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 .
Claims 16 - 30 are pending and claims 16 and 30 are independent claims.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 01/21/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 16-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The independent claims 16 and 30 recite “a display device comprising: a display; and a controller …: receive…; obtain …; and output via the display an operation result corresponding to the voice command …” as drafted cover an abstract idea of mental steps, an abstract idea of data gathering/retrieval and analysis/processing steps, and an implementation of generic computer components. More specifically, the “a display device comprising: a display; and a controller configured to: receive a voice command including an uttered content name; obtain an official content name mapped to the uttered content name; and output via the display an operation result corresponding to the voice command based on the uttered content name being changed to the official content name” which requires just generic computer components and mental process. For instance, one can make use of conventional/generic (general-purpose) computer, standardized general-purpose OS, generic computer display and generic computer control (the published Spec. para 0046, for instance) and receive a voice command via the voice system of generic computer to obtain an uttered content including uttered content name. One can mentally perform mapping of an official content name to the uttered content name. Displaying of the mapping operation result of the uttered content name to the official content name can be performed on the generic computer component display. The claimed invention is, therefore, directed to an abstract idea and a mental process without significantly more and thus, claims 16 and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101.
Similarly, the dependent claims 17-29 recite similar claim language as in claims 16 and 30.
Claim 17 recites “the controller is further configured to determine whether the uttered content name is stored in a content name database to obtain the official content name,” which requires just a mental step or a simple search step in the generic computer database system of determining whether the uttered content name is stored in a content name database which can just be a generic database. Thus, claim 17 is directed to an abstract idea.
Claim 18 recites “the controller is further configured to obtain the official content name from the content name database based on the uttered content name being stored in the content name database,” which requires just a mental step or a simple search step in the generic computer database system for obtaining the official content name from the content name database based on the uttered content name being stored in the content name database which can just be a generic database as well. Thus, claim 18 is directed to an abstract idea.
Claim 19 recites “the controller is further configured to output the operation result corresponding to the voice command based on the uttered content name based on the uttered content name not being stored in the content name database,” which requires just a mental step or a simple outputting or displaying step using the generic computer database system using the generic controller of the computer to output the operation result corresponding to the voice command based on the uttered content name based on the uttered content name not being stored in the content name database. Thus, claim 19 is directed to an abstract idea.
Claim 20 recites “wherein based on a search result of the uttered content name being output as a result of the operation result, the controller is further configured to output a message requesting confirmation whether to set the uttered content name as a user-customized content name for the official content name of a selected content among the search result,” which requires just a mental step or a simple search step in the generic computer database system. This just requires to output a search result of the uttered content name being output as a result of the operation result in a generic computer with the controller of the computer further configured to output a message requesting confirmation whether to set the uttered content name as a user-customized content name for the official content name of a selected content among the search result. Thus, claim 20 is directed to an abstract idea.
Claim 21 recites “based on receiving a command to set the uttered content name as the user-customized content name, the controller is further configured to store the uttered content name in the content name database to be mapped with the official content name of the selected content,” which requires just a mental step or a simple step of receiving a command to set the uttered content name as the user-customized content name where the generic controller is further configured to store the uttered content name in the content name database to be mapped with the official content name of the selected content. Thus, claim 21 is directed to an abstract idea.
Claim 22 recites “wherein based on a search result of the uttered content name being output as a result of the operation result, the controller is further configured to store the uttered content name in the content name database to be mapped with the official content name of a selected content among the search result,” which requires just a mental step or a simple search result output of the uttered content name. Moreover, the generic computer controller can be further configured to store the uttered content name in the content name database to be mapped with the official content name of a selected content among the search result. Thus, claim 22 is directed to an abstract idea.
Claim 23 recites “wherein the controller is further configured to store the uttered content name in the content name database to be mapped with the official content name including a season number based on the selected content corresponding to a series,” which requires just a mental step or a simple step of storing the uttered content name in the content name database to be mapped with the official content name including a season number based on the selected content corresponding to a series. Thus, claim 23 is directed to an abstract idea.
Claim 24 recites “wherein based on the official content name corresponding to a series, the controller is further configured to output the operation result corresponding to the voice command along with content from other seasons of the series,” which requires just a mental step or a simple step of outputting the operation result corresponding to the voice command along with content from other seasons of the series ed on the official content name corresponding to a series. Thus, claim 24 is directed to an abstract idea.
Claim 25 recites “wherein based on a selection of a particular content from the other seasons, the controller is configured store the uttered content name in a content name database to be mapped with a season number of the particular content of the other season,” which requires just a mental step or a simple step of storing the uttered content name in a content name database to be mapped with a season number of the particular content of the other season based on a selection of a particular content from the other seasons. Thus, claim 25 is directed to an abstract idea.
