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 01/10/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Objection/s to the Specification
The title of the invention, “ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR,” is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yao (US 9588408 B1).
Regarding claim 1, Yao teaches an electronic device (102; Fig. 2) comprising: a projector (206); at least one sensor (226); at least one processor (106); memory (110) storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor (106), cause the at least one processor (106) to: identify a user gaze (320) based on first sensing data obtained through the at least one sensor (226; col. 5, lines 31 – 39, col. 10 line 63 – col. 11 line 5); divide a projection image stored in the memory (110) into a first image region (content for 328(1)) corresponding to the user gaze (320) and a second image region (content for 328(2)) which is a remaining region other than the first image region (content for 328(1); col. 6, lines 4 – 31); modify the projection image to comprise the first image region (content for 328(1)) of a first luminance value and the second image region (content for 328(2)) of a second luminance value different from the first luminance value (col. 11, lines 34 – 42, 47 – 58); and control the projector (206) to project the modified projection image (col. 3, lines 17 – 35, 45 – 58).
Regarding claim 2, Yao further teaches the instructions further cause the at least one processor (106) to: identify a projection region (322; Fig. 2); divide the projection region (322) into a first projection region (328(1)) corresponding to the user gaze (320) and a second projection region (328(2)) which is a remaining region other than the first projection region (328(1)); and divide the projection image into the first image region (content for 328(1)) corresponding to the first projection region (328(1)) and the second image region (content for 328(2)) corresponding to the second projection region (328(2)).
Regarding claim 3, Yao further teaches the instructions further cause the at least one processor (106) to: identify the projection region (322) based on second sensing data obtained through the at least one sensor (226; col. 2, lines 35 – 48; col. 4, lines 10 – 20, 41 – 53; col. 5 line 55 – col. 6 line 3; col. 7, lines 23 – 30; col. 8, lines 7 – 14); and identify the first projection region (328(1)) based on a position corresponding to the user gaze (320; col. 5 line 55 – col. 6 line 3) and a predetermined distance (col. 4, lines 10 – 20, 41 – 53; col. 7, lines 23 – 30; col. 8, lines 7 – 14).
Regarding claim 4, Yao further teaches the at least one sensor (226) comprises an image sensor (210) and a distance sensor (226), wherein the first sensing data is data obtained through the image sensor (210), and wherein the second sensing data is data obtained through the distance sensor (226; col. 2, lines 35 – 48; col. 4, lines 10 – 20, 41 – 53; col. 5 line 55 – col. 6 line 3; col. 7, lines 23 – 30; col. 8, lines 7 – 14).
Regarding claim 5, Yao further teaches the instructions further cause the at least one processor (106) to: categorize the projection region (322) into a plurality of groups (col. 6, lines 4-31); and categorize the plurality of groups such that a first group corresponding to the user gaze (320; col. 5 line 55 – col. 6 line 3) is categorized as the first projection region (328(1)) and a remaining group other than the first group is categorized as the second projection region (328(2); Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 6, Yao further teaches the instructions further cause the at least one processor (106) to: based on the user gaze (320) not corresponding to the projection region (322), change a projection direction based on the user gaze (320; col. 5 line 55 – col. 6 line 3, col. 10 line 62 – col. 11 line 5); and recategorize the projection region (322) based on the changed projection direction (col. 5 line 55 – col. 6 line 3).
Regarding claim 7, Yao further teaches the instructions further cause the at least one processor (106) to: based on the user gaze (320) not corresponding to the projection region (322), determine whether a predetermined object is identified (col. 5 line 31 – col. 6 line 20); and based on the predetermined object being identified, categorize a region corresponding to the predetermined object in the projection region (322) as the first projection region (328(1); col. 5 line 31 – col. 6 line 20).
Regarding claim 8, Yao further teaches the instructions further cause the at least one processor (106) to: based on the user gaze (320) being changed, divide the projection image into a third image region corresponding to the changed user gaze (320) and a fourth image region which is a remaining region other than the third image region (col. 5 line 31 – col. 6 line 20); and modify the projection image to comprise the third image region of the first luminance value and the fourth image region of the second luminance value (col. 11, lines 33 – 54).
Regarding claim 9, Yao further teaches the instructions further cause the at least one processor (106) to: based on identifying a plurality of user gazes (320) comprising a first user gaze (320) and a second user gaze (320), modify the projection image such that a luminance value of an image region corresponding to the first user gaze (320) and a luminance value of an image region corresponding to the second user gaze (320) are different (col. 5, lines 7 – 23).
