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 .
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Stickane US 2022/0210342.
In regarding to claim 1 Stickane teaches:
1. A method for generating a storyboard, the method comprising: generating, via a server, a storyboard template comprising one or more suggested scenes,
[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a board configuration interface 300 presented to an administrator after selecting a particular project tile for configuration from project menu interface 200. The board configuration interface 300 includes a hierarchy indicator 301 that indicates the location of the user in the hierarchical interface provided by the RTVCP. The board configuration interface 300 contains a project name field 310 and client name field 311, together with a series of board tiles 320 each corresponding to a scene (320a, 320b, 320c, . . . , 320n). Each board tile 320 may include a board thumbnail image 324 (e.g., 324a, 324b, 324c, . . . 324n) which may be imported and selected by the administrator from a storyboard file so that each board tile shown in a project corresponds to a storyboard image. Each board tile 320 includes a thumbnail image 324 from the storyboard, and a board text field 322 (shown by exemplary 322a, 322b, 322c) that may include any useful annotations and/or information about the shots and scenes (e.g., movement/action of actors, props, or environment, number of shots), sounds (e.g., voice over, dialogue, music, etc.) and camera directions (e.g., focal points, zoom, movement, etc.). Option menu button 321 (shown by exemplary 321c) is provided and, when selected, will provide a user a dialog box to enable the user to select various board options. As will be apparent to one of skill in the art, the board thumbnail images displayed in the example of FIG. 3 are generic placeholders. Typically, as a project is defined, custom images from a storyboard associated with the project will be selected (either manually by a user during a configuration step or automatically by file import or processing) for each board tile. New board tile 325 allows a user to create a new board. After selecting new board tile 325, a user is prompted to input information about the board, including information such as scene name and a location, as well as additional information regarding the scene. Board options button 326 is also provided on board configuration interface 300. Selecting board options interface 326 will provide a user with a project settings window, described further below in FIG. 4B.
Stickane, 0031, 0050, emphasis added
wherein each suggested scene of the one or more suggested scenes comprises at least one directive prompt;
[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a board configuration interface 300 presented to an administrator after selecting a particular project tile for configuration from project menu interface 200. The board configuration interface 300 includes a hierarchy indicator 301 that indicates the location of the user in the hierarchical interface provided by the RTVCP. The board configuration interface 300 contains a project name field 310 and client name field 311, together with a series of board tiles 320 each corresponding to a scene (320a, 320b, 320c, . . . , 320n). Each board tile 320 may include a board thumbnail image 324 (e.g., 324a, 324b, 324c, . . . 324n) which may be imported and selected by the administrator from a storyboard file so that each board tile shown in a project corresponds to a storyboard image. Each board tile 320 includes a thumbnail image 324 from the storyboard, and a board text field 322 (shown by exemplary 322a, 322b, 322c) that may include any useful annotations and/or information about the shots and scenes (e.g., movement/action of actors, props, or environment, number of shots), sounds (e.g., voice over, dialogue, music, etc.) and camera directions (e.g., focal points, zoom, movement, etc.). Option menu button 321 (shown by exemplary 321c) is provided and, when selected, will provide a user a dialog box to enable the user to select various board options. As will be apparent to one of skill in the art, the board thumbnail images displayed in the example of FIG. 3 are generic placeholders. Typically, as a project is defined, custom images from a storyboard associated with the project will be selected (either manually by a user during a configuration step or automatically by file import or processing) for each board tile. New board tile 325 allows a user to create a new board. After selecting new board tile 325, a user is prompted to input information about the board, including information such as scene name and a location, as well as additional information regarding the scene. Board options button 326 is also provided on board configuration interface 300. Selecting board options interface 326 will provide a user with a project settings window, described further below in FIG. 4B.
