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 .
In the response to this Office Action, the Examiner respectfully requests that support be shown for language added to any original claims on amendment and any new claims. That is, indicate support for newly added claim language by specifically pointing to page(s) and line numbers in the specification and/or drawing figure(s). This will assist the Examiner in prosecuting this application.
Information Disclosure Statement (IDS)
No IDS has been filed for this application. Applicant is reminded of the duty to
disclose from section 2100 of the MPEP:
37 C.F.R. 1.56; Duty to disclose information material to patentability.
A patent by its very nature is affected with a public interest. The public interest is best served, and the most effective patent examination occurs when, at the time an application is being examined, the Office is aware of and evaluates the teachings of all information material to patentability. Each individual associated with the filing and prosecution of a patent application has a duty of candor and good faith in dealing with the Office, which includes a duty to disclose to the Office all information known to that individual to be material to patentability as defined in this section.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election without traverse of Group I: Figure 10 in the reply filed on 04/20/2026 is acknowledged.
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 1-9 and 13-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication 2012/0293331 A1 to Wu (hereinafter "Wu") in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication 2013/0152113 A1 to Conrad et al. (hereinafter "Conrad").
Regarding Claims 1 and 14, Wu teaches a network device in a secure device ecosystem and a method for screen impact monitoring (Figs. 1-2; Claim 1; Para. 14-21 of Wu; display device 1 having a watch-time reminding function to prevent nearsightedness may be a monitor, television, an all-in-one computer… display device 1 includes an input unit 11, a control unit 12, a display unit 13), comprising: a processing system that includes one or more processors and one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors (Figs. 1-2; Claim 1; Para. 14-21 of Wu; control unit 12 includes a control module 121, a timer module 122 and a storage module 123, in which the control module 121 is coupled to the timer module 122 and the storage module 123. The timer module 122 counts a current watch time. The storage module 123, such as a non-volatile memory, stores the user-set parameters such as the health watch time, the brightness value or the contrast value), the processing system configured to cause the network device to: receive screen viewing data for a viewer from at least one display device in the secure device ecosystem comprising a screen viewing time for the viewer (Figs. 1-2; Para. 14-21 of Wu; storage module 123 further temporarily stores real-time data such as the current watch time. The control module 121, such as a microcontroller, controls the timer module 122 to start counting the current watch time and reads the health watch time stored in the storage module 123… control module 121 outputs a reminding signal to control the display unit 13 to display a reminding image and controls the sound output unit 14 to output a reminding sound when the current watch time reaches the health watch time); and output a screen impact action for the viewer comprising an adjusted screen viewing time adjusted from the screen viewing time from the screen viewing data, where the screen viewing time is adjusted for the viewer to represent additional impacts of screen viewing on the viewer (Figs. 1-2; Para. 14-21 of Wu; control module 121 outputs a reminding signal to control the display unit 13 to display a reminding image… the reminding image is implemented by employing the on-screen display (OSD) technique to show a reminding message on a displaying content).
Wu does not explicitly disclose using a screen impact factor for the viewer generated from sensor data associated with the viewer.
However, Conrad teaches using a screen impact factor for a viewer generated from sensor data associated with the viewer (Figs. 1-3; Para. 19-31 of Conrad; Audience-sensing device 104 is capable of passively sensing audience 110 and providing sensor data for audience 110… sensor data may be or include raw data or processed data, such as: RGB (Red, Green, Blue) frames; infrared data frames; depth data… thermal readings sufficient to determine or indicating presence and locations of one of persons 112; and distance from the audience-sensing device 104 or media presentation device 102).
Therefore, at the time when the invention was filed, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to include using a screen impact factor for the viewer generated from sensor data associated with the viewer using the teachings of Conrad in order to modify the device and method taught by Wu. The motivation to combine these analogous arts would have been to determine viewers' states and interest at various points in a media program effective to enable analysis of portions of a media program (Para. 1-2 of Conrad).
Regarding Claim 2, the combination of Wu and of Conrad teaches that the screen viewing time comprises a compiled viewing time associated with the viewer across a plurality of display devices in the secure device ecosystem (Figs. 1-3; Para. 19-31 of Conrad; Computing device 202 includes or has access to media presentation device 102… computing device(s) 202 can each be one or a combination of various devices).
Regarding Claim 3, the combination of Wu and of Conrad teaches that the screen impact action comprises a notification indicating a comparison between a screen viewing limit for the viewer and the adjusted screen viewing time (Figs. 1-2; Para. 14-21 of Wu; control module 121 outputs a reminding signal to control the display unit 13 to display a reminding image and controls the sound output unit 14 to output a reminding sound when the current watch time reaches the health watch time).
Regarding Claim 4, the combination of Wu and of Conrad teaches that the screen impact action comprises a notification including a screen viewing warning when the adjusted screen viewing time is above the screen viewing limit (Figs. 1-2; Para. 14-21 of Wu; control module 121 outputs a reminding signal to control the display unit 13 to display a reminding image and controls the sound output unit 14 to output a reminding sound when the current watch time reaches the health watch time).
Regarding Claim 5, the combination of Wu and of Conrad teaches that the screen impact action causes a blocked screen to be displayed on a display device of the at least one display device when the adjusted screen viewing time is above the screen viewing limit (Figs. 1-2; Para. 14-21 of Wu; control module 121 outputs a reminding signal to control the display unit 13 to display a reminding image… the reminding image is implemented by employing the on-screen display (OSD) technique to show a reminding message on a displaying content).
Regarding Claim 6, the combination of Wu and of Conrad teaches that the screen impact factor is generated using a viewer stress factor calculated from the sensor data associated with the viewer, wherein the sensor data comprises biometric data for the viewer (Figs. 1-3; Para. 19-31 of Conrad; sensor data may be or include raw data or processed data, such as: RGB (Red, Green, Blue) frames; infrared data frames; depth data; heart rate; respiration rate; a person's head orientation or movement).
Regarding Claim 7, the combination of Wu and of Conrad teaches that the screen impact factor is generated using an ambient environment factor calculated from the sensor data associated with the viewer, wherein the sensor data comprises environmental data of a physical environment associated with the viewer during a screen viewing session (Figs. 1-3; Para. 19-31 of Conrad; Audience-sensing device 104 is capable of passively sensing audience 110 and providing sensor data for audience 110… sensor data may be or include raw data or processed data, such as: RGB (Red, Green, Blue) frames; infrared data frames; depth data… thermal readings sufficient to determine or indicating presence and locations of one of persons 112; and distance from the audience-sensing device 104 or media presentation device 102).
Regarding Claim 8, the combination of Wu and of Conrad teaches that the screen viewing data comprises a locally measured screen viewing time for the viewer, measured at a local display device of the at least one display device (Fig. 1; Para. 14-16 of Wu; timer module 122 counts a current watch time).
Regarding Claim 9, the combination of Wu and of Conrad teaches that the sensor data comprises a locally generated screen impact factor for the viewer, generated at a local sensor device of the at least one sensor device (Figs. 1-3; Para. 19-31 of Conrad; Audience-sensing device 104 is capable of passively sensing audience 110 and providing sensor data for audience 110).
