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
Applicant’s arguments, filed May 13, 2026, with respect to how the newly amended claim features of claim 1 differ from the prior art cited in the last office have been fully considered. These arguments are found to be persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in this office action using a secondary reference Pub No. US 20230360519 A1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Piemonte in view of Sudhir (US 20230360519 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Piemonte teaches a 3D map providing system comprising (Piemonte [0004] “generating and presenting immersive and non-immersive 3D map presentations for browsing and navigation”; Piemonte [0458] “The mapping application of some embodiments use a variety of novel techniques to present a 3D presentation of a map while the map is being browsed or while the map is providing a navigation presentation”):
a user terminal configured to communicate through a wireless communication network (Piemonte [0311] “The mapping service 4900 is a service to which the device 4905 connects (e.g., via a wired connection, wireless connection such as a cell network, Wi-Fi, etc.) in order to request and receive map data, route data, turn-by-turn navigation data, as well as additional information (e.g., information about places located on the map, etc.)”; Piemonte [0734] “The peripherals interface 10615 is coupled to various sensors and subsystems, including a camera subsystem 10620, a wireless communication subsystem(s) 10625, an audio subsystem 10630, an I/O subsystem 10635, etc”; Piemonte [0735] “The wireless communication subsystem 10625 serves to facilitate communication functions. In some embodiments, the wireless communication subsystem 10625 includes radio frequency receivers and transmitters, and optical receivers and transmitters (not shown in FIG. 106). These receivers and transmitters of some embodiments are implemented to operate over one or more communication networks such as a GSM network, a Wi-Fi network, a Bluetooth network, etc”; Piemonte [0757] “a map service may update map service data (e.g., wireless network coverage) for analyzing future requests from client devices”; Piemonte [0759] “a map service may recognize that the location of a client device is in an area of poor communications (e.g., weak wireless signal) and send more map service data to supply a client device in the event of loss in communication or send instructions to utilize different client hardware (e.g., orientation sensors) or software (e.g., utilize wireless location services or Wi-Fi positioning instead of GPS-based services)”); and
a server configured to provide a 3D map to the user terminal through a dedicated application (Piemonte [0004] “the immersive and non-immersive 3D map presentations can be alternatively and/or sequentially displayed on a device (e.g., a mobile device) that has a touch-sensitive screen and a multi-touch interface that allow a user to interact with the presentations through touch and gestural inputs on the screen”; Piemonte [0120] “these 3D presentations are provided by an integrated mapping application that provides several useful modalities, such as location browsing, map searching, route identifying, and route navigation operations”; Piemonte [0321] “The mapping service may consist of a single computing device (e.g., a server) storing all of the functionality and data, or the functionality may be distributed between multiple servers (e.g., one process on a first server and a second process on a second server, numerous servers that perform the same operation in parallel for different users, or other configurations of computing devices that perform the functionality described herein”; Piemonte [0604] [0608] “a map service provider (e.g., a map server) generates and provides in some embodiments different sets of 3D map tiles of a 3D map for different zoom levels”; Piemonte [0665] “These map tiles, in some embodiments, are stored on a server (e.g., a server of the mapping service to which the user's device connects)”), and
generate the 3D map by combining spatial information and location information for each area (Piemonte [0174] “The land cover may include bodies of water (e.g., rivers, oceans, lakes, swimming pools, etc.), administrative bodies (e.g., boundaries of states, countries, cities, parks, etc.), area designations (e.g., rural/urban/suburban, desert/mountains/forest, etc.), or other data describing the land between roads. The building data 633 of some embodiments stores the location of buildings as well as data about the buildings. For instance, the building data may include ground elevation data and surface elevation from which building height may be calculated”; Piemonte [0002]”Most of these applications generate displays of a map based on map data that describes the relative location of streets, highways, points of interest, etc. in the map”; Piemonte [0642] “The virtual camera location data 9610 stores information about the location of the virtual camera identified by the virtual camera ID 9605. Examples of such information include coordinates of the virtual camera (e.g., x, y, and z coordinates), a pan angle of the virtual camera, a tilt angle of the virtual camera, a roll angle of the virtual camera, a zoom level of the virtual camera, etc”; Piemonte [0751] “three-dimensional map image data (e.g., traversable map with three-dimensional features, such as buildings), route and direction calculation (e.g., ferry route calculations or directions between two points for a pedestrian), real-time navigation data (e.g., turn-by-turn visual navigation data in two or three dimensions), location data (e.g., where is the client device currently located), and other geographic data (e.g., wireless network coverage, weather, traffic information, or nearby points-of-interest)”),
