DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(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.
Claim(s) 23-25, 27-31 and 33-44 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Mikhail (PGPUB Document No. US 2024/0029376).
Regarding claim 44, Mikhail teaches a communication system, comprising:
A terminal device; and a network device (”The system 100 can include one or more servers 102A through 102E. The servers 102 can communicate and/or receive data and send data to one or more clients 112. The server 102 and the client 112 can be software, hardware” (Mikhail: 0017));
Wherein the terminal device is configured to:
Determine or accept a rendering division (“The amount of rendering completed at the server 102 and the amount completed at the client 112 can be adjustable based on the client capabilities or other settings.” (Mikhail: 0079)),
Wherein the rendering division comprises that a portion of to-be-rendered XR objects in an XR call of the terminal device are to be rendered by a network-side rendering device, and another portion of to-be-rendered XR objects in the XR call of the terminal device are to be rendered by the terminal device (“The amount of rendering completed at the server 102 and the amount completed at the client 112 can be adjustable based on the client capabilities or other settings” (Mikhail: 0089). “the render engine 224 may only deliver parts of the model rather than the entire model” (Mikhail: 0089));
And render a first to-be-rendered XR object that is to be rendered by the terminal device in the XR call (“The client 112 can then complete a final render (reconstruction and reprojection) at the client” (Mikhail: 0079)),
and send, to the network-side rendering device, information about a second to-be-rendered XR object that is to be rendered by the network-side rendering device in the XR call ("The request may be a signal 402 sent from the client 112 to the server 102” (Mikhail: 0082). “This request 402 can include the model IDs or other model information to allow the server 102 to retrieve the model and render scenes for the client 112” (Mikhail: 0067));
And wherein the network device is configured to:
Determine accept the rendering division (“the server 102 may then begin, at least partially, rendering the model data and send the render data, as message(s) 414 to optimize for the shortest possible time to view” (Mikhail: 0069));
And triggering the terminal device to render the first to-be-rendered XR object that is to be rendered by the terminal device in the XR call, and the network-side rendering device to render the second to-be-rendered XR object that is to be rendered by the network-side rendering device in the XR call (“Contemporaneously with sending the initial renderings 404, 414, the server 102 can send the model data in signal 416 to the client 112. Upon receiving the model data, client 112 may be capable of conducting some rendering” (Mikhail: 0070)).
Regarding claim 23, Mikhail teaches a method, comprising:
Determining or accepting, by a terminal device, a rendering division (“The amount of rendering completed at the server 102 and the amount completed at the client 112 can be adjustable based on the client capabilities or other settings.” (Mikhail: 0079)),
Wherein the rendering division comprises that a portion of to-be-rendered XR objects in an XR call of the terminal device are to be rendered by a network-side rendering device, and another portion of to-be-rendered XR objects in the XR call of the terminal device are to be rendered by the terminal device (“The amount of rendering completed at the server 102 and the amount completed at the client 112 can be adjustable based on the client capabilities or other settings” (Mikhail: 0089). “the render engine 224 may only deliver parts of the model rather than the entire model” (Mikhail: 0089));
And rendering, by the terminal device, a first to-be-rendered XR object that is to be rendered by the terminal device in the XR call, and sending, to the network-side rendering device, information about a second to-be-rendered XR object that is to be rendered by the network-side rendering device in the XR call (“Contemporaneously with sending the initial renderings 404, 414, the server 102 can send the model data in signal 416 to the client 112. Upon receiving the model data, client 112 may be capable of conducting some rendering” (Mikhail: 0070)).
Regarding claim 24, Mikhail teaches the method according to claim 23, wherein accepting, by the terminal device, the rendering division comprises:
Receiving, by the terminal device, division indication information from a network-side control device, wherein the division indication information indicates that a portion of to-be-rendered XR objects in the XR call of the terminal device are to be rendered by the network-side rendering device, or that another portion of to-be-rendered XR objects in the XR call of the terminal device are to be rendered by the terminal device (“the server 102 may then begin, at least partially, rendering the model data and send the render data, as message(s) 414 to optimize for the shortest possible time to view.” (Mikhail: 0069). Note, message 414 indicates the server’s rendered portion).
