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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description:
FIG. 8 has reference numeral 180 which is not in paragraph [00230]; and
FIG. 17 has reference numerals 505 and 520 which are not in the specification, refer to paragraph [00241]. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Paragraph [00158] describes “(negative) digital 3D mapping 180” and paragraph [00230] describes “(negative) digital 3D mapping 120” while FIG. 8 has reference numeral 180. In paragraph [00230] 120 should be 180.
Appropriate correction is required.
CLAIM INTERPRETATION
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
Claims 1-18 have been interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) (pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph) to not invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) (pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph) claim interpretation.
Claim Objections
Claims 17 and 18 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 17 at line 4 has an unexpected space between “storing” and “:”. Claim 18 inherits and does not correct this issue. Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-18 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.
Claims 1-6:
Claim 1 claims at lines 2 and 3, at lines 6-8, and at lines 11 and 12:
“providing an audience class with a first audience class member having first audience class data;
…
providing a display class with a first display class member having first display class data, the first display class member being located in a physical space;
providing rules applicable within the physical space;
…
combining the first ruled virtual space with the physical space to generate a first ruled augmented reality space perceivable by the first audience class member.”.
Claim 1 at line 7 is unclear as to “the first display class member being located in a physical space” since before this claim limitation “first display class member” is an entity in the “display class” rather than in the physical space and as claimed cannot be both as claimed.
Claim 1 at lines 11 and 12 is unclear as to what “the physical space” covers with regard to the virtual space and the audience class member since the previously claimed “the first display class member being located in a physical space” and “providing rules applicable within the physical space” do not assist in determining the scope of the claimed “combining the first ruled virtual space with the physical space”.
Dependent claims 2-6 inherit and do not correct these indefinite issues.
Method claims 1-6 lack an actor performing the method steps while the specification describes a server such as server 510 as performing the method steps. The lack of claiming an actor leads to unclearly claiming the metes and bounds of the claimed method steps.
Claims 7-16:
Claim 7 claims at lines 1 and 2, at lines 3 and 4, and at lines 16-19:
“providing a ruled augmented reality space for a plurality of users in a physical space,
…
providing a first register of audience class members, each audience class member being one of the plurality of users, the first register having audience rules;
…
combining each one of the plurality of virtual spaces with the physical space to produce a plurality of ruled augmented reality spaces, each one of the plurality of ruled augmented reality spaces being specifically generated to be displayed to a corresponding one audience class member.”.
Claim 7 at lines 16-19 is unclear as to what “the physical space” covers with regard to the virtual space and the audience class member since the previously claimed
“a plurality of users in a physical space” and “the first register having audience rules” do not assist in determining the scope of the claimed “combining each one of the plurality of virtual spaces with the physical space”.
Dependent claims 8-16 inherit and do not correct these indefinite issues.
Method claims 7-16 lack an actor performing the method steps while the specification describes a server such as server 510 as performing the method steps. The lack of claiming an actor leads to unclearly claiming the metes and bounds of the claimed method steps.
Claims 17 and 18:
Claim 17 claims at line 1 and at lines 21-25:
“A server for providing augmented reality spaces to a plurality of users,”
…
“for transmitting one of the plurality of virtual spaces to each of the augmented reality viewer devices for the augmented reality viewer devices to provide to the user one of the augmented reality spaces, wherein each one of the augmented reality spaces is specific to each one of the plurality of users.”.
Claim 17 at lines 21-25 is unclear as to what “the augmented reality spaces” covers with regard to the “server” and to the “augmented reality viewer devices” and to the “virtual space” and to the “user” since previously in the claim the “augmented reality spaces” were not generated in order for the “the augmented reality viewer devices to provide to the user one of the augmented reality spaces”.
Dependent claim 18 inherits and does not correct these indefinite issues.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lal et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 2025/0139909, describes for a policy for controlling virtual display zones for virtual displays in extended reality (XR), refer to FIGs. 12A-12B and paragraphs [0095]-[0107].
Jonker et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 2024/0071013, describes build or modify a rule or policy for defining and modifying behavior in an extended reality environment, refer to paragraphs [0144], [0162], and [0164].
Gupta et al., US Patent No. 11,776,206, describes a XR system that is governed by rules, refer to column 10 lines 55-59, column 11 lines 24-32, column 26 lines 54-63, and column 45 line 47 to column 46 line 48.
Choi, US Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0067984, describes augmented reality utilizing rules and policies, refer to paragraph [0040].
Oetting et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0028122, describes defining for and utilizing policies in extended reality environment, refer to FIGs. 2 and 3, the abstract, and paragraphs [0009]-[0011] and [0029]-[0056].
Coulmeau et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0103579, describes in augmented reality environment utilizing rules for display and location, refer to paragraph [0138].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-18 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:
Claims 1-6:
The prior art of record fails to teach or suggest the utilization of the particularly claimed rules utilized in the claimed processing and combining steps.
Claims 7-16:
The prior art of record fails to teach or suggest the utilization of the particularly claimed rules utilized in the claimed generating and combining steps.
Claims 17 and 18:
The prior art of record fails to teach or suggest the utilization of the particularly claimed rules utilized in the claimed processor processing and communication interface receiving and transmitting steps.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEFFERY A BRIER whose telephone number is (571)272-7656. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri from 8:30am-3:00pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Xiao M Wu, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-7761. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JEFFERY A. BRIER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2613
/JEFFERY A BRIER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2613