DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Following prior arts are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20210373671 A1 (hereinafter Yang)
US 20190018364 A1 (Fig.3)
US 20250053241 A1 (Fig.20)
Response to Remarks/Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered but they are not persuasive for following reason.
Applicant argued in substance that establishing a signal channel over communication interface between the flat display module and floating-image display module is not taught by Yang.
Examiner respectfully disagrees and argues that para 58 describes “the computer system receives the image data after establishing a connection between the computer system and floating image display”. This teaches establishing signal channel over communication interface. Further elaboration can be found everywhere in the prior art, such as para 14 “the computer system operates a driver for initiating an interface for the computer system to communicate with the floating image display. The driver is used to interpret and translate the signals exchanged between the computer system and the floating image display”
Therefore, applicant’s arguments are not persuasive.
Applicant further argued that Yang does not teach interaction instruction generated and transmitted to the flat display module via the signal channel by the claimed system is not taught.
Examiner respectfully disagrees and argues that steps 4613 and s615 of Fig.6 is doing exactly that.
Therefore, applicant’s arguments are not persuasive
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)(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.
(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 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yang.
Yang teaches with respect to following claims
1. A system with integration of a flat display and a floating-image display [(Fig.8, Fig.4 in combination of Fig.3, Fig.6)] , comprising: a flat display module [(Fig.8 unit 801 or computer system 35 in Fig.3)] : and a floating-image display module , connecting to the flat display module via a communication interface [(Fig.8 unit 821 or Fig.3 unit 10)] : wherein a method for operating the system with integration of the flat display and the floating-image display comprises: in an initialization procedure when the system is activated, establishing a signal channel over the communication interface between the flat display module and the floating-image display module [(para 58 “In the beginning of the process, the computer system receives the image data after establishing a connection between the computer system and floating image display”; see Fig.4; system is shown in Fig.3; para 75)] : in response to a flat display signal, using a display panel of the flat display module to display a 2D image [(Fig.6 s603; “In the beginning of the process, the computer system receives the image data after establishing a connection between the computer system and floating image display” para 58)] : generating a floating-image display signal according to a control instruction for displaying a floating image by the floating-image display of the floating-image display module [(Fig.6 s607)] : receiving an interaction instruction that is computed by a control circuit of the floating-image display module when a user manipulates the floating image [(para 59)] : updating, by the control circuit of the floating-image display module, the floating image to be displayed according to the interaction instruction: [(Fig.6 S619; para 61; Fig.8 & para 75)] : and receiving, by the flat display module, the interaction instruction via the signal channel, and correspondingly displaying another 2D image by the display panel [(Fig.6 S615)]
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the floating-image display module comprises a floating-image display having an optical module and a display panel, in which the optical module is a lens array having multiple lens elements, and the optical module and the display panel are combined in opposition: the display panel is used to display an integrated image that having multiple unit images, wherein each of the unit images corresponds to one or more lens elements of the optical module: and the multiple unit images to be displayed on the display panel are used to project a three-dimensional floating image above the floating-image display through the lens array.[[(para 34 and Fig.8)]
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the flat display module and the floating-image display module are integrated into one device or two signally-connected standalone devices.[[(Fig.8 & Fig.3)]
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the floating-image display module connects with a floating-image database via a data-transmission circuit, and the floating-image database provides floating-image data for the floating-image display module to display the floating image [(para 49; Fig.3)] .