Regarding Claim 13, Wu teaches a device in a secure device ecosystem (Figs. 1-2; Claim 1; Para. 14-21 of Wu; display device 1 having a watch-time reminding function to prevent nearsightedness may be a monitor, television, an all-in-one computer… display device 1 includes an input unit 11, a control unit 12, a display unit 13), comprising: a processing system that includes one or more processors and one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors (Figs. 1-2; Claim 1; Para. 14-21 of Wu; control unit 12 includes a control module 121, a timer module 122 and a storage module 123, in which the control module 121 is coupled to the timer module 122 and the storage module 123. The timer module 122 counts a current watch time. The storage module 123, such as a non-volatile memory, stores the user-set parameters such as the health watch time, the brightness value or the contrast value), the processing system configured to cause the device to: receive local screen viewing data for a viewer at the device comprising a local screen viewing time for the viewer (Figs. 1-2; Para. 14-21 of Wu; storage module 123 further temporarily stores real-time data such as the current watch time. The control module 121, such as a microcontroller, controls the timer module 122 to start counting the current watch time and reads the health watch time stored in the storage module 123… control module 121 outputs a reminding signal to control the display unit 13 to display a reminding image and controls the sound output unit 14 to output a reminding sound when the current watch time reaches the health watch time); and output a screen impact action for the viewer comprising an adjusted screen viewing time adjusted from the local screen viewing time from the local screen viewing data, where the local screen viewing time is adjusted to represent additional impacts of screen viewing on the viewer (Figs. 1-2; Para. 14-21 of Wu; control module 121 outputs a reminding signal to control the display unit 13 to display a reminding image… the reminding image is implemented by employing the on-screen display (OSD) technique to show a reminding message on a displaying content).
Wu does not explicitly disclose using a screen impact factor for the viewer generated from sensor data associated with the viewer.
However, Conrad teaches using a screen impact factor for a viewer generated from sensor data associated with the viewer (Figs. 1-3; Para. 19-31 of Conrad; Audience-sensing device 104 is capable of passively sensing audience 110 and providing sensor data for audience 110… sensor data may be or include raw data or processed data, such as: RGB (Red, Green, Blue) frames; infrared data frames; depth data… thermal readings sufficient to determine or indicating presence and locations of one of persons 112; and distance from the audience-sensing device 104 or media presentation device 102).
Regarding Claim 15, the combination of Wu and of Conrad teaches that the screen viewing time comprises a compiled viewing time associated with the viewer across a plurality of display devices in the secure device ecosystem (Figs. 1-3; Para. 19-31 of Conrad; Audience-sensing device 104 is capable of passively sensing audience 110 and providing sensor data for audience 110).
Regarding Claim 16, the combination of Wu and of Conrad teaches that the screen impact action comprises at least one of: a notification indicating a comparison between a screen viewing limit for the viewer and the adjusted screen viewing time, and a notification including a screen viewing warning when the adjusted screen viewing time is above the screen viewing limit (Figs. 1-2; Para. 14-21 of Wu; control module 121 outputs a reminding signal to control the display unit 13 to display a reminding image and controls the sound output unit 14 to output a reminding sound when the current watch time reaches the health watch time).
Regarding Claim 17, the combination of Wu and of Conrad teaches that the screen impact factor is generated using at least one of: a viewer stress factor calculated from the sensor data associated with the viewer, wherein the sensor data comprises biometric data for the viewer, and an ambient environment factor calculated from the sensor data associated with the viewer, wherein the sensor data comprises environmental data of a physical environment associated with the viewer during a screen viewing session (Figs. 1-3; Para. 19-31 of Conrad; sensor data may be or include raw data or processed data, such as: RGB (Red, Green, Blue) frames; infrared data frames; depth data; heart rate; respiration rate; a person's head orientation or movement).
Regarding Claim 18, the combination of Wu and of Conrad teaches that the screen viewing data comprises a locally measured screen viewing time for the viewer, measured at a local display device of the at least one display device, and wherein the sensor data comprises a locally generated screen impact factor for the viewer, generated at a local sensor device of the at least one sensor device (Fig. 1; Para. 14-16 of Wu; timer module 122 counts a current watch time… Figs. 1-3; Para. 19-31 of Conrad; Audience-sensing device 104 is capable of passively sensing audience 110 and providing sensor data for audience 110).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABHISHEK SARMA whose telephone number is (571)272-9887. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon - Fri 8:00-5:00.
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/ABHISHEK SARMA/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2621
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