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 Objections
Claims 1-4 and 17-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
For claim 1, Examiner believes this claim should be amended in the following manner:
A method for changing display of information boards in an extended reality environment comprising:
displaying on a first extended reality display of a first user a first information board in the extended reality environment;
displaying on a second extended reality display of a second user a second information board in the extended reality environment;
displaying on a third extended reality display of a third user a third information board in the extended reality environment;
displaying on a fourth extended reality display of a fourth user the first, second and third information boards in the extended reality environment;
detecting a control input from [[a]] the fourth user and, with respect to the fourth user, changing display of each of the first information board, second information board and third information board to appear at different respective viewing positions adjacent to the fourth user's position in the extended reality environment, wherein together the first, second and third information boards at their respective viewing positions partially surround the fourth user in the extended reality environment; and
continuing to display on the first extended reality display of the first user the first information board without the first user being provided display of one or both of the second and third information boards in the extended reality environment.
For claim 2, Examiner believes this claim should be amended in the following manner:
The method of claim [[2]] 1, further comprising:
continuing to display on the second extended reality display of the second user the second information board without the second user being provided display of one or both of the first and third information boards in the extended reality environment; and
continuing to display on the third extended reality display of the third user the third information board without the third user being provided display of one or both of the first and second information boards in the extended reality environment.
For claim 3, Examiner believes this claim should be amended in the following manner:
The method of claim 2 further comprising displaying the first, second and third information boards in the extended reality environment in a linear arrangement to the fourth user prior to detecting the control input.
For claim 4, Examiner believes this claim should be amended in the following manner:
The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the first, second and third information boards in the extended reality environment in a linear arrangement to the fourth user prior to detecting the control input.
For claim 17, Examiner believes this claim should be amended in the following manner:
The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a command from the fourth user and, with respect to the fourth user's view, changing display of each of the first, second and third information boards from partially surrounding the fourth user to returning view of each respective information board to respective position before said detecting the control input.
For claim 18, Examiner believes this claim should be amended in the following manner:
The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving a command from the fourth user and, with respect to the fourth user's view, changing display of each of the first, second and third information boards from partially surrounding the fourth user to returning view of each respective information board to respective position before said detecting the control input.
For claim 19, Examiner believes this claim should be amended in the following manner:
The method of claim 3 further comprising receiving a command from the fourth user and, with respect to the fourth user's view, changing display of each of the first, second and third information boards from partially surrounding the fourth user to returning view of each respective information board to respective position before said detecting the control input.
For claim 20, Examiner believes this claim should be amended in the following manner:
The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving a command from the fourth user and, with respect to the fourth user's view, changing display of each of the first, second and third information boards from partially surrounding the fourth user to returning view of each respective information board to respective position before said detecting the control input.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
For independent claim 1, this claim establishes a first “a fourth user” and a second “a fourth user”. Claim 1 goes on to recite the phrase “the fourth user” and it is unclear and ambiguous to which of the first “fourth user” and second “fourth user” is being referenced by the phrase “the fourth user”. Examiner has suggested amendments in the claims discussed above to resolve the ambiguities.
For dependent claims 4, 5, 8-10, 13, 14, 17 and 20, these claims depend from claim 1 and inherit the deficiencies of claim 1. Therefore, claims 4, 5, 8-10, 13, 14, 17 and 20 are likewise indefinite.
For dependent claim 2, this claim improperly depends from itself and is accordingly indefinite. Examiner has suggested amendments in the claims discussed above to resolve the ambiguities.
For dependent claims 3, 6, 7, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18 and 19, these claims depend from claim 2 and inherit the deficiencies of claim 2. Therefore, claims 3, 6, 7, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18 and 19 are likewise indefinite.
Appropriate correction is required.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP §§ 706.02(l)(1) - 706.02(l)(3) for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, 7 and 19 of U.S. Patent 12,243,123 in view of Patel et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2024/0040097 A1) (made of record of the IDS submitted 1/29/2025).
The following is a claim comparison of claims 1-20 of the instant application and claims 1, 7 and 19 of U.S. Patent 12,243,123.
Application No. 19/040,679
U.S. Patent No. 12,243,123
1. A method for changing display of information boards in an extended reality environment comprising:
displaying on a first extended reality display of a first user a first information board in the extended reality environment; displaying on a second extended reality display of a second user a second information board in the extended reality environment; displaying on a third extended reality display of a third user a third information board in the extended reality environment; displaying on a fourth extended reality display of a fourth user the first, second and third information boards in the extended reality environment;
detecting a control input from a fourth user and, with respect to the fourth user, changing display of each of the first information board, second information board and third information board to appear at different respective viewing positions adjacent to the fourth user's position in the extended reality environment, wherein together the first, second and third information boards at their respective viewing positions partially surround the fourth user in the extended reality environment; and continuing to display on the first extended reality display of the first user the first information board without the first user being provided display of one or both of the second and third information boards in the extended reality environment.
1. A method for changing display of information boards in an extended reality environment comprising:
displaying on a display of an extended reality device of an instructor user an extended reality environment including a plurality of information boards in a linear arