DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This Action is responsive to the Application filed on 8/7/2024. Claims 1-20 are pending in the case.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claim 1-8 and 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 20190041902 A1, hereinafter Lee) in view of Broughton et al. (US 20240152245 A1, hereinafter Broughton).
As to independent claim 1, Lee teaches an electronic apparatus (mobile terminal in Fig. 1a) comprising:
a mirror display (mirror display 100);
a sensor (sensor 140); and
at least one processor (controller 180) configured to:
identify a user command for selecting an area of the mirror display (“Referring to FIG. 11, the user can touch the smart glass 201 projected on the mirror-type display unit 151.” Paragraph 0149-0151),
identify an object in a predetermined space and reflected in the selected area of the mirror display based on the acquired user command
identify a graphic user interface (GUI) to be displayed on the mirror display based on information on the identified object (“the controller 180 may provide the UI (50b and 50c) for setting the modes of the smart watch 200 and smart glass 201 of the user to the business mode.” paragraph 0156),
identify a position on the mirror display to display the identified GUI based on the user command b and 50c) for setting the modes of the smart watch 200 and smart glass 201 of the user to the business mode.” paragraph 0156), and
control the mirror display to display the identified GUI on the identified position (“the controller 180 may provide the UI(50b and 50c) for setting the modes of the smart watch 200 and smart glass 201 of the user to the business mode.” paragraph 0156, Fig. 13).
Lee does not appear to expressly teach acquire user gaze information through the sensor;
identify an object in a predetermined space; based on the acquired user gaze information; and
identify a position on the display to display the identified GUI based on the user gaze information.
Broughton teaches acquire user gaze information through the sensor (detecting a gaze input through a sensor, paragraph 0354);
identify an object in a predetermined space; based on the acquired user gaze information (“in response to detecting a gaze input (e.g., directed to a bottom portion, or other respective portion or region, of the object 770a).” paragraph 0354); and
identify a position on the display to display the identified GUI based on the user gaze information (“the one or more object management controls are displayed concurrently with object 770a without detecting a user input. In some embodiments, the one or more object management controls are displayed in response to detecting a user input directed to object 770a, for example, in response to detecting a gaze input (e.g., directed to a bottom portion, or other respective portion or region, of the object 770a).” paragraph 0354, See Fig. 7AS1, menu 774-3 is displayed near object 770a ).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Lee to comprise acquire user gaze information through the sensor; identify an object in a predetermined space; based on the acquired user gaze information; and identify a position on the display to display the identified GUI based on the user gaze information. One would have been motivated to make such a combination to Improve user device interaction.
As to dependent claim 2, Lee teaches the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, Lee further teaches wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
identify the user command for selecting the area of the mirror display based on at least one of the user gaze information, a user gesture input, or a user touch input (“Referring to FIG. 11, the user can touch the smart glass 201 projected on the mirror-type display unit 151.” Paragraph 0149-0150),
As to dependent to claim 3, Lee teaches the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, Lee does not appear to expressly teach wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
identify the position on the mirror display to display the identified GUI based on the user gaze information and an actual position of the identified object in the predetermined space.
Broughton teaches identify the position on the mirror display to display the identified GUI based on the user gaze information and an actual position of the identified object in the predetermined space (“the one or more object management controls are displayed concurrently with object 770a without detecting a user input. In some embodiments, the one or more object management controls are displayed in response to detecting a user input directed to object 770a, for example, in response to detecting a gaze input (e.g., directed to a bottom portion, or other respective portion or region, of the object 770a).” paragraph 0354, See Fig. 7AS1, menu 774-3 is displayed near object 770a ).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Lee to comprise identify the position on the mirror display to display the identified GUI based on the user gaze information and an actual position of the identified object in the predetermined space. One would have been motivated to make such a combination to Improve user device interaction.
As to dependent to claim 4, Lee teaches the apparatus as claimed in claim 3, Lee further teaches the apparatus further comprising:
a communication interface (communication interface 110),
wherein the at least one processor (controller 180) is configured to:
identify the actual position of the identified object in the predetermined space by transmitting an ultra-wideband (UWB) signal through the communication interface based on the identified direction of the identified object (“The short-range communication module 114 is configured to facilitate short-range communications. Suitable technologies for implementing such short-range communications include ultra-wideband (UWB)” paragraph 0052).
Lee does not appear to expressly teach identify a direction of the identified object on a basis of the
Broughton teaches identify a direction of the identified object on a basis of the mirror display based on the user gaze information input (Fig. 7AS1, user gaze direction to object 770a detected, paragraph 0354).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Lee to comprise identifying a direction of the identified object on a basis of the mirror display based on the user gaze information input. One would have been motivated to make such a combination to Improve user device interaction.
