DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 had been cancelled and new claims 49-58 are pending.
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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for priority of U.S provisional application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e).
Acknowledgment is made of the claim for priority or continuation and divisional applications under 35 U.S.C. 120.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements provided complies with the provisions of MPEP § 609. It had been placed in the application file, and the information referred to therein has been considered as to the merits. A signed copy of the form is attached.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the claims at issue are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The USPTO internet Web site contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit http://www.uspto.gov/forms/. The filing date of the application will determine what form should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to http://www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
Claims 49-58 of this application is patentably indistinct from claims 1-18 of Patent Application No. 11,731676. Pursuant to 37 CFR 1.78(f), when two or more applications filed by the same applicant or assignee contain patentably indistinct claims, elimination of such claims from all but one application may be required in the absence of good and sufficient reason for their retention during pendency in more than one application. Applicant is required to either cancel the patentably indistinct claims from all but one application or maintain a clear line of demarcation between the applications. See MPEP § 822.
Application number 18/782,858
Patent number 11,325,625
49. (New) A method for Augmented Reality (AR) based railyard management, comprising: using a computing device to recognize and collect real world information about railway assets located in a railyard; processing the real world information to recognize a marking on at least one of the railway assets based on images and/or videos captured by the computing device; generating holographic image data based on content of the recognized marking, the holographic image data comprising a railyard map updated to show a current location of the railway asset in the railyard; using the real world information to provide an individual with an augmented reality experience by overlaying the holographic image data on a visible real world environment; and using the content of the recognized marking to facilitate automated railyard management tasks.
1. A method for Augmented Reality (AR) based railyard management, comprising: obtaining real world information collected by a computing device about railway assets located in a railyard; processing the real world information to recognize a marking on at least one of the railway assets; generating holographic image data based on content of the recognized marking; providing an individual with an augmented reality experience by overlaying the holographic image data on a visible real world environment; and using the content of the recognized marking to facilitate automated railyard management tasks.
58. (New) A system, comprising: a processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising programming instructions that are configured to cause the processor to: process real world information to recognize a marking on at least one of the railway assets based on images and/or videos captured by a computing device; generate holographic image data based on content of the recognized marking, the holographic image data comprising a railyard map updated to show a current location of the railway asset in the railyard; use the real world information to facilitate provision of an augmented reality experience to an individual by overlaying the holographic image data on a visible real world environment; and use the content of the recognized marking to facilitate automated railyard management tasks.
10. A system, comprising: a processor; a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising programming instructions that are configured to cause the processor to implement a method for Augmented Reality (AR) based railyard management, wherein the programming instructions comprise instructions to: obtain world information about railway assets located in a railyard; process the real world information to recognize a marking on at least one of the railway assets; generate holographic image data based on content of the recognized marking; provide an individual with an augmented reality experience by overlaying the holographic image data on a visible real world environment; and use the content of the recognized marking to facilitate automated railyard management tasks.
Dependent claims not specifically rejected are rejected as being dependent upon a rejected base claim.
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 MCDIEUNEL MARC whose telephone number is (571) 272-6964. The examiner can normally be reached on 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, WADE MILES can be reached on (571) 270-7777. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571)-273-3976.
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/McDieunel Marc/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3665