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 .
Response to Amendment
1. Claims 1-2, 4-8, and 10-20 are currently pending.
2. Claims 3 and 9 are canceled.
3. Claims 1 and 20 are currently amended.
4. The objections to the claims are overcome.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Claims 1-2, 4-8, and 10-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over He (US 20060227012 A1; referred to as He ‘012) in view of He (US 20120133529 A1; referred to as He ‘529).
9. Regarding Claim 1, He ‘012 teaches a system, comprising: at least one display unit (He ‘012: [0012]);
At least one vision system (VS) sensor unit installed in an aircraft, each of the at least one VS sensor unit comprising at least one sensor and at least one VS processor, wherein the at least one VS sensor unit is configured to provide real-time images of views of an environment external to the aircraft (He ‘012: [0015]);
And at least one computing device, each of the at least one computing device comprising at least one processor, wherein the at least one computing device, the at least one VS sensor unit, and the at least one display unit are communicatively coupled at one or more given times (He ‘012: [0013]),
Wherein the at least one computing device is configured to: receive at least some of the real-time images from one or more of the at least one VS sensor unit, wherein one or more of the at least some of the real-time images include views of a runway environment (He ‘012: [0015] and [0018]);
Generate real-time display images, wherein each of one or more of the real-time display images have display symbols overlaid on one of a given image of the one or more of the at least some of the real-time images… wherein the display symbols comprise a flight path vector (FPV) symbol and a flight director (FD) symbol (He ‘012: [0018] and [0023] Note that the aim point of the aiming symbol [flight path vector] is equivalent to the flight director (FD) symbol.),
Wherein at least one portion of the FPV symbol is hidden or removed from a given display image of the one or more of the display images such that the FPV symbol does not occlude at least one portion of the runway environment (He ‘012: [0020] and [0023] Note that the FPV symbol being hidden or removed is equivalent to increases the transparency of the aiming symbol that cover the target.),
Wherein at least one portion of the FD symbol is hidden or removed from the given display image of the one or more of the display images such that the FD symbol does not occlude at least one other portion of the runway environment (He ‘012: [0020] and [0023] Note that increasing the transparency of other symbols when it is blocking any part of a high priority target is equivalent to the FD symbol being hidden or removed such that the FD symbol does not occlude at least one other portion of the runway environment.),
And output one or more of the display images to one or more of the at least one display unit; wherein the one or more of the at least one display unit is configured to display at least one display image of the one or more of the display images to a user, the at least one display image including the given display image (He ‘012: [0018]).
He ‘012 fails to explicitly teach that each of one or more of the real-time display images have display symbols overlaid on one of a given image of the one or more of the at least some of the real-time images of views of the environment external to the aircraft.
However, in the same field of endeavor, He ‘529 teaches to generate real-time display images, wherein each of one or more of the real-time display images have display symbols overlaid on one of a given image of the one or more of the at least some of the real-time images of views of the environment external to the aircraft (He ‘529: [0029] and [0038]).
He ‘012 and He ‘529 are considered to be analogous to the claim invention because they are in the same field of aircraft displays. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify He ‘012 to incorporate the teachings of He ‘529 to generate real-time display images to have symbols overlaid on a given real-time image of views of the environment external to the aircraft because it provides the benefit of displaying an EVS to a pilot during inclement weather or at night that depicts what is actually present versus what is recorded in a database. The EVS image is able to display a pilot view with topography that may not be viewable to the human eye. He ‘529 explicitly explains these benefits in [0004] and [0069] so the pilot can reliably ensure the display is displaying an accurate view in low visibility conditions.
10. Regarding Claim 2, He ‘012 and He ‘529 remain as applied above in Claim 1, and further, He ‘012 teaches the at least one portion of the FPV symbol is at least two portions of the FPV symbol, wherein the at least two portions of the FPV symbol are hidden or removed from the given display image of the one or more of the display images such that the FPV symbol does not occlude the at least one portion of the runway environment (He ‘012: [0023]).
11. Regarding Claim 4, He ‘012 and He ‘529 remain as applied above in Claim 1, and further, He ‘012 teaches the FPV symbol comprises a circular section and line segments, each of the line segments extending in a normal direction away from the circular section (He ‘012: [0003] and [0018] Note that Fig. 3 renders the flight path vector with a circular section and line segments extending in a normal direction away from the circular section.).
12. Regarding Claim 5, He ‘012 and He ‘529 remain as applied above in Claim 4, and further, He ‘012 teaches es the at least one portion of the FPV symbol comprises at least one circular portion of the circular section and/or at least one line segment portion of the line segments (He ‘012: [0003] and [0018] Note that Fig. 3 renders the flight path vector with a circular section and line segments portions.).