Stickane, 0031, 0050, emphasis added
transmitting, via a network, the storyboard template to a frontend;
[0042] FIG. 13 illustrates an example live production interface 1300 presented to a client in an example RTVCP. In this embodiment, the storyboard image 1310 for Scene 1-A is displayed in a first window on the left, together with the administrator's notes and description in notes and description listing 1312, as well as an indication of circled takes in circled takes listing 1314. A live video feed 1350 from the Camera A at the shooting location is transmitted to the RTVCP (e.g., via an encoder) and displayed to a client in a second window on the right. In this manner, the storyboard image 1310 and a real-time production video feed 1350 are simultaneously presented in juxtaposition.
Stickane, 0042, 0050, emphasis added
capturing, based on the storyboard template comprising the one or more suggested scenes, content on the frontend, wherein the content comprises the one or more suggested scenes;
[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a board configuration interface 300 presented to an administrator after selecting a particular project tile for configuration from project menu interface 200. The board configuration interface 300 includes a hierarchy indicator 301 that indicates the location of the user in the hierarchical interface provided by the RTVCP. The board configuration interface 300 contains a project name field 310 and client name field 311, together with a series of board tiles 320 each corresponding to a scene (320a, 320b, 320c, . . . , 320n). Each board tile 320 may include a board thumbnail image 324 (e.g., 324a, 324b, 324c, . . . 324n) which may be imported and selected by the administrator from a storyboard file so that each board tile shown in a project corresponds to a storyboard image. Each board tile 320 includes a thumbnail image 324 from the storyboard, and a board text field 322 (shown by exemplary 322a, 322b, 322c) that may include any useful annotations and/or information about the shots and scenes (e.g., movement/action of actors, props, or environment, number of shots), sounds (e.g., voice over, dialogue, music, etc.) and camera directions (e.g., focal points, zoom, movement, etc.). Option menu button 321 (shown by exemplary 321c) is provided and, when selected, will provide a user a dialog box to enable the user to select various board options. As will be apparent to one of skill in the art, the board thumbnail images displayed in the example of FIG. 3 are generic placeholders. Typically, as a project is defined, custom images from a storyboard associated with the project will be selected (either manually by a user during a configuration step or automatically by file import or processing) for each board tile. New board tile 325 allows a user to create a new board. After selecting new board tile 325, a user is prompted to input information about the board, including information such as scene name and a location, as well as additional information regarding the scene. Board options button 326 is also provided on board configuration interface 300. Selecting board options interface 326 will provide a user with a project settings window, described further below in FIG. 4B.
Stickane, 0031, 0050, emphasis added
receiving, at the server, the content comprising the one or more suggested scenes; and generating, based on the content comprising the one or more scenes, a storyboard.
[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a board configuration interface 300 presented to an administrator after selecting a particular project tile for configuration from project menu interface 200. The board configuration interface 300 includes a hierarchy indicator 301 that indicates the location of the user in the hierarchical interface provided by the RTVCP. The board configuration interface 300 contains a project name field 310 and client name field 311, together with a series of board tiles 320 each corresponding to a scene (320a, 320b, 320c, . . . , 320n). Each board tile 320 may include a board thumbnail image 324 (e.g., 324a, 324b, 324c, . . . 324n) which may be imported and selected by the administrator from a storyboard file so that each board tile shown in a project corresponds to a storyboard image. Each board tile 320 includes a thumbnail image 324 from the storyboard, and a board text field 322 (shown by exemplary 322a, 322b, 322c) that may include any useful annotations and/or information about the shots and scenes (e.g., movement/action of actors, props, or environment, number of shots), sounds (e.g., voice over, dialogue, music, etc.) and camera directions (e.g., focal points, zoom, movement, etc.). Option menu button 321 (shown by exemplary 321c) is provided and, when selected, will provide a user a dialog box to enable the user to select various board options. As will be apparent to one of skill in the art, the board thumbnail images displayed in the example of FIG. 3 are generic placeholders. Typically, as a project is defined, custom images from a storyboard associated with the project will be selected (either manually by a user during a configuration step or automatically by file import or processing) for each board tile. New board tile 325 allows a user to create a new board. After selecting new board tile 325, a user is prompted to input information about the board, including information such as scene name and a location, as well as additional information regarding the scene. Board options button 326 is also provided on board configuration interface 300. Selecting board options interface 326 will provide a user with a project settings window, described further below in FIG. 4B.