Regarding claim 25, Mikhail teaches the method according to claim 23, wherein determining, by the terminal device, the rendering division comprises:
Determining, by the terminal device, the rendering division based on at least one of the following:
Processing capability information of the terminal device (“wherein the rendering conducted at the client is based on a capability of the client.” (Mikhail: 01016)), processing capability information of the network-side rendering device, or processing requirement information of the XR call (“The amount of rendering completed at the server 102 and the amount completed at the client 112 can be adjustable based on the client capabilities or other settings” (Mikhail: 0079))
Regarding claim 27, Mikhail teaches the method according to claim 25, wherein the processing capability information of the terminal device comprises available rendering computing power of the terminal device; or the processing capability information of the terminal device comprises available rendering computing power of the terminal device and a rendering division manner supported by the terminal device (“wherein the rendering conducted at the client is based on a capability of the client.” (Mikhail: 01016). “the amount of rendering completed at the server 102 and the amount completed at the client 112 can be adjustable based on the client capabilities or other settings” (Mikhail: 0079)).
Regarding claim 28, Mikhail teaches the method according to claim 25, wherein:
The processing capability information of the network-side rendering device comprises available rendering computing power of the network-side rendering device; or the processing capability information of the network-side rendering device comprises available rendering computing power of the network-side rendering device and a rendering division manner supported by the network-side rendering device (“the amount of rendering capable by the servers 102 in the cloud can increase the amount of data provided with increased speed because separate threads for rendering can be performed at different servers 102.” (Mikhail: 0058)).
Regarding claim 29, Mikhail teaches the method according to claim 28, wherein the rendering division manner comprises at least one of the following: division by layer and division by type (“The delivery mechanism is adaptive, serving different components of the experience based on viewer behavior and type of interactive media. Thus, delivery may be completed by three different parts of the render engine 224: a foreground component 228, a background component 230, and a non-immersive component 232.” (Mikhail: 0038). Mikhail treats foreground/background as discrete layers or types.).
Regarding claim 30, Mikhail teaches the method according to claim 25, further comprising:
Sending, by the terminal device, division acknowledgement request information to a network-side control device (“the client 112 can send one or more model requests 402 to the server 102” (Mikhail: 0067). “The request may be a signal 402 sent from the client 112 to the server 102 (Mikhail: 0074)),
Wherein the division acknowledgement request information requests to accept the rendering division (“the signal(s) 402, 418, and/or 422 sent from the client 112 can also include information about the client system including processing capabilities, memory, graphics processing capabilities, etc., information about latency or other environmental factors, or other information. With this information, the server 102 may determine whether to download the model 416 or what information or how the rendering may be split between the server 102 and the client 112” (Mikhail: 0072)),
And the division acknowledgement request information comprises information used to determine the second to-be-rendered XR object that is to be rendered by the network-side rendering device in the to-be-rendered XR objects in the XR call (“This request 402 can include the model IDs or other model information to allow the server 102 to retrieve the model and render scenes for the client 112” (Mikhail: 0067). “The model identifier (ID)/information 304 can include an identifier for the model being requested or rendered” (Mikhail: 0060)).
Regarding claim 31, Mikhail teaches the method according to claim 30, further comprising: receiving, by the terminal device, division acknowledgement response information from the network-side control device, wherein the division acknowledgement response information indicates that the rendering division is accepted (“The server 102 may send back and/or acknowledge the request message 402 with a response 404 to the client 112” (Mikhail: 0067)).
Regarding claim 33, Mikhail teaches a method, comprising:
Determining or accepting, by a network-side control device, a rendering division (“The amount of rendering completed at the server 102 and the amount completed at the client 112 can be adjustable based on the client capabilities or other settings.” (Mikhail: 0079)),,
Wherein the rendering division comprises that a portion of to-be-rendered objects in an XR call of a terminal device are to be rendered by a network-side rendering device, and another portion of to-be-rendered XR objects in the XR call of the terminal device are to be rendered by the terminal device (“The amount of rendering completed at the server 102 and the amount completed at the client 112 can be adjustable based on the client capabilities or other settings” (Mikhail: 0089). “the render engine 224 may only deliver parts of the model rather than the entire model” (Mikhail: 0089));
And triggering, by the network-side control device, the terminal device to render a first XR object that is to be rendered by the terminal device in the XR call, and the network-side rendering device to render a second to-be-rendered XR object that is to be rendered by the network-side rendering device in the XR call (“Contemporaneously with sending the initial renderings 404, 414, the server 102 can send the model data in signal 416 to the client 112. Upon receiving the model data, client 112 may be capable of conducting some rendering” (Mikhail: 0070)).