13. Regarding Claim 6, He ‘012 and He ‘529 remain as applied above in Claim 5, and further, He ‘012 teaches the at least one portion of the FPV symbol comprises the at least one circular portion of the circular section and the at least one line segment portion of the line segments (He ‘012: [0003] and [0018] Note that Fig. 3 renders the flight path vector with a circular section and line segments portions.).
14. Regarding Claim 7, He ‘012 and He ‘529 remain as applied above in Claim 5, and further, He ‘012 teaches the at least one portion of the FPV symbol further comprises a first circular portion of the at least one circular portion of the circular section, wherein the first circular portion has less than 180 degrees of arc (He ‘012: [0020] and [0023] Note that first circular portion having less than 180 degrees of arc is equivalent to any or all of the part of the flight path vector that obscures the target resulting in an increased transparency.).
15. Regarding Claim 8, He ‘012 and He ‘529 remain as applied above in Claim 1, and further, He ‘012 teaches the at least one portion of the FD symbol is at least two portions of the FD symbol, wherein the at least two portions of the FD symbol are hidden or removed from the given display image of the one or more of the display images such that the FD symbol does not occlude the at least one other portion of the runway environment (He ‘012: [0023] Note that the aim point of the aiming symbol is equivalent to the flight director (FD) symbol. Also, note that under the broadest reasonable interpretation, the two portions of the FD symbol are equivalent to a left and right side of the point.).
16. Regarding Claim 10, He ‘012 and He ‘529 remain as applied above in Claim 1, and further, He ‘012 teaches the FD symbol comprises a circular section (He ‘012: [0023] Note that the aim point of the aiming symbol is equivalent to the flight director (FD) symbol. Also, note that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that a point is a circular section.).
17. Regarding Claim 11, He ‘012 and He ‘529 remain as applied above in Claim 10, and further, He ‘012 teaches the at least one portion of the FD symbol comprises at least one circular portion of the circular section, the at least one circular portion comprising a first circular portion, wherein the first circular portion has less than 180 degrees of arc (He ‘012: [0023] Note that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that a point is a circular section. Also, note that first circular portion having less than 180 degrees of arc is equivalent to any or all of the part of the symbols obscuring the target resulting in an increased transparency.).
18. Regarding Claim 12, He ‘012 and He ‘529 remain as applied above in Claim 1, and further, He ‘012 teaches the display symbols further comprise content showing information associated with altitude (He ‘012: [0020]).
19. Regarding Claim 13, He ‘012 and He ‘529 remain as applied above in Claim 1, and further, He ‘012 teaches one or more of the at least one display unit is at least one pilot display unit (PDU), the at least one PDU comprising a first PDU configured to display the at least one display image of the one or more of the display images to the user, wherein the user is a pilot, the first PDU comprising an overhead unit and a combiner (He ‘012: [0012] and [0019]).
20. Regarding Claim 14, He ‘012 and He ‘529 remain as applied above in Claim 13, and further, He ‘012 teaches the at least one computing device comprises at least one head-up display (HUD) computing device, wherein the display symbols are HUD symbols (He ‘012: [0019]).
21. Regarding Claim 15, He ‘012 and He ‘529 remain as applied above in Claim 1, and further, He ‘012 teaches one or more of the at least one display unit comprises at least one head down display (He ‘012: [0019]).
22. Regarding Claim 16, He ‘012 and He ‘529 remain as applied above in Claim 1, and further, He ‘529 teaches one or more of the at least one display unit comprises at least one head wearable display device (He ‘529: [0033]).
23. Regarding Claim 17, He ‘012 and He ‘529 remain as applied above in Claim 1, and further, He ‘012 teaches one or more of the at least one display unit is installed onboard the aircraft (He ‘012: [0012]).
24. Regarding Claim 18, He ‘012 and He ‘529 remain as applied above in Claim 1, and further, He ‘012 teaches one or more of the at least one display unit is installed offboard of the aircraft (He ‘012: [0012]).
25. Regarding Claim 19, He ‘012 and He ‘529 remain as applied above in Claim 1, and further, He ‘012 teaches the at least one processor is further configured to, for each of the one or more display images and based at least on current avionics information associated with the aircraft, adjust in real time a depiction of the FPV symbol and/or the FD symbol such that (a) one or more portions of the FPV symbol are hidden or removed so as to prevent the FPV symbol from occluding one or more portions of the runway environment and (b) one or more portions of the FD symbol are hidden or removed so as to prevent the FD symbol from occluding one or more other portions of the runway environment (He ‘012: [0020] and [0023]).
