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 (IDS) submitted on 01/17/2025 has been considered by the Examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following minor informality: “An” as in “to execute: An information processing method” appears as if it is erroneously capitalized.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(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, 3, and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Harada (US 2010/0191457 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Harada discloses an information processing device capable of providing guidance on a route of a vehicle, the device comprising:
an information acquisition unit configured to acquire, when the vehicle enters a predetermined range with reference to a facility, route guidance information for providing guidance on the route of the vehicle in the facility, facility guidance information for providing guidance on predetermined information on each location in the facility, and character information for outputting a character related to the facility (In paragraph [0061], Harada discloses that when a user selects one character icon 61 from plural character icons 61 displayed on the display panel 2, the car navigation device 1 displays the selected character icon 61 as a guide during the navigation operation on the display panel, and that the car navigation device 1 implements an operation of selecting and displaying sightseeing facilities or the like according to the individuality of the selected character icon 61, etc.; in paragraphs [0064-0067], Harada discloses that the car navigation device 1 has a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit 11 for detecting the current position of the vehicle; in paragraphs [0119-0120], Harada discloses that a sightseeing facility is selected from the sightseeing facilities relevant to the individuality of the character selected by the user, where a method of selecting a sightseeing facility nearest to the current position detected by the GPS unit 11 or the like may be adopted as a method of selecting one sightseeing facility from the sightseeing facilities relevant to the individuality of the character);
a storage unit configured to hold the route guidance information, the facility guidance information, and the character information (In paragraphs [0064-0065], Harada discloses that the car navigation device 1 has a storage unit 14 for storing various kinds of programs and data, where the controller 10 executes various kinds of processing concerning characters by using information stored in a sightseeing facilities data base 31 in a storage unit 14 and a character data base 32);
an output unit configured to output various types of information (In paragraph [0064], Harada discloses that the car navigation device 1 has a display unit 12 having the display panel 2); and
a control unit configured to cause the output unit to output the character based on the character information, and cause the output unit to output at least one of route guidance and facility guidance based on the route guidance information and the facility guidance information (In paragraph [0061], Harada discloses that when a user selects one character icon 61 from plural character icons 61 displayed on the display panel 2, the car navigation device 1 displays the selected character icon 61 as a guide during the navigation operation on the display panel, and that the car navigation device 1 implements an operation of selecting and displaying sightseeing facilities or the like according to the individuality of the selected character icon 61, etc.), wherein
the control unit is configured to change an output mode of the character output from the output unit according to the route guidance or the facility guidance output from the output unit (In paragraph [0061], Harada discloses that when a user selects one character icon 61 from plural character icons 61 displayed on the display panel 2, the car navigation device 1 displays the selected character icon 61 as a guide during the navigation operation on the display panel, and that the car navigation device 1 implements an operation of selecting and displaying sightseeing facilities or the like according to the individuality of the selected character icon 61, etc.; in paragraph [0081], Harada discloses that characters having various individualities can be selected, and sightseeing facilities can be selected on the basis of the individualities of the selected characters; in fig. 9 and paragraph [0114], Harada discloses an example of the construction of an information display screen displayed after a character is selected on the character selecting screen; in fig. 1 and paragraph [0118], Harada discloses an example of the construction of the detailed information display screen displayed after any one of the buttons is operated on the information display screen 2D of FIG. 9, for example).
Regarding claim 3, Harada further discloses wherein the control unit is configured to cause the output unit to output the character by using, as the character information, at least a part of model data of the character, display information related to a display mode of the model data, operation instruction information related to an operation of the model data, and speech information related to a speech of the model data (In paragraphs [0088-0095], Harada discloses a character data base 32 that stores a character ordering code field 51, a name field 52, a type field 53, a comment field 54, and a self-introduction field 55, wherein the character ordering code field 51 stores codes for identifying and sorting respective characters for processing, such as numbers or the like which are allocated to the respective characters, wherein the comment field 54 store a sentence or character array which simply explains the individuality of each character and the self-introduction field 55 stores a sentence or text which is output as words of each character itself, and wherein image data (display information) for displaying character icons 61 on the display panel 2 are stored in the character data base 32, and these image data are associated with the respective characters, where each record of the character data base 32 may be provided with a field in which information for specifying image data corresponding to each character, such as a file name, a path, etc. of the image data is stored).
