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 1-10 are pending in this application and have been examined in response to application filed on 05/22/2024.
CONTINUING DATA: This application is a 371 of PCT/JP2022/043394 11/24/2022
FOREIGN APPLICATIONS: JAPAN 2021-196938 12/03/2021
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it contains reference numbers to figures. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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.
Claims 1-4 and 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Manickam et al. (US 2019/0355177 A1) in view of Shakib et al. (US 2018/0144547 A1).
As to INDEPENDENT claim 1, Manickam discloses a work support system for supporting work of a worker, the work support system comprising: a work target specifying device to be used by the worker (fig.5; [0024]; a mixed reality device for building maintenance is disclosed); and
a work support device to be used by a work supporter for supporting the work of the worker, the work support device being communicably connected to the work target specifying device ([0084]; a support device for providing remote help is connected with the mix reality device), wherein
the work target specifying device is configured to acquire three-dimensional space data of a work space including a target device, … and output the created predetermined image data to the work support device ([0024], [0025], [0084]; a 3D environment is generated by the work target specifying device and the view from said device is shared with the work support device), and
the work support device is configured to display the predetermined image data received from the work target specifying device, and transmit information received from the work supporter to the work target specifying device ([0084]; the worker can share a view with the support technician). Manickam does not expressly disclose create predetermined image data by associating two-dimensional image data obtained by imaging the target device with the target device in the three-dimensional space data.
In the same field of endeavor, Shakib discloses create predetermined image data by associating two-dimensional image data obtained by imaging the target device with the target device in the three-dimensional space data ([0026]; the captured 2D image is rendered onto the 3D model).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teaching of Manickam and Shakib before him prior to the effective filling date, to modify the mixed reality equipment maintenance interface taught by Manickam to include the above limitation taught by Shakib with the motivation being to enhance image fidelity in the generated 3D model (Shakib, [0026]).
As to claim 2, the prior art as combined discloses wherein the work target specifying device is configured to create support content data including guidance information for guiding the worker to the target device in the work space and provide the support content data to the worker (Manickam, fig.1; [0044]; a direction is provided for guiding the worker to the target device).
As to claim 3, the prior art as combined discloses wherein the guidance information is information for requesting the worker to input, to the work target specifying device, specifying information for specifying the target device, in front of the target device (Manickam, fig.4A, fig.4B; user inputs to select specified information for the target device).
As to claim 4, the prior art as combined discloses wherein the support content data is created based on work instruction manual data describing a work instruction for the target device (Manickam, [0074]; standard operating procedure “SOP” is provided).
As to claim 7, the prior art as combined discloses wherein the work target specifying device is configured to acquire an evaluation of the work for the target device and store the evaluation together with a work history (Manickam, [0086]; a checklist is provided with the workorder for documenting the workorder).
As to claim 8, the prior art as combined discloses wherein the work target specifying device and the work support device are directly connected to each other (Manickam, [0027]; the mixed reality device is directly connected with the building management system).
INDEPENDENT claim 9 is a device variation of claim 1, claim 9 is therefore rejected under the same rationale addressed in the rejection of claim 1 above.
INDEPENDENT claim 10 is a method variation of claim 1, claim 9 is therefore rejected under the same rationale addressed in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Manickam-Shakib in view of Sagawa (US 2016/0335578 A1).
As to claim 5, the prior art as combined does not expressly disclose wherein the work target specifying device is configured to extract a candidate of the target device by analyzing the two-dimensional image data obtained by imaging the work space, and present the candidate to the worker.
In the same field of endeavor, Sagawa discloses extract a candidate of the target device by analyzing the two-dimensional image data obtained by imaging the work space, and present the candidate to the worker ([0074]; image data is extracted to obtain a match of the 3D model).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teaching of the prior art as combined and Sagawa before him prior to the effective filling date, to modify the mixed reality equipment maintenance interface taught by the prior art as combined to include the above limitation taught by Sagawa with the motivation being to improve accuracy by using image matching.
As to claim 6, the prior art as combined discloses wherein when a plurality of candidates of the target device are provided, the work target specifying device causes the worker to select the target device from the plurality of candidates of the target device presented to the worker (Sagawa, fig.17, fig.19, [0074]; candidate devices are mapped, the user uses a camera on a tablet device to select the target device from a plurality of devices).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HAOSHIAN SHIH whose telephone number is (571)270-1257. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, FRED EHICHIOYA can be reached at (571) 272-4034. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HAOSHIAN SHIH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2179