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 .
A control unit, an imaging unit, a vibration unit, an audio output unit are not being interpreted under 112 sixth Paragraph since the specification describe them as structures.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter.
The claim recites, inter alia, “A program that causes a computer to function as …..” in the absence of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which the program is stored. An Examiner is obliged to give claims their broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification during examination. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim drawn to a program in the absence of a computer-readable storage medium (also called machine readable medium and other such variations) typically covers forms of non-transitory tangible media and transitory propagating signals perse in view of the ordinary and customary meaning of computer readable media, particularly when the specification is silent. See MPEP 2111.01. When the broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim covers a signal, perse, the claim must be rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 101 as covering non-statutory subject matter. However, the Examiner respectfully submits a claim drawn to such a computer-readable storage medium that covers both transitory and non-transitory embodiments may be amended to narrow the claim to cover only statutory embodiments to avoid a rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 101 by adding the limitation “non-transitory” to the claim. Such an amendment would typically not raise the issue of new matter, even when the specification is silent because the broadest reasonable interpretation relies on the ordinary and customary meaning that includes signals perse.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mikio et al. (JP 2006136865A).
[Claim 1]
An information processing apparatus (camera), comprising
a control unit (fig. 8, CPU 32) that performs, on a basis of vibration data of a shutter of an imaging apparatus (single lens reflex camera) from which the vibration data is acquired, control to generate input waveform data of pseudo shutter vibration to be presented in a target apparatus (e.g. camera) by referring to a parameter (Paragraph 62, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a digital camera 200 to which an input / output device with a tactile function. In this example, two types of actuators such as a piezoelectric actuator 25 and a vibration motor 45 having different vibration characteristics are arranged inside the housing of the digital camera 200. Utilizing the case vibration that has been created by only one of the actuators so far, the piezoelectric actuator 25 or the vibration motor 45 is selected based on the preset operating condition, and the piezoelectric actuator is selected based on the operating condition or the vibration motor 45 is controlled to be driven. With this control, the vibration waveform of the analog single-lens reflex camera can be reproduced, thereby providing feedback of shutter timing and a comfortable operation feeling to the operator's finger or hand (actuator selection drive control). Paragraph 84, For example, the CPU 32 reads the vibration pattern data DP based on the pressing position and the pressing force detected by the input detection unit 24 from the above-described EEPROM 53. When the operator's finger 30a contacts the shutter operation button 62 of the input detection means 24 and detects a pressing force of a certain level or more at that position, the CPU 32 is substantially equivalent to operating the shutter switch of the high-end single-lens reflex camera. Control is performed so that the tactile sensation is presented on the operator's finger in a pseudo manner).
[Claim 2]
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input waveform data is a signal to be used for driving a vibration unit provided in the target apparatus (Paragraph 62, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a digital camera 200 to which an input / output device with a tactile function as a second embodiment is applied. In this example, two types of actuators such as a piezoelectric actuator 25 and a vibration motor 45 having different vibration characteristics are arranged inside the housing of the digital camera 200. Utilizing the case vibration that has been created by only one of the actuators so far, the piezoelectric actuator 25 or the vibration motor 45 is selected based on the preset operating condition, and the piezoelectric actuator is selected based on the operating condition or the vibration motor 45 is controlled to be driven. With this control, the vibration waveform of the analog single-lens reflex camera can be reproduced, thereby providing feedback of shutter timing and a comfortable operation feeling to the operator's finger or hand (actuator selection drive control).
[Claim 3]
The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the parameter of the target apparatus includes specification data of the vibration unit and Paragraph 84, When the operator's finger 30a contacts the shutter operation button 62 of the input detection means 24 and detects a pressing force of a certain level or more at that position, the CPU 32 is substantially equivalent to operating the shutter switch of the high-end single-lens reflex camera. Control is performed so that the tactile sensation is presented on the operator's finger in a pseudo manner).
[Claim 4]
The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the specification data includes at least one of frequency characteristics, a rated voltage, a direction of vibration, or a used frequency band (Paragraph 86, the actuator drive circuit 37 decodes the actuator selection information and generates, for example, 2-bit actuator selection data Ds. In the actuator drive circuit 37, the vibration control voltage Va is generated based on the vibration control signal, and the motor drive voltage Vm is generated based on the motor control signal).
[Claim 5]
The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the vibration data is acceleration data obtained by sensing the imaging apparatus (Paragraph 94, FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a waveform example of the vibration waveform pattern P0 when the digital camera 200 is operated by the shutter. In FIG. 9, the vertical axis represents the amplitude A that simulates the acceleration (force) when the shutter operation button 62 is pressed).
[Claim 10]
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further generates the input waveform data in a range below the influence threshold value by referring to an influence threshold value of the target apparatus (Paragraph 82, The half-pressed state or the fully-pressed state of the shutter operation button 62 is determined by a preset threshold value. Paragraph 84, CPU 32 reads the vibration pattern data DP based on the pressing position and the pressing force detected by the input detection unit 24 from the above-described EEPROM 53. When the operator's finger 30a contacts the shutter operation button 62 of the input detection means 24 and detects a pressing force of a certain level or more at that position, the CPU 32 is substantially equivalent to operating the shutter).