Claims 34 and 35 are similar in scop to claims 30 and 31. Therefore, the rejection to claims 30 and 31 similarly applies to claims 34 and 35.
Regarding claim 36, Mikhail teaches the method according to claim 33, further comprising:
Sending, by the network-side control device, a request message to the network-side rendering device (“the server 102 can request that the cloud content management system 214 determine if the 3D model is cached” (Mikhail: 0083)), wherein the request message requests at least one of the following:
Address information of the network-side rendering device (model URL (Mikhail: 0068))
Or rendering resource information of the network-side rendering device (“determine if the 3D model is cached” (Mikhail: 0083)),
wherein the address information of the network-side rendering device is used to enable the terminal device related to the XR call to connect to the network-side rendering device through a network-side access device (model URL acting as a single source for requesting models (Mikhail: 0068)),
and the rendering resource information is information about a resource used by the network-side rendering device to render the second to-be-rendered XR object that is to be rendered by the network-side rendering device (information related to whether the 3D model is cached as stated above);
And receiving, by the network-side control device from the network-side rendering device, a response to the request message (“The returned model information is then transferred, in message 412 back to the server 102” (Mikhail: 0068)).
Regarding claim 37, Mikhail teaches the method according to claim 33, wherein:
The network-side control device is an XR control plane network element, and the network-side rendering device is an XR media plane network element;
Or the network-side control device is an application server (“server 102a is shown as a web server and server 102b is shown as an application server” (Mikhail: 0048)), and the network-side rendering device is a media resource function network element ( “The coordinator 218a and/or coordinator 218b can receive the content from one or more servers 102 and stitch the content together” (Mikhail: 0024));
Or the network-side control device is an internet service signaling server, and the network- side rendering device is an internet service media server.
Claim(s) 38-41 are corresponding apparatus (Mikhail: 0096, 0097) claim(s) of claim(s) 23, 25, 30 and 31. The limitations of claim(s) 38-41are substantially similar to the limitations of claim(s) 23, 25, 30 and 31. Therefore, it has been analyzed and rejected substantially similar to claim(s) 38-41.
Claim(s) 43 is a corresponding apparatus (Mikhail: 0096, 0097) of claim(s) 33. The limitations of claim(s) 43 are substantially similar to the limitations of claim(s) 33. Therefore, it has been analyzed and rejected substantially similar to claim(s) 43.
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.
Claim(s) 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mikhail as applied to the claim(s) above, and further in view of Doken (PGPUB Document No. US 2023/0237797).
Regarding claim 26, Mikhail does not expressly teach but Doken teaches the method according to claim 25, further comprising: receiving, by the terminal device, the processing capability information of the network-side rendering device from a network-side control device (Doken teaches the concept of a client device relying on cloud computing capabilities from a server to determine whether processing should be offloaded (Doken: 0078)).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of an ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Mikhail such as to rely on network-side processing capability information for split rendering (taught by Doken), because this enables effective communication of operating status for efficient rendering.
Claim(s) 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mikhail as applied to the claim(s) above, and further in view of Xie (PGPUB Document No. US 2012/0084350).
Regarding claim 32, Mikhail does not expressly teach but Xie teaches the method according to claim 23, further comprising: sending, by the terminal device, a rendered XR object to the network-side rendering device, wherein the rendered XR object is obtained by the terminal device by rendering the first to-be-rendered XR object that is to be rendered by the terminal device in the XR call (“The server also accepts and stores images that are rendered by a client and sent by the client to the server for the purpose of reuse either by other clients or at a later time by the same client” (Xie: 0032). “The JavaScript client allows users to store what users see to the server as web standard images, providing a mechanism for users to share their view” (Xie: 0038)).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of an ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of Mikhail such as to utilize the resource sharing teaching of Xie, because this enables optimizing system resources (Xie: 0032).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to David H Chu whose telephone number is (571)272-8079. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:30 - 1:30pm, 3:30-8:30pm.
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/DAVID H CHU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2616
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