Clark alone does not teach all the remaining claim features of claim 1. However, Shin in combination with Clark teaches the claimed:
wherein the 3D map includes at least one area of interest and at least one off-limits area, check a location of the user terminal in real time (Sudhir [0074] “FIG. 7B is a diagram of an example user interface (UI) 721 associated with a navigation application capable of displaying restricted area(s), according to example embodiment(s). In this example, the UI 721 shown is generated for a UE 101 (e.g., a mobile device, an embedded navigation system, a client terminal, etc.) that includes a map 723, a restricted area 725, a current location 727 of the UE 101, and a truck location 729 (e.g., the truck in FIG. 7A) where a user (e.g., a suspicious person) of the UE 101 try to reach.”), and in response to the user terminal leaving the area of interest or entering the off-limits area, transmit a warning message to the user terminal (Sudhir [0074] “As soon as the UE 101 arrives at a geo-fence of the restricted area 725, the system 100 can generate an alert 731: “Warning! You are getting into a restricted area,””).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the UI associated with a navigation and identifying dangerous locations as taught by Sudhir with the system of Piemonte in order to accurately track the user’s position and avoid entering any restricted or “off-limit” areas. Doing so ensure the user’s safety and ease in following the navigation directions.
Regarding claim 2, Piemonte further teaches a 3D map providing system of claim 1,
wherein the server is configured to differentiate colors depending on a geological structure when generating the 3D map (Piemonte paragraph [0247] “For example, some embodiments render freeways a different color (or shade) than other roads, including the freeway on-ramps”; Piemonte Fig. 28; Piemonte paragraph [0281] “different types of roads (e.g., connector, arterial, freeway, etc.) may not only be drawn differently (e.g., different color/texture for the asphalt, different widths, etc.) but also may have different casings (e.g., a curb for a connector road)”; Piemonte paragraph [0303] “building details can be specified using such annotation (e.g., different color faces, different types of moulding, etc.), as can aspects of the land cover (e.g., how to draw different borders of the land cover polygons)”; Piemonte paragraph [0599] “stylesheet data, which is described in more detail below, is used to specify the appearance of constructs in the 3D map (e.g., buildings, streets, highways, land cover, foliage, labels, shadows, road curbs, etc.). For example, stylesheet data may specify the textures to apply to the different constructs, the color of the textures that are applied to the constructs, etc”; Piemonte paragraph [0671] “when viewed at a low zoom level (less detail), some embodiments might color a park a simple light green. On the other hand, as the user zooms in to a higher zoom level (more detail), the stylesheets indicate to apply a pattern (e.g., a foliage pattern) to the park region”; Piemonte paragraph [0672] “Similarly, different styles can be used for rendering aspects of different regions (e.g., desert, forest, rocky, etc. for land cover; different colors for labels in different states; different colors, textures, and/or casing for different roads, or other such distinctions”).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Piemonte in view of Sudhir in further view of Drosdeck (US 20230419657 A1).
Regarding claim 3, where Piemonte fails to explicitly teach the method of utilizing colors to differentiate altitudes, Drosdeck discloses a 3D map providing system of claim 1 (Piemonte paragraph [0004] “generating and presenting immersive and non-immersive 3D map presentations for browsing and navigation”; Piemonte paragraph [0458] “The mapping application of some embodiments use a variety of novel techniques to present a 3D presentation of a map while the map is being browsed or while the map is providing a navigation presentation”; Drosdeck paragraph [0024] “the display devices 130 can display a two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) representation of the terrain map 155”), wherein the server is configured (Drosdeck paragraph [0065] “The subject matter described herein can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back end component, e.g., as a data server, or that includes a middleware component, e.g., an application server, or that includes a front end component, e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the subject matter described in this specification, or a combination of one or more such back end, middleware, or front end components”) to differentiate colors depending on an altitude when generating the 3D map (Drosdeck paragraphs [0040] [0052] “a color value being mapped to the altitude of the terrain. The terrain map can also be a 3D model”).
