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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 09/05/2024, 11/13/2024, 01/21/2025, and 03/24/2025 were filed after the mailing date of the application. The submission 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
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 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 1-5, 7-8, 17-20, 24, and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Palangie et al. (US. Patent App. Pub. No. 2022/0101612, “Palangie”, hereinafter).
As per claim 1, Palangie teaches a method comprising:
at a first computer system in communication with a display generation component, the first computer system associated with a first user (Fig. 1):
while a three-dimensional environment is visible via the display generation component (¶ [28]), detecting that one or more first criteria are satisfied, including a criterion that is satisfied while the first computer system is in a real-time communication session that includes a second computer system associated with a second user (¶ [208] “In some embodiments, the one or more placement criteria include a criterion that is satisfied when both users are able to see the respective representation of the respective application from their viewpoints in the three-dimensional environment”); and
in response to detecting that the one or more first criteria are satisfied (as addressed):
in accordance with a determination that a first quantity of users, including the first user and the second user, are participating in the real-time communication session displaying, in the three-dimensional environment via the display generation component, a representation of the second user at a first virtual location for the second user relative to a first virtual location associated with a viewpoint of the first user in the three-dimensional environment, wherein the first virtual location associated with the viewpoint of the first user and the first virtual location for the second user have a first spatial arrangement relative to each other in the three-dimensional environment (see Fig. 9A-D, ¶ [208], “In some embodiments, in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to display the respective representation of the respective application (1006), in accordance with a determination that a viewpoint of the first user (e.g., 914A) and a viewpoint of the second user (e.g., 914B) are in a first arrangement (e.g., a spatial arrangement) that includes viewpoints at a first plurality of positions in the three-dimensional environment (e.g., 904), such as in FIG. 9A (e.g., the viewpoint of the first user and the viewpoint of the second user are at the first plurality of positions (e.g., and orientations) in the three-dimensional environment), ….In some embodiments, the one or more placement criteria include criteria that are satisfied based at least in part on the locations and optionally orientations of the first and second user in the three-dimensional environment”; and
in accordance with a determination that a second quantity of users, different from the first quantity of users and including the first user and the second user, are participating in the real-time communication session, displaying, in the three-dimensional environment via the display generation component, the representation of the second user at a second virtual location for the second user relative to a second virtual location associated with the viewpoint of the first user in the three-dimensional environment, wherein the second virtual location for the second user and the second virtual location associated with the viewpoint of the first user have a second spatial arrangement relative to each other in the three-dimensional environment, different from the first spatial arrangement (¶ [144], “In some embodiments, in response to an input to increase the number of users that have access to a virtual object …the electronic device makes the object assessable to the increased number of users and updates one or more of the orientation, size, and position of the object in accordance with the positions of the users that have access to the object.” See also, ¶ [199], “…if the number of users in the three-dimensional environment 904 changes (e.g., by adding or removing users), the automatic orientation of a respective object at a respective position in the three-dimensional environment 904 will also change”. Fig. 9C and 9D, ¶ [231], detailing the change in the second spatial arrangement relative to the users’ positions in response to the change in the number of users sharing the three-dimensional environment).
As per claim 2, Palangie does also teach wherein the one or more first criteria include a criterion that is satisfied when the computer system detects the second user joining the real-time communication session (¶ [121]. The criterion is addressed above in claim 1).
As per claim 3, Palangie further teaches before detecting that the one or more first criteria are satisfied, displaying a representation of a third user at a first virtual location for the third user relative to the viewpoint of the first user in the three-dimensional environment (Fig. 13A-B, ¶ [312], displaying user C before approving or denying by host user A), and in response to detecting that the one or more first criteria are satisfied, moving the display of the representation of the third user from the first virtual location for the third user to a second virtual location for the third user, different from the first virtual location for the third user, relative to the viewpoint of the first user in the three-dimensional environment (¶ [313-315], “…user C 1314C is placed at a location that is visible to user A 1314A and user B 1314B…”).
As per claim 4, Palangie does also teach before detecting that the one or more first criteria are satisfied, displaying a representation of a fourth user at a first virtual location for the fourth user relative to the viewpoint of the first user in the three-dimensional environment, and in response to detecting that the one or more first criteria are satisfied, moving the display of the representation of the fourth user from the first virtual location for the fourth user to a second virtual location for the fourth user, different from the first virtual location for the fourth user, relative to the viewpoint of the first user in the three-dimensional environment (¶ [321-322], similar rationale to claim 3 addressed above).
As per claim 5, Palangie does further teach in response to detecting that the one or more first criteria are satisfied, maintaining a virtual location associated with the viewpoint of the user at a same virtual location with which the viewpoint of the first user was associated at the time the computer system detects that the one or more criteria are satisfied (¶ [121], i.e., only the object is moved to a location within the threshold distance so that all users can access (meaning the virtual locations of the users are maintained).
As per claim 7, Palangie does also teach wherein the one or more first criteria include a criterion that is satisfied when the computer system detects a user input corresponding to a request to reset a spatial arrangement of representations of users participating in the real-time communication session (¶ [201]).
