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
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by the SOLIDWORKS Design Help 2021 documentation for the 2021 release of the CAD software SOLIDWORKS. To accommodate the file directory like nature of the documentation, the SOLIDWORKS Design Help 2021 documentation is hereinafter referred to as SW.
Regarding claims 7, 1,
SW teaches:
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing a processor (SW/Administration/SOLIDWORKS Installation and Administration Guide/SOLIDWORKS Installation and Administration/Check System Software Requirements
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Note: SW specifies that it requires a processor and memory to operate the software, naming an SSD and 3.3 GHz processor or higher that are required. This shows SW teaches a non-transitory computable readable medium with a processor to store the program SW(SOLIDWORKS).) of a display control device to function as: a setting unit that sets whether a first 3D model and a second 3D model have a prescribed relationship with each other; (SW/Assemblies/Mates “Mates create geometric relationships between assembly components. As you add mates, you define the allowable directions of linear or rotational motion of the components. You can move a component within its degrees of freedom, visualizing the assembly's behavior … Mates are solved together as a system. The order in which you add mates does not matter; all mates are solved at the same time. You can suppress mates just as you can suppress features … Mate PropertyManager You add or edit mates in the Mate PropertyManager … Visualizing Mate Systems You can visualize, manipulate, and troubleshoot mates using the View Mates window, View Mate Errors window, and mate callouts.” Note: The 3D modelling/CAD software SolidWorks teaches that between two components, or 3D objects, a relationship can be established by defining them as “mates”. The relationship type can depend on different behavior types, but the ability to assign a relationship two 3D models is taught. This makes the means which mates are assigned, one means being the Mate PropertyManager to add or edit relationships, the claims setting unit.) and a display control unit configured to: put the first 3D model, which is currently selected, visually into a first display state; ( SW/Fundamentals/Selection/Highlighting “Items in the graphics area are highlighted when you select them, or dynamically highlighted when you move the pointer over them. You can set the colors for selected items, dynamic highlighting, and other user interface items in Tools > Options > System Options > Colors.”
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Note: SW teaches that 3D objects can be highlighted either by clicking to select or placing your mouse over them. When a selected object is highlighted as seen in the screenshot above it can take different forms depending on user choice as seen in the different highlighting options above. It is known that this is analogous to putting the first 3D model in a “first display state” as the specifications state ¶42 “The 3D screen can display 3D models with three types of first to third display manners which are different visually from each other. In the third display manner and the first display manner, the processor 101 varies a 3D model visually by displaying, for example: a difference in color tone of at least a portion of the 3D model, a difference in opacity thereof, a difference in texture thereof, or a difference in rendering thereof; or a change in the presentation of at least a portion of the 3D model, the presence/absence of a prescribed overlaying presentation thereof, or the presence/absence of a prescribed marker. The difference in color tone is, for example, a difference in saturation, lightness, hue, gamma, color balance, or contrast. In the first display manner and the second display manner, the processor 101 varies a 3D model visually by displaying, for example: a difference in color tone of at least a portion of the 3D model, a difference in opacity thereof, a difference in texture thereof, or a difference in rendering thereof; or a change in the presentation of at least a portion of the 3D model, the presence/absence of a prescribed overlaying presentation thereof, or the presence/absence of a prescribed marker such as one that constitutes a sign. In the third display manner and the second display manner, the processor 101 varies a 3D model visually by displaying, for example: a difference in color tone of at least a portion of the 3D model, a difference in opacity thereof, a difference in texture thereof, or a difference in rendering thereof; or a change in the presentation of at least a portion of the 3D model, the presence/absence of a prescribed overlaying presentation thereof, or the presence/absence of a prescribed marker such as one that constitutes a sign. ” Thus, the specifications define the display manners as altering color, outline, opacity, applying a marker, and similar visual indicators. An example of this can be seen in Fig. 5, ¶44 “The robot model M1 depicted in Fig. 5 is displayed in the first display manner. According to the first display manner indicated in Fig. 5, the outer boundary of the 3D model is surrounded by a solid line. The component model M2 depicted in Fig. 5 is displayed in the second display manner. The robot model M3 depicted in Fig. 5 is displayed in the third display manner.”