Regarding claim 8, Harada discloses an information processing method capable of providing guidance on a route of a vehicle, the method comprising:
an information acquisition process of acquiring, when the vehicle enters a predetermined range with reference to a facility, route guidance information for providing guidance on the route of the vehicle in the facility, facility guidance information for providing guidance on predetermined information on each location in the facility, and character information for outputting a character related to the facility (In paragraph [0061], Harada discloses that when a user selects one character icon 61 from plural character icons 61 displayed on the display panel 2, the car navigation device 1 displays the selected character icon 61 as a guide during the navigation operation on the display panel, and that the car navigation device 1 implements an operation of selecting and displaying sightseeing facilities or the like according to the individuality of the selected character icon 61, etc.; in paragraphs [0064-0067], Harada discloses that the car navigation device 1 has a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit 11 for detecting the current position of the vehicle; in paragraphs [0119-0120], Harada discloses that a sightseeing facility is selected from the sightseeing facilities relevant to the individuality of the character selected by the user, where a method of selecting a sightseeing facility nearest to the current position detected by the GPS unit 11 or the like may be adopted as a method of selecting one sightseeing facility from the sightseeing facilities relevant to the individuality of the character);
a storage process of holding, in a storage unit, the route guidance information, the facility guidance information, and the character information (In paragraphs [0064-0065], Harada discloses that the car navigation device 1 has a storage unit 14 for storing various kinds of programs and data, where the controller 10 executes various kinds of processing concerning characters by using information stored in a sightseeing facilities data base 31 in a storage unit 14 and a character data base 32); and
a control process of causing an output unit to output the character based on the character information, and causing the output unit to output at least one of route guidance and facility guidance based on the route guidance information and the facility guidance information (In paragraph [0061], Harada discloses that when a user selects one character icon 61 from plural character icons 61 displayed on the display panel 2, the car navigation device 1 displays the selected character icon 61 as a guide during the navigation operation on the display panel, and that the car navigation device 1 implements an operation of selecting and displaying sightseeing facilities or the like according to the individuality of the selected character icon 61, etc.), wherein
in the control process, an output mode of the character output from the output unit is changed according to the route guidance or the facility guidance output from the output unit (In paragraph [0061], Harada discloses that when a user selects one character icon 61 from plural character icons 61 displayed on the display panel 2, the car navigation device 1 displays the selected character icon 61 as a guide during the navigation operation on the display panel, and that the car navigation device 1 implements an operation of selecting and displaying sightseeing facilities or the like according to the individuality of the selected character icon 61, etc.; in paragraph [0081], Harada discloses that characters having various individualities can be selected, and sightseeing facilities can be selected on the basis of the individualities of the selected characters; in fig. 9 and paragraph [0114], Harada discloses an example of the construction of an information display screen displayed after a character is selected on the character selecting screen; in fig. 1 and paragraph [0118], Harada discloses an example of the construction of the detailed information display screen displayed after any one of the buttons is operated on the information display screen 2D of FIG. 9, for example).
Regarding claim 9, Harada discloses a program for causing a computer to execute a route guidance process for providing guidance on a route of a vehicle, the program causing the computer to execute: An information processing method capable of providing guidance on a route of a vehicle, the method comprising:
an information acquisition process of acquiring, when the vehicle enters a predetermined range with reference to a facility, route guidance information for providing guidance on the route of the vehicle in the facility, facility guidance information for providing guidance on predetermined information on each location in the facility, and character information for outputting a character related to the facility (In paragraph [0061], Harada discloses that when a user selects one character icon 61 from plural character icons 61 displayed on the display panel 2, the car navigation device 1 displays the selected character icon 61 as a guide during the navigation operation on the display panel, and that the car navigation device 1 implements an operation of selecting and displaying sightseeing facilities or the like according to the individuality of the selected character icon 61, etc.; in paragraphs [0064-0067], Harada discloses that the car navigation device 1 has a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit 11 for detecting the current position of the vehicle; in paragraphs [0119-0120], Harada discloses that a sightseeing facility is selected from the sightseeing facilities relevant to the individuality of the character selected by the user, where a method of selecting a sightseeing facility nearest to the current position detected by the GPS unit 11 or the like may be adopted as a method of selecting one sightseeing facility from the sightseeing facilities relevant to the individuality of the character);
a storage process of holding, in a storage unit, the route guidance information, the facility guidance information, and the character information (In paragraphs [0064-0065], Harada discloses that the car navigation device 1 has a storage unit 14 for storing various kinds of programs and data, where the controller 10 executes various kinds of processing concerning characters by using information stored in a sightseeing facilities data base 31 in a storage unit 14 and a character data base 32); and
