DETAILED ACTION
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 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.
Claims 1-2, 5, 7, and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Klein et al., US 2023/0137920 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Klein discloses a method, comprising:
At [sic] computer system that is in communication with one or more display generation components and one or more input devices. Klein teaches a computer system comprising a processor and a user interface component. Klein fig. 1.
While a view of an environment is visible via the one or more display generation components, detecting, via the one or more input devices, an input corresponding to a request to display a system user interface. Klein teaches detecting user input corresponding to a request to display a control object (e.g., a menu) in an AR environment. Klein ¶¶ 76-77, 82.
In response to detecting the input corresponding to the request to display the system user interface: in accordance with a determination that the input corresponding to the request to display a system user interface is detected while respective criteria are met, displaying the system user interface in the environment at a first location that is based on a pose of a respective portion of a torso of a user; and in accordance with a determination that the input corresponding to the request to display a system user interface is detected while the respective criteria are not met, displaying the system user interface in the environment at a second location that is based on a pose of a respective portion of a head of the user. These limitations are contingent limitations as they recite steps that are only required to be performed if their conditions precedent are met. The conditions are mutually exclusive. Therefore, the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claim requires one of either of the steps. Klein teaches that, upon determining that certain criteria are not met, displaying a control object docked to a persistence object. Klein ¶¶ 59-60, 81-82. The persistence object and docked control object may be positioned at the center of a head gaze. Id. ¶ 81. The determination that criteria are not met may include determining that an input (i.e. “selection”) on the control object or persistence object has been detected. Id. ¶¶ 81-82.
Regarding claim 2, which depends on claim 1, Klein discloses wherein the system user interface includes a home menu user interface. Klein teaches that control objects “are digital objects that accept user input in order to control aspects of an AR environment.” Klein ¶ 42.
Regarding claim 5, which depends on claim 1, Klein discloses wherein determining that the respective criteria are not met includes determining that the input corresponding to the request to display the system user interface includes a press input detected via the one or more input devices of the computer system. Klein teaches selection of a button to activate display of a control object and/or persistence object. Klein ¶¶ 48, 58.
Regarding claim 7, which depends on claim 1, Klein discloses wherein displaying the system user interface in the environment at the second location that is based on the pose of the respective portion of the head of the user includes: in accordance with a determination that the respective portion of the head of the user is at a first head height, displaying the system user interface at a first height in the environment; and in accordance with a determination that the respective portion of the head of the user is at a second head height that is different from the first head height, displaying the system user interface at a second height in the environment, wherein the second height is different from the first height. Klein teaches displaying the persistence object and docked control object at the height of a head gaze. Klein ¶ 58.
Regarding claim 11, which depends on claim 1, the limitation wherein displaying the system user interface in the environment at the second location that is based on the pose of the respective portion of the head of the user includes: in accordance with a determination that the respective portion of the head of the user is at an elevation relative to a reference plane in the environment that does not satisfy the first criteria, displaying the system user interface such that a plane of the system user interface is perpendicular to the reference plane in the environment merely serves to further limit the first contingent limitations of claim 1. As explained above, Klein anticipates the second contingent limitation. Accordingly, Klein also anticipates the present claim, as the present claim merely limits an alternative that is not relied upon in rejecting the parent claim.
Regarding claim 12, which depends on claim 11, Klein discloses wherein displaying the system user interface in the environment at the second location that is based on the pose of the respective portion of the head of the user includes displaying the system user interface in the environment at the second location without displaying the first animation. Klein does not teach displaying the claimed animation. See Klein ¶¶ 59-60, 81-82.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4, 6, 8-10, and 13-20 contain allowable subject matter.
Claims 14-20 are allowed. The closest known prior art is Klein et al, US 2023/0137920 A1. Klein teaches displaying a system user interface based on a respective portion of a head of a user. However, Klein does not disclose “In response to detecting the input corresponding to the request to display the system user interface: in accordance with a determination that the input corresponding to the request to display a system user interface is detected while respective criteria are met, displaying the system user interface in the environment at a first location that is based on a pose of a respective portion of a torso of a user.”
Claims 3-4, 6, 8-10, and 13 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
Although particular portions of the prior art may have been cited in support of the rejections, the specified citations are merely representative of the teachings. Other passages and figures in the cited prior art may apply. Accordingly, Applicant should consider the entirety of the cited prior art for potentially teaching all or part of the claims.
The following prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure:
Burns, US 2020/0103962 A1, discloses repositioning a user interface based on head position.
Robinson et al, US 2020/0057476 A1, discloses positioning a user interface relative to a torso position and orientation.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Asher D Kells whose telephone number is (571)270-7729. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. - 4 p.m..
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Asher D. Kells
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2171
/Asher D Kells/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2171
