CTNF 18/832,196 CTNF 90395 Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA 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. 07-34-01 Claims 2, 5-6, and 7 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. Claim 2 recites, “three-dimensional information on the measurement area and the virtual object…”. The term “three-dimensional information” lacks clear antecedent basis and it is unclear whether this term is intended to be synonymous with “three-dimensional detection result” or represents a different dataset. Claim 5 recites, “the virtual object of the moving object”. There is lack of antecedent basis for term “the moving object”. Also, this term provides ambiguity as to whether it refers to the previously recited “moving body” or a different/new element. Claim 6 is rejected due to its dependency on rejected claim 5. Claim 7 recites, “generating an installation check screen in which by overlaying the virtual object of the moving body is overlaid on the sensor” which is grammatically inconsistent and unclear, rendering the scope of the claim uncertain. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 1-7 are allowed over prior art of record. Reasons for Allowance 13-03 AIA The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The primary reason for the allowance of the Claims 1 and 7 is the inclusion of the limitation, " wherein, in response to a user's operation on the terminal device, the server device places a virtual object of a moving body in a three-dimensional space including the three- dimensional detection result acquired by the second sensor, and wherein, based on a positional relationship between the three-dimensional detection result of the measurement area and the virtual object, the server device generates an installation check screen in which the virtual object of the moving body is overlaid on the sensor image which is the two-dimensional detection result acquired by the first sensor, and transmits the installation check screen to the terminal device." in conjunction with all disclosed steps of functions or all disclosed structures performing corresponding functions in claims 1 and 7. The closest prior arts Michalopoulos (US 4847772 A) and Mimeault (US 9235988 B2) disclose: Michalopoulos teaches, A traffic flow measurement system comprising: (See abstract, This data can be utilized for real-time traffic surveillance and control, or stored in memory for subsequent processing and evaluation of traffic flow conditions.) a first sensor configured to acquire a two-dimensional detection result of a measurement area of a traffic flow; (See fig. 1, camera 12, col. 1, line 56 thru col. 2, line 5, The sensor of such systems, such as an electronic camera, is focused upon a field of traffic and generates images at predetermined frame rates (such as standard television). Under computer control, frame data with traffic images is captured, digitized, and stored in computer memory…see abstract, A video monitor coupled to the camera provides a visual image of the field of view. The camera captures 2D arrays of pixels of traffic scene. Also see claim 9) a server device connected to the first … sensors and configured to acquire sensor images based on the detection results of the first … sensors, and perform a traffic flow analysis operation; and (See col. 1, lines 20-37, Timing sequences of pretimed traffic control signals are derived from historical information concerning the demand patterns, while real-time traffic control decisions are derived from actual traffic flow information. This information can be processed locally, or remotely-transmitted to a central computer where decisions about signal settings are made. Also see fig. 1, computer 18 in the local embodiment is the structural equivalent of central computer in the remote embodiment. See col. 4, lines 26-30, The selected pixels I.sub.ij.sup.n are then transferred to microprocessor 18 and stored in RAM 17…col. 4, lines 44-55, Once selected and stored, pixels I.sub.ij.sup.n representative of successive frames of the windowed portion of image 30 can be processed by microprocessor 18 in accordance with various temporal, spatial and/or other statistical methods to determine the presence, passage, velocity, or other characteristics of the vehicles 28 within the selected window of roadway 26. This data can then be utilized by traffic signal control 22 in known manners to optimize the flow of traffic along roadway 26 in response to currently existing traffic conditions. ) a terminal device which is connected to the server device via a network and displays the sensor images and a result of the traffic flow analysis operation, (See fig. 1, terminal 20 being connected to computer 18 (which can be remote central computer). Also see fig. 7, displaying traffic situation. In the previous limitation, the claimed “traffic flow analysis” was ‘determine the presence, passage, velocity, or other characteristics of the vehicles 28’. The result is already thus displayed inherently (e.g. at least presence, passage, other characteristics of vehicles). Examiner requests clarification of “a result”) Michalopoulos does not specifically teach, a second sensor configured to acquire a three-dimensional detection result of the measurement area; a … device connected to the … second sensors and configured to acquire sensor images based on the detection results of the … second sensors, and perform a traffic flow analysis operation; wherein, in response to a user's operation on the terminal device, the server device places a virtual object of a moving body in a three-dimensional space including the three- dimensional detection result acquired by the second sensor, and wherein, based on a positional relationship between the three-dimensional detection result of the measurement area and the virtual object, the server device generates an installation check screen in which the virtual object of the moving body is overlaid on the sensor image which is the two-dimensional detection