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While the display states can alter a number of visual aspects, in the example of Fig. 5 the first display state is an outline and the second is a dashed line. SW teaches this selecting and viewing happens in the “graphics area”, analogous to the claims display control unit.) put the second 3D model, which is not currently selected, visually into a second display state differing from the first display state, when the first 3D model is currently selected and the second 3D model is set to have the prescribed relationship with the first 3D model;( SW/Assemblies/Mates/Visualizing Mate Systems/View Mates and View Mate Errors Windows
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Note: Previosuly it was shown how SW teaches that 3D objects can have relationships set between them, here it is taught that a special viewing mode with “view mates” allows a user to click on a 3D model and see all other 3D models that have a relationship with the model. As seen in the screenshot above, the selected first object in view mates mode has an orange outline/highlight and points to its mated object highlighted differently in purple. Thus the ability to have a second display state differing from the first for a second object related to the first when the first object is selected is taught. The above instance of highlighting/outlining the 3D models in different colors falls under the specifications ¶42 description of acceptable display states.) put the second 3D model, which is not currently selected, visually into a third display state differing from the first display state and the second display state, when the second 3D model is not set to have the prescribed relationship with the first 3D model; (SW/Fundamentals/Selection/Highlighting teaches that objects are visually highlighted or indicated when selected either by clicking or hovering over them. SW/Mates/Visualizng Mate Systems/View Mates and View Mate Errors Windows teaches that an object selected with the view option/mode will have objects with a relationship to it placed in a second display state. Note: While worded strangely, the language of the claim is stating that when a 3D model lack a relationship to another and it is not selected the model will be in the “third display state” which is visually different from the first and second. While the specifications ¶42 state that the “third display state” can be the lack or presence of an opacity change, color change, outline, marker, etc… as seen in Fig. 5 an example of the “third display state” is making no visual change to the 3D object, and keeping it in its default state. This is done automatically by SW as it is taught 3D objects are only highlighted when selected or their related object is selected with view mates. Therefore SW teaches the second, non-selected, 3D model will be in the third display state if it has no relationship with the first, selected, 3D model.) and put the second 3D model, which is not currently selected, visually into the third display state, and the first 3D model, which is not currently selected, visually into the third display state, when the first 3D model is not currently selected.(As clarified previously from the teachings in SW/Fundamentals/Selection/Highlighting and SW/Mates/Visualizng Mate Systems/View Mates and View Mate Errors Windows, non selected items that do not have a relationship with a selected item will be in the third display state.)
Regarding claim 3,
SW teaches:
The display control device according to claim 1, wherein: the display control unit is capable of setting one of at least two types of display modes including a first display mode and a second display mode;( SW/Assemblies/Mates/Visualizing Mate Systems/View Mates and View Mate Errors Windows, cited previously and discussed below, teaches the view mates window is analogous to the clams “first display mode”. SW/Fundamentals/Selection/Highlighting, cited previously and discussed below, teaches the default view of the graphics area is the “second display mode”.) the display control unit puts the first 3D model, which is currently selected, visually into the first display state, during the first display mode;( SW/Fundamentals/Selection/Highlighting, cited in claim 1, teaches that when a 3D model is selected it can be placed visually into the first display state in the graphics area.) the display control unit puts the second 3D model, which is not currently selected, visually into the second display state, when the first 3D model is currently selected and the second 3D model is set to have the prescribed relationship with the first 3D model;( SW/Assemblies/Mates/Visualizing Mate Systems/View Mates and View Mate Errors Windows, cited in claim 1, teach that the “view mates” option that opens a view mates window, in which the first selected object is in a first display state, and objects that have an assigned relationship to the object are displayed in a second display state. SW’s view mates window is the claims “first display mode”.) the display control unit puts the second 3D model, which is not currently selected, visually into the third display state, when the second 3D model is not set to have the prescribed relationship with the first 3D model;( SW/Assemblies/Mates/Visualizing Mate Systems/View Mates and View Mate Errors Windows
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Note: SW teaches that if an object does not have a relationship via the mates relationships then it is hidden in the view mates window, only showing the selected component and related ones. As seen in the first screenshot provided, “Components not involved are hidden”. Thus, SW teaches that if a second object is not related to the first and we are in the “first display mode”, the view mates window, then the second object will be in the third display state, which in this case is achieved by reducing the opacity of the object completely. This is an acceptable definition of the “third display state” as defined by the previously cited specifications ¶42 which state that a change to opacity can represent the “third display state”.) the display control unit puts the second 3D model, which is not currently selected, visually into the third display state, and the first 3D model, which is not currently selected, visually into the third display state, when the first 3D model is not currently selected; (SW/Fundamentals/Selection/Highlighting teaches that objects are visually highlighted or indicated when selected either by clicking or hovering over them. SW/Mates/Visualizing Mate Systems/View Mates and View Mate Errors Windows teaches that an object selected with the view option/mode will have objects with a relationship to it placed in a second display state. Note: This portion of the claim is stating that if no objects are selected and no relationships are defined then the first and second objects will be in the third display state. While the specifications ¶42 state that the “third display state” can be the lack or presence of an opacity change, color change, outline, marker, etc… as seen in Fig. 5 an example of the “third display state” is making no visual change to the 3D object, and keeping it in its default state. This is done automatically by SW as it is taught 3D objects are only highlighted when selected or when they are related to a selected object in the view mates window.) and the display control unit puts the first 3D model, which is currently selected, visually into the first display state, ( SW/Fundamentals/Selection/Highlighting, cited in claim 1, teaches that when a 3D model is selected it can be placed visually into the first display state in the graphics area by highlighting or outlining it.) the second 3D model, which is not currently selected, visually into the third display state, and the first 3D model, which is not currently selected, visually into the third display state, during the second display mode.( SW/Assemblies/Mates/Visualizing Mate Systems/View Mates and View Mate Errors Windows, cited in claim 1, teach that the view mates window is opened by selecting an object. SW/Fundamentals/Selection/Highlighting teaches that objects are first selected in the graphics area, which will place selected objects into a “first display state” by highlighting them. The highlighting of second objects that are related to the first only happens in the view mates window, thus the default view of the graphics area which will only visually alter an item the user selects, ignoring relationships, teaches the claims “second display mode”. The “first display mode” can be entered after selecting an object and selecting the view mates option to open the view mates window.)