a control process of causing an output unit to output the character based on the character information, and causing the output unit to output at least one of route guidance and facility guidance based on the route guidance information and the facility guidance information (In paragraph [0061], Harada discloses that when a user selects one character icon 61 from plural character icons 61 displayed on the display panel 2, the car navigation device 1 displays the selected character icon 61 as a guide during the navigation operation on the display panel, and that the car navigation device 1 implements an operation of selecting and displaying sightseeing facilities or the like according to the individuality of the selected character icon 61, etc.), wherein
in the control process, an output mode of the character output from the output unit is changed according to the route guidance or the facility guidance output from the output unit (In paragraph [0061], Harada discloses that when a user selects one character icon 61 from plural character icons 61 displayed on the display panel 2, the car navigation device 1 displays the selected character icon 61 as a guide during the navigation operation on the display panel, and that the car navigation device 1 implements an operation of selecting and displaying sightseeing facilities or the like according to the individuality of the selected character icon 61, etc.; in paragraph [0081], Harada discloses that characters having various individualities can be selected, and sightseeing facilities can be selected on the basis of the individualities of the selected characters; in fig. 9 and paragraph [0114], Harada discloses an example of the construction of an information display screen displayed after a character is selected on the character selecting screen; in fig. 1 and paragraph [0118], Harada discloses an example of the construction of the detailed information display screen displayed after any one of the buttons is operated on the information display screen 2D of FIG. 9, for example).
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 (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 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.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harada (US 2010/0191457 A1), in view of Vilermo (US 2016/0328081 A1).
Harada further discloses a vehicle information acquisition unit configured to acquire vehicle information related to the vehicle, the vehicle information being information including whether the vehicle is stopped (In paragraph [0067], Harada discloses that in addition to the GPS unit 11, a gyro sensor, a vehicle speed sensor and an acceleration sensor may be provided to the car navigation device 1 so that self-supporting navigation can be performed), wherein
the output unit includes a display unit and a speech output unit (In paragraph [0064], Harada discloses that the car navigation device 1 has a display unit 12 having the display panel 2; in paragraphs [0088-0095], Harada discloses wherein the comment field 54 store a sentence or character array which simply explains the individuality of each character and the self-introduction field 55 stores a sentence or text which is output as words of each character itself, and wherein image data (display information) for displaying character icons 61 on the display panel 2 are stored in the character data base 32, and these image data are associated with the respective characters, where each record of the character data base 32 may be provided with a field in which information for specifying image data corresponding to each character, such as a file name, a path, etc. of the image data is stored).
Harada does not explicitly disclose wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether the vehicle is stopped based on the vehicle information, when the vehicle is stopped, cause the display unit to display an image of the character and executes at least one of the route guidance and the facility guidance using at least one of the image and a speech of the character, and when the vehicle is traveling, cause the speech output unit to output the speech of the character without displaying the image of the character and execute at least one of the route guidance and the facility guidance using the speech of the character.
However, Vilermo teaches wherein the output unit includes a display unit and a speech output unit (In paragraph [0030], Vilermo teaches a speaker 44 and display 48), and
the control unit is configured to determine whether the vehicle is stopped based on the vehicle information, when the vehicle is stopped, cause the display unit to display an image of the character and executes at least one of the route guidance and the facility guidance using at least one of the image and a speech of the character, and when the vehicle is traveling, cause the speech output unit to output the speech of the character without displaying the image of the character and execute at least one of the route guidance and the facility guidance using the speech of the character (In paragraph [0046], Vilermo teaches an example of a user that is presumed to be traveling in a vehicle, where the operational state that is entered with an audio input type may disable output of the mobile terminal 10 to the display 48 in order to minimize distractions should the user be driving a vehicle, and a further example where the display 48 may also be disabled, with information conveyed to a user via audio feedback).
Vilermo is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention in that they both pertain to limiting display output and utilizing audio output when, for example, moving in a vehicle. It would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Vilermo with the device as disclosed by Harada where doing so may advantageously “minimize distractions should the user be driving a vehicle” as suggested by Vilermo in paragraph [0046], thereby improving safety of operation of the vehicle, for example.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harada (US 2010/0191457 A1), in view of Takahashi (US 2022/0034672 A1).
Harada further discloses a positional information acquisition unit configured to acquire positional information in the facility (In paragraphs [0064-0067], Harada discloses that the car navigation device 1 has a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit 11 for detecting the current position of the vehicle).
