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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/02/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 7, 9, 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (Pub. No.: KR 20210035109 A, machine translation is included), hereafter Choi.
Regarding claim 1, Choi teaches entertainment apparatus (FIG. 1a, control console device 10) comprising:
a) an entertainment presentation unit (FIG. 1a, transmitter 20) having one or both of a light emitting unit (FIG. 1, light emitting device 30) capable of emitting a plurality of types of light (paragraph [0047], “the light emission device (30) can emit light in correspondence with the light emission pattern included in the light emission control signal”) and a sound producing unit capable of producing sound (paragraph [0088], “Musical Instrument Digital Interface”);
b) a group number storage unit (FIG. 4 memory 320) configured to store a group number (paragraph [0093], “the memory (320) can store scene-specific group information for group control, scene-specific set information for bitmap control, scene-specific light emission information, and transmitter identification information”);
c) a wireless communication unit (FIG. 4, configured to wirelessly receive a plurality of control information for controlling an operation of the entertainment presentation unit assigned to each of a plurality of group numbers transmitted by a same control information transmission wireless communication device (paragraph [0084], “the communication unit (310) may include one or more modules that enable wireless communication with a control console device (10), a transmitter (20), or a wireless communication terminal (e.g., a smartphone) (not shown) carried by an audience. Additionally, the communication unit (310) may include one or more modules that connect the light emitting device (30) to one or more networks”); and
d) a control unit (FIG. 4, processor 340) configured to extract control information assigned to the group number stored in the group number storage unit from the plurality of control information received by the wireless communication unit (paragraph [0108], “Here, group information refers to group-specific control information for controlling the light emitting device (30) by group in response to each production scene in each performance production section. Group-specific control information may include group assignment information (i.e., group identification information) and correspondingly set lighting status information”) and to control one or both of the light emitting unit and the sound producing unit of the entertainment presentation unit based on the control information extracted (paragraph [0108], “the light emitting devices (30) having the same group assignment information for each performance production section can include the same light emitting status information. Additionally, the light emitting devices (100) having the same group assignment information may be different for each performance section”),
wherein the entertainment apparatus does not have an individual identification information (paragraph [0019], “, the at least one light-emitting device can, when receiving a universal lightemitting control signal, perform a light-emitting-related operation defined in data within all received light-emitting control signals, regardless of the identification information of the”, entertainment apparatus does not have an individual identification information previously stored communication device).
Regarding claim 2, Choi further teaches the wireless communication unit is further configured to wirelessly receive the group number (paragraph [0132], “The light emitting device (30) must scan the entire wireless bandwidth (channel) to receive a light emitting control signal if a light emitting control signal containing identification information matching the identification information of the transmitter stored in the memory (320) is not received or if the received light emitting control signal is not at an appropriate wireless signal level”).
Regarding claim 3, Choi further teaches the group number storage unit includes a plurality of pages each of which stores a group number (paragraph [0093], “the memory (320) can store scene-specific group information for group control, scene-specific set information for bitmap control, scene-specific light emission information, and transmitter identification information”, here scene-specific set information are considered to be a plurality of pages each of which stores a group number).
Regarding claim 7, Choi teaches an entertainment system (FIG. 1 and 4, control console device 10) comprising:
a plurality of entertainment apparatuses (FIG. 4, 110, 120 and 130) each including an entertainment presentation unit (FIG. 1a, transmitter 20) having one or both of a light emitting unit (FIG. 1, light emitting device 30) capable of emitting a plurality of types of light (paragraph [0047], “the light emission device (30) can emit light in correspondence with the light emission pattern included in the light emission control signal”) and a sound producing unit capable of producing sound (paragraph [0088], “Musical Instrument Digital Interface”), a group number storage unit (FIG. 4 memory 320) configured to store a group number (paragraph [0093], “the memory (320) can store scene-specific group information for group control, scene-specific set information for bitmap control, scene-specific light emission information, and transmitter identification information”); a wireless communication unit (FIG. 4, configured to wirelessly receive a plurality of control information for controlling an operation of the entertainment presentation unit assigned to each of a plurality of group numbers transmitted by a same control information transmission wireless communication device (paragraph [0084], “the communication unit (310) may include one or more modules that enable wireless communication with a control console device (10), a transmitter (20), or a wireless communication terminal (e.g., a smartphone) (not shown) carried by an audience. Additionally, the communication unit (310) may include one or more modules that connect the light emitting device (30) to one or more networks”); and a control unit (FIG. 4, processor 340) configured to extract control information assigned to the group number stored in the group number storage unit from the plurality of control information received by the wireless communication unit (paragraph [0108], “Here, group information refers to group-specific control information for controlling the lightemitting device (30) by group in response to each production scene in each performance production section. Group-specific control information may include group assignment information (i.e., group identification information) and correspondingly set lighting status information”) and to control one or both of the light emitting unit and the sound producing unit of the entertainment presentation unit based on the control information extracted (paragraph [0108], “the light emitting devices (30) having the same group assignment information for each performance production section can include the same light emitting status information. Additionally, the light emitting devices (100) having the same group assignment information may be different for each performance section”),
wherein the entertainment apparatus does not have an individual identification information (paragraph [0019], “, the at least one light-emitting device can, when receiving a universal lightemitting control signal, perform a light-emitting-related operation defined in data within all received light-emitting control signals, regardless of the identification information of the”, entertainment apparatus does not have an individual identification information previously stored communication device).