Regarding claim 5,
The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the prescribed relationship between the first 3D model and the second 3D model is that the first 3D model and the second 3D model are controlled by a same controller. (SW/Assemblies/Mates
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SW/Assemblies/Mates/Basic Mate Operations/Mate Folders
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SW/Assemblies/Mates/Types of Mates/Mechanical Mates/Universal Joint Mate
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SW/Assemblies/Mates/Visualizing Mate Systems/Mate Callouts
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Note: SW teaches that objects can have a “prescribed relationship” where the relationship is that both are controlled by the same controller. SW teaches that certain mate types define a “controller” relationship, for example a Universal Joint Mate type specifies that a component mated to another will have its rotation about its axis driven, or controlled, by the movement of the object it is mated to. While the mate relationship between a controller and a controlled object is defined solely by interacting with the two, if other objects are controlled by the controller (or mated to the same mate) SW teaches the two have a prescribed relationship of being controlled by the same controller. This is seen in the /Mate Folders screenshot above which teaches that all objects mated to the same object will be solved together, and stored together in the same folder without an ordering. Furthermore, as seen in the /Mate Callouts screenshot, when any 3D object in that is mated to another, which can denote being controlled by another, it will highlight all other objects that are also controlled by the same controller. As objects mated to the same object, which includes mate types where objects are controlled by the same object controller, are solved together, stored together, and viewed together in a system when any one object involved is selected in the “view mates” mode, SW teaches that objects can have a prescribed relationship of being controlled by the same controller.)
Regarding claim 6,
SW teaches:
The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the prescribed relationship between the first 3D model and the second 3D model is that the second 3D model is a 3D model that indicates an object to be transported by the first 3D model. (SW/Assemblies/Mates/Basic Mate Operations/Driven Mate Dimensions
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SW/Assemblies/Mates/Types of Mates/Standard Mates/Distance Mate
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Note: SW teaches a possible relationship type between objects is a distance mate relationship, where the relationship defines the distance between the two objects. SW also teaches that some mate types can be driven, meaning the motion or change in position of one object will drive the motion of another mated object depending on the type of relationship they have. One possible driven relationship is distance, where if an object mated to another is moved both objects will move together to maintain the set distance relationship. Thus, SW teaches that for two objects with a given relationship one’s motion can drive the other’s motion to keep it a consistent set space with it, or in other words a relationship where one 3D model is transported by another.)
Regarding claim 2,
SW teaches:
A display control device comprising: a display control unit configured to: put a first 3D model visually into a first display state;(SW/Fundamentals/Selection/Highlighting, cited in claim 1, teaches that when a 3D model is selected it can be placed visually into the first display state in the graphics area.) put a second 3D model, which has a prescribed relationship with the first 3D model, visually into a second display state differing from the first display state;(SW/Assemblies/Mates/Visualizing Mate Systems/View Mates and View Mate Errors Windows, cited in claim 1, teach that the “view mates” option that opens a view mates window, in which the first selected object is in a first display state, and objects that have an assigned relationship to the object are displayed in a second display state.) and put a third 3D model, which does not have the prescribed relationship with the first 3D model, visually into a third display state differing from the first display state and the second display state, when the first 3D model is currently selected and the second 3D model and the third 3D model are not currently selected.( SW/Fundamentals/Selection/Highlighting teaches that objects are visually highlighted or indicated when selected either by clicking or hovering over them. SW/Mates/Visualizng Mate Systems/View Mates and View Mate Errors Windows teaches that an object selected with the view option/mode will have objects with a relationship to it placed in a second display state. Note: While the specifications ¶42 state that the “third display state” can be the lack or presence of an opacity change, color change, outline, marker, etc… as seen in Fig. 5 an example of the “third display state” is making no visual change to the 3D object, and keeping it in its default state. This is done automatically by SW as it is taught 3D objects are only highlighted when selected or their related object is selected with view mates. As the third object in the claims is not selected and has no prescribed relationship, such an object would not be highlighted by SW, teaching that it would be in the “third display state”.)
