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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. CN202210283396.X, filed on 03/22/2022.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1 and 9–10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (U.S. 12,197,498 B2) in view of Zhang (CN 111538855 A) and further in view of Jean et al. (U.S. 9,652,688 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Liu discloses a positioning method, comprising:
acquiring a fusion pose of a query frame from a terminal. (Per Fig. 6 at step S601, Liu discloses a query image from his terminal to determine a pose. Liu col. 26 lines 13–28. Operation S601: A terminal obtains a query image at a first location.)
However, Liu fails to specifically disclose a method comprising:
acquiring, based on the fusion pose of the query frame, a plurality of candidate pictures from a cloud database, a spatial distance and an angle between each of the plurality of candidate pictures and the query frame meeting a preset condition;
determining, from the plurality of candidate pictures, a top specified number of candidate pictures each having a minimum spatial distance from the query frame as a recall frame; and
determining, based on a matching relationship between feature points of the recall frame and feature points of the query frame, a pose of the query frame to perform positioning according to the pose of the query frame.
In related art, Zhang discloses acquiring, based on the fusion pose of the query frame, a plurality of candidate pictures (a plurality of candidate pictures construed as two candidate pose information) from a cloud database, a spatial distance (a spatial distance construed as a preset distance) and an angle (an angle construed as a preset angle) between each of the plurality of candidate pictures and the query frame meeting a preset condition (a preset condition construed as a preset difference); (Zhang discloses candidate information after processing the query image. Specifically, he discloses a difference between the two candidate pose information and the pose information analyzing a preset distance and a preset angle such that the difference is determined whether it is greater than or equal to a preset difference. Zhang Spec. ¶136. If the distance between the positions in the two candidate pose information is greater than or equal to a preset distance, or the difference in the angles in the two candidate pose information is greater than or equal to a preset angle, then the difference between the two candidate pose information can be determined to be greater than or equal to a preset difference.)
determining, based on a matching relationship between feature points of the recall frame and feature points of the query frame, a pose of the query frame to perform positioning according to the pose of the query frame. (Per Fig. 1 at step S12, Zhang discloses candidate pose information corresponding to the query image between candidate images. Ibid. ¶106. [f]eature point matching is performed between the candidate images in the at least one candidate image group and the query image to obtain at least one candidate pose information corresponding to the query image.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Zhang into the teachings of Liu to improve accuracy of visual localization performing image clustering based on the number of identical feature points. Ibid. ¶36.
Liu as modified by Zhang, discloses the claimed invention, but fails to specifically disclose determining, from the plurality of candidate pictures, a top specified number of candidate pictures each having a minimum spatial distance from the query frame as a recall frame.
In related art, Jean discloses determining, from the plurality of candidate pictures, a top specified number of candidate pictures (A top specified number of candidate pictures construed as top 3 templates for a query image. See his col. 16 lines 25–35.) each having a minimum spatial distance (a minimum spatial distance construed as pixel-to-pixel similarity metric where pixel distance is minimized in a summation of squared differences) from the query frame as a recall frame. (Jean discloses a pixel-to-pixel similarity metric between a reference template image and a query image minimizing a cost function of the distance. Jean col. 7 line 62 – col. 8 line 4. [t]he approach first establishes a pixel-to-pixel similarity metric (e.g., distance or intensity) between a reference template image I.sub.0 and query image I.sub.1 and then solves an optimization problem by minimizing a cost function.))
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Jean into the teachings of Liu and Zhang to index images enabling query database such that most similar images are rendered. Ibid. col. 14 lines 18–32.
Regarding claim 9, Liu discloses an electronic device, comprising:
a processor; and (Fig. 1, a processor 110)
a memory, storing computer-executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, enable the processor to perform the following operations: (Fig. 1, a processor 110)
acquiring a fusion pose of a query frame from a terminal. (Per Fig. 6 at step S601, Liu discloses a query image from his terminal to determine a pose. Liu col. 26 lines 13–28. Operation S601: A terminal obtains a query image at a first location.)
However, Liu fails to specifically disclose a method comprising:
acquiring, based on the fusion pose of the query frame, a plurality of candidate pictures from a cloud database, a spatial distance and an angle between each of the plurality of candidate pictures and the query frame meeting a preset condition;
determining, from the plurality of candidate pictures, a top specified number of candidate pictures each having a minimum spatial distance from the query frame as a recall frame; and
determining, based on a matching relationship between feature points of the recall frame and feature points of the query frame, a pose of the query frame to perform positioning according to the pose of the query frame.
