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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 12/6/2024 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) has/have been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) are incorrectly mentioned in the description: ¶46-49 mention I/O devices 210 but should be 208. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 420 in Fig. 4. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: Method for Displaying User’s Interaction With A Self-Service Terminal.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities: line 32 “received visual data” should be “the received visual data”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 15 objected to because of the following informalities: line 36 “received visual data” should be “the received visual data”. Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gotanda (Pub. No. US20230259944A1 from applicant’s admitted prior art) in view of Whitelaw (Pub. No. US20250046161A1).
Regarding claim 1, Gotanda discloses A self-service terminal comprising: (Gotanda ¶24 and Fig. 1; a self-serve checkout system is disclosed.) a display configured to provide transaction-related information to a user while the user is interacting with the self-service terminal via a graphic user interface; (Gotanda ¶32 and Fig. 2; touch panel 11 includes a display for a user to interact with.) one or more sensors; (Gotanda ¶31; touch panel, card reader, scanner, hand scanner, are cash processing machine are disclosed as input and output devices (sensors). ¶147 also discloses cameras as sensors.) a plurality of cameras; (Gotanda ¶147; images captured by two or more cameras is disclosed.) a display interface couplable to the display; (Gotanda ¶32 and Fig. 2; touch panel 11 includes a display for a user to interact with (i.e. touch panel (display interface) is coupled to the display).) a video interface configured to receive a plurality of video streams, from the plurality of cameras, the plurality of video streams comprising a first video stream comprising visual data of an operation area of the self-service terminal from a first camera of the plurality of cameras having a first point of view and a second camera of the plurality of cameras having a second video stream comprising visual data of the operation area of the self-service terminal (Gotanda ¶27, ¶55 and Fig. 1; each self-service POS (10) has a monitoring apparatus (50) connected to camera (60). ¶147 camera 60 can be two or more cameras.) and a processor configured to: communicate with the one or more sensors and thereby identify when the user is interacting with the self-service terminal, receive the plurality of video streams from the video interface while the user is interacting with the self-service terminal, (Gotanda ¶55 and 63; determining user interaction with the terminal using the recognition unit and fraud detecting unit. Specific actions are recognized in saved video streams (see ¶67-70 where streams are saved showing various actions including time stamps of the action).) determine, from at least one of the plurality of video streams, a first activity of the user while the user is interacting with the self-service terminal, (Gotanda ¶66; when an action is recognized images are saved corresponding to the action (¶67 take out action, ¶68 registering action is recognized, ¶69 bagging action ¶70 exiting action, ¶96 fraudulent actions are also recognized.)) select a first stream from the plurality of video streams based on the first activity of the user while the user is interacting with the self-service terminal, generate a first display data comprising the received visual data of the at least one first stream (Gotanda ¶98, 101-104; fraud is detected from the video streams (see ¶67-70) and a representation of fraud (fraud recognition image) is created.) control the display, through the display interface, to display the first stream as the user is interacting with the self-service terminal, (Gotanda ¶55, 89 and 103; fraudulent detections are output to one or both the self-service POS terminal and the attendant terminal.) monitor user activity after the first display data is generated based on the data received from the one or more sensors, (Gotanda ¶104-105; different instances of fraud are counted until the settler commits N number of frauds. Therefore user activity continues to be monitored after fraud is detected.) determine a change from the first activity of the user to a second activity of the user based on the monitored user activity, (Gotanda ¶98, 101-104; fraud is detected from the video streams (see ¶67-70) based on the monitored activities of the settler not being in the anticipated order.) select a second stream from the plurality of video streams based on the second activity of the user, generate a second display data comprising received visual data of the second stream, (Gotanda ¶98, 101-104; fraud is detected from the video streams (see ¶67-70) and a representation of fraud (fraud recognition image) is created.) and control the display, through the display interface, to display the second stream as the user continues to interact with the self-service terminal. (Gotanda ¶55, 89 and 103; fraudulent detections are output to one or both the self-service POS terminal and the attendant terminal. (note done until N number of frauds are committed ¶104).)
Although Gotanda discloses multiple cameras (¶147), Gotanda does not explicitly disclose a second video stream comprising visual data of the operation area of the self-service terminal from a second point of view.
Whitelaw, however, discloses a second video stream comprising visual data of the operation area of the self-service terminal from a second point of view (Whitelaw ¶97; discloses two cameras that provide two different fields of view (view points) of a checkout terminal.)
It would have been obvious, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the self-service terminal of Gotanda with the teachings of Whitelaw by including cameras with different viewpoints as in Whitelaw, in order to provide a wide field of view and a zoomed in field of view of the checkout area (Whitelaw ¶97), which can be used to more easily identify items while having a wider view to track the items.
Regarding claim 15, it is the corresponding method claim to claim 1 and the rejection is incorporated herein. The combination of Gotanda and Whitelaw further disclose providing, with a display of the self-service terminal, transaction-related information to a user while the user is interacting with the self-service terminal via a graphic user interface (Gotanda ¶76; a list of registered items are displayed for the settler.)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Palande (Pub. No. US20230120798A1) In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to detecting a mis-scan of an item. In some embodiments, there is provided a system for detecting a mis-scan of an item for purchase comprising a checkout station; a first staging location; a second staging location; a first area of interest at the checkout station; a second area of interest at the checkout station; a camera; and a control circuit configured to: receive an identifier of a first item; detect a hand of a user purchasing the first item, the first item, and a scanner on a first image captured by the camera; in response to the detection of the hand, the first item, and the scanner, initiate detection of mis-scan items during a checkout process; determine that a payment transaction has been received; and stop the detection of mis-scan items.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MEREDITH TAYLOR whose telephone number is (571)270-5805. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7:30-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vincent Rudolph can be reached at (571)272-8243. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MEREDITH TAYLOR/Examiner, Art Unit 2671
/VINCENT RUDOLPH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2671
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