Regarding claim 9, Choi further teaches the group number storage unit includes a plurality of pages each having a page number and storing a group number (paragraph [0093], “the memory (320) can store scene-specific group information for group control, scene-specific set information for bitmap control, scene-specific light emission information, and transmitter identification information”, here scene-specific set information are considered to be a plurality of pages each of which stores a group number), and the control information transmission wireless communication device is configured to transmit the page number and the control information (paragraph [0132], “The light emitting device (30) must scan the entire wireless bandwidth (channel) to receive a light emitting control signal if a light emitting control signal containing identification information matching the identification information of the transmitter stored in the memory (320) is not received or if the received light emitting control signal is not at an appropriate wireless signal level”).
Regarding claim 12, Choi further teaches the wireless communication is communication using infrared rays (paragraph [0088], “Infrared Data Association (IrDA)”).
Regarding claim 13, Choi further teaches the wireless communication is communication using magnetisms (paragraph [0088], “RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), UWB (Ultra Wideband), ZigBee, NFC (Near Field Communication)”, where Radio Frequency (RF) (like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Cellular) uses electromagnetic waves, where magnetism is a core component of the propagating wave).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Konno (Pub. No.: JP 2019096489 A, machine translation attached).
Regarding claim 5, Choi teaches limitations of claim 1 but does not disclose a primary battery or a secondary battery configured to supply power to the entertainment presentation light emitting unit; a remaining amount measurement unit configured to measure a remaining amount of the primary battery or the secondary battery; and an output control unit configured to perform control to reduce output of the entertainment presentation unit when a remaining amount measured by the remaining amount measurement unit is equal to or less than a predetermined value.
Konno teaches a primary battery (FIG. 3, dry cell battery or a button cell battery 10) or a secondary battery (FIG. 7, button battery 22) configured to supply power to the entertainment presentation light emitting unit (paragraph [0027], penlight); a remaining amount measurement unit configured to measure a remaining amount of the primary battery or the secondary battery (paragraph [0047], “the second control unit supplies the first control unit with a current amount (A2) corresponding to the remaining power of the attached button battery 22”); and an output control unit configured to perform control to reduce output of the entertainment presentation unit when a remaining amount measured by the remaining amount measurement unit is equal to or less than a predetermined value (paragraph [0047], “when some used batteries are used and the total remaining power of a set (three button type batteries) is, for example, 3.8 V (hereinafter referred to as "usage example" supplies a current of 3.8V to the first control unit).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Choi in view of Konno to incorporate feature of a remaining amount measurement unit configured to measure a remaining amount of the primary to correctly recognize when a power supply changer (containing a button-type battery) is attached (Konno, paragraph [0050]).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Sadwick (Pub. No.: US 20190320515 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Choi teaches limitations of claim 1 but does not disclose a power supply unit including a solar power generation panel and a secondary battery configured to supplying power to the entertainment presentation light emitting unit.
Sadwick teaches a power supply unit including a solar power generation panel and a secondary battery configured to supplying power to the entertainment presentation light emitting unit (paragraph [0076], “, solar or other energy sources including but not limited to alternative energy sources, batteries, geothermal, super capacitor(s), etc”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Choi in view of Sadwick to incorporate a solar power generation panel and a secondary battery to support solar cell charging and battery storage and backup for emergency situation where main power is lost (Konno, paragraph [0090]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 8, 10-11 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 4, prior arts whether stand alone or in combination fail to teach or reasonably suggest the entertainment apparatus according to Claim 1, comprising “control the operation of the another one of the light emitting unit and the sound producing unit based on the second control information and the second group number stored in the group number storage unit”, as required in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Regarding claim 8, prior arts whether stand alone or in combination fail to teach or reasonably suggest the entertainment apparatus according to Claim 7, comprising “a same group number generated by the information generation device simultaneously to all entertainment apparatuses belonging to a same group among the plurality of entertainment apparatuses”, as required in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Regarding claim 10, prior arts whether stand alone or in combination fail to teach or reasonably suggest the entertainment apparatus according to Claim 8, comprising “the group number setting wireless communication device is configured to transmit the page number and the group number, and the control information transmission wireless communication device is configured to transmit the page number and the control information”, as required in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Regarding claim 11, prior arts whether stand alone or in combination fail to teach or reasonably suggest the entertainment apparatus according to Claim 7, comprising “the second group number stored in the group number storage unit, the information generation device is further configured to generate the second control information for the second group number, and the control information transmission wireless communication device is further configured to wirelessly transmit the second control information to all of the plurality of entertainment apparatuses”, as required in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SYED M KAISER whose telephone number is (571)272-9612. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 a.m.-6 p.m..
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/SYED M KAISER/ Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831