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 . This action is made non-final.
Claims 1-18 are pending in the case. Claims 1, 5, and 6 are independent claims. Claims 7-18 are new claims.
Priority
The instant application is a 371 of PCT/JP2022/008996 filed 03/02/2022.
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 Objections
Claims 2, 10, 16, and 6 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 2 recites “the acquiring further comprising acquiring” but the underlined portion should recite “comprises” in line with the rest of the claim. Claims 10 and 16 are objected to for the same reasons.
Claim 6 recites “storing a computer-executable program instructions” but “a” should be removed.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 (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 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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-11, and 13-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hashimoto et al. (US 2022/0414644 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Hashimoto teaches a sound reproduction device comprising a processor configured to execute operations (FIG. 13 and [0145-0148]: HMD 3A/sound reproduction device includes a processor/CPU 84; FIG. 15 and [0155-0165]: HMD3A reproduces sound for audio signal 1501) comprising:
acquiring display information displayed as a user interface (UI) component (FIGS. 11 (A) and (B) and [0135-0137] with respect to FIG. 15 and [0157-0160]: display information is acquired as seen in display screen 300A in the HMD 3A of FIG. 11A. The display information is displayed as UI component, including at least area 1101 for a QR code 8 and image g1 framing the recognized QR code; S51-S56 of FIG. 14 and [0150-0151], [0162]);
specifying target information, wherein the target information specifies a target to be reproduced as sound on the basis of identification information indicated by the display information (FIG. 11 (A) and [0136] with respect to FIG. 15 and [0157-0160]: target information specifies a target/QR code 8 to be reproduced as sound on the basis of identification information indicated by the display information. As described in [0136], “On this display screen 300A, an area 1101 for the QR code 8 is recognized from the photographed image of the camera 70, and an image g1 such as a frame is displayed.”; S51-S53 of FIG. 14 and [0150], [0162]); and
reproducing the target information as sound (FIG. 11 (B) and [0137] and FIG. 14 with respect to FIG. 15 and [0157-0162]: the target information is reproduced as sound via audio signal 1501).
Regarding claim 2, Hashimoto further teaches the sound reproduction device according to claim 1, wherein
the acquiring further comprising acquiring the display information including the target information in encrypted form (FIGS. 11 (A) and (B) and [0135-0137] with respect to FIG. 15 and [0157-0160]: display information is acquired as seen in display screen 300A in the HMD 3A of FIG. 11A. The display information includes the target information/a QR code 8 which is in encrypted form),
the acquiring further comprises decrypting the target information in encrypted form (S52-S53 of FIG. 14, [0150], FIGS. 11 (A) and (B) and [0135-0137] with respect to FIG. 15 and [0159-0162]: QR code 8 is decrypted to obtain a key code), and
the reproducing further comprises reproducing the decrypted target information as sound (FIG. 11 (B) and [0137] and FIG. 14 with respect to FIG. 15 and [0157-0162]: the decrypted target information/key code is reproduced as sound via audio signal 1501).
Regarding claim 3, Hashimoto further teaches the sound reproduction device according to claim 1, wherein the specifying further comprises specifying a storage area for storing the target information on the basis of the identification information indicated by the display information (FIG. 12 and [0144]: “The controller 75 takes in the image of the real space photographed by the camera 70 and data on the positions in the real space of the real object and the like obtained by the distance measuring device 71, and supplies to a memory and a CPU therein. Moreover, the controller 75 creates an image to be projected by the projection optical system 72”; FIG. 13 and [0148]: “Further, data generated in the process of and as a result of program processing can be stored in the flash ROM 87. Further, image data to be sent out to the projection optical system 72 are stored in the image RAM 86, and are read out from the image RAM 86.” Thus, target information corresponding to the recognized QR code 8 is stored in RAM 86), and
the reproducing further comprises reproducing the target information stored in the specified storage area as sound (FIG. 11 (B) and [0137] and FIG. 14 with respect to FIG. 15 and [0157-0162]: the target information is reproduced as sound via audio signal 1501).
