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
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-6, 9, 11-16 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipate by Choi et al. (US Patent No. 10,893,245 B1).
In considering claim 1, Choi et al. discloses all the claimed subject matter, note 1) the claimed a projector is met by the projector 110 (Figs. 1-2, col. 3, line 50 to col. 4, line 46), 2) the claimed a sensor is met by the sensing unit 118 (Figs. 1-2, col. 3, line 50 to col. 4, line 46), 3) the claimed memory storing instructions is met by the memory 120 (Figs. 1-2, col. 3, line 50 to col. 4, line 46), 4) the claimed one or more processors is met by the processor 122 (Figs. 1-2, col. 3, line 50 to col. 4, line 46), 5) the claimed wherein the instructions that, when collectively or individually executed by the one or more processors, cause the robot to: identify a plurality of candidate projection areas based on first information obtained by sensing surroundings of a user via the sensor is met by in step S333, the controller 124 searches for one or more projectable areas adjacent to the first user 510 based on the position information for the first user 510 and the position information for the one or more objects (Figs. 4-5, col. 8, line 30 to col. 9, line 8), 6) the claimed identify a priority order of the plurality of candidate projection areas is met by the controller 124 assigns a priority to each of one or more projectable areas based on the number of users and the physical features of the one or more projectable areas (Fig. 10, col. 12, line 42 to col. 13, line 21), 7) the claimed control the projector to: project a first image at an area comprising the plurality of candidate projection areas, based on a plurality of positions of the plurality of candidate projection areas and the priority order is met by if the highest-priority projectable area is present in the first subspace, the controller 124 selects the highest-priority projectable area present in the first subspace as the projection area in step S3433 (Fig. 10, col. 12, line 42 to col. 13, line 21 and col. 14, lines 4-51), 8) the claimed display second information on the priority order at the plurality of candidate projection areas is met by the robot 100 may efficiently provide the second type of image to the users via projection of the test images and the priorities of one or more projectable areas (Fig. 10, col. 14, lines 4-51), 9) the claimed identify a candidate projection area selected based on a user input from among the plurality of candidate projection areas as a projection area is met by the controller 124 may select the projectable area to which the first type of image is projected most clearly as the projection area based on the physical features of the projectable areas which may be previously input from the user or may be obtained via the sensing unit 118 (Figs. 4 and 6, col. 9, line 39 to col. 10, line 47), and 10) the claimed project image content at the projection area via the projector area is met by the controller 124 controls the projector 110 to project the first type of image to the projection area (Figs. 4 and 6, col. 9, line 39 to col. 10, line 47).
In considering claim 2, Choi et al. discloses all the claimed subject matter, note 1) the claimed wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to cause the robot to: identify, based on the plurality of positions, a plurality of areas of a second image to be projected in the area, the plurality of areas corresponding to the plurality of candidate projection areas is met by in step S333, the controller 124 searches for one or more projectable areas adjacent to the first user 510 based on the position information for the first user 510 and the position information for the one or more objects (Figs. 4-5, col. 8, line 30 to col. 9, line 8), 2) the claimed control the projector to project the second image, and wherein the second image comprises a plurality of sub images corresponding to the plurality of areas is met by the projectable area to which an image may be projected (Figs. 4-5, col. 8, line 30 to col. 9, line 8), and 3) the claimed the plurality of sub images comprise a plurality of indicators corresponding to the priority order is met by the controller 124 assigns a priority to each of one or more projectable areas based on the number of users and the physical features of the one or more projectable areas (Fig. 10, col. 12, line 42 to col. 13, line 21).
In considering claim 3, the claimed wherein the plurality of indicators comprise a plurality of numbers indicating the priority order is met by the controller 124 assigns a priority to each of one or more projectable areas based on the number of users and the physical features of the one or more projectable areas (Fig. 10, col. 12, line 42 to col. 13, line 21).
In considering claim 4, Choi et al. discloses all the claimed subject matter, note 1) the claimed wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to cause the robot to: identify, based on the plurality of positions, a plurality of areas corresponding to the plurality of candidate projection areas is met by in step S333, the controller 124 searches for one or more projectable areas adjacent to the first user 510 based on the position information for the first user 510 and the position information for the one or more objects (Figs. 4-5, col. 8, line 30 to col. 9, line 8), 2) the claimed control the projector to consecutively project a plurality of sub images corresponding to the plurality of areas is met by the projectable area to which an image may be projected (Figs. 4-5, col. 8, line 30 to col. 9, line 8), and 3) the claimed wherein the plurality of sub images comprise a plurality of indicators corresponding to the priority order is met by the controller 124 assigns a priority to each of one or more projectable areas based on the number of users and the physical features of the one or more projectable areas (Fig. 10, col. 12, line 42 to col. 13, line 21).
Claim 5 is rejected for the same reason as discussed in claim 3 above.
In considering claim 6, Choi et al. discloses all the claimed subject matter, note 1) the claimed wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to cause the robot to identify the priority order based on: a plurality of sizes of the plurality of candidate projection areas is met by the controller 124 assigns a priority to each of one or more projectable areas based on the number of users and the physical features of the one or more projectable areas and the physical features may include at least one of the size (e.g., horizontal and vertical lengths and thickness or thicknesses), material, color, pattern, and irregularity of the projectable areas (Figs. 9-10, col. 12, line 26 to col. 13, line 21), and 2) the claimed a plurality of distances between the user and the plurality of candidate projection areas is met by the controller 124 selects a projectable area in a space present within a preset second distance of a first user who is a recipient of video call (i.e., positioned adjacent to the first user) as a projection area (Fig. 3, col. 6, line 31 to col. 7, line 55).
In considering claim 9, Choi et al. discloses all the claimed subject matter, note 1) the claimed wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to cause the robot to: obtain a third image via the sensor, identify a position of the user in the third image the image sensor (e.g., the camera) included in the sensing unit 118 may obtain an image including the first user (Figs. 4-5, col. 8, line 30 to col. 9, line 8), and 2) the claimed identify a rotation angle range of the sensor based on the position of the user and a field of view of the sensor, and obtain the first information via the sensor while the sensor rotates within the rotation angle range is met by the controller 124 may obtain the face direction information for the first user 510 using a depth image obtained via the IR sensor (Figs. 4-5, col. 8, line 30 to col. 9, line 8).
Claims 11-16 are rejected for the same reason as discussed in claims 1-6, respectively.
Claim 19 is rejected for the same reason as discussed in claim 9 above.
Claim 20 is rejected for the same reason as discussed in claim 1 above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-8, 10 and 17-18 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.
Orlov et al. (US Patent No. 12,248,325 B2) disclose mobile robot and a method for controlling the mobile robot.
Suzuki et al. (US Patent No. 11,417,135 B2) disclose information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program.
Rico et al. (US Patent No. 11,219,837 B2) disclose robot utility and interface device.
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January 24, 2026
/TRANG U TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2422