Regarding claim 4,
SW teaches:
The display control device according to claim 2, wherein: the display control unit is capable of setting one of at least two types of display modes including a first display mode and a second display mode; (SW/Assemblies/Mates/Visualizing Mate Systems/View Mates and View Mate Errors Windows, cited previously and discussed below, teaches the view mates window is analogous to the clams “first display mode”. SW/Fundamentals/Selection/Highlighting, cited previously and discussed below, teaches the default view of the graphics area is the “second display mode”.) the display control unit puts the first 3D model visually into the first display state, ( SW/Fundamentals/Selection/Highlighting, cited in claim 1, teaches that when a 3D model is selected it can be placed visually into the first display state in the graphics area.) the second 3D model visually into the second display state, ;( SW/Assemblies/Mates/Visualizing Mate Systems/View Mates and View Mate Errors Windows, cited in claim 1, teach that the “view mates” option that opens a view mates window, in which the first selected object is in a first display state, and objects that have an assigned relationship to the object are displayed in a second display state. Thus, if the second 3D model has a relationship with the first, it will be placed into the second display state even if not selected itself. SW’s view mates window is the claims “first display mode”.) and the third 3D model visually into the third display state during the first display mode, when the first 3D model is currently selected and the second 3D model and the third 3D model are not currently selected; ( SW/Assemblies/Mates/Visualizing Mate Systems/View Mates and View Mate Errors Windows
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Note: SW teaches that if an object does not have a relationship via the mates relationships then it is hidden in the view mates window, only showing the selected component and related ones. As seen in the first screenshot provided, “Components not involved are hidden”. Thus, SW teaches that if a third object is not related to the first and we are in the “first display mode”, the view mates window, then the third object will be in the third display state, which in this case is achieved by reducing the opacity of the object completely. This is an acceptable definition of the “third display state” as defined by the previously cited specifications ¶42 which state that a change to opacity can represent the “third display state”.) and the display control unit puts the first 3D model visually into the first display state, and the second 3D model and the third 3D model visually into the third display state during the second display mode, when the first 3D model is currently selected and the second 3D model and the third 3D model are not currently selected. ( SW/Assemblies/Mates/Visualizing Mate Systems/View Mates and View Mate Errors Windows, cited in claim 1, teach that the view mates window is opened by selecting an object. SW/Fundamentals/Selection/Highlighting teaches that objects are first selected in the graphics area, which will place selected objects into a “first display state” by highlighting them. The highlighting of second objects that are related to the first only happens in the view mates window, thus the default view of the graphics area which will only visually alter an item the user selects, ignoring relationships, teaches the claims “second display mode”. The “first display mode” can be entered after selecting an object and selecting the view mates option to open the view mates window. Note: As taught by the “second display mode”, or the graphics area in SW, objects will only be highlighted, or placed in the first display state, if they are selected. Thus, SW teaches the second and third models will be in the third state when not selected, and the first model will be in the first display state by being highlighted or outlined when selected.)
Regarding claim 8,
SW teaches:
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing a processor (SW/Administration/SOLIDWORKS Installation and Administration Guide/SOLIDWORKS Installation and Administration/Check System Requirements
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Note: SW specifies that it requires a processor and memory to operate the software, naming an SSD and 3.3 GHz processor or higher that are required. This shows SW teaches a non-transitory computable readable medium with a processor to store the program SW(SOLIDWORKS).)of a display control device to function as: a display control unit configured to: put a first 3D model visually into a first display state, when the first 3D model is currently selected and a second 3D model and a third 3D model are not currently selected, put the second 3D model, which has a prescribed relationship with the first 3D model, visually into a second display state differing from the first display state; and put the third 3D model, which does not have the prescribed relationship with the first 3D model, visually into a third display state differing from the first display state and the second display state. Other than the preamble which introduces a computer-readable medium and processor, the remainder of claim 8’s content is encompassed entirely in claim 2, and is therefore rejected under the same rationale.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALAN GREGORY HAKALA whose telephone number is (571)272-7863. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00am-5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, King Poon can be reached at (571) 270-0728. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALAN GREGORY HAKALA/Examiner, Art Unit 2617
/KING Y POON/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2617
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