DETAILED ACTION
1. This office action is in response to U.S. Patent Application No.: 18/893,260 filed on 9/23/2024 with effective filing date 5/13/2019. Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Claim(s) 1, 5, 9, 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brown US 8,439,766 B2 in view of Dawe et al. US 2011/0273562 A1.
Per claims 1 & 9, Brown discloses a method of automatically recording and providing a golfing video (abstract, e.g. a system and method for monitoring and verifying one or more shot events, such as the outcome of the shot, at a selected golf hole located at a golf course), the method comprising:
providing a first remote camera located at a first camera location of a golf hole of a golf course and a second remote camera at a second camera location of the golf hole and a third remote camera located at a third camera location of the golf hole (col. 4, line 18-25, e.g. to ensure accurate recording of the events associated with a golf shot or portion thereof, several different manners of arranging the system 10 are envisioned. In one, the recording device comprises three cameras 12a, 12b, 12c placed behind the cup C at a particular height, as shown in FIG. 2. Each of the cameras 12a, 12b, 12c is arranged at a different angle relative to the cup C to establish a unique point of view of the play);
Brown fails to explicitly disclose the remaining claim limitations.
Dawe et al. however in the same field of endeavor teaches recording a video of a golf swing activity at the golf hole using the first remote camera and the second remote camera and the third remote camera (para: 55 & fig. 1, e.g. processes images to look for the existence of a swinging golf club passing through the launch area A and the launched golf ball exiting the launch area A. When a swinging golf club and launched golf ball are detected, the area-scan digital camera 160 outputs the captured images to the host computer 104); locating a golf ball on a green of the golf hole through triangulation using the first remote camera and the second remote camera and the third remote camera (para: 58, & 67, e.g. upon receipt of the image data from the projectile launch area sensing unit 103, the host computer 104 analyzes the club head swing path 200 (see FIG. 14) to determine where the club head hits the golf ball GB and to determine the initial golf ball trajectory or launch angle after being hit; the projectile launch area sensing unit 103 and the projectile spin sensing unit 105 may include additional cameras); and processing the video (para: 59, e.g. upon receipt of the images from the projectile spin sensing unit 105, the host computer 104 selects the first image (see step 600 in FIG. 13a) and analyses the image to determine if the image includes a golf ball trail 192 (step 602) as shown in FIG. 15).
Therefore, in view of disclosures by Dawe et al, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to combine Brown and Dawe et al in order to track the ball reliably and three-dimensional position, velocity, acceleration and spin of a detected ball can be determined accurately.
Per claims 5 & 13, Dawe et al. further teaches the method of claim 1, further including: determining and recording heights of the first remote camera and the second remote camera; measuring distances between the first remote camera and the second remote camera and the third remote camera (para: 57, e.g. upon receipt of the projectile coordinates from the projectile tracking apparatus 102, the host computer 104 calculates the positions of the projectile's center of mass in three-dimensional space throughout its travel through the projectile tracking region 120 including its collision and rebound with the screen 122 using triangulation techniques (see step 520 in FIG. 12)); and utilizing the heights of the first remote camera and the second remote camera and the third remote camera and the distances between the first remote camera and the second remote camera and the third remote camera to determine locations of objects at the golf hole relative to the first remote camera and the second remote camera and the third remote camera through triangulation (para: 53 & 60, e.g. When the player launches the projectile at the projectile tracking apparatus 102 by striking the golf ball with a golf club and the projectile enters the projectile tracking region 120, the projectile appears in the images captured by the digital cameras 128; the distance between the group of high intensity regions 196 in each consecutive image is then determined and is represented by L.sub.t in FIG. 15).
