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
This application is a continuation of US Application No. 17/704,316, filed on March 25, 2022, which claims priority of US Provisional Application No. 63/172,951, filed on April 09, 2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted is considered by the examiner.
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) 13-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reichow et al. (US Patent Number 9,958,767 B1) in view of Vyas et al. (US Publication Number 2018/0147728 A1, hereinafter “Vyas”).
(1) regarding claim 13:
As shown in fig. 3A-3C, Reichow disclosed an animated figure display system (col. 1, lines 56-58, note that a display system is provided that is configured to provide projection mapped augmentation of mechanically animated objects), comprising:
a set of actuators configured to adjust a portion of an animated figure and a projection surface (col. 1, line 66- col. 2, line 2, note that a projector(s) operated by the controller (in a synchronized manner with the screen actuator) to project content onto the projection surface);
an actuator controller communicatively coupled to the set of actuators (col. 3, lines 6-8, note that the display system further includes a controller concurrently operating the screen actuator and the projector with time synchronization. See fig. 1, 119A and 119B actuators), wherein the actuator controller is configured to:
receive motion sequence data configured to cause coordinated actuation of the set of actuators (col. 5, lines 7-11, note that the screen assembly is adapted to be moved or operated by the screen actuator to provide a changing projection surface(s) with a shape, size, and location that changes over time to match the choreographed dance); and
instruct the set of actuators to adjust the portion of the animated figure and the projection surface based on the motion sequence data (col. 5, lines 23-30, note that the content being projected is mapped to the projection surface so that little or no blow-by occurs (e.g., using projection mapping), and the screen assembly's elements (e.g., an arm element providing the arm-portion of the projection surface) are sized and shaped (both of which may be modified in 2D or 3D by the screen actuator over time) to match the projected content); and
a controller communicatively coupled to the actuator controller (140, fig. 1, col. 8, lines 13-16, note that the display control module 146 acts to generate and transmit control signals 162 to the screen actuator 118 to cause it to actuate 119A and 119B the screen element 116A-116C), wherein the controller is configured to:
receive tracking data indicative of positioning of the portion of the animated figure, the projection surface, or both (col. 12, lines 1-7, note that the media content may be created by positioning a person or character/figure (e.g., a person wearing a costume or the like) in the display space designed and populated in step 505 in the planned location for the mechanically animated object, and then videotaping the person/character/figure as they perform choreographed actions or performances for the particular display/show); and
generate a control signal indicative of image content to be projected onto the portion of the animated figure and the projection surface based on the motion sequence data and the tracking data (col. 12, lines 36-42, note that the projection screen and screen actuator are then positioned in the display space at a location defined for the mechanically animated object (e.g., same location where the actor videotaped in step 510 performed his/her role for the display/show). A video projector is provided in the display system and focused/directed to project its output light onto the projection surface of the screen positioned in step 520).
Reichow disclosed most of the subject matter as described as above except for specifically teaching tracking data indicative of positioning of the portion of the animated figure.
However, Vyas disclosed tracking data indicative of positioning of the portion of the animated figure (para. [0037], note that the one or more sensors 50 may include machine vision sensors 54 such as imaging sensors and/or cameras, configured to visually track motions or movements of the performer's face (e.g., facial gestures)).
At the time of filing for the invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art to teach tracking data indicative of positioning of the portion of the animated figure. The suggestion/motivation for doing so would have been in order to provide an indication of the animation selection for visualization by a performer operating the animated character head (abs.). Therefore, it would have been obvious to combine Reichow with Vyas to obtain the invention as specified in claim 13.
(2) regarding claim 14:
Reichow further disclosed the system of claim 13, comprising a projector communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the projector is configured to:
receive the control signal indicative of the image content from the controller (col. 8, lines 10-13, note that the display control module 146 is configured to generate and transmit control signals 160 to the projector 130 to cause it to project the media content/light 135 onto the projection surface); and
project the image content onto the portion of the animated figure and the projection surface (col. 8, lines 56-60, note that the memory 150 also stores projector content 154 that is used by the display control module 146 to provide the control signals 160 for operating the projector 130 to output the projected content/light 135 onto the projection surface 117A-117C.).
(3) regarding claim 15:
Reichow disclosed most of the subject matter as described as above except for specifically teaching a tracking camera configured to provide the tracking data based on detecting one or more trackers coupled to the portion of the animated figure, the projection surface, or both.
However, Vyas disclosed a tracking camera configured to provide the tracking data based on detecting one or more trackers coupled to the portion of the animated figure, the projection surface, or both (para. [0037], note that the one or more sensors 50 may include machine vision sensors 54 such as imaging sensors and/or cameras, configured to visually track motions or movements of the performer's face (e.g., facial gestures). The machine vision sensor 54 may send a signal to the controller 20 indicative of the face of the performer to generate a first signal that is used by the controller 20 to choose the animation selection from the library of animations).
At the time of filing for the invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art to teach a tracking camera configured to provide the tracking data based on detecting one or more trackers coupled to the portion of the animated figure, the projection surface, or both. The suggestion/motivation for doing so would have been in order to provide an indication of the animation selection for visualization by a performer operating the animated character head (abs.). Therefore, it would have been obvious to combine Reichow with Vyas to obtain the invention as specified in claim 15.
(4) regarding claim 16:
Reichow further disclosed the system of claim 13, wherein:
the controller is configured to receive an indication comprising first location data associated with the animated figure, the projection surface, or both based on the motion sequence data (col. 6, lines 47-50, note that the screen assembly 114 includes one or more screen elements that are operable with a screen actuator (or actuators) 118 to change in shape, size, and/or location over time (along the timeline of a show or display)); and
the controller is configured to generate the control signal indicative of the image content based on the motion sequence data, via the indication (col. 5, lines 54-57, note that at a first time, a screen element 116A is in an initial or first state and includes a projection surface 117A (also in this first state as it may change/morph over time with changing/morphing of the screen element 116A). At 119A, the screen actuator 118 is shown to be operating to provide 2D or 3D actuation of the screen element 116B and its projection surface 117B to be in one or more transition states. The screen actuator 118 is shown at 119B to be operating so as to provide 2D or 3D actuation of the screen element 116C and its projection surface 117C to a second or final state).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 17 is 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior arts made of record do not teach “wherein the controller is configured to: generate second location data associated with the animated figure, the projection surface, or both by updating the first location data based on the tracking data; and generate the control signal based on the second location data”, as recited in claim 17.
Claims 1-12 and 18-20 are allowed. The following is an examiner' s statement of reasons for allowance: The closest prior arts of record do not disclose “a tracking camera configured to determine a position of the animated figure based on detecting a first tracker associated with the animated figure and a position of the projection surface based on detecting a second tracker associated with the projection surface; a controller communicatively coupled to the tracking camera and the set of actuators, wherein the controller is configured to: instruct the set of actuators to begin the motion sequence; receive an indication of the position of the animated figure and the position of the projection surface provided by the tracking camera; generate second location data for the animated figure and the projection surface by updating the first location data based on the indication; and generate a control signal indicative of image content to be projected onto the animated figure and the projection surface based on the second location data” (in combination with the other claimed limitations and/or features), as claimed in independent claims 1 and 18.
Dependent claims 2-12 are allowable as they depend from an allowable base independent claim 1.
Dependent claims 19-20 are allowable as they depend from an allowable base independent claim 18.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to Hilina K Demeter whose telephone number is (571) 270-1676.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, King Y. Poon could be reached at (571) 270- 0728. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HILINA K DEMETER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2617
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