result acquired by the first sensor, and transmits the installation check screen to the terminal device. Mimeault further teaches, a second sensor configured to acquire a three-dimensional detection result of the measurement area; (See col. 1, lines 6-12, The present invention relates to a system and method for traffic detection and more particularly to an optical system that detects the presence, location, lane position, direction and speed of vehicles in a traffic zone using an active three-dimensional sensor based on the time-of-flight ranging principle and an image sensor.) a … device connected to the … second sensors and configured to acquire sensor images based on the detection results of the … second sensors, and perform a traffic flow analysis operation; (See fig. 1, control and processing unit 22 receiving images from 3D optical receiver 14 and 2D optical receiver 16…col. 11, lines 1-5, The Power Supply Management and Data Interface 24 can also be useful in transmitting images and videos to an external system or network to allow a remote operator to monitor different traffic events. Also see abstract, detecting a presence of a plurality of vehicles, a position of at least part of each vehicle and a time at which the position is detected; assigning a unique identifier to each vehicle; repeating the steps of driving, receiving, acquiring and detecting, at a predetermined frequency; tracking and recording an updated position of each vehicle and an updated time at which the updated position is detected.) Therefore, it would have been obvious by one of ordinary skilled in the art before the time the invention was effectively filed to modify the traffic flow measurement system comprising camera of Michalopoulos to further comprise second sensors such as LIDAR taught by Mimeault because Mimeault explicitly mentions “Cameras with video processing have some drawbacks notably for speed measurement” and utilizes LIDAR which has superior detection accuracy compared to camera, thus it would have been advantageous to utilize LIDAR (See col. 8, lines 51-55, abstract, and col. 13, lines 8-23). Michalopoulos-Mimeault does not specifically teach, wherein, in response to a user's operation on the terminal device, the … device places a virtual object of a moving body in a three-dimensional space including the three- dimensional detection result acquired by the second sensor, and wherein, based on a positional relationship between the three-dimensional detection result of the measurement area and the virtual object, the … device generates an installation check screen in which the virtual object of the moving body is overlaid on the sensor image which is the two-dimensional detection result acquired by the first sensor, and transmits the installation check screen to the terminal device. Lastly, Muench (US 20130162639 A1) partially discloses the deficiency of Michalopoulos-Mimeault, however, does not specifically disclose claimed “generates an installation check screen…” nor user placing moving virtual object (where the object is one of 3D detection result acquired by the second sensor) into the 3D space. Muench discloses “recording an image of an environment of the vehicle in the form of image data, determining a virtual space in three dimensions from the image data, and detecting a real object in the image data. The method further comprises determining a first coordinate range of the real object in the three-dimensional virtual space, adding a virtual element to the three-dimensional virtual space, and controlling the virtual element in the three-dimensional virtual space based on a user input. The method further comprises outputting the environment and the controlled virtual element in combined form in an output image, modifying the output image when the first coordinate range of the real object and a second coordinate range of the controlled virtual element form an intersection area, and displaying the output image.” (abstract). Therefore, Michalopoulos-Mimeault -Muench do not disclose limitations of claims 1 and 7, when considered as a whole. Also, it would have not been obvious to one skilled in the art to combine all prior arts to teach the claim limitations before the effective filing date of instant application unless knowledge from the applicant's disclosure is obtained. Examiner notes the above limitation is novel over the prior art in view of the entirety of the claim, not just the limitation presented alone. Examiner is pointing out the subject matter of the above-described claims of which is considered novel over the prior art for the benefit of the Applicant and cannot be considered novel alone, but in context of the entirety of the claim language. Consequently, the prior arts of record individually and as a whole do not teach the claim limitation above. Claims 2-6 depending on claim 1 respectively, therefore, are considered allowable on the basis as the independent claim as well as for the further limitations set forth . Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.” Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN S LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-2674. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8-5. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JAMES J LEE can be reached at (571)270-5965. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /JUSTIN S LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3668 Application/Control Number: 18/832,196 Page 2 Art Unit: 3668 Application/Control Number: 18/832,196 Page 3 Art Unit: 3668 Application/Control Number: 18/832,196 Page 4 Art Unit: 3668 Application/Control Number: 18/832,196 Page 5 Art Unit: 3668 Application/Control Number: 18/832,196 Page 6 Art Unit: 3668 Application/Control Number: 18/832,196 Page 7 Art Unit: 3668 Application/Control Number: 18/832,196 Page 8 Art Unit: 3668 Application/Control Number: 18/832,196 Page 9 Art Unit: 3668 Application/Control Number: 18/832,196 Page 10 Art Unit: 3668
Prosecution Insights