Per claim 14, Dawe et al. further teaches the system of claim 9, wherein the first remote camera and the second remote camera are further configured to perform a three dimensional scan of at least one of the golf hole and the golf course and the processor is further configured to determine aspects of the at least one of the golf hole and the golf course via image processing using the three dimensional scan of at least one of the golf hole and the golf course (para: 62-64, e.g. the ball spin tilt axis is then estimated for each image using the orientation of the high intensity regions 196 in each group and the relative angle between the longitudinal axis of the high intensity regions 196; with the three-dimensional positions, launch velocity, acceleration, side spin, launch angle, backspin and spin tilt axis of the projectile known, the host computer 104 extrapolates an accurate trajectory for the projectile allowing a realistic simulation of curved and/or arcing projectiles to be generated (step 526)).
5. Claim(s) 2-4, 6-8, 10-12, 15 & 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brown US 8,439,766 B2 in view of Dawe et al. US 2011/0273562 A1 and Korpach US 2023/0191226 A1.
Per claims 2 & 10, Brown in view of Dawe fails to explicitly teach the limitation of claim 2 & 10.
Korpach however in the same field of endeavor teaches the method of claim 1, further including: identifying a pin of the golf hole using an AI golf logic (para: 94, e.g. the processors generate signals to provide an indication of the selected physical target to provide information regarding the direction of the pin location of the virtual hole); triangulating the pin using the first remote camera and the second remote camera and the third remote camera (para: 38, e.g. based on the current virtual location of the player's ball, the processor(s) generate signals to provide an indication of which of the plurality of physical targets represents a direction and/or distance of the pin location from the striking area 110).
Therefore, in view of disclosures by Korpach, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to combine Brown Dawe et al. and Korpach by allowing players to move freely to any available portion of a striking area and dynamically updating target indicators, the waiting time between shots can be reduced or eliminated.
Per claims 3 & 11, Korpach further teaches the method of claim 2, further including determining a position of the golf ball on the green of the golf hole based on the triangulation of the pin (para: 38, e.g. based on the current virtual location of the player's ball, the processor(s) generate signals to provide an indication of which of the plurality of physical targets represents a direction and/or distance of the pin location from the striking area 110).
Per claims 4 & 12, Korpach further teaches the method of claim 1, further including triangulating at least one of a pin of the golf hole or the golf ball using the first remote camera and the second remote camera and the third remote camera (para: 38, e.g. based on the current virtual location of the player's ball, the processor(s) generate signals to provide an indication of which of the plurality of physical targets represents a direction and/or distance of the pin location from the striking area 110).
Per claim 6, Korpach further teaches the method of claim 1, further including: estimating a location grid including a plurality of grid boxes repeated across the golf hole, each of the plurality of grid boxes having a fixed position relative to the first remote camera and the second remote camera and the third remote camera (para: 71, e.g. location data defines a virtual location of the player's virtual golf ball on a virtual golf hole. In some embodiments, the ball location data can include coordinates on a grid or map defining the golf hole/course. In some embodiments, the ball location data can be defined as coordinates relative to a location of the hole of the virtual golf hole); and using locations of at least one of a first golfer and the golf ball associated with the first golfer with reference to a specific one of the plurality of grid boxes during image processing (para: 26, e.g. the system 100 includes one or more sensing devices 150 for sensing one or more parameters regarding the travel of a physical golf ball struck from the striking area 110. In some embodiments, sensing devices 150 can include cameras, radars, or the like for sensing data regarding ball speed, spin, trajectory, horizontal and/or vertical angle of ball path, etc).
Per claims 7 & 16, Korpach further teaches the method of claim 1, further including detecting a distance from the golf ball to a pin of the golf hole based on relative locations of the pin and the golf ball (para: 94, e.g. the processors generate signals to provide an indication of the selected physical target to provide information regarding the direction of the pin location of the virtual hole).
Per claim 8, Korpach further teaches the method of claim 1, further including: determining an ending location of the golf ball associated with the golf swing activity based on a location within at least one frame of the video (para: 38, e.g. based on the current virtual location of the player's ball, the processor(s) generate signals to provide an indication of which of the plurality of physical targets represents a direction and/or distance of the pin location from the striking area 110); and finding a pin of the golf hole within a location of a single video segment of the video (para: 94, e.g. the processors generate signals to provide an indication of the selected physical target to provide information regarding the direction of the pin location of the virtual hole).