Claim 26 recites “further comprising a memory configured to store a content name database in which one or more user-customized uttered content names are mapped to each of at least one or more official content name,” which requires just a mental step or a simple step of storing a content name database in which one or more user-customized uttered content names are mapped to each of at least one or more official content name. Thus, claim 26 is directed to an abstract idea.
Claim 27 recites “wherein the controller is configured to obtain the official content name and the operation result from an external server that manages a content name database storing the official content name,” which requires just a mental step or a simple step of obtaining the official content name and the operation result from an external server that manages a content name database storing the official content name. Thus, claim 27 is directed to an abstract idea.
Claim 28 recites “wherein the controller is further configured to obtain the official content name from a content name database customized to a user or an utterance log database set based on a frequency of multiple users,” which requires just a mental step or a simple step of obtaining the official content name from a content name database customized to a user or an utterance log database set based on a frequency of multiple users. Thus, claim 28 is directed to an abstract idea.
Claim 29 recites “wherein the controller is further configured to obtain the official content name from the utterance log database based on the official content name not being obtained from the content name database,” which requires just a mental step or a simple step of obtaining the official content name from the utterance log database based on the official content name not being obtained from the content name database. Thus, claim 29 is directed to an abstract idea.
Thus, claims 16-30 as drafted cover a mental process and abstract idea of data gathering/retrieval and analysis/processing steps, and they are mental processes directed to an abstract idea of implementing data processing and data analysis using a conventional/generic (general-purpose) computer as well and thus, all the claims are directed to an abstract idea.
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, claims 26 recite an additional element of “memory” as per the dependent claim. Accordingly, this additional element does not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because it does not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. Thus, the claim is directed to an abstract idea.
Thus, taken alone, the additional elements do not amount to significantly more than the above-identified judicial exception (the abstract idea). Looking at the limitations as an ordered combination adds nothing that is not already present when looking at the elements taken individually. There is no indication that the combination of elements improves the functioning of a computer or improves any other technology. Their collective functions merely provide conventional general purpose computer implementation. Claims 16-30, are therefore not drawn to patent eligible subject matter as they are directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. Thus, the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea and a mental process without significantly more and thus, claims 16-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101.
The claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to the integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional element of using a computer is noted as a general computer as noted. Mere instructions to apply an exception using generic computer components cannot provide an inventive concept (Spec., para 0046). Further, the additional limitation in the claims noted above are directed towards insignificant solution activity. The claims are not patent eligible.
Dependent claims 17-29 are also directed toward an abstract idea and do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements when considered both individually and as an ordered combination do not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea. Therefore, claims 16-30 do not contain patent eligible subject matter that has been identified by the courts.
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 16-22, 25-26 and 28-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kazunari Pat App No. JP 2010175708 A (Kazunari).
Regarding Claim 16, Kazunari discloses a display device comprising:
a display (Kazunari, 2nd page, 7th para, a display unit. 27); and
a controller (Kazunari, 3rd page, 2nd para, the utterance tendency extraction unit 23; [i.e., “the utterance tendency extraction unit 23” as “a controller”]) configured to:
receive a voice command including an uttered content name (Kazunari, 2nd page, 8th para, The voice recognition unit 21 recognizes the voice acquired through the voice input unit 11 of the remote control device 10. The speech recognition unit 21 is equipped with a speech recognition engine including morphological analysis);
obtain an official content name mapped to the uttered content name (Kazunari, 2nd page, 7th para, a voice recognition dictionary generation unit 25, a voice recognition candidate display unit 26); and
output via the display an operation result corresponding to the voice command based on the uttered content name being changed to the official content name (Kazunari, 3rd page, 4th para, The speech recognition candidate display unit 26 lists speech recognition candidates according to likelihood as a result of speech recognition by the speech recognition unit 21).
Regarding Claim 17, The display device of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the uttered content name is stored in a content name database to obtain the official content name (Kazunari, 3rd page, 2nd para, The utterance tendency DB 24 accumulates utterance tendency data extracted by the utterance tendency extraction unit 23; [i.e., “the utterance tendency extraction unit 23” as “a controller”]).
Regarding Claim 18, The display device of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to obtain the official content name from the content name database based on the uttered content name being stored in the content name database (FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of giving program name reading. In the example of FIG.7, the official program name is read…The lengths of these actually uttered readings are normalized by the reading length of the official program name, and the values 19/30, 11/30, and 3/30are stored in the utterance tendency DB 24, respectively).
