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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 10/13/2025 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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(s) 1, 10-11 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choo et al. Pub. No. US 2022/0245967 A1 [Choo] in view of Trehan Pub. No. US 2022/0072380 A1 [Trehan].
1. Choo discloses an electronic apparatus [Fig. 4 & ¶ 2] comprising: a mirror display configured to be operated in a mirror state and a display state [¶¶ 81-82 mirror display, i.e., display in mirror mode]; a sensor [Figs. 1 & 6, 121]; and at least one processor [Fig. 6, 140 & ¶ 89 three-dimensional camera 121 positioned toward the front direction, and a controller 140 of detecting facial contours of a user] configured to: identify, based on data acquired through the sensor, whether a user is located within a predetermined distance of the electronic apparatus for a predetermined time [¶¶ 89-93 the distance to obtain at least two points], and when it is identified that the user is located within the predetermined distance of the electronic apparatus for the predetermined time, control the mirror display to be operated in the mirror state based on a user gaze location [¶¶ 98-101 where the two-dimensional image must depend on eye gaze in order for identification].
Choo is silent on switch an operation state of the electronic apparatus from a horizontal state, in which the mirror display is operated in a horizontal orientation, to a vertical state, in which the mirror display is operated in a vertical orientation, and while the operation state of electronic apparatus is the vertical state.
However Trehan teaches a smart mirror coupled to a display [¶ 46 where display has different function then mirror]. The examiner takes official notice that it is notoriously old and well known to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have a display that is moveable between horizonal and vertical state. Therefore, 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 Choo with Tehran, since such a modification integrates multiple function into a single unit.
Choo in view of Trehan teaches switch an operation state of the electronic apparatus from a horizontal state, in which the mirror display is operated in a horizontal orientation [Choo Fig. 4], to a vertical state, in which the mirror display is operated in a vertical orientation, and while the operation state of electronic apparatus is the vertical state [Fig. 1A where when modified may be adjusted to function differently in these positions].
10. Choo in view of Trehan teaches wherein the at least one processor is configured to: identify a user face location based on data acquired through the sensor, and control the mirror display to display information in an area corresponding to the identified user face location [Choo Fig. 5, for instance].
11. Choo discloses a method of controlling an electronic apparatus including a mirror display [Fig. 4 & ¶¶ 81-82 mirror display, i.e., display in mirror mode], configured to be operated in a mirror state and a display state [¶ 8 a display device], and a sensor [Figs. 1 & 6, 121], the method comprising: identifying, based on data acquired through the sensor, whether a user is located within a predetermined distance of the electronic apparatus for a predetermined time [¶¶ 89-93 the distance to obtain at least two points], and when it is identified that the user is located within the predetermined distance of the electronic apparatus for the predetermined time [time required to capture image], controlling the mirror display to be operated in the mirror state based on a user gaze location [¶¶ 98-101 where the two-dimensional image must depend on eye gaze in order for identification].
Choo is silent on switching an operation state of the electronic apparatus from a horizontal state, in which the mirror display is operated in a horizontal orientation, to a vertical state, in which the mirror display is operated in a vertical orientation.
However Trehan teaches a smart mirror coupled to a display [¶ 46 where display has different function then mirror]. The examiner takes official notice that it is notoriously old and well known to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have a display that is moveable between horizonal and vertical state. Therefore, 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 Choo with Tehran, since such a modification integrates multiple function into a single unit.
Choo in view of Trehan teaches switching an operation state of the electronic apparatus from a horizontal state, in which the mirror display is operated in a horizontal orientation [Choo Fig. 4], to a vertical state, in which the mirror display is operated in a vertical orientation, and while the operation state of electronic apparatus is the vertical state [Fig. 1A where when modified may be adjusted to function differently in these positions].
15. Choo teaches a non-transitory computer-readable medium which stores a computer instruction for causing an electronic apparatus [Fig. 6 & ¶ 13] including a mirror display [¶¶ 81-82 mirror display, i.e., display in mirror mode], configured to be operated in a mirror state and a display state, and a sensor to perform an operation when executed by a processor of the electronic apparatus [Figs. 1 & 6, 121], wherein the operation comprises: identifying, based on data acquired through the sensor, whether a user is located within a predetermined distance of the electronic apparatus for a predetermined time [¶¶ 89-93 the distance to obtain at least two points in the time required to capture image], and when it is identified that the user is located within the predetermined distance of the electronic apparatus for the predetermined time, controlling the mirror display to be operated in the mirror state based on a user gaze location [¶¶ 98-101 where the two-dimensional image must depend on eye gaze in order for identification].
