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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/14/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Objection/s to the Specification
The title of the invention, “INSPECTION METHOD, NON-TRANSITORY RECORDING MEDIUM RECORDING COMPUTER PROGRAM, AND PROJECTION SYSTEM,” 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 § 102
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sumiyoshi (US 20140204204 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Sumiyoshi teaches inspection method of geometric correction in a projection system that causes a projector (200, 400, 500, 510; Fig. 7, 10, 14, 16-20) to project an image on a projection surface (A1), the inspection method being executed by an arithmetic device (110) accessing to a storage ([0132]-[0134]), the method comprising: storing, in the storage ([0132]-[0134]), a pattern image (Dp) including a plurality of feature points indicating coordinates on an image to be projected by the projector (200, 400, 500, 510) onto the projection surface (A1; [0173]-[0177]); and by the arithmetic device (110), causing the projector (200, 400, 500, 510) to project the pattern image (Dp; [0174]) onto the projection surface (A1; [0035], [0036]), acquiring from an imaging device (120) first captured image data including the pattern image (Dp) projected on the projection surface (A1; [0068], [0177]), comparing a feature point included in the first captured image data with each of the plurality of feature points included in the pattern image (Dp), to extract a plurality of non-projected feature points (A2/A3;
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x-shaped marks) that are not to be projected on the projection surface (A1; [0071]-[0081]), and generating non-projected feature point data in which the plurality of non-projected feature points (A2/A3) extracted are arranged at corresponding positions in a range of a projection image to be projected by the projector (200, 400, 500, 510; [0075], [0082]-[0100]).
Regarding claim 2, Sumiyoshi further teaches comparing the feature point included in the first captured image data with each of the plurality of feature points included in the pattern image (Dp), to extract a plurality of projected feature points (circles) that are projected on the projection surface (A1; [0071]-[0081]); and generating projected feature point data in which the plurality of projected feature points extracted are arranged at corresponding positions on the projection surface (A1) captured by the imaging device (120; [0082]-[0100]).
Regarding claim 3, Sumiyoshi further teaches storing, in the storage ([0132]-[0134]), a marker image including a plurality of projection reference markers indicating coordinates on an image to be projected by the projector (200, 400, 500, 510) onto the projection surface (A1; [0061]-[0065], [0116], [0124]-[0128], [0149], [0156]); and by the arithmetic device (110), causing the projector (200, 400, 500, 510) to project the marker image onto the projection surface (A1; [0105], [0124]-[0128]), acquiring from the imaging device (120) second captured image data including the marker image projected onto the projection surface (A1) on which a plurality of disposition reference markers respectively corresponding to the plurality of projection reference markers are disposed ([0105], [0124]-[0128]), and using a result of comparison between positions of the plurality of disposition reference markers included in the second captured image data and positions of the plurality of projection reference markers to generate a coordinate conversion table for projecting the plurality of non-projected feature points (A2/A3) onto the projection surface (A1; Fig. 6-13C; [0106]-[0131]).
Regarding claim 4, Sumiyoshi further teaches generating visualized image data obtained by visualizing the plurality of projected feature points and the plurality of non-projected feature points (A2/A3) using the coordinate conversion table ([0102]-[0108]).
Regarding claim 5, Sumiyoshi further teaches generating adjusted image data adjusted to project the image data as a whole onto the projection surface (A1) using the coordinate conversion table ([0102]-[0108]); and causing the projector (200, 400, 500, 510) to project the adjusted image data onto the projection surface (A1; [0118]-[0130]).
Regarding claim 6, Sumiyoshi further teaches performing a determination as to whether or not display using the coordinate conversion table is display within a predetermined display range (C1) allowed for coordinate conversion; and outputting a result of the determination ([0112]-[0115]).
Regarding claim 7, Sumiyoshi further teaches receiving designation of the predetermined display range (C1; [0112]-[0115]).
Regarding claim 8, Sumiyoshi further teaches performing a determination as to whether or not display using the coordinate conversion table satisfies a predetermined deformation condition under which deformation of the image is allowed; and outputting a result of the determination (S306, S313).
Regarding claim 9, Sumiyoshi further teaches receiving designation of the predetermined deformation condition (S306, S313).
Regarding claim 10, Sumiyoshi teaches an inspection method of geometric correction in a projection system that causes a projector (200, 400, 500, 510) to project an image on a projection surface (A1), the inspection method being executed by an arithmetic device (110) accessing to a storage ([0132]-[0134]), the method comprising: storing, in the storage ([0132]-[0134]), space information of a real space in which the projector (200, 400, 500, 510), the projection surface (A1), and an imaging device (120) capable of capturing the projection surface (A1) are disposed ([0061]-[0065], [0149], [0156], [0182], [0184]), parameter information set to the projector (200, 400, 500, 510) and the imaging device (120; [0058]-[0060]), and a pattern image (Dp) including a plurality of feature points indicating coordinates on an image to be projected on the projection surface (A1) by the projector (200, 400, 500, 510; [0173]-[0177]); and by the arithmetic device (110), generating virtual space information including a state in which a virtual projector (200, 400, 500, 510) and a virtual imaging device (120) to which virtual parameter values based on the parameter information are set are disposed in a virtual space virtually constructed based on the space information ([0046], [0047], [0053], [0102]-[0125]) causing the virtual projector (200, 400, 500, 510) to project the pattern image (Dp) onto a virtual projection surface (A1) in the virtual space information ([0046], [0047], [0053], [0102]-[0125]), acquiring virtual first captured image data including the pattern image (Dp) projected onto the virtual projection surface (A1), the virtual first captured image data being captured by the virtual imaging device (120; [0046], [0047], [0053], [0102]-[0125]), comparing a feature point included in the virtual first captured image data with each of the plurality of feature points included in the pattern image (Dp), to extract a plurality of non-projected feature points (A2/A3) that are not to be projected onto the virtual projection surface (A1; [0046], [0047], [0053], [0102]-[0125]), and generating non-projected feature point data in which the plurality of non-projected feature points (A2/A3) extracted are arranged at corresponding positions in a range of a virtual projection image to be projected by the virtual projector (200, 400, 500, 510; [0046], [0047], [0053], [0102]-[0125]).
