Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/955,796

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING AUGMENTED REALITY CONTENT

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Nov 21, 2024
Priority
Mar 23, 2020 — CH 00342/20 +2 more
Examiner
LETT, THOMAS J
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Mentar Holding AG
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
84%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
1y 2m
Est. Remaining
48%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 84% — above average
84%
Career Allowance Rate
612 granted / 731 resolved
+23.7% vs TC avg
Minimal -36% lift
Without
With
+-35.6%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 9m
Avg Prosecution
20 currently pending
Career history
752
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
5.2%
-34.8% vs TC avg
§103
40.7%
+0.7% vs TC avg
§102
51.4%
+11.4% vs TC avg
§112
2.3%
-37.7% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 731 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 . 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)(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. Claims 1-3, 5, 7-9, 11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Salminen (US 20200372721 A1). Regarding claim 1, Salminen discloses a mobile communication device, comprising an electronic circuit configured to: determine a location of a user of the mobile communication device (client terminal (i.e., user node) 400 sends to the server 402 a request 406 for program content, the request 406 comprising location information of the client terminal 400. The client terminal 400 may know its geographical zone identifier, and the location information may comprise the geographical zone identifier. Alternatively, the location information may comprise geographical coordinates obtained by and associated with the client terminal 400. The client terminal 400 may be an augmented reality (AR) terminal, such as augmented reality glasses, a mobile phone, a tablet, or any other hand-held device capable of running augmented reality content, para. 0071); transmit a query request via a communication network to a computerized virtual real estate directory system, the query request comprising at least the location of the user (request 406); receive from the virtual real estate directory system via the communication network a query response, the query response comprising one or more virtual real estate objects assigned to a virtual real estate object location within a predefined region around the user, each of the virtual real estate objects defining a 2D or 3D object (When composited with the volumetric compositor, the program content may be composited as part of the real-world scene. Each object may have individual z-coordinates, and, for example, an advertisement may be composited as part of a wall of a building. In other words, the objects are not implemented as parts of the scene, thus enhancing the user's perception of the reality in a conceivable manner, para. 0051) and comprising identification information and a network address of an augmented reality content server (as a response to the request 406, the server 402 sends a response 408 to the client terminal 400 comprising program content provider information associated with the location information of the client terminal 400. The server 402 may keep track on geographical zone identifiers and the geographical coordinates associated with the geographical zone identifiers, and associated program content that is mapped to each geographical zone. The program content provider information may comprise network addresses and content types of the program content providers associated with the location information received from the client terminal 400, para. 0072); transmit for at least one particular virtual real estate object a content request via the communication network to one of the augmented reality content servers, respectively using the network address of the augmented reality content server, each content request comprising the identification information of the particular virtual real estate object (a request 412A, 412B, 412C for program content may be sent for each program content provider 418, 420, 422, 424 based on the received (and filtered) program content provider information, para. 0073); receive from the augmented reality content server via the communication network augmented reality content for the particular virtual real estate object (received program content, para. 0073); and play the augmented reality content for the particular virtual real estate object (client terminal 400 may then filter 410 the received program content provider information based on a content policy. The filtering may be based on, for example, one or more content types or the network addresses of the content providers. Then, a request 412A, 412B, 412C for program content may be sent for each program content provider 418, 420, 422, 424 based on the received (and filtered) program content provider information. The requests 412A, 412B, 412C may be sent to the content provider network addresses to a pre- defined port, para. 0073). Regarding claim 2, Salminen discloses the mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device further comprises a display and wherein the electronic circuit is configured to play the augmented reality content by rendering, on the display, the augmented reality content by rendering, on the display, the augmented reality content as part of the 2D or 3D object defined by the particular virtual real estate object (program content may be rendered locally by using, for example, a Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) of an augmented reality display 318 composited together with the volumetric 3D compositor 315, paras. 0064-0065). Regarding claim 3, Salminen discloses the mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the virtual real estate object defines a 2D or 3D object by one or more of: a set of polygons, a set of edges and vertices, or voxels (Each object may have individual z-coordinates, and, for example, an advertisement may be composited as part of a wall of a building, para. 0051). Regarding claim 5, Salminen discloses the mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more virtual real estate objects comprises identification information of a further virtual real estate object (program content associated with the location information, para. 0049). Claim 7, a method claim, is rejected for the same reason as claim 1. Claim 8, a method claim, is rejected for the same reason as claim 2. Claim 9, a method claim, is rejected for the same reason as claim 3. Claim 11, a method claim, is rejected for the same reason as claim 5. Claim 13, a computer program product claim, is rejected for the same reason as claim 1. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 4, 6, 10 and 12 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 Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS J LETT whose telephone number is (571)272-7464. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9-6 ET. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tammy Goddard can be reached at (571) 272-7773. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /THOMAS J LETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2611
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Prosecution Timeline

Nov 21, 2024
Application Filed
Jun 17, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

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SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION IN EXTENDED REALITY ENVIRONMENT
3y 0m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026
Patent 12633014
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2y 5m to grant Granted May 19, 2026
Patent 12627947
APPARATUSES, COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHODS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR IMPROVED DATA TRANSMISSION AND TRACKING
2y 8m to grant Granted May 12, 2026
Patent 12620181
DETERMINING AN ASSIGNMENT OF VIRTUAL OBJECTS TO POSITIONS IN A USER FIELD OF VIEW TO RENDER IN A MIXED REALITY DISPLAY
3y 7m to grant Granted May 05, 2026
Patent 12619774
CONTROLLED EXPOSURE TO LOCATION-BASED VIRTUAL CONTENT
2y 5m to grant Granted May 05, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
84%
Grant Probability
48%
With Interview (-35.6%)
2y 9m (~1y 2m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 731 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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