Choo is silent on switching an operation state of the electronic apparatus from a horizontal state, in which the mirror display is operated in a horizontal orientation, to a vertical state, in which the mirror display is operated in a vertical orientation.
However Trehan teaches a smart mirror coupled to a display [¶ 46 where display has different function then mirror]. The examiner takes official notice that it is notoriously old and well known to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have a display that is moveable between horizonal and vertical state. Therefore, 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 Choo with Tehran, since such a modification integrates multiple function into a single unit.
Choo in view of Trehan teaches switching an operation state of the electronic apparatus from a horizontal state, in which the mirror display is operated in a horizontal orientation [Choo Fig. 4], to a vertical state, in which the mirror display is operated in a vertical orientation, and while the operation state of electronic apparatus is the vertical state [Fig. 1A where when modified may be adjusted to function differently in these positions].
Claim(s) 3, 6, 13, 17 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choo in view of Trehan and further in view of Cheong et al. Pub. No. US 2017/0011210 A1 [Cheong].
3. Choo in view of Trehan is silent on wherein the at least one processor is configured to: when a power-off command is received while the mirror display is operated in the display state, control the mirror display to be operated in an ambient state of displaying an ambient image. However Cheong teaches when in a low power state, i.e., receiving command, the display enters a screen saving mode [¶ 2146]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Choo in view of Trehan with Cheong as required, since such a modification optimizes power consumption.
6. Choo in view of Trehan is silent on wherein the at least one processor is configured to: when the electronic apparatus is in the vertical state and the mirror display is operated in the mirror state, and a power-off command is received, control the mirror display to maintain the mirror state. However Cheong teaches when in a low power state, i.e., receiving command, the display enters a screen saving mode [¶ 2146 where a design choice the screen saver is a mirror state]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Choo in view of Trehan with Cheong as required, since such a modification optimizes power consumption.
13. Choo in view of Trehan is silent on when a power-off command is received while the mirror display is operated in the display state, controlling the mirror display to be operated in an ambient state of displaying an ambient image. However Cheong teaches when in a low power state, i.e., receiving command, the display enters a screen saving mode [¶ 2146]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Choo in view of Trehan with Cheong as required, since such a modification optimizes power consumption.
17. Choo in view of Trehan is silent on wherein the operation further comprising: when a power-off command is received while the mirror display is operated in the display state, controlling the mirror display to be operated in an ambient state of displaying an ambient image. However Cheong teaches when in a low power state, i.e., receiving command, the display enters a screen saving mode [¶ 2146]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Choo in view of Trehan with Cheong as required, since such a modification optimizes power consumption.
20. Choo in view of Trehan is silent on wherein the operation further comprising: when the electronic apparatus is in the vertical state and the mirror display is operated in the mirror state, and a power-off command is received, controlling the mirror display to maintain the mirror state. However Cheong teaches when in a low power state, i.e., receiving command, the display enters a screen saving mode [¶ 2146 where a design choice the screen saver is a mirror state]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Choo in view of Trehan with Cheong as required, since such a modification optimizes power consumption.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 4-5, 7-9, 12, 14, 16 and 18-19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter.
2, 5, 8, 12, 16 and 19. The angle limitations in combination with each and every other limitation when rewritten as detailed above make the claims allowable over the prior art of record.
4, 14 and 18. The half mirror limitations in combination with each and every other limitation when rewritten as detailed above make the claims allowable over the prior art of record.
7. The “before being pivoted” limitations in combination with each and every other limitation when rewritten as detailed above make the claim allowable over the prior art of record.
9. The “control a content to be displayed in one area of the mirror display” limitations in combination with each and every other limitation when rewritten as detailed above make the claim allowable over the prior art of record.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GUSTAVO POLO whose telephone number is (571)270-7613. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-5pm PT.
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/Gustavo Polo/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2622