As per claim 8, Palangie does further teach after detecting that the one or more first criteria are satisfied and in accordance with the determination that the first quantity of users are participating in the real-time communication session, and while displaying the representation of the second user at the first virtual location (as addressed in claim 1),
obtaining information corresponding to movement of the representation of the second user; and in response to obtaining the information corresponding to movement of the representation of the second user:
updating a virtual location of the display of the representation of the second user in accordance with the obtained information, and maintaining the display of the representations of the remaining users participating in the real-time communication session at the respective virtual locations according to the first spatial arrangement (¶ [119]).
As per claim 17, as addressed above, Palangie teaches wherein the one or more first criteria include a criterion that is satisfied when users in the real-time communication session are participating in a first type of shared activity (¶ [231], sharing three-dimensional environment).
As per claim 18, Palangie further teaches wherein the first type of shared activity corresponds to viewing virtual content in a vertical plane within the three-dimensional environment, and the first spatial arrangement and second spatial arrangement correspond to arrangements of virtual locations in a line facing the virtual content (Fig. 9D, for example, i.e., the virtual vertical plane of the applications such as App A, App B, App C, corresponding to the locations of the users A, B, C in the three-dimensional environment 904. See also ¶ [288]).
As per claim 19, Palangie does also teach wherein the first type of shared activity corresponds to viewing virtual content oriented in a horizontal plane within the three-dimensional environment, and the first spatial arrangement and second spatial arrangement correspond to arrangements of virtual locations around a perimeter of the virtual content and facing the virtual content (¶ [288], “For example, the electronic device displays the respective virtual object to appear as though it is placed on a surface such as a floor, table, or other horizontal surface or to appear as though the object is hanging on a wall or other vertical surface”).
As per claim 20, Palangie also teaches wherein virtual locations in the first spatial arrangement are associated with first virtual content and virtual locations in the second spatial arrangement are associated with second virtual content (Fig. 9D, content in user A, user B, and user C are different corresponding to different virtual location of each user).
Claim 24, which is similar in scope to claim 1 as addressed above, is thus rejected under the same rationale. (The added limitation of processor and memory is depicted in Fig. 3 of Palangie).
Claim 25, which is similar in scope to claim 1 as addressed above, is thus rejected under the same rationale.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Palangie et al. (US. Patent App. Pub. No. 2022/0101612, “Palangie”, hereinafter).
As per claim 6, Palangie also teaches detecting that at least one user participating in the real-time communication session has left the real-time communication session (¶ [231]); and
Palangie does not expressly teach after detecting that the at least one user has left the real-time communication session, maintaining respective virtual locations of the display of representations of remaining users participating in the real-time communication session. However, Palangie does teach at ¶ [231] that “In some embodiments, the electronic device does not update the orientation of the respective representation in response to the number of users in the three-dimensional environment changing”, implying the virtual locations of the remaining users do not have to change since the placement criterion addressed above is still satisfied. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Palangie to maintain respective virtual locations of the remaining users as addressed above, the advantage of which is not to rearrange the 3D space when a user left the 3D environment, and thereby reducing power consumption.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-16, 21-23 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: The prior art taken singly or in combination does not teach or suggest, a method, among other things, comprising:
… wherein the first spatial arrangement corresponds to slots in a first template, the method further comprising:
while the first quantity of users are participating in the real-time communication session and while the virtual location associated with the viewpoint of the first user corresponds to a first virtual location in the first template and representations of the remaining user of the first quantity of users are displayed at respective virtual locations of the first template, detecting that a third user has joined the real-time communication session, wherein a quantity of users participating in the real-time communication session after the third user joins the real-time communication session is a third quantity;
in response to detecting that the third user has joined the real-time communication session:
in accordance with a determination that there is a virtual location that is empty in the first template: displaying a representation of the third user at the virtual location that was empty, and maintaining the virtual locations in the first template at which respective representations of one or more additional users are displayed; and in accordance with a determination that there is not a virtual location that is empty in the first spatial arrangement: displaying the representation of the third user at a second virtual location for the third user according to a third spatial arrangement associated with the third quantity of users, and updating the respective virtual locations at which respective representations of one or more additional users of the third quantity of users according to the third spatial arrangement (claims 9, 11, 12);
…while a fifth quantity of user are participating in the real-time communication session and while displaying representations of the fifth quantity of users excluding the first user at respective virtual locations according to a first template associated with a larger quantity of users than the fifth quantity of users such that a plurality of virtual locations in the first template associated with the larger quantity of users are empty virtual locations, detecting an arrival of a plurality of additional users in the real-time communication session; and
in response to detecting the arrival of the plurality of additional users:
in accordance with a determination that a quantity of empty virtual locations matches a quantity of the plurality of additional users, displaying representations of the plurality of additional users at respective locations corresponding to the respective empty virtual locations, and in accordance with a determination that the quantity of empty virtual locations does not match the quantity of the plurality of additional users, displaying representations of the plurality of additional users and the fifth quantity of users excluding the first user at respective virtual locations according to a second template associated with a total quantity of users participating in the real-time communication session after detecting the arrival of the plurality of additional users (claim 10); or
…after displaying the representation of the second user at the first virtual location for the second user or the second virtual location for the second user in response to detecting that the one or more first criteria are satisfied, detecting an arrival of a third user in the real-time communication session; and
