DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claims 1-3, 8-11 and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oyman et al. (US 2016/0100099) in view of Barnett et al. (US 2016/0381109).
Regarding claim 1, Oyman et al. (hereinafter “Oyman”) teaches a control apparatus (i.e., local UE 148 and remote UE 128, each include a video conferencing application 16, performed as a control apparatus to run a two-way video conference application 160; Fig.1, para.[0028]) for controlling an online meeting, the apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories storing instructions (para.[0070]) that, when executed, configures the one or more processors, to:
receive, from a camera, a captured video of a meeting room (i.e., the local UE can communicate video stream or video feed of the scene with the remote UE by using the video conferencing application 160; para.[0020]);
transmit the captured video to an online meeting client (i.e., both local and remote EUs captured videos of user A and user B, transmitting the videos to each other via a display screen on each local and remote EUs; para.[0028]);
specify an ROI (Region Of Interest) from the meeting room (i.e., one of the users, such as user B can define a region of interest (ROI) 150 on the local UE 148, as shown in figure 1, para.[0032]-[0033]);
control an optical zoom of the camera for capturing a still image of the ROI in the meeting room (i.e., the ROI 150 can be mapped to one or more pan, tilt, zoom and focus (PTZF) commands and transmitted to the remote UE wherein the PTZF commands are used to control or to instruct the remote UE 128 to capture a still image, such as a wound on the remote user, such as user A’s chin; para.[0034]-[0035]);
transmit the still image that the camera captures after the control for the optical zoom to the online meeting client (i.e., upon capturing the video in accordance with ROI 150, the remote UE 128 encodes the video and transmits the encoded video with the ROI to the local UE 148; para. [0036]).
It should be noticed that Oyman failed to clearly teach a first server for transmitting the captured video and a second server for transmitting the still image of the ROI. However, Barnett et al. (hereinafter “Barnett”) teaches a communication system 100, as shown in figure. 1, comprising one or more server(s) 101 that include a media presentation system 102. Barnett further teaches the system 100 comprising a viewing client device 104, a capturing client device 105 and one or more server(s) 107 (para.[0043]-[0044]). Barnett further teaches the media presentation system 102 which allows the capturing user 112 to capture media, such as a stream of live digital video or captured video, and transmits the captured video to one or more viewing user in a group (para.[0050]). Thus, the media presentation system 102 performed as a first server to transmit the captured video to one of the viewing users. Barnett further teaches the captured user 112 to capture media, associated the captured media with a media presentation, and send the media presentation to the viewing user 110 via the social network system 108. Thus, the social network system 108 performed as a second server to send the captured media, such as a still image (para.[0045]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of a first server for transmitting the captured image and a second server for transmitting a still image, as taught by Barnett, into view of Oyman in order to provide additional information about the particular objects in a video conference or a meeting room.
Regarding claim 2, Oyman further teaches the features of suspending transmitting the captured video, such as switching from a video feed of the scene to the selected area within the scene of the ROI using the interactive zooming feature of the PTZF commands (para.[0020] and [0026]). Oyman further teaches the same amount of bandwidth is used to transmit or to send the encoded video with only the ROI 150 (para.[0036] and [0038]). Thus, Oyman clearly teaches that after the switching, the suspension of transmission of the capture video is performed.
Regarding claim 3, Oyman further teaches limitations of the claim, such as the features of performing return process for returning an optical room parameter of the camera set before specifying the ROI (i.e., the user B can un-zoom (the camera to original zoom parameter) and revert back to viewing the user A’s entire face and torso on the display screen of the local UE 108; para.[0038]).
Regarding claims 8-9, Oyman further teaches that the remote UE 128 can encode a video of the wound on the user’s Chin; and a representation of the user A’s chin can provide additional details as oppose to if all of the user A’s face was included as part of the encoded video (see Fig.1, para.[007]).
Regarding claim 10, Oyman further teaches that a session description protocol (SDP) based signaling between the sending and receiving terminals can allow for offer/answer considerations in the media-related capability negotiation, including codecs, bitrates, resolutions, etc. (para. [0024] and [0027]).