Regarding Claim 19, The display device of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to output the operation result corresponding to the voice command based on the uttered content name based on the uttered content name not being stored in the content name database (Kazunari, 7th page, 12th – 13th para, the speech recognition result or the search result is displayed on the display unit in a descending order of likelihood. A speech recognition search method in a speech recognition search system that recognizes a speech search key to be searched that is input from a user using speech).
Regarding Claim 20, The display device of claim 19, wherein based on a search result of the uttered content name being output as a result of the operation result, the controller is further configured to output a message requesting confirmation whether to set the uttered content name as a user-customized content name for the official content name of a selected content among the search result (Kazunari, 2nd page, 1st para, when speech recognition is performed for all vocabularies and there are many speech search key candidates, a search key confirmation related question is presented and related information is uttered, and speech is obtained from the search key recognition likelihood and the related information recognition likelihood. A method for identifying search key candidates has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2)).
Regarding Claim 21, The display device of claim 20, wherein based on receiving a command to set the uttered content name as the user-customized content name, the controller is further configured to store the uttered content name in the content name database to be mapped with the official content name of the selected content (Kazunari, 7th page, 15th – 18th para, Speech recognition is performed on the input speech signal to convert it into text, and multiple speech recognition candidates are presented in descending order of likelihood, search the content information database using the character string selected from the presented candidates as a search keyword, select content from the content candidate list, when selecting content, extract the utterance tendency).
Regarding Claim 22, The display device of claim 19, wherein based on a search result of the uttered content name being output as a result of the operation result, the controller is further configured to store the uttered content name in the content name database to be mapped with the official content name of a selected content among the search result (Kazunari, 7th page, 4th – 8th para, The utterance tendency extraction unit comprises utterance length extraction means for extracting the utterance length represented by the number of characters of the recognized text, While storing the utterance length in the utterance tendency database, The speech recognition search system according to claim 1, wherein the speech recognition dictionary generation unit changes a speech recognition dictionary that is generated based on a tendency of the utterance length. The utterance tendency extracting unit includes a partial word position extracting unit that extracts a partial word position feature with respect to a formal content name among a plurality of partial words with respect to the same keyword, In the utterance tendency database, the characteristics of the partial word positions are accumulated; [i.e., “utterance tendency extracting unit” as “the controller”; “formal content name” as “official content name”]).
Regarding Claim 25, The display device of claim 24, wherein based on a selection of a particular content from the other seasons, the controller is configured store the uttered content name in a content name database to be mapped with a season number of the particular content of the other season ( The utterance tendency extraction unit 23 compares the official name of the selected program with the content actually uttered by the user, and extracts the characteristics of the utterance by, for example, one of the following two examples or a combination of both ( Step S20), and stored in the utterance tendency DB 24 (Step S21)).
Regarding Claim 26, The display device of claim 16, further comprising a memory configured to store a content name database in which one or more user-customized uttered content names are mapped to each of at least one or more official content name (Kazunari, 3rd page, 1st para - 2nd para, The utterance tendency extraction unit 23 extracts the utterance tendency (described later) of the utterer captured via the voice input unit 11. The utterance tendency extraction unit 23 can be constructed by software, for example. The utterance tendency DB 24 accumulates utterance tendency data extracted by the utterance tendency extraction unit 23. The utterance tendency DB 24 can be constructed with, for example, a volatile memory).
Regarding Claim 28, The display device of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to obtain the official content name from a content name database customized to a user or an utterance log database set based on a frequency of multiple users (Kazunari, 4th page, 8th para, The utterance tendency extraction unit 23 compares the official name of the selected program with the content actually uttered by the user, and extracts the characteristics of the utterance by, for example, one of the following two examples or a combination of both ( Step S20), and stored in the utterance tendency DB 24 (Step S21)).
Regarding Claim 29, The display device of claim 28, wherein the controller is further configured to obtain the official content name from the utterance log database based on the official content name not being obtained from the content name database (Kazunari, 4th page, 2nd - 3rd para, When there is a desired character string, for example, a program name (partial word) or a performer name among the presented candidates, the user operates the operation unit 12 to select a desired candidate and there is no desired candidate. In this case, voice recognition input is performed again (step S15). When a desired character string is selected, the search unit 28 searches the EPG DB 29 using the character string as a first search keyword (step S16). If the character string is the name of a performer, the <TEXT> tag after <ITEM> performer </ ITEM> is searched from the EPG data whose example is shown in FIG. If the character string is a program name (or a part thereof), a <TITLE> tag is searched. As a result of the search, program broadcast date / time, channel, program name, etc. are extracted from the EPG data of the hit program and listed on the display unit 27 (step S17)).