In related art, Zhang discloses acquiring, based on the fusion pose of the query frame, a plurality of candidate pictures from a cloud database, a spatial distance and an angle between each of the plurality of candidate pictures and the query frame meeting a preset condition; (Zhang discloses candidate information after processing the query image. Specifically, he discloses a difference between the two candidate pose information and the pose information analyzing a preset distance and a preset angle such that the difference is determined whether it is greater than or equal to a preset difference. Zhang Spec. ¶136. If the distance between the positions in the two candidate pose information is greater than or equal to a preset distance, or the difference in the angles in the two candidate pose information is greater than or equal to a preset angle, then the difference between the two candidate pose information can be determined to be greater than or equal to a preset difference.)
determining, based on a matching relationship between feature points of the recall frame and feature points of the query frame, a pose of the query frame to perform positioning according to the pose of the query frame. (Per Fig. 1 at step S12, Zhang discloses candidate pose information corresponding to the query image between candidate images. Ibid. ¶106. [f]eature point matching is performed between the candidate images in the at least one candidate image group and the query image to obtain at least one candidate pose information corresponding to the query image.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Zhang into the teachings of Liu to improve accuracy of visual localization performing image clustering based on the number of identical feature points. Ibid. ¶36.
Liu as modified by Zhang, discloses the claimed invention, but fails to specifically disclose determining, from the plurality of candidate pictures, a top specified number of candidate pictures each having a minimum spatial distance from the query frame as a recall frame.
In related art, Jean discloses determining, from the plurality of candidate pictures, a top specified number of candidate pictures each having a minimum spatial distance from the query frame as a recall frame. (Jean discloses a pixel-to-pixel similarity metric between a reference template image and a query image minimizing a cost function of the distance. Jean col. 7 line 62 – col. 8 line 4. [t]he approach first establishes a pixel-to-pixel similarity metric (e.g., distance or intensity) between a reference template image I.sub.0 and query image I.sub.1 and then solves an optimization problem by minimizing a cost function.))
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Jean into the teachings of Liu and Zhang to index images enabling query database such that most similar images are rendered. Ibid. col. 14 lines 18–32.
Regarding claim 10, Liu discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs, when executed by an electronic device comprising at least one application program, enable the electronic device to perform the following operations:
acquiring a fusion pose of a query frame from a terminal. (Per Fig. 6 at step S601, Liu discloses a query image from his terminal to determine a pose. Liu col. 26 lines 13–28. Operation S601: A terminal obtains a query image at a first location.)
However, Liu fails to specifically disclose a method comprising:
acquiring, based on the fusion pose of the query frame, a plurality of candidate pictures from a cloud database, a spatial distance and an angle between each of the plurality of candidate pictures and the query frame meeting a preset condition;
determining, from the plurality of candidate pictures, a top specified number of candidate pictures each having a minimum spatial distance from the query frame as a recall frame; and
determining, based on a matching relationship between feature points of the recall frame and feature points of the query frame, a pose of the query frame to perform positioning according to the pose of the query frame.
In related art, Zhang discloses acquiring, based on the fusion pose of the query frame, a plurality of candidate pictures from a cloud database, a spatial distance and an angle between each of the plurality of candidate pictures and the query frame meeting a preset condition; (Zhang discloses candidate information after processing the query image. Specifically, he discloses a difference between the two candidate pose information and the pose information analyzing a preset distance and a preset angle such that the difference is determined whether it is greater than or equal to a preset difference. Zhang Spec. ¶136. If the distance between the positions in the two candidate pose information is greater than or equal to a preset distance, or the difference in the angles in the two candidate pose information is greater than or equal to a preset angle, then the difference between the two candidate pose information can be determined to be greater than or equal to a preset difference.)
determining, based on a matching relationship between feature points of the recall frame and feature points of the query frame, a pose of the query frame to perform positioning according to the pose of the query frame. (Per Fig. 1 at step S12, Zhang discloses candidate pose information corresponding to the query image between candidate images. Ibid. ¶106. [f]eature point matching is performed between the candidate images in the at least one candidate image group and the query image to obtain at least one candidate pose information corresponding to the query image.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Zhang into the teachings of Liu to improve accuracy of visual localization performing image clustering based on the number of identical feature points. Ibid. ¶36.
Liu as modified by Zhang, discloses the claimed invention, but fails to specifically disclose determining, from the plurality of candidate pictures, a top specified number of candidate pictures each having a minimum spatial distance from the query frame as a recall frame.
In related art, Jean discloses determining, from the plurality of candidate pictures, a top specified number of candidate pictures each having a minimum spatial distance from the query frame as a recall frame. (Jean discloses a pixel-to-pixel similarity metric between a reference template image and a query image minimizing a cost function of the distance. Jean col. 7 line 62 – col. 8 line 4. [t]he approach first establishes a pixel-to-pixel similarity metric (e.g., distance or intensity) between a reference template image I.sub.0 and query image I.sub.1 and then solves an optimization problem by minimizing a cost function.))
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Jean into the teachings of Liu and Zhang to index images enabling query database such that most similar images are rendered. Ibid. col. 14 lines 18–32.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2–7 and 11–21 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lin et al. (U.S. 11,205,282 B2) discloses a repositioning method in a camera pose tracking process.
Contact
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BENEDICT LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-0390. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00-16:00 (EST).
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/BENEDICT E LEE/Examiner, Art Unit 2665
/Stephen R Koziol/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2665
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