DETAILED ACTION
Claim Objections
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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claims 1, 30 and 31, the limitation ‘set a second projection center of the virtual projection apparatus in the virtual projection surface in a case where the shift of the projection position is not performed, based on the disposition change data’ is indefinite inasmuch as the limitation sets a second projection center of the virtual projection apparatus based on the case where the shift of the projection position is both not performed and performed. That is, the ‘disposition change data’ includes changing a position of the virtual projection apparatus in the ‘acquire disposition change data’ step immediately prior to the set a second projection center step. For the purpose of examination the ‘based on the disposition change data’ at the end of the ‘set a second projection center’ step, will be interpreted as ‘based on the disposition data’ instead of the ‘disposition change data’. Examiner believes this interpretation is more consistent with the specification in paragraphs 0209-0214 (see USPGPub of this application). Claims 2-29 are rejected inasmuch as they depend from claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 30 and 31 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 1, closest prior art is Nishizaki (JP 2014-56044A), which teaches a disposition data related to a disposition of a virtual projection surface (figure 12a and 12b) and a virtual projector (figures 13a-13b) in a space indicated by the first image;
Acquiring disposition change data including data for giving an instruction to change a position of the virtual projection apparatus (figure 13).
Nishizaki does not teach changing a position of the first projection center of the virtual projection apparatus on the virtual projection surface due to a shift of a projection position of the virtual projection apparatus; nor setting a second projection center of the virtual projection apparatus on the virtual projection surface in a case where the shift of the projection position is not performed…’
Claims 2-29 contain allowable subject matter at least inasmuch as they depend from claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN D HOWARD whose telephone number is (571)270-5358. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minh-Toan Ton can be reached at 5712722303. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RYAN D HOWARD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882 7/16/2026