Piemonte and Drosdeck are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are both in the same field of generating 3D maps. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Piemonte to incorporate the teachings of Drosdeck to incorporate colors to differentiate various altitude and depth of a location. Doing so would allow the generation of the 3D map by combining spatial information and location information for each area (Piemonte Summary paragraphs [0004 – 0011]; Drosdeck Abstract).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Piemonte in view of Sudhir in further view of Heath et al. (US 20130073400 A1), hereinafter Heath.
Regarding claim 4, Piemonte further teaches the 3D map providing system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to display related information including a port and walking course (Piemonte paragraph [0312]”This map data, in some embodiments, includes latitude and longitude data, name data, as well as descriptive data about roads and other pathways (e.g., walkways, ferry routes, bike paths, etc.), natural features (e.g., rivers, lakes, mountain ranges, etc.), places of interest (e.g., buildings, businesses, parks, etc.), and other map items”; Piemonte paragraph [0751] “three-dimensional map image data (e.g., traversable map with three-dimensional features, such as buildings), route and direction calculation (e.g., ferry route calculations or directions between two points for a pedestrian)”.
Ferry routes display a start and stopping point, which are located in ports.
Where Piemonte fails to teach a 3D map that includes specifically a public institution, a school, a tourist destination, an airport, on a 3D map, Heath discloses a 3D map providing system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to display related information including a public institution (Heath paragraphs [0130] [0145] [0448] “Stunning imagery and videos; 3D buildings and landscaping, e-commerce and mobile banking tools and hooks; Advertising on the landscape; Advanced search for private and public information”), a school (Heath paragraph [0249] “GM and/or GIS can also be used to depict events occurring within and/or nearby an area. For example, a district attorney might monitor drug-related arrests to find out if an arrest is within 1,000 feet of a school”; Heath [paragraph [0443] “Consumers can learn about neighborhoods, property values, schools, shopping centers, and cost of living features and join with thousands of service providers and business owners from around the world”; Heath paragraph [0445] “Home buyers and renters can learn about neighborhoods, property values, apartments, schools, shopping centers, cost of living and connect with thousands of real estate professionals, educational services, ancillary services and other service providers and business owners from around the world”; Heath paragraph [0459] “Users will also be able to connect online just like in the real world, interact with their circle of friends, play games, search for a school or university, popular restaurant, museum, sporting event or art gallery on a fun interactive social networking platform”; Heath paragraph [0464] “see the Google Navigation Tool to zoom down to street level to take a closer look. Search for a school or university, popular restaurant, Movie Theater, museum, hotel, fitness center, address, landmark or thousands of other Sports related Products, Goods, Gambling, and/or Services using GPS technologies”; Heath paragraphs [0472] [0473] “services, for such items as i.e. online classes, student loans, financial aid, colleges, universities, private and public schools, tutoring, test preparation, etc. on the 3D landscape based upon the desired location, GPS technology, behavior tracking, which can even predict future buying demand”), a tourist destination (Heath paragraph [0474] “someone is searching for a particular travel destination on Social Earth, the social behavior software will track online activity, location, online communications, search inquiries, social networking, social networking communities, social networking activities, messaging, viewing public & private user profiles, advertising, bidding, bidding behavior, bidding results, social plugins, ad links, promotions, social applications, purchasing, behavior, buying patterns and other criteria and filter ” , an airport (Heath paragraph [0262] “GM and/or GIS client computer 204 requests information about a particular feature, such as a ground water well located near an airport 212, the GM and/or GIS client computer 204 can select the feature 214, i.e., the ground water well, to receive information related to that feature 214” […] “shown in the second technical interface 216, technical data concerning an area of land 220 around, adjacent, and/or near the airport 218 at the location of the feature 214, for example, landscaping, slope, soil composition, and/or grading information can be presented”).
Piemonte and Heath are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are both in the same field of generating 3D maps that are interactive and provide geospatial information to a user. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Piemonte to incorporate the teachings of Heath to include location information regarding public institutions, schools, tourist destinations, an airport on a 3D map. Doing so would allow the generation of the 3D map by combining spatial information and location information for each area (Piemonte Summary paragraphs [0004 – 0011]; Heath Summary paragraphs [0009 – 0037]).
Conclusion
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SARAH Y. LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-8374. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-5pm.
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SARAH Y. LEE
Examiner
Art Unit 2616
/DANIEL F HAJNIK/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2616
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