DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
1.35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claimed invention does not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter (process, machine, manufacture, or composition matter)
Claim 20 is claiming “a program” which is directed to non-statutory subject matter. From applicant’s specification, paragraphs [0147 and 0153], the cited paragraphs states that “a program” can be transitory or non-transitory since the specification is not specifically disclose a program.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
2. 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.
3. Claim(s) 1-7, 11-13, 16 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsu et al. (US 20080137553).
Regarding claims 1, 19 and 20, Hsu discloses an information processing device (Paragraphs: 0008-0009: Hsu discusses access point and the terminal, i.e. an information processing device) comprising a control unit (Paragraph: 0016: computer with easy-config program) configured to acquire information regarding a bidirectional strength (Paragraphs: 0017: Hsu discusses signal strength intensity (RSSI)) based on arrangement information indicating a relationship between a plurality of information processing terminals (Paragraph: 0017 and fig.1: Hsu discusses terminal and access point, see fig.1; certification process; Hus also discusses how only terminals within an effective distance from the access point can perform handshaking), and perform control to change an output form (Paragraph: 0017: increasing or decreasing the signal strength) in an output unit of at least one information processing terminal among the plurality of information processing terminals on a basis of the bidirectional strength (Paragraphs: 0016-0017 and fig.2: Hsu discusses how the system increases the value of an output signal and makes the value of the output signal greater than the now elevated RSSI threshold of the access point 14, because the RSSI threshold of the access point is raised, only terminals within an effective distance from the access point).
Hsu discloses the invention set forth above but does not specifically mentioning “bidirectional strength”
Hsu however discloses how the system performs the connection process based on terminals within an effective distance from the access point; and also discloses a signal strength intensity (RSSI) (Hsu: abstract and Paragraphs: 0017-0018). Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to interpret “the configuration process based on the computing distance between the terminals and access point; and a signal strength intensity (RSSI))” as a “bidirectional strength” to allow the overall security of the network to be increased, and improves the encryption by current wireless networks as disclosed by Hsu.
Considering claim 2, Hsu discloses the information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the bidirectional strength data includes distance data indicating a distance to a predetermined information processing terminal in the arrangement information (Paragraph: 0017), and the control unit performs control to change an output form of the output unit according to the distance data (Paragraphs: 0016-0017 and fig.2: Hsu discusses how the system increases the value of an output signal and makes the value of the output signal greater than the now elevated RSSI threshold of the access point 14; because the RSSI threshold of the access point is raised, only terminals within an effective distance from the access point).
Considering claim 3, Hsu discloses the information processing device according claim 2, wherein the control unit performs control to change an output form of the output unit such that information corresponding to the information processing terminal is expressed in a more abstract manner as the distance data is larger, and performs control to change an output form of the output unit such that information corresponding to the information processing terminal is expressed in a more concrete manner as the distance data is smaller (Paragraphs: 0016-0017: Hsu discusses how only terminals within an effective distance from the access point can perform handshaking and prevents people who are a far distance from the access point; and how the system increasing or decreasing the signal strength based on distance).
Considering claims 4 and 12, Hsu discloses the information processing device according to claims 2 and 4, wherein the bidirectional strength data includes interaction target scope data indicating whether or not the predetermined information processing terminal is included in an interaction target scope that is a range in which interaction via the output unit is possible, in the arrangement information, and the control unit performs control to change an output form of the output unit according to the distance data and the interaction target scope data (Paragraphs: 0016 and 0017: Hsu discusses only terminals within an effective distance from the access point can perform handshaking; and prevents people who are a far distance from the access point from listening).
Considering claims 5 and 13, Hsu discloses the information processing device according to claims 4 and 12, wherein the control unit performs control to change an output form of the output unit such that information corresponding to the predetermined information processing terminal is expressed in an abstract manner in a case where the predetermined information processing terminal is not included in the interaction target scope (Paragraph: 0017: prevents people who are a far distance from the access point from listening), and performs control to change an output form of the output unit such that information corresponding to the predetermined information processing terminal is expressed in a concrete manner in a case where the predetermined information processing terminal is included in the interaction target scope (Paragraphs: 0016-0017 and fig.2: Hsu discusses how the system increases the value of an output signal and makes the value of the output signal greater than the now elevated RSSI threshold of the access point for terminals within effective distance).
Considering claim 6, Hsu discloses the information processing device according to claim 4, wherein the interaction target scope is set on a basis of the distance data (Paragraphs: 0016-0017).
Considering claim 7, Hsu discloses the information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined information processing terminal includes a host terminal arranged in the arrangement information (Paragraph: 0017 and fig.1, 10, 12, 14).
Considering claims 11 and 16, Hsu discloses the information processing device according to claims 7 and 15, wherein the control unit transmits a response request to the host terminal via a communication unit, and the response request is transmitted to the host terminal on a basis of the arrangement information ( Paragraphs: 0009 and 0018: Hsu discusses how the access point sends an association response to the terminal).
Considering claim 18, Hsu discloses the information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the output unit includes a device that reproduces voice, and the control unit changes an output form of the voice (Paragraphs: 0008 and 0017: Hsu discusses increasing a received signal threshold; and creating a connection between the access point and the client terminal).
4. Claim(s) 8-10, 14-15 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsu et al. (US 20080137553) in view of Satoda et al. (JP 2000165831).
Considering claims 8 and 15, Hsu fail to disclose claims 8 and 15. Satoda however discloses the information processing device according to claims 8 and 15, wherein an arrangement position of the host terminal defined by the arrangement information is changeable (Paragraphs: 0023 and 0027: Satoda discusses how the arrangement of participants can be easily adjusted; and how the system changing the three-dimensional model according to the type of meeting, the atmosphere of the meeting can be changed).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention of Hsu, and modify a system wherein an arrangement position of the host terminal defined by the arrangement information is changeable, as taught by Satoda, thus allowing a video and audio synthesize a multipoint video conference, and more particularly to a video and audio synthesize for a multipoint video conference that provides a high level of realism as, as discussed by Satoda
Considering claim 9, Satoda discloses the information processing device according to claim 8, wherein the bidirectional strength data is reset according to change in an arrangement position of the host terminal (Paragraphs: 0012, 0018, 0030 and 0034: Satoda discusses how the system updates the information of the conference space using control information from each conference terminal; and how the nearby video selected and generated based on an appropriate location).
Considering claim 10, Satoda discloses the information processing device according to claim 8, wherein an arrangeable range of the host terminal in the arrangement information is set (Paragraphs: 0027 and 0031-0034: Satoda discusses how arrangement information of the participants stored in the virtual space information storage).
Considering claim 14, Satoda discloses the information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement information is defined according to attribute information input from each information processing terminal (Paragraphs: 0010, 0018 and 0020: Satoda discusses how multidirectional audio based on participant location information from the virtual space information storage unit; and how relative positions of other conference participants as seen from that position to the image selection unit and the image generation unit based on the ID of the conference terminal).
Considering claim 17, Satoda discloses the information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the output unit includes a device that displays video, and the control unit changes an output form of the video (Paragraphs: 0029 and 0034: Satoda discusses outputting video from the desired direction based on video from different directions input from the conference terminal).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YOSEF K LAEKEMARIAM whose telephone number is (571)270-5149. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30-6:30 M-F.
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/YOSEF K LAEKEMARIAM/ Examiner, Art Unit 2691 12/05/2025