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 .
Response to Amendment
1. Amendments filed on 03/26/2026 has been entered. Claims 1, 4, and 10 have been amended and claim 9 has been canceled.
Response to Arguments
2. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-6 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
(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.
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.
3. Claim(s) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yokoyama (US 2022/0334644).
As to claim 1, Yokoyama teaches a method for decoding a haptic effect comprising, obtaining information representative of the haptic effect comprising a haptic mipmap, the haptic mipmap comprising a plurality of haptic textures representing different levels of detail of a single haptic effect (Fig. 8B illustrates 5 haptic with single haptic effect with the same haptic ID, which is ID = 1, but with different level of effect or amplitude) each haptic texture being associated with corresponding parameters representative of interaction speed ([0099] as illustrated in B of FIG. 8, an operation of tracing five pixels having the haptic data A (haptic ID) of “1” in order is detected, and the speed at the time of crossing over pixels is in the following order: V1, V2, V3, V2, and V1 (V1<V2<V3), [0100] In a case where the moving speed of the finger at the time of crossing over pixels is high, the data processing unit 42 increases the output level (amplitude) and the pitch); obtaining an interaction speed of an element representing a user ([0099]-[0100], fig. 8); selecting a haptic texture at least based on the obtained interaction speed ([0099]-[0100], fig. 8); and providing data of the selected haptic texture to haptic actuators based on a position of the element representing the user with regard to the haptic texture ([0052] The smartphone 11 displays an image on the display 22 on the basis of the texture information of the image data with haptic information and supplies a haptic control signal corresponding to the haptic data A to the piezoelectric actuator 23 in accordance with a position (pixel position) on the image touched by the user, thereby vibrating the display 22.).
As to claim 2, Yokoyama teaches the method wherein the parameters associated to haptic textures are further representative of a tracking rate and wherein the selection of the haptic texture is further based on the tracking rate ([0099] as illustrated in B of FIG. 8, an operation of tracing five pixels having the haptic data A (haptic ID) of “1” in order is detected, and the speed at the time of crossing over pixels is in the following order: V1, V2, V3, V2, and V1 (V1<V2<V3), [0100] In a case where the moving speed of the finger at the time of crossing over pixels is high, the data processing unit 42 increases the output level (amplitude) and the pitch. Examiner’s Note: fig. 8 illustrates that, as the speed increases, the tracking rate also increases because the tracking rate is related to the speed. Different haptic signals are output for each speed or tracking rate).
As to claim 3, Yokoyama teaches the method wherein the selection of a haptic texture is based on the minimal difference of a comparison between parameters of the haptic texture representative of interaction speed and the interaction speed of an element representing the user ([0099] as illustrated in B of FIG. 8, an operation of tracing five pixels having the haptic data A (haptic ID) of “1” in order is detected, and the speed at the time of crossing over pixels is in the following order: V1, V2, V3, V2, and V1 (V1<V2<V3), [0100] In a case where the moving speed of the finger at the time of crossing over pixels is high, the data processing unit 42 increases the output level (amplitude) and the pitch).
As to claim 4, Yokoyama teaches a device for decoding a haptic effect comprising a processor configured to: obtain information representative of the haptic effect comprising a haptic mipmap, the haptic mipmap comprising a plurality of haptic textures representing different levels of detail of a single haptic effect (Fig. 8B illustrates 5 haptic with single haptic effect with the same haptic ID, which is ID = 1, but with different level of effect or amplitude) each haptic texture being associated with corresponding parameters representative of interaction speed ([0099] as illustrated in B of FIG. 8, an operation of tracing five pixels having the haptic data A (haptic ID) of “1” in order is detected, and the speed at the time of crossing over pixels is in the following order: V1, V2, V3, V2, and V1 (V1<V2<V3), [0100] In a case where the moving speed of the finger at the time of crossing over pixels is high, the data processing unit 42 increases the output level (amplitude) and the pitch); obtain an interaction speed of an element representing a user ([0099]-[0100], fig. 8); select a haptic texture at least based on the obtained interaction speed ([0099]-[0100], fig. 8); and provide data of the selected haptic texture to haptic actuators based on a position of the element representing the user with regard to the haptic texture ([0052] The smartphone 11 displays an image on the display 22 on the basis of the texture information of the image data with haptic information and supplies a haptic control signal corresponding to the haptic data A to the piezoelectric actuator 23 in accordance with a position (pixel position) on the image touched by the user, thereby vibrating the display 22.).
As to claim 5, Yokoyama teaches the device wherein the parameters associated to haptic textures are further representative of a tracking rate and wherein the selection of the haptic texture is further based on the tracking rate ([0099] as illustrated in B of FIG. 8, an operation of tracing five pixels having the haptic data A (haptic ID) of “1” in order is detected, and the speed at the time of crossing over pixels is in the following order: V1, V2, V3, V2, and V1 (V1<V2<V3), [0100] In a case where the moving speed of the finger at the time of crossing over pixels is high, the data processing unit 42 increases the output level (amplitude) and the pitch. Examiner’s Note: fig. 8 illustrates that, as the speed increases, the tracking rate also increases because the tracking rate is related to the speed. Different haptic signals are output for each speed or tracking rate).
As to claim 6, Yokoyama teaches the device wherein the selection of a haptic texture is based on the minimal difference of a comparison between parameters of the haptic texture representative of interaction speed and the interaction speed of an element representing the user ([0099] as illustrated in B of FIG. 8, an operation of tracing five pixels having the haptic data A (haptic ID) of “1” in order is detected, and the speed at the time of crossing over pixels is in the following order: V1, V2, V3, V2, and V1 (V1<V2<V3), [0100] In a case where the moving speed of the finger at the time of crossing over pixels is high, the data processing unit 42 increases the output level (amplitude) and the pitch).
7-9. (Cancelled)
11-12. (Cancelled)
Allowable Subject Matter
4. Claim 10 is allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The prior art of record alone or in combination, fails to teach or render obvious, “A method for generating a haptic mipmap from a first haptic texture comprising: determining a trajectory over the first haptic texture; determining a first haptic signal corresponding to the trajectory at a first sampling rate; determining a second haptic signal being a subset of the first haptic signal; re-sampling the second haptic signal at a second sampling rate; generate a second haptic texture from the re-sampled second haptic signal; and combine at least the first and second haptic textures and corresponding information representative of the first and second sampling rates in a data structure.” in combination with the other claimed limitations set forth in claim 10.
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
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMEN W BOGALE whose telephone number is (571)270-1579. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:AM-6:PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nitin Patel can be reached at (571)272-7677. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AMEN W BOGALE/Examiner, Art Unit 2628
/NITIN PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2628
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