26. Regarding Claim 20, He ‘012 teaches a method, comprising: providing, by at least one vision system (VS) sensor unit installed in an aircraft, real-time images of views of an environment external to the aircraft, each of the at least one VS sensor unit comprising at least one sensor and at least one VS processor (He ‘012: [0015]);
Receiving, by at least one processor of at least one computing device, at least some of the real-time images from one or more of the at least one VS sensor unit, wherein one or more of the at least some of the real-time images include views of a runway environment, each of the at least one computing device comprising the at least one processor (He ‘012: [0015] and [0018]);
Wherein the at least one computing device, the at least one VS sensor unit, and at least one display unit are communicatively coupled at one or more given times (He ‘012: [0013]);
Generating, by the at least one processor of the at least one computing device, real-time display images, wherein each of one or more of the real-time display images have display symbols overlaid on one of a given image of the one or more of the at least some of the real-time images… wherein the display symbols comprise a flight path vector (FPV) symbol and a flight director (FD) symbol (He ‘012: [0018] and [0023] Note that the aim point of the aiming symbol [flight path vector] is equivalent to the flight director (FD) symbol.),
Wherein at least one portion of the FPV symbol is hidden or removed from a given display image of the one or more of the display images such that the FPV symbol does not occlude at least one portion of the runway environment (He ‘012: [0020] and [0023] Note that the FPV symbol being hidden or removed is equivalent to increases the transparency of the aiming symbol that cover the target.),
Wherein at least one portion of the FD symbol is hidden or removed from the given display image of the one or more of the display images such that the FD symbol does not occlude at least one other portion of the runway environment (He ‘012: [0020] and [0023] Note that increasing the transparency of other symbols when it is blocking any part of a high priority target is equivalent to the FD symbol being hidden or removed such that the FD symbol does not occlude at least one other portion of the runway environment.);
And outputting, by the at least one processor of the at least one computing device, one or more of the display images to one or more of the at least one display unit; and displaying, by the one or more of the at least one display unit, at least one display image of the one or more of the display images to a user, the at least one display image including the given display image (He ‘012: [0018]).
He ‘012 fails to explicitly teach that each of one or more of the real-time display images have display symbols overlaid on one of a given image of the one or more of the at least some of the real-time images of views of the environment external to the aircraft.
However, in the same field of endeavor, He ‘529 teaches to generating, by the at least one processor of the at least one computing device, real-time display images, wherein each of one or more of the real-time display images have display symbols overlaid on one of a given image of the one or more of the at least some of the real-time images of views of the environment external to the aircraft (He ‘529: [0029] and [0038]).
He ‘012 and He ‘529 are considered to be analogous to the claim invention because they are in the same field of aircraft displays. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify He ‘012 to incorporate the teachings of He ‘529 to generate real-time display images to have symbols overlaid on a given real-time image of views of the environment external to the aircraft because it provides the benefit of displaying an EVS to a pilot during inclement weather or at night that depicts what is actually present versus what is recorded in a database. The EVS image is able to display a pilot view with topography that may not be viewable to the human eye. He ‘529 explicitly explains these benefits in [0004] and [0069] so the pilot can reliably ensure the display is displaying an accurate view in low visibility conditions.
Response to Arguments
27. Applicant’s arguments with respect to Claims 1-2, 4-8, and 10-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. He (US 20120133529 A1) has been applied to teach the amended subject matter of each of the real-time display images have display symbols overlaid on a given image of the real-time images of views of the environment external to the aircraft in the rejection above as cited in at least paragraphs [0029] and [0038]. He ‘529 teaches to use an EVS image to provide the pilots images of outside the aircraft on the flight path.
28. He (US 20060227012 A1; referred to as He ‘012) in view of He (US 20120133529 A1; referred to as He ‘529) teaches all aspects of the invention. The rejection is modified according to the newly amended language but still maintained with the current prior art of record.
29. Claims 1-2, 4-8, and 10-20 remain rejected under their respective grounds and rational as cited above, and as stated in the prior office action which is incorporated herein. Also, although not specifically argued, all remaining claims remain rejected under their respective grounds, rationales, and applicable prior art for these reasons cited above, and those mentioned in the prior office action which is incorporated herein.
Conclusion
30. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
31. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL T SILVA whose telephone number is (571)272-6506. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Tues: 7AM - 4:30PM ET; Wed-Thurs: 7AM-6PM ET; Fri: OFF.
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/MICHAEL T SILVA/Examiner, Art Unit 3663
/ANGELA Y ORTIZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3663
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