Per claim 15, Korpach further teaches the system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to use locations of at least one of a first golfer and the golf ball associated with the first golfer with reference to a specific one of a plurality of grid boxes of a location grid repeated across the golf hole during image processing (para: 71, e.g. location data defines a virtual location of the player's virtual golf ball on a virtual golf hole. In some embodiments, the ball location data can include coordinates on a grid or map defining the golf hole/course. In some embodiments, the ball location data can be defined as coordinates relative to a location of the hole of the virtual golf hole), each of the plurality of grid boxes having a fixed position relative to the first remote camera and the second remote camera and the third remote camera (para: 26, e.g. the system 100 includes one or more sensing devices 150 for sensing one or more parameters regarding the travel of a physical golf ball struck from the striking area 110. In some embodiments, sensing devices 150 can include cameras, radars, or the like for sensing data regarding ball speed, spin, trajectory, horizontal and/or vertical angle of ball path, etc).
Per claim 17, Korpach further teaches the system of claim 9, further including an AI golf logic accessible by the processor and configured to identify a pin associated with the golf hole of the golf course (para: 94, e.g. the processors generate signals to provide an indication of the selected physical target to provide information regarding the direction of the pin location of the virtual hole).
Allowable Subject Matter
6. Claims 18-20 are allowed.
All the prior art of record cited above does not disclose, with respect to claim 18, a processor communicatively coupled to the first remote camera and the second remote camera and the third remote camera; and an AI golf logic accessible by the processor and to identify a first golfer at the golf hole and identify a second golfer at the golf hole; the processor configured to: determine a location of a golf ball relative to the first remote camera and the second remote camera and the third remote camera through triangulation, correlate a location of the golf ball and one of the first golfer and the second golfer, and compare the location of the golf ball associated with the one of the first golfer and the second golfer with and another location of another golf ball associate with another of the first golfer and the second golfer as claimed.
Brown US 8,439,766 B2 in view of Dawe et al. US 2011/0273562 A1 and Korpach US 2023/0191226 A1.
Rather, Brown discloses the method involves advertising a prize to a golfer in exchange for completing a golf shot at a golf hole (H) according to the predetermined criteria without requiring the golfer to subscribe before taking the golf shot. An image of portion of the golf shot is obtained and a determination is made whether the pre-determined criteria is met using the image.
Similarly, Dawe et al. discloses the imaging devices capture images of ball tracking region disposed in front of a display surface, to detect ball. A spin sensing unit captures images of a region partially overlapping with ball tracking region, in which ball trail representing a travel path of ball is provided. A processing stage determines three-dimensional position, velocity, acceleration and spin of a detected ball, based on output from sensing unit, to calculate trajectory of ball into sports scene.
Moreover, Korpach discloses the golf system has multiple striking areas, where each striking area being associated with a respective set of targets corresponding to a particular distance range from the associated striking area. A sensing device is provided for sensing the parameters regarding the travel of a physical golf ball struck from the respective striking areas. A processor is configured to access a database including golf hole data, the golf hole data defining relative positions of a tee-off location and a pin location for a virtual golf hole.
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Aghdasi US 2013/0128050, e.g. method that includes determining, from image data captured by a plurality of cameras, motion data for multiple moving objects, an presenting, on a global image representative of areas monitored by the plurality of cameras.
Barasch US 8613620, e.g. the system and method of the present invention provides for realistic, live on live with webcams, interactive, golf lessons from a golf professional who is located at a distance from the golfer.
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IRFAN HABIB whose telephone number is (571)270-7325. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Th 9AM-7PM.
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/Irfan Habib/Examiner, Art Unit 2485