in response to detecting the arrival of the third user and in accordance with a determination that a total quantity of users participating in the real-time communication session, including the first user, the second user, and the third user, is a third quantity of users:
displaying representations of the second user and the third user at respective virtual locations according to a second template associated with the third quantity of users independently of a virtual location at which the representation of the second user was displayed when the arrival of the third user was detected (claim 13);
…while displaying the representation of the second user at the second virtual location or the third virtual location, detecting an arrival of a third user in the real-time communication session; and in response to detecting the arrival of the third user, displaying a representation of the third user at a fifth virtual location without changing the virtual location associated with the viewpoint of the first user and without changing the virtual location at which the representation of the second user is displayed (claim 14); or
… the first spatial arrangement corresponds to a first arrangement of virtual locations distributed along a first perimeter of a first closed shape having a first radius that is determined, by the first computer system, based on the first quantity of users; the second spatial arrangement corresponds to a second arrangement of virtual locations distributed along a second perimeter of a second closed shape having a second radius, different from the first radius, that is determined, by the first computer system, based on the second quantity of users; displaying the representation of the second user comprises displaying the representation of the second user facing a center of the first closed shape or the second closed shape; and the viewpoint of the first user is facing the center of the first closed shape or the second closed shape (claim 15);
…in accordance with the determination that the first quantity of users are participating in the real-time communication session: displaying the representation of the second user comprises displaying the representation of the second user facing the first virtual location, and the viewpoint of the first user is facing the second virtual location; and
in accordance with the determination that the second quantity of users are participating in the real-time communication session: displaying the representation of the second user comprises displaying the representation of the second user facing a center region of the second spatial arrangement without facing the first virtual location, and the viewpoint of the first user is facing the center region of the second template without facing the third virtual location (claim 16); or
…while the three-dimensional environment is visible via the display generation component, detecting that one or more second criteria are satisfied, including a first criterion that is satisfied while the first computer system is in a real-time communication session that includes a third computer system associated with a third user; and in response to detecting that the one or more second criteria are satisfied: in accordance with a determination that a first quantity of spatial participants are participating in the real-time communication session independent of a quantity of non-spatial participants that are participating in the real-time communication session, displaying, in the three-dimensional environment via the display generation component, a representation of the third user at a first virtual location for the third user relative to a third virtual location associated with the viewpoint of the first user in the three-dimensional environment; and in accordance with a determination that the second quantity of spatial participants, different from the first quantity of spatial participants, are participating in the real-time communication session independent of a quantity of non-spatial participants that are participating in the real-time communication session, displaying, in the three-dimensional environment via the display generation component, the representation of the third user at a second virtual location, different from the first virtual location, for the third user relative to the third virtual location associated with the viewpoint of the first user in the three-dimensional environment (claim 21); or
… wherein the second user is a spatial participant and the one or more first criteria include a criterion that is satisfied when the second user joins the real-time communication session, the method further comprising: while the three-dimensional environment is visible via the display generation component, detecting that one or more second criteria are satisfied, including a first criterion that is satisfied while the first computer system is in a real-time communication session that includes a third computer system associated with a third user and a second criterion that is satisfied when the third user joins the real-time communication session; and in response to detecting that the one or more second criteria are satisfied: in accordance with a determination that the third user is a spatial participant in the real-time communication session, displaying a representation of the third user at a first virtual location for the third user relative to a third virtual location associated with the viewpoint of the first user in the three-dimensional environment; and in accordance with a determination that the third user is a non-spatial participant in the real-time communication session, displaying the representation of the third user at a second virtual location, different from the first virtual location, for the third user relative to the third virtual location associated with the viewpoint of the first user in the three-dimensional environment (claim 22); or
… while displaying the representation of the second user at the second virtual location for the second user or the third virtual location for the second user in response to detecting that the one or more first criteria are satisfied, detecting an arrival of a third user in the real-time communication session; and in response to detecting the arrival of the third user:
in accordance with a determination that the third user is a spatial participant, updating a virtual location of the display of the representation of the second user from the second virtual location for the second user or the third virtual location for the second user to a fourth virtual location for the second user relative to a virtual location associated with the viewpoint of the first user, the fourth virtual location corresponding to a slot in a first template, and in accordance with a determination that the third user is a non-spatial participant, updating a virtual location of the display of the representation of the second user from the second virtual location for the second user or the third virtual location for the second user to a fifth virtual location for the second user relative to the virtual location associated with the viewpoint of the first user, different from the fourth virtual location, the fifth virtual location for the second user corresponding to a slot in a second template different from the first template (claim 23).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hau H. Nguyen whose telephone number is: 571-272-7787. The examiner can normally be reached on MON-FRI from 8:30-5:30.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tammy Goddard, can be reached on (571) 272-7773.
The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HAU H NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2611