[Claim 11]
The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control unit changes an effect in the input waveform data to be lower than the influence threshold value ( When the digital camera 200 is configured in this manner, vibration can be generated with a vibration waveform pattern (amplitude A, frequency f, and vibration frequency N) corresponding to the pressed position of the operator's finger 30a during the shutter operation. The operator can feel the vibration as a tactile sensation of the shutter switch of the high-end single-lens reflex camera by receiving the vibration on the finger 30a).
[Claim 13]
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit generates a plurality of pieces of the input waveform data and determines input waveform data to be used in the target apparatus in accordance with selection by a user ( Paragraph 99, When the digital camera 200 is configured in this manner, vibration can be generated with a vibration waveform pattern (amplitude A, frequency f, and vibration frequency N) corresponding to the pressed position of the operator's finger 30a during the shutter operation. The operator can feel the vibration as a tactile sensation of the shutter switch of the high-end single-lens reflex camera by receiving the vibration on the finger 30a).
[Claim 15]
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is the target apparatus (digital still camera, fig. 5) , further comprising: an imaging unit (CCD 42); and a vibration unit (actuator 25), wherein the control unit performs control to present pseudo shutter vibration through the vibration unit by using the generated input waveform data in accordance with a shutter timing in the imaging unit (Paragraph 84, When the operator's finger 30a contacts the shutter operation button 62 of the input detection means 24 and detects a pressing force of a certain level or more at that position, the CPU 32 is substantially equivalent to operating the shutter switch of the high-end single-lens reflex camera. Control is performed so that the tactile sensation is presented on the operator's finger in a pseudo manner).
[Claim 16]
The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising an audio output unit, wherein the control unit further performs control to output a pseudo shutter sound from the audio output unit in accordance with the shutter timing, the pseudo shutter sound being generated on a basis of a shutter sound acquired from the imaging apparatus ( Paragraph 7 discloses an audible sound and vibration generator. According to this generation device, an operation input unit with a tactile input function, a sensor unit, a sound source unit, and a sound generation unit are provided. The sensor unit and the sound generation unit are provided in the operation input unit, and an operator applies an external force to the operation input unit. Then, the sensor unit detects an external force and outputs a force detection signal to the sound source unit. The sound source unit outputs a drive control signal to the sound generation unit based on the force detection signal. The sound generation unit outputs audible sound and vibration based on the drive control signal. When the generating device is configured in this way, sound can be presented to the operator's hand or finger that has applied external force to the operation input unit through hearing and touch).
[Claims 18 and 19]
These are method and computer program claims corresponding to apparatus claim 1 and are therefore analyzed and rejected based upon apparatus claim 1.
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) 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mikio et al. (JP Patent # 2006136865A).
[Claim 17]
Mikio fails to teach wherein the control unit performs control to output the shutter sound corresponding to a subject type from the audio output unit. However Official Notice is taken that it is very well known to have the control unit performs control to output the shutter sound corresponding to a subject type from the audio output unit in order to have different sounds for different types of objects. Therefore taking the combined teachings of Mikio and Official Notice, it would be obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have been motivated to have the shutter sound corresponding to a subject type from the audio output unit in order to have different sounds for different types of objects thereby easily differentiating sounds based on the type of the subjects.
Claim(s) 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mikio et al. (JP Patent # 2006136865A) in view of Kawai et al. (US PGPUB 20030206238).
[Claim 12]
Mikio fails to teach that an effect in input waveform data on a basis of an age or a medical condition of a user. However Kawai teaches that the image is brought into correspondence with the sound more precisely using camera parameters such as pan, tilt and zoom, time periods, and personal data such as the age, sex and address of the user (Paragraph 184). Based on this teachings it would be obvious that sounds from the operation of a shutter can also be based on an age of the user. . Therefore taking the combined teachings of Mikio and Kawai, it would be obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have been motivated to have the an effect in input waveform data on a basis of an age or a medical condition of a user in order to display on the screen can accurately be explained when the image is explained with sound, and an effective sound can be added to an image.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-9 and 14 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 prior art fails to teach or suggest as in claim 6, “the control unit processes the acceleration data acquired from the imaging apparatus by referring to the parameter of the imaging apparatus and the parameter of the target apparatus and generates, from the processed acceleration data, the input waveform data for reducing a shutter feeling of the imaging apparatus in the target apparatus” and claim 7, “wherein the control unit processes frequency characteristics obtained by frequency analysis of the acceleration data acquired from the imaging apparatus by referring to the parameter of the imaging apparatus and the parameter of the target apparatus and generates, from the processed frequency characteristics, the input waveform data for reducing the shutter feeling of the imaging apparatus in the target apparatus”.
Claims 8 and 9 are dependent upon claim 6. Claim 14, “performs control to display a screen for specifying an impression of a shutter feeling, and generates the input waveform data in accordance with the impression specified by a user”.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YOGESH K AGGARWAL whose telephone number is (571)272-7360. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:30-6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sinh Tran can be reached at 5712727564. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/YOGESH K AGGARWAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2637