Regarding claim 7, Hashimoto further teaches the sound reproduction device according to claim 1, the processor further configured to execute operations comprising:
retrieving, based on the identification information, the target information from a confidential information database, wherein the confidential information database stores confidential information as represented by the target information, and the target information comprises sound (FIG. 2 (B) and [0066-0067] with respect to FIG. 15 and [0155-0165]: based on the identification information, such as QR code 8, target information is retrieved from a confidential information database/server 12 to information terminal 3. Server 12 stores confidential information represented by the target information. As seen in FIG. 15, the target information comprises sound in the form of audio signal 1501).
Regarding claim 8, Hashimoto teaches the sound reproduction device according to claim 1, wherein the display information comprises a marker identifier of the target to prevent from displaying the target in unencrypted form, and the target represents secret information (FIGS. 11 (A) and (B) and [0135-0137] with respect to FIG. 15 and [0157-0160]: display information is acquired as seen in display screen 300A in the HMD 3A of FIG. 11A. The display information is displayed as UI component, including at least area 1101 for a QR code 8 and image g1 framing the recognized QR code. Note how QR code 8 acts as a marker identifier of the target, preventing display of the target in unencrypted form, and the target represents secret information, like a key code; S51-S56 of FIG. 14 and [0150-0151], [0162]).
Regarding claim 9, Hashimoto teaches the sound reproduction device according to claim 1, wherein the display information comprises codified information identifying the target (FIGS. 11 (A) and (B) and [0135-0137] with respect to FIG. 15 and [0157-0160]: display information is acquired as seen in display screen 300A in the HMD 3A of FIG. 11A. The display information is displayed as UI component, including at least area 1101 for a QR code 8 and image g1 framing the recognized QR code. Note how QR code 8 represents codified information identifying the target, such as a key code; S51-S56 of FIG. 14 and [0150-0151], [0162]).
Regarding claims 5, 10, 11, and 13-15, the claims recite a computer-implemented method for reproducing sound comprising steps corresponding to the sound reproduction device of claims 1-3 and 7-9, respectively, and are therefore rejected on the same premises.
Regarding claims 6, 16, and 17, the claims recite a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing a computer-executable program instructions that when executed by a processor cause a computer to (FIG. 13 and [0145-0148], [0238]) execute operations corresponding to the sound reproduction device of claims 1-3, respectively, and are therefore rejected on the same premises.
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) 4, 12, and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hashimoto et al. (US 2022/0414644 A1), in view of Cho et al. (US 2018/0131802 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Hashimoto teaches the sound reproduction device according to claim 1. Hashimoto does not explicitly teach the processor further configured to execute operations comprising: reflecting a reply by sound to the target information on the UI component.
Cho teaches reflecting a reply by sound to the target information on the UI component (FIG. 5B and [0201-0205]: a reply of a pin is reflected by sound to the target information on the UI component.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Hashimoto by incorporating the teachings of Cho so as to include reflecting a reply by sound to the target information on the UI component. Doing so would allow an additional layer of security to verify that the user is in possession of the target information, such as that which was reproduced as sound in Hashimoto, by having the user reflect a reply. This would help prevent unauthorized control or use of target information.
Regarding claim 12, the claim recites a computer-implemented method corresponding to the sound reproduction device of claim 4 and is therefore rejected on the same premise.
Regarding claim 18, the claim recites a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium corresponding to the sound reproduction device of claim 4 and is therefore rejected on the same premise.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, including:
US 2023/0011451 A1: outputting decrypted data as audio
US 2022/0321351 A1: providing decrypted code via visual, audio, or audiovisual output based on user preferences and/or content type
US 2015/0254057 A1: voice-command selection and presentation
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNY NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4980. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7AM to 5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, KIEU D VU can be reached on (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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/KENNY NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2171
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