DETAILED ACTION
Claim 1 received on 12/06/2024 is considered in this office action. Claim 1 is pending for examination.
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 (IDS) submitted on 12/06/2024 is being considered by the examiner.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in REPUBLIC OF KOREA on 11/03/2023. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the KR10-2023-0150890 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Examiner’s Note - 35 USC § 101
The additional claim limitations of “generate a converted content by converting the content source based on the content conversion information and provide the converted content to the first display and the second display” and “the vehicle display state of the content output interface is configured to display an exterior design of the first vehicle, content that is outputted on the first display, and content that is outputted on the second display together” applies or use the judicial exception in some other meaningful way beyond generally linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment, thus integrating the judicial exception into a practical application as supported by para. [0074] and [0078] of the specification below:
[0074] Accordingly, the content source may be provided so that nearby users can be more comfortable and can check the core contents easily in consideration of the characteristic of the display unit 110 disposed in the first vehicle 100, and the content providing can become more effective, and the purpose of the content providing can be achieved more easily.
[0078] Accordingly, the content source may be provided so that nearby users can be more comfortable and can check the core contents easily in consideration of the characteristic of the display unit 110 disposed in the first vehicle 100, and the content providing by using the touch input interface can become more effective, and the purpose of the content providing can be achieved more easily
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: the vehicle display state of the content output interface should read the display state of the vehicle of the content output interface. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the content conversion module". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes, the examiner will interpret wherein the content conversion module further includes as wherein the content conversion output further includes
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JCT (NPL-ESD3070 small led truck), in view of MuraControl (NPL- Matrox MuraControl — Part 1: How to Create, Preview and Apply Video Wall Layouts), and further in view of Tesla (NPL-One-pedal driving and adjustable regen braking is back at Tesla).
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JCT Annotated FIG. 2
Regarding claim 1, JCT teaches a system for controlling an output of content in a vehicle (FIG. 2), the system comprising:
a first vehicle (Figures 1-7);
a first display disposed on an outside of the first vehicle (Annotated FIG. 2);
a second display disposed on the outside of the first vehicle next to the first display (Annotated FIG. 2), and including a display panel of different type from the first display (Annotated FIG. 2; Description: “Three sides of the car are equipped with outdoor high-definition waterproof LED full-color screens”, wherein the sizes of the 1st and 2nd displays are different, thus indicating a display panel of different type from the first display); and
a content output module configured to control content that is outputted onto the first display and the second display (FIGs. 1-7, wherein different examples are shown thus indicating module configured to control content), and content that is outputted on the first display, and content that is outputted on the second display together (FIGs. 1-7), but fails to specifically teach wherein the content output module includes: a content analysis processor configured to generate content conversion information by analyzing a content source, characteristic information of the first display, and characteristic information of the second display; a content conversion processor configured to generate a converted content by converting the content source based on the content conversion information; and a content providing processor configured to provide the converted content to the first display and the second display, wherein the content conversion module further includes an interface generation processor configured to implement a user environment including a content selection interface that determines the content source and a content output interface that provides a display state of the vehicle in accordance with the content conversion information, wherein the interface generation processor is configured to provide the user environment to a user equipment, and wherein the vehicle display state of the content output interface is configured to display an exterior design of the first vehicle, content that is outputted on the first display, and content that is outputted on the second display together.