Harada does not explicitly disclose wherein the control unit is configured to cause the output unit to output the route guidance in which the character is used at a timing when the vehicle travels at a predetermined position in the facility, and cause the output unit to output the facility guidance in which the character is used at a timing when the vehicle travels at a position other than the predetermined position.
However, Takahashi teaches wherein the control unit is configured to cause the output unit to output the route guidance in which the character is used at a timing when the vehicle travels at a predetermined position in the facility, and cause the output unit to output the facility guidance in which the character is used at a timing when the vehicle travels at a position other than the predetermined position (In paragraph [0070], Takahashi teaches that the guide image 29 is preferably, for example, an image that displays a character set by the user or a person imitating the feature of the user in association with a parking lot guide (a concierge on the screen); in paragraph [0072], Takahashi teaches that during the parking position guidance, the terminal position measurement section 22 constantly measures its own position to send the position information Da to the cloud computer 5 through a network communication (step 110), and using the position information Da received constantly from the terminal 3, the calculator 24 updates the navigation data Dn1 (step 206), and thus, the calculator 24 successively monitors the position of the terminal 3 to update the navigation data Dn1 and causes the guide 25b to execute the guidance using the updated navigation data Dn1).
Takahashi is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention in that they both pertain to altering guidance information by a character based on determined position. It would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Takahashi with the device as disclosed by Harada, where doing so allows for continuously updated guidance, as suggested by Takahashi in paragraph [0072], for example, advantageously improving the accuracy and contextual sensitivity of the provided guidance.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harada (US 2010/0191457 A1), in view of Acker Jr. (US 9,761,139 B2).
Harada does not explicitly disclose wherein the information acquisition unit is configured to acquire the character information for changing and outputting at least one of a guidance content using the character and speech information of the character according to the number of times the vehicle visits the facility, and
the control unit is configured to change and output an output mode of the character based on the number of times the vehicle visits the facility.
However, Acker Jr. teaches wherein the information acquisition unit is configured to acquire the character information for changing and outputting at least one of a guidance content using the character and speech information of the character according to the number of times the vehicle visits the facility (In column 8 lines 19-44, Acker Jr. teaches an exemplary view of available parking spaces in a store parking lot including a preferred parking space and a customized greeting to welcome the driver back to the store; from column 8 line 61 to column 9 line 39, Acker Jr. teaches an exemplary computer display showing a user's parking preference settings and various options for a customer regarding parking options which is displayed upon a vehicle entering a parking lot as a one-time selection by the user), and
the control unit is configured to change and output an output mode of the character based on the number of times the vehicle visits the facility (In column 8 lines 19-44, Acker Jr. teaches an exemplary view of available parking spaces in a store parking lot including a preferred parking space and a customized greeting to welcome the driver back to the store; from column 8 line 61 to column 9 line 39, Acker Jr. teaches an exemplary computer display showing a user's parking preference settings and various options for a customer regarding parking options which is displayed upon a vehicle entering a parking lot as a one-time selection by the user).
Acker Jr. is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention in that they both pertain to changing an output mode of a guidance system based on the number of visits by the user. It would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Acker Jr. with the device as disclosed by Harada where doing so may advantageously allow information obtained on the user’s first trip to again be utilized on return trips, for example, improving convenience for the user and contextual sensitivity of the guidance information.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Mori (US 2021/0229553 A1) teaches a display control device, display control method, and program including where position information of the shop S indicated by the character C may be stored by the display control device 20 of the present exemplary embodiment working together with the car navigation system.
Murakami (US 2020/0278211 A1) teaches a processing apparatus, processing method, and program, including where the vehicle 20 displays the character image Z3 contained in the facility information.
Amano (US 2019/0206253 A1) discloses a vehicle on-board communication device and vehicle including enabling an animated character to converse with the occupant of the host vehicle V1, or to provide that vehicle occupant with information.
Yoshida (US 2006/0129637 A1) teaches a system for operating electronic device using animated character display and such electronic device including a simulated human animated character which converses with a user.
Ohba (US 2002/0133551 A1) teaches an information presentation system, information processing system, method for providing information, method for processing information, and data storage, including display of a character image 32.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Harrison Heflin whose telephone number is (571)272-5629. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 1:00PM - 10:00PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Hunter Lonsberry can be reached at 571-272-7298. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HARRISON HEFLIN/ Examiner, Art Unit 3665
/HUNTER B LONSBERRY/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3665
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