Regarding claim 11, Sumiyoshi further teaches comparing the feature point included in the virtual first captured image data with each of the plurality of feature points included in the pattern image (Dp), to extract a plurality of projected feature points that are projected on the virtual projection surface (A1[0046], [0047], [0053], [0102]-[0125]); and generating projected feature point data in which the plurality of projected feature points extracted are arranged at corresponding positions on the virtual projection surface (A1) captured by the virtual imaging device (120; [0046], [0047], [0053], [0102]-[0125]).
Regarding claim 12, Sumiyoshi teaches storing, in the storage ([0132]-[0134]), a marker image including a plurality of projection reference markers indicating coordinates on an image to be projected by the projector (200, 400, 500, 510) onto the projection surface (A1; [01116]); and by the arithmetic device (110), causing the virtual projector (200, 400, 500, 510) to project the marker image onto the virtual projection surface (A1; [0061]-[0065], [0116], [0124]-[0128], [0149], [0156]), acquiring from the virtual imaging device (120) virtual second captured image data including the marker image projected onto the virtual projection surface (A1) on which a plurality of virtual disposition reference markers respectively corresponding to the plurality of projection reference markers are disposed ([0105], [0124]-[0128]), and using a result of comparison between positions of the plurality of virtual disposition reference markers included in the virtual second captured image data and positions of the plurality of projection reference markers to generate a coordinate conversion table for projecting the plurality of non-projected feature points (A2/A3) onto the virtual projection surface (A1; Fig. 6-13C; [0106]-[0131]).
Regarding claim 13, Sumiyoshi further teaches generating visualized image data obtained by visualizing the plurality of projected feature points and the plurality of non-projected feature points (A2/A3) using the coordinate conversion table ([0102]-[0108]).
Regarding claim 14, Sumiyoshi further teaches generating adjusted image data adjusted to project the image data as a whole onto the virtual projection surface (A1) using the coordinate conversion table ([0102]-[0108]); and causing the virtual projector (200, 400, 500, 510) to project the adjusted image data onto the virtual projection surface (A1; [0118]-[0130]).
Regarding claim 15, Sumiyoshi further teaches a non-transitory recording medium recording a computer program causing the arithmetic device (110) to execute the inspection method according to claim 1 ([0134]).
Regarding claim 16, Sumiyoshi further teaches a non-transitory recording medium recording a computer program causing the arithmetic device (110) to execute the inspection method according to claim 10 ([0134]).
Regarding claim 17, Sumiyoshi teaches a projection system (Fig. 10, 14, 16, and 19) comprising: an arithmetic device (110) accessing to a storage ([0132]-[0134]); a projector (200, 400, 500, 510) controlled by the arithmetic device (110) to project an image onto a projection surface (A1); and an imaging device (120) capturing an image including the projection surface (A1), wherein the storage ([0132]-[0134]) stores a pattern image (Dp) including a plurality of feature points indicating coordinates on an image to be projected by the projector (200, 400, 500, 510) onto the projection surface (A1); and upon inspection of the projection system, the arithmetic device (110) causes the projector (200, 400, 500, 510) to project the pattern image (Dp) onto the projection surface (A1; [0035], [0036]), acquires from the imaging device (120) first captured image data including the pattern image (Dp) projected on the projection surface (A1; [0068], [0177]), compares a feature point included in the first captured image data with each of the plurality of feature points included in the pattern image (Dp), to extract a plurality of non-projected feature points (A2/A3;
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x-shaped marks) that are not to be projected on the projection surface (A1; [0071]-[0081]), and generates non-projected feature point data in which the plurality of non-projected feature points (A2/A3) extracted are arranged at corresponding positions in a range of a projection image to be projected by the projector (200, 400, 500, 510; [0075], [0082]-[0100]).
Conclusion
The prior art references cited in PTO-892 are made of record and considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Patent documents US 20190146313 A1, US 10684537 B2, US 20170094237 A1, US 9930306 B2, US 20150077584 A1, US 9654750 B2, US 20140267427 A1, US 20140168525 A1, US 8953101 B2, US 20120320220 A1, US 9264680 B2, US 20120069177 A1, US 8780280 B2, US 20060038962 A1, US 7347564 B2, and US 20050162624 A1, disclose projector calibration methods involving projecting markers onto the screen and capturing the image of the projected markers.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BAO-LUAN Q LE whose telephone number is (571)270-5362. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday; 9:00AM-5:00PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minh-Toan Ton can be reached on (571) 272 230303. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BAO-LUAN Q LE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882
Prosecution Insights