Regarding claim 10, Yao further teaches the instructions further cause the at least one processor (106) to: identify a user gesture based on the first sensing data (col. 5, line 55 – col. 6 line 31); and modify the projection image such that a luminance value of an image region corresponding to the user gaze (320) and a luminance value of an image region corresponding to the user gesture are different (col. 5, line 55 – col. 6 line 31).
Regarding claim 11, Yao teaches a method for controlling an electronic device (102), the method comprising: identifying a user gaze (320) based on first sensing data (col. 5, lines 31 – 39, col. 10 line 63 – col. 11 line 5); dividing a projection image stored in the electronic device (102) into a first image region (content for 328(1)) corresponding to the user gaze (320) and a second image region (content for 328(2)) which is a remaining region other than the first image region (content for 328(1); col. 6, lines 4 – 31); modifying the projection image to comprise the first image region (content for 328(1)) of a first luminance value and the second image region (content for 328(2)) of a second luminance value different from the first luminance value (col. 11, lines 34 – 42, 47 – 58); and projecting the modified projection image (col. 3, lines 17 – 35, 45 – 58).
Regarding claim 12, Yao further teaches identifying a projection region (322; Fig. 2); and dividing the projection region (322) into a first projection region (328(1)) corresponding to the user gaze (320) and a second projection region (328(2)) which is a remaining region other than the first projection region (328(1)), and wherein the dividing the projection image comprises: dividing the projection image into the first image region (content for 328(1)) corresponding to the first projection region (328(1)) and the second image region (content for 328(2)) corresponding to the second projection region (328(2)).
Regarding claim 13, Yao further teaches identifying the projection region (322) based on second sensing data (col. 2, lines 35 – 48; col. 4, lines 10 – 20, 41 – 53; col. 5 line 55 – col. 6 line 3; col. 7, lines 23 – 30; col. 8, lines 7 – 14), wherein the dividing the projection region (322) comprises: identifying the first projection region (328(1)) based on a position corresponding to the user gaze (320; col. 5 line 55 – col. 6 line 3) and a predetermined distance (col. 4, lines 10 – 20, 41 – 53; col. 7, lines 23 – 30; col. 8, lines 7 – 14).
Regarding claim 14, Yao further teaches first sensing data is obtained through an image sensor (210), and wherein the second sensing data is obtained through a distance sensor (226; col. 2, lines 35 – 48; col. 4, lines 10 – 20, 41 – 53; col. 5 line 55 – col. 6 line 3; col. 7, lines 23 – 30; col. 8, lines 7 – 14).
Regarding claim 15, Yao further teaches the dividing the projection region (322) comprises: categorizing the projection region (322) into a plurality of groups (col. 6, lines 4-31); and categorizing the plurality of groups such that a first group corresponding to the user gaze (320; col. 5 line 55 – col. 6 line 3) is categorized as the first projection region (328(1)) and a remaining group other than the first group is categorized as the second projection region (328(2); Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 16, Yao teaches an electronic device (102) comprising: a projector (206); at least one sensor (226); at least one processor (106); memory (110) storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor (106), cause the at least one processor (106) to: identify a user gaze (320) based on first sensing data obtained through the at least one sensor (226); based on identifying a first user gaze (320) and a second user gaze (320; col. 5, lines 7 – 23, 31 – 39, col. 10 line 63 – col. 11 line 5), divide a projection image stored in the memory (110) into a first image region (content for 328(1)) corresponding to the first user gaze (320), a second image region (content for 328(2)) corresponding to the second user gaze (320), and a third image region (content for other 328) which is a remaining region other than the first image region (content for 328(1)) and the second image region (content for 328(2)); modify the projection image such that luminance values of the first image region (content for 328(1)) and the second image region (content for 328(2)) are higher than a luminance value of the third image region (col. 11, lines 34 – 42, 47 – 58); and control the projector (206) to project the modified projection image (col. 3, lines 17 – 35, 45 – 58).
Conclusion
The prior art references cited in PTO-892 are made of record and considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Patent documents, US 9588408 B1, US 10063818 B1, and US 20080143821 A1, disclose projection systems that detect a region of interest on the screen and increase the resolution and luminance of the interested region on the screen.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BAO-LUAN Q LE whose telephone number is (571)270-5362. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday; 9:00AM-5:00PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minh-Toan Ton can be reached on (571) 272 230303. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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