privacy-preserving mechanism for controlling which users can trigger notifications. A person of ordinary skill implementing a multi-user virtual contact notification system would recognize the need for user management and privacy controls, and would naturally adopt Bailey's list-based mutual selection mechanism because it provides a proven framework for controlling which users are authorized to trigger proximity-based notifications while protecting user privacy through spurious contact injection.
Regarding claim 8, Lacey et al. as modified by Alexander et al. discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in case where the second user is included in a second list, the information is not notified.
However, in a similar field of endeavor, Bailey discloses a case where the second user is included in a second list, the information is not notified (Bailey: paragraph 15, line(s) 1-7, “In another embodiment of the invention, the first list of users and the second list of users comprises one or more of the group comprising a list of membership groups wherein at least one member's personal data matches that of the first user or the second user and a list of members of membership groups wherein at least one member's personal data matches that of the first user or the second user”; also, paragraph 47, line(s) 1-3, “In an alternative embodiment, the system may offer a user-selectable option not to automatically notify the stationary contact that the user has moved.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Lacey's invention of a wearable system, as combined with Alexander's avatar-based telepresence interaction with haptic feedback, with the features of Bailey's invention of multiple user lists with selective notification suppression. Regarding element “a case where the second user is included in a second list, the information is not notified”, Bailey teaches that in a case where the second user is included in a second list, the information is not notified. Bailey discloses "the first list of users and the second list of users," where each list comprises membership groups with users whose personal data matches. Bailey further discloses "a user-selectable option not to automatically notify the stationary contact that the user has moved." Bailey's system manages multiple lists of users with different notification behaviors — when a user appears on the second list and a privacy protection toggle is enabled, the system suppresses automatic notification. Under BRI, when a user is included in a second list with notification suppression enabled, the system does not notify the first user, which teaches not notifying information in a case where the second user is included in a second list. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine because Bailey discloses "the first list of users and the second list of users" as distinct user groupings, along with "a user-selectable option not to automatically notify" contacts. A person of ordinary skill implementing a virtual contact notification system would recognize the utility of maintaining multiple user lists with different notification behaviors — for example, one list for users who may trigger notifications and another for users who should not trigger notifications — and would naturally adopt Bailey's second list mechanism with notification suppression, as it provides the user control framework needed for managing unwanted virtual contact notifications.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jai Li whose telephone number is (571)272-1170. The examiner can normally be reached 06:00-16:00 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Xiao Wu can be reached at (571) 272-7761. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAI W LI/Junior Examiner, Art Unit 2613
/XIAO M WU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2613
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