However, in the same field of endeavor, MuraControl teaches a system for controlling an output of content, the content output module includes:
a content analysis processor (0:29-0:42: “Windows 10 […] Access the software […] desktop […] All available controllers will be automatically discovered”, wherein the Windows 10 software running in a computer indicates a processor) configured to generate content conversion information by analyzing a content source (FIG. 8; 0:55-1:03: “Highly flexible input channel support both digital and analog video […] webpages, html file pages and more”; 2:05-2:07: “Dynamically change sources on the fly”), characteristic information of the first display, and characteristic information of the second display (FIGs. 9-140:49-1:00: “automatically showcases the four connected displays in a 2 x 2 grid that we have for this particular setup. […] bezel management […] ”, wherein the layout indicates position, thus indicating characteristic information);
a content conversion processor (0:29-0:42: “Windows 10 […] Access the software […] desktop […] All available controllers will be automatically discovered”, wherein the Windows 10 software indicates processor) configured to generate a converted content by converting the content source based on the content conversion information (FIGs 9-14; Window manipulation 2:25-2:43: “Resize and scale across the entire platform”, wherein contents can be repositioned and rescaled across the displays, thus indicating converted content by converting the content source); and
a content providing processor (0:29-0:42: “Windows 10 […] Access the software […] desktop […] All available controllers will be automatically discovered”, wherein the Windows 10 software indicates processor) configured to provide the converted content to the first display and the second display (FIGs. 913; 1:53-1:56: “Apply the preview layout to the video wall”, wherein the displays show the source or content, thus indicating provide the converted content to the first display and the second display),
wherein the content conversion module (0:29-0:42: “Windows 10 […] Access the software […] desktop […] All available controllers will be automatically discovered”, wherein the Windows 10 software indicates processor) further includes an interface generation processor (0:29-0:42: “Windows 10 […] Access the software […] desktop […] All available controllers will be automatically discovered”, wherein the Windows 10 software indicates processor) configured to implement a user environment including a content selection interface that determines the content source and a content output interface that provides a display state (FIGs. 1-13; MuraControl, Preview Layout, wherein the display shows the software to control the video wall which shows the content according to the source and size designated by the user in the software, thus indicating user environment including a content selection interface that determines the content source and a content output interface),
wherein the interface generation processor is configured to provide the user environment to a user equipment (FIG. 1-3; 0:00-0:07: “Matrox MuraControl for Windows is an intuitive feature rich application that allows to manage video walls”, wherein the software can be accessed via a computer and show in the display), and
wherein the vehicle display state of the content output interface is configured to display (FIGs. 9-13, wherein the software shows the source or sources being shown in each display).
JCT and MuraControl are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because both are in the same field of displaying a content across multiple displays. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modified the teachings of JCT and incorporate the software/interface of MuraControl to manage multiple displays. Doing so will allow the user to intuitively manage a video wall (MuraControl, 0:00-0:07). JCT in view of MuraControl fails to specifically teach content output interface is configured to display an exterior design of the first vehicle.
However, Tesla teaches content output interface is configured to display an exterior design of the first vehicle (Annotated FIG. 2, wherein the left-side of the user interface shows the exterior design of the vehicle) and adjust other settings (Annotated FIG. 2, wherein the right-side of the user interface shows settings which can be changed by the user).
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Tesla Annotated FIG. 2
Tesla is considered analogous to the claimed invention because it is reasonably pertinent to the problem of adjusting setting of a vehicle via a user interface. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the software of JCT in view of MuraControl and incorporate the user interface of Tesla, showing the vehicle exterior design on the left-side and allow adjusting of settings on the right-side of the interface. Doing so will enhance user experience by combining various features in a single user interface display, thus allowing the user to view various information at the same time.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Keysers (US9965155B2) teaches dynamically configuring two or more displays of distinct devices to show a single viewport based on an association between the devices.
Gupta (US12045532B1) teaches content delivery across a heterogenous multi-display environment.
Matrox (NPL- Matrox PowerWall Software) teaches a software to creating and deploying large-scale video wall installations of various displays in various sizes and/or resolution.
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Matrox
Hikvision Europe (NPL- How to do wireless control of LCD video wall by iVMS4510 mobile client) teaches a user interface to control the video wall.
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Hikvision Europe FIG. 7
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW S KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-7356. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8AM - 5PM.
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, James J Lee can be reached on (571) 270-5965. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDREW SANG KIM/Examiner, Art Unit 3668