Stickane, 0031, 0050, emphasis added
In regarding to claim 2 Stickane teaches:
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises transmitting, via the server, a notification to the frontend instructing a user to configure the frontend to capture the content.
Stickane, 0031, 0050
In regarding to claim 5 Stickane teaches:
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the frontend comprises a display, and wherein the display is configured to display guardrail settings to the user, the guardrail settings comprising a directive prompt and a corrective prompt.
Stickane, 0031, 0050
In regarding to claim 6 Stickane teaches:
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises: tracking data of a hardware component of the frontend, the hardware component comprising any of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a microphone, and a light sensor; determining, based on the data of the hardware component, the scene of the one or more scenes is not within a threshold of the guardrail settings; displaying on the display the corrective prompt.
Stickane, 0031, 0050
In regarding to claim 7 Stickane teaches:
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the frontend automatically transmits the content to the server when the content is generated.
Stickane, 0031, 0050
In regarding to claim 8 Stickane teaches:
8. A method for directing the capture of user content, the method comprising: transmitting, via a network, a storyboard template to frontend, the storyboard template comprising a plurality of suggested scenes,
Stickane, 0031, 0050
wherein each suggested scene of the plurality of suggested scenes comprises guardrail settings, the guardrail settings for each of the suggested scenes comprising: one or more directive prompts configured to direct a user in capturing content; and a plurality of corrective prompts;
Stickane, 0031, 0033, 0037, 0050
monitoring the frontend, wherein the frontend is actively capturing user content;
Stickane, 0031, 0050
determining the user content being captured by the frontend is outside a threshold of the guardrail settings;
Stickane, 0031, 0033, 0037, 0050
and displaying, in response to determining the user content is outside the threshold of the guardrail settings, on a display of the frontend at least one corrective prompt of the plurality of corrective prompts.
Stickane, 0031, 0033, 0037, 0050
In regarding to claim 9 Stickane teaches:
9. The method of claim 8, the method further comprising transmitting, to the frontend, a notification comprising directions to begin capturing the content of a subject.
Stickane, 0031, 0050
In regarding to claim 10 Stickane teaches:
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the guardrail settings further comprise any of a shot style, a shot view, a camera choice, a script, a suggested scene order, a maximum recording length, an acceleration, an orientation, a light level, and a sound level.
Stickane, 0033, 0037, 0050
In regarding to claim 11 Stickane teaches:
11. The method of claim 8, wherein monitoring the frontend actively capturing user content comprises monitoring any of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a light sensor, and a microphone of the frontend.
Stickane, 0031, 0050
In regarding to claim 12 Stickane teaches:
12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one corrective prompt of the plurality of corrective prompts is configured to be displayed on the frontend upon the gyroscope detecting the frontend being tilted beyond the threshold of the guardrail settings.
Stickane, 0031-0033, 0037,
In regarding to claim 13 Stickane teaches:
13. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one corrective prompt of the plurality of corrective prompts is configured to be displayed on the frontend upon the accelerometer detecting the frontend is experiencing an excess of movement.
Stickane, 0031-0033, 0037,
In regarding to claim 14 Stickane teaches:
14. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one corrective prompt of the plurality of corrective prompts is configured to be displayed on the frontend upon the light sensor detecting an ambient light being too low.
Stickane, 0031-0032,
In regarding to claim 15 Stickane teaches:
15. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one corrective prompt of the plurality of corrective prompts is configured to be displayed on the frontend upon the microphone detecting an ambient noise level being too high.