Regarding claim 11, Oyman further teaches that the local UE 148 can communicate the PTZF commands to the remote UE 128 via a real-time transport protocol (RTP) header extension; hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP) based streaming services are described in 3GPP TS 26.247; and support for the 3GP file format is mandated in all of the specifications to support file download and HTTP-based streaming user cases (Fig. 1; para. [0020]-[0021])
Regarding claim 14, Oyman teaches a control method for controlling an online meeting (i.e., a method as shown in figure 8), the method comprising:
receive, from a camera, a captured video of a meeting room (i.e., the local UE can communicate video stream or video feed of the scene with the remote UE by using the video conferencing application 160; para.[0020]);
transmit the captured video to an online meeting client (i.e., both local and remote EUs captured videos of user A and user B, transmitting the videos to each other via a display screen on each local and remote EUs; para.[0028]);
specify an ROI (Region Of Interest) from the meeting room (i.e., one of the users, such as user B can define a region of interest (ROI) 150 on the local UE 148, as shown in figure 1, para.[0032]-[0033]);
control an optical zoom of the camera for capturing a still image of the ROI in the meeting room (i.e., the ROI 150 can be mapped to one or more pan, tilt, zoom and focus (PTZF) commands and transmitted to the remote UE wherein the PTZF commands are used to control or to instruct the remote UE 128 to capture a still image, such as a wound on the remote user, such as user A’s chin; para.[0034]-[0035]);
transmit the still image that the camera captures after the control for the optical zoom to the online meeting client (i.e., upon capturing the video in accordance with ROI 150, the remote UE 128 encodes the video and transmits the encoded video with the ROI to the local UE 148; para. [0036]).
It should be noticed that Oyman failed to clearly teach a first server for transmitting the captured video and a second server for transmitting the still image of the ROI. However, Barnett teaches a communication system 100, as shown in figure. 1, comprising one or more server(s) 101 that include a media presentation system 102. Barnett further teaches the system 100 comprising a viewing client device 104, a capturing client device 105 and one or more server(s) 107 (para.[0043]-[0044]). Barnett further teaches the media presentation system 102 which allows the capturing user 112 to capture media, such as a stream of live digital video or captured video, and transmits the captured video to one or more viewing user in a group (para.[0050]). Thus, the media presentation system 102 performed as a first server to transmit the captured video to one of the viewing users. Barnett further teaches the captured user 112 to capture media, associated the captured media with a media presentation, and send the media presentation to the viewing user 110 via the social network system 108. Thus, the social network system 108 performed as a second server to send the captured media, such as a still image (para.[0045]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of a first server for transmitting the captured image and a second server for transmitting a still image, as taught by Barnett, into view of Oyman in order to provide additional information about the particular objects in a video conference or a meeting room.
Regarding claim 15, Oyman teaches a control method for controlling an online meeting (i.e., a method as shown in figure 8), the method comprising:
receive, from a control apparatus, a captured video of a meeting room (i.e., the local UE can communicate video stream or video feed of the scene with the remote UE by using the video conferencing application 160; para.[0020]);
receiving, from the control apparatus, a still image that the camera captures after an optical zoom control performed in response to a ROI designation at the control apparatus (i.e., the ROI 150 can be mapped to one or more pan, tilt, zoom and focus (PTZF) commands and transmitted to the remote UE wherein the PTZF commands are used to control or to instruct the remote UE 128, by using the video conferencing application 16, to capture a still image, such as a wound on the remote user, such as user A’s chin; in response to a ROI designation or PTZF commands, para.[0034]-[0035]); and
controlling a display screen to display the captured video and the still image (i.e., the local UE 148 can render and display the encoded video on the display screen associated with the local UE 148; para.[0038]).
It should be noticed that Oyman failed to clearly teach a first server for transmitting the captured video and a second server for transmitting the still image of the ROI. However, Barnett teaches a communication system 100, as shown in figure. 1, comprising one or more server(s) 101 that include a media presentation system 102. Barnett further teaches the system 100 comprising a viewing client device 104, a capturing client device 105 and one or more server(s) 107 (para.[0043]-[0044]). Barnett further teaches the media presentation system 102 which allows the capturing user 112 to capture media, such as a stream of live digital video or captured video, and transmits the captured video to one or more viewing user in a group (para.[0050]). Thus, the media presentation system 102 performed as a first server to transmit the captured video to one of the viewing users. Barnett further teaches the captured user 112 to capture media, associated the captured media with a media presentation, and send the media presentation to the viewing user 110 via the social network system 108. Thus, the social network system 108 performed as a second server to send the captured media, such as a still image (para.[0045]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of a first server for transmitting the captured image and a second server for transmitting a still image, as taught by Barnett, into view of Oyman in order to provide additional information about the particular objects in a video conference or a meeting room.