As to dependent to claim 5, Lee teaches the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, Lee further teaches store acquire the information on the identified object by communicating with at least one of the identified object or an external server (“Referring to FIG. 12, when the smart glass 201 selected by the user is recognized, the controller 180 may display a box on the smart glass 201 projected on the mirror-type display unit 151 to display the recognition result. Referring to FIG. 13, the controller 180 recognizes the user's wear and the mobile terminal 200 on the basis of the user's image obtained through the camera 121, determines the wearing mode of the user, and the controller 180 can recommend the operation mode of the mobile terminal.” 0151-0153), and
store the acquired on the identified object and an actual position of the identified object in the predetermined space in a memory (“The processed image frames can be displayed on the display unit 151 or stored in memory 170.” Paragraph 0056).
As to dependent claim 6, Lee teaches the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, Lee further teaches wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
control the mirror display to display the identified GUI related to a function of the identified object based on the information on the identified object (smart glass 201 selected by the user is recognized as shown in Fig. 12), and
control an operation of the identified object based on a user manipulation on the displayed identified GUI (“The controller 180 may provide the UI(50b and 50c) for setting the modes of the smart watch 200 and smart glass 201 of the user to the business mode.” Paragraph 0156-0157).
As to dependent claim 7, Lee teaches the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, Lee further teaches the apparatus further comprising:
a communication interface (communication unit 110),
wherein the at least one processor (controller 180) is configured to:
communicate with an external apparatus through the communication interface (“The wireless communication unit 110 typically includes one or more modules which permit communications such as wireless communications between the mirror type display 100 and a wireless communication system, communications between the mirror type display 100 and another mobile terminal, communications between the mirror type display 100 and an external server.” Paragraph 003), and acquire information on the external apparatus when the external apparatus is close to the mirror display within a critical distance (“When the user is located on the front surface of the mirror-type display 151, the controller 180 can detect proximity of the user using the image input through the camera 121 or the sensing unit 140.” Paragraph 0141, this implies the controller can also detect proximity of the devices (i.e. smart watch and smart glass) that the user is wearing), and
control the mirror display to display at least one of a control menu or state information, corresponding to the external apparatus, based on the acquired information on the external apparatus (“The controller 180 may provide the UI(50b and 50c) for setting the modes of the smart watch 200 and smart glass 201 of the user to the business mode. It is also possible to display the UI 50b for setting the mode of the smart watch and the UI(50c) for setting the mode of the smart glass in the area close to the smart glass 201.” Paragraph 0156-0159).
As to dependent claim 8, Lee teaches the apparatus as claimed in claim 7, Lee further teaches wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
transmit a control signal corresponding to the user command to the external apparatus through the communication interface based on a user command received through the control menu (“The controller 180 may provide the UI(50b and 50c) for setting the modes of the smart watch 200 and smart glass 201 of the user to the business mode” paragraph 0156,0137-0138).
Claims 11-20 are substantially the same as claims 1-6 and are therefore rejected under similar rationale as above.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. in view of Broughton et al., and Kim et al. (US 20160239250 A1, hereinafter Kim).
As to dependent claim 9, Lee teaches the apparatus as claimed in claim 7, Lee does not appear to expressly teach wherein the acquired information on the external apparatus includes information on an application already executed in the external apparatus, and
the at least one processor is configured to:
display an application execution screen on the mirror display based on the information on the application.
Kim teaches display an application execution screen on the mirror display based on the information on the application (“In operation 715, the source electronic device 500 may be configured to display the controlled screen data on the first display unit 517 and to transmit the screen data to the sync electronic device 600.” Paragraph 0132).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Lee to comprise display an application execution screen on the mirror display based on the information on the application. One would have been motivated to make such a combination to Improve user device interaction.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. in view of Broughton et al., and Lee et al. (US 20200167502 A1, hereinafter Lee).
As to dependent claim 10, Lee teaches the apparatus as claimed in claim 7, Lee does not appear to expressly teach wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
control the mirror display to display the control menu corresponding to the external apparatus when the external apparatus is identified as having no display based on the information on the external apparatus.
Lee teaches control the external apparatus when the external apparatus is identified as having no display based on the information on the external apparatus (“As an example, by providing the user with the identification on the integrity of the application stored in the external electronic apparatus 300 in association with the electronic apparatus 200, such as when the external electronic apparatus 300 is an IoT device without a display or a speaker,” paragraph 0125).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Cho to comprise wherein the at least one processor is configured to: control the mirror display to display the control menu corresponding to the external apparatus when the external apparatus is identified as having no display based on the information on the external apparatus. One would have been motivated to make such a combination to enable various information to be effectively provided using a mirror-type display device.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Grundhoefer et al. US 12,073,533 teaches identifying a specular surface, such as a mirror, in a captured scene includes extracting, from one or more images of the scene, a set of natural features and generating, from the image, a set of synthesized “mirrored” features.
Pastrana Vicente et al. US 20250103133 A1 teaches method and graphical user interface for gaze navigation.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAHELET SHIBEROU whose telephone number is (571)270-7493. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM Eastern Time.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kieu Vu can be reached at 571-272-4057. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MAHELET SHIBEROU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2171
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