Stickane, 0031-0032,
In regarding to claim 16 Stickane teaches:
16. A method for generating a final video based on user-generated content, the method comprising: transmitting, via a network, a plurality of storyboard templates comprising a plurality of suggested scenes, wherein each suggested scene of the plurality of suggested scenes comprises a directive prompt configured to communicate scene capturing directions;
Stickane, 0031-0032, 0050,
receiving, at a server, a plurality of complete storyboards comprising a first complete storyboard and a second complete storyboard, wherein each complete storyboard of the plurality of complete storyboards comprises a plurality of scenes of user-generated content based on the directive prompts;
Stickane, 0031-0032, 0050,
storing the plurality of complete storyboards in a content management system; generating, via the content management system, a final video comprising at least a portion of a first plurality of scenes of user-generated content of the first complete storyboard and at least a portion of a second plurality of scenes of user-generated content of the second complete storyboard.
Stickane, 0031-0032, 0050,
In regarding to claim 19 Stickane teaches:
19. The method of claim 16, wherein the final video comprises at least a first portion of the plurality of scenes of a first complete storyboard of the plurality of storyboards and at least a second portion of the plurality of scenes of a second complete storyboard of the plurality of storyboards.
Stickane, 0031-0032, 0050,
In regarding to claim 20 Stickane teaches:
20. The method of claim 16, wherein the final video comprises a trimmed scene, wherein the trimmed scene comprises a portion of a first scene of the plurality of scenes.
Stickane, 0031-0032, 0050,
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.
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.
Claims 3-4 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Stickane US 2022/0210342 as applied to claims 1-2 above, and further in view of Price et al. US 9,106,812.
In regarding to claim 3 Stickane teaches:
3. The method of claim 1, however, Stickane fails to explicitly teach, but Price teaches: the step of generating, based on the content comprising the one or more scenes, a storyboard further comprising utilizing a machine learning algorithm to generate the storyboard, wherein the machine learning algorithm is trained on a training dataset selected from a group comprising preexisting content and preexisting storyboards generated from the preexisting content.
Price, col. 12 lines 36-54, col. 12 line 66 to col. 13 line 12, and Fig. 3 elements 332 and 334.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the teaching of Price with the system of Stickane in order the step of generating, based on the content comprising the one or more scenes, a storyboard further comprising utilizing a machine learning algorithm to generate the storyboard, wherein the machine learning algorithm is trained on a training dataset selected from a group comprising preexisting content and preexisting storyboards generated from the preexisting content, as such, effective storyboards help bring a screenplay to life and help identify issues earlier in the production process thus saving money and simplifying later stages of production..—col. 1 line 29-31.
Note: The motivation that was applied to claim 3 above, applies equally as well to claims 4, 17 and 18 as presented blow.
In regarding to claim 4 Stickane teaches:
4. The method of claim 3, furthermore, Price teaches: wherein the machine learning algorithm is further trained based on historical user behavior and/or predefined brand preferences.
Price, col. 12 lines 36-54, col. 12 line 66 to col. 13 line 12, and Fig. 3 elements 332 and 334.
In regarding to claim 17 Stickane teaches:
17. The method of claim 16, furthermore, Price teaches: wherein the content management system comprises a machine learning algorithm configured to automatically generate the final video, wherein the machine learning algorithm is trained on a training dataset selected from a group comprising preexisting scenes and preexisting complete storyboards generated from the preexisting scenes.
Price, col. 12 lines 36-54, col. 12 line 66 to col. 13 line 12, and Fig. 3 elements 332 and 334.
In regarding to claim 18 Stickane teaches:
18. The method of claim 17, furthermore, Price teaches: wherein the method is repeated to create a plurality of final videos from corresponding completed storyboards, and wherein machine learning algorithm is further trained on the plurality of final videos and the corresponding completed storyboards.
Price, col. 12 lines 36-54, col. 12 line 66 to col. 13 line 12, and Fig. 3 elements 332 and 334.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL T TEKLE whose telephone number is (571)270-1117. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-4:30 ET.
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/DANIEL T TEKLE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2481
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