Claims 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oyman et al. (US 2016/0100099) in view of Barnett et al. (US 2016/0381109) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Schaefer et al. (US 2022/0292801).
Regarding claim 4, Oyman and Barnett, in combination, teaches all subject matters as claimed above, except for features of specify a whiteboard region that is different from the ROI from the captured video of the meeting room, and wherein the still image of the specified ROI and a still image of the whiteboard region are transmitted to the online meeting client via the second server. However, Schaefer et al. (hereinafter “Schaefer”) teaches a videoconferencing system and method of formatting views of whiteboards in conjunction with presenters. Schaefer further teaches that regions of interest are located. Regions of interest are objects or areas that are of interest in performing framing decisions. Regions of interest include conference participants, whiteboard, such as a presenter P (read on the ROI from the capture video) and whiteboard 16 (read on a whiteboard region), as shown in figures 2A. The still image of the presenter P (a framed view F1) and a still image of the whiteboard region, as shown in figure 2A-2D, are transmitted to the other participant(s) at the far end conference site or sites (para.[0018]-[0023]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of specify a whiteboard region that is different from the ROI from the captured video of the meeting room, and wherein the still image of the specified ROI and a still image of the whiteboard region are transmitted to the online meeting client via the second server, as taught by Schaefer, into view of Oyman and Barnett in order to capture additional image(s) as additional information to provide to the viewing participants in the meeting room.
Regarding claim 5, Schaefer further teaches limitations of the claim, such as the still image of the whiteboard region is obtained by cropping process on a video frame without optical zoom control and provided the view of the whiteboard, as shown in figures 2A, para.[0019].
Regarding claim 6, Schaefer further teaches limitations of the claim, such as the still image of the whiteboard region is obtained by performing keystone correction process based on a size and location of a framing view F2 and the whiteboard (para.[0020]), based on the presenter P is in front of the whiteboard and the location of whiteboard is located within the framing view F3, as shown in figure 3 (para.[0021]) or based on the left column 200 of the whiteboard contained writing is framed with the presenter P to provide in framing view F4 (para.[0022]-[0023]).
Regarding claim 7, Barnett further teaches limitations of the claim, such as the features of receiving a request from a viewing user of the group of viewing users to share the media stream with one or more additional viewing users and generating a message that includes a link, i.e., included a URL for downloading the sharing media stream and sending the message with the link to the one or more additional viewing users (para.[0220]; figures 1 and 8).
Claims 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oyman et al. (US 2016/0100099) in view of Barnett et al. (US 2016/0381109) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Pallamsetty (US 2019/0141252).
Regarding claim 12, Oyman and Barnett, in combination, teaches all subject matters as claimed above, except for feature of determining a position of the ROI based on a position of a hand gesture detected from the captured video. However, Pallamsetty teaches such feature in the paragraph [0030] for a purpose of identifying the command for capturing the still image of the ROI.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of determining a position of the ROI based on a position of a hand gesture detected from the captured video, as taught by Pallamsetty, into view of Oyman and Barnett in order to capture additional images as additional information to provide to viewing participants in the meeting room.
Regarding claim 13, Pallamsetty further teaches limitations of the claim in paragraphs [0030] and [0099].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BINH TIEU whose telephone number is (571)272-7510. The examiner can normally be reached on 9-5. The Examiner’s fax number is (571) 273-7510 and E-mail address: BINH.TIEU@USPTO.GOV.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone or video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, FAN S. TSANG can be reached on (571) 272-7547.
Any response to this action should be mailed or handed carry deliveries to:
Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks
401 Dulany Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Or faxed to: (571) 273-8300
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/Binh Kien Tieu/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2694
Date: January 2026