Regarding Claim 30, An operation method of a display device, comprising:
receiving a voice command including an uttered content name (Kazunari, 2nd page, 8th para, The voice recognition unit 21 recognizes the voice acquired through the voice input unit 11 of the remote control device 10. The speech recognition unit 21 is equipped with a speech recognition engine including morphological analysis);
obtaining an official content name mapped to the uttered content name (Kazunari, 2nd page, 7th para, a voice recognition dictionary generation unit 25, a voice recognition candidate display unit 26); and
outputting an operation result corresponding to the voice command based on the uttered content name being changed to the official content name (Kazunari, 3rd page, 4th para, The speech recognition candidate display unit 26 lists speech recognition candidates according to likelihood as a result of speech recognition by the speech recognition unit 21).
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.
Claims 23-24 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kazunari Pat App No. JP 2010175708 A (Kazunari) in view of Miwako et al. Pat App No JP 2009080579 A (Miwako).
Regarding Claim 23, Kazunari discloses display device of claim 22.
Kazunari does not specifically disclose wherein the controller is further configured to store the uttered content name in the content name database to be mapped with the official content name including a season number based on the selected content corresponding to a series.
However, Miwako, in the same field of endeavor, discloses wherein the controller is further configured to store the uttered content name in the content name database to be mapped with the official content name including a season number based on the selected content corresponding to a series (Miwako, 3rd page, 4th para, storing one or a plurality of contents, a plurality of words are registered in association with the reading, a formal name and its name Second storage means for storing a word dictionary in which each word representing an alias is registered in association with a related attribute between the words, voice input means for receiving input of a voice signal, and one or more corresponding to the voice signal Speech recognition means for recognizing the character string as a keyword, search candidate expansion means for searching the word dictionary as a search candidate word for a word that matches the keyword and a word associated with the word, and for the search candidate word Search word selection means for accepting a selection instruction to use any one of the included words as a search word, and the search word and the search word based on the word dictionary Search word expansion means for setting a cumulative word as an extended search word; search means for searching content related to any word from words included in the extended search word from the first storage means).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Miwako in the method of Kazunari because this would enable interconnection between devices such as the AV-PCs, TV terminals, and hard disk recorders (Miwako, 2nd page, 2nd para).
Regarding Claim 24, The display device of claim 16.
Kazunari does not specifically disclose wherein based on the official content name corresponding to a series, the controller is further configured to output the operation result corresponding to the voice command along with content from other seasons of the series.
However, Miwako, in the same field of endeavor, discloses wherein based on the official content name corresponding to a series, the controller is further configured to output the operation result corresponding to the voice command along with content from other seasons of the series (Miwako, 3rd page, 5th para, a search method executed by a search device for searching for content, wherein the search device is registered with voice input means, a plurality of words associated with the reading, and an official name. Storage means for storing a word dictionary in which each word representing the alias is registered in association with a family attribute between the words, and the voice receiving means receives the voice signal input via the voice input means. A step of receiving, a step of recognizing one or a plurality of character strings corresponding to the sound signal as a keyword, and a search candidate expanding unit adding a word matching the keyword and the word from the word dictionary).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Miwako in the method of Kazunari because this would enable interconnection between devices such as the AV-PCs, TV terminals, and hard disk recorders (Miwako, 2nd page, 2nd para).
Regarding Claim 27, The display device of claim 16.
Kazunari does not specifically disclose wherein the controller is configured to obtain the official content name and the operation result from an external server that manages a content name database storing the official content name.
However, Miwako, in the same field of endeavor, discloses wherein the controller is configured to obtain the official content name and the operation result from an external server that manages a content name database storing the official content name (Miwako, 19th page, 4th - 5th para, As illustrated in FIG. 18, the search device 3 includes the reception unit 21, the voice recognition unit 22, the voice recognition dictionary generation unit 23, the search word selection unit 25, the content selection unit 27, the reproduction control unit 28, and the content reception unit 29, in addition to the date and time measurement unit 30, the word expansion unit 32, and the content search unit 33, a word dictionary registration unit 34 and an Internet connection unit 35 are provided. Further, the search device 3 and the word dictionary master server 5 are communicably connected via a network N such as the Internet. Here, the word dictionary master server 5 is an information resource existing on the network N, such as a Web server or an ftp server that can provide information to an external device).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Miwako in the method of Kazunari because this would enable interconnection between devices such as the AV-PCs, TV terminals, and hard disk recorders (Miwako, 2nd page, 2nd para).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MULUGETA T. DUGDA whose telephone number is (703)756-1106. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri, 4:30am - 7:00pm.
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/MULUGETA TUJI DUGDA/Examiner, Art Unit 2653
/DOUGLAS GODBOLD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2655
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