5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a gesture sensor that is connected with the floating-image display module: when the floating-image display displays the floating image, the gesture sensor is also driven to sense a gesture performed by the user on the floating image.[[(para 15)]
6. The system according to claim 5, wherein, when the interaction instruction is generated in response to the gesture, the floating-image display module retrieves a floating-image data from a floating-image database according to the control instruction so as to update the floating image to be displayed. .[[(para 41, 49)]
7. The system according to claim 6, wherein, when the floating image to be displayed is updated, a signal is transmitted to the flat display module via the signal channel for displaying a corresponding 2D image.[[(Fig.6 s613, s615)]
8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the floating-image display module comprises a floating-image display having an optical module and a display panel: wherein the optical module is a lens array composed of multiple lens elements, and the optical module is combined with the display panel in opposition, in which the display panel is used to display an integrated image that is composed of multiple unit images and each of the unit images corresponds to one or more lens elements of the optical module: and wherein the display panel displays multiple unit images that are used to project a three-dimensional floating image above the floating-image display through the lens array. .[[(para 34 and Fig.8)]
9. A method for operating a system with integration of a flat display and a floating-image display, comprising: activating and initializing the system with integration of the flat display and the floating-image display, and, in an initialization procedure, establishing a signal channel between a flat display module and a floating-image display module: in response to a flat display signal, using a display panel of the flat display module to display a 2D image: generating a floating-image display signal according to a control instruction for displaying a floating image by the floating-image display of the floating-image display module: receiving an interaction instruction that is computed by a control circuit of the floating-image display module when a user manipulates the floating image: updating, by the control circuit of the floating-image display module, the floating image to be displayed according to the interaction instruction: and receiving, by the flat display module, the interaction instruction via the signal channel, and correspondingly displaying another 2D image by the display panel. [(see analysis of claim 1)]
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the user manipulates the floating image by gesture, and the interaction instruction is computed when the gesture is sensed by a gesture sensor. [(Fig.6 s609, s619)]
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, when the gesture is referred to for generating the interaction instruction, the floating-image display module updates and displays the floating image according to the control instruction, and, when the floating image is updated, a signal is transmitted to the flat display module via the signal channel for displaying a corresponding 2D image. .[[(Fig.6 s613, s615)]
12. The method according to claim 9, wherein, in the floating-image display module, the control circuit loads a floating-image data from a floating-image database, and the floating image is generated when an image processor processes the floating-image data. [(para 49; Fig.3)] .
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the control instruction instructs that the 2D image is converted to the floating image, and the control instruction also instructs the floating-image display module to load the floating-image data of an object corresponding to the 2D image and to display the floating image corresponding to the 2D image. [(Fig.6 and para 59-60 )] .
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the floating-image data includes color information and three-dimensional spatial information of the object.[[(para 14)]
15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the control instruction instructs the floating-image display module to load the floating image data of a floating control interface, and the floating-image display module is used to display the floating control interface that is provided for the user to manipulate the floating control interface to control contents to be displayed by the flat display module. .[[(Fig.6; s603-s621)]
16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the user manipulates the floating image by gesture, and the interaction instruction is computed when the gesture is sensed by a gesture sensor. .[[(Fig.6; s609, s619)]
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, when the interaction instruction is generated in response to the gesture, the floating-image display module updates the floating image to be displayed according to the control instruction: when the updated floating image is displayed, a signal is transmitted to the flat display module via the signal channel, and the flat display module is driven to display a corresponding 2D image. .[[(Fig.6; s609, s619, s613, s615)]
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the claims at issue are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The USPTO internet Web site contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit http://www.uspto.gov/forms/. The filing date of the application will determine what form should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to http://www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
Claims 1-17 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-19 of U.S. Patent No. 11194402 in view of Yang. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the pending claims are obvious variation of patented claims. For instance, patented claim 1 teaches all the limitations of pending claim 1, except “in an initialization procedure when the system is activated, establishing a signal channel over the communication interface between the flat display module and the floating-image display module”, however this is taught by Yang [(para 58 “In the beginning of the process, the computer system receives the image data after establishing a connection between the computer system and floating image display”; see Fig.4; system is shown in Fig.3; para 75)] :. Yang is the publication of corresponding patent application of U.S. Patent No. 11194402. Therefore, the rationale to combine is obvious. Other claims are similarly obvious.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Shahan Rahaman whose telephone number is (571)270-1438. The examiner can normally be reached on 7am - 3:30pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nasser Goodarzi can be reached at telephone number (571) 272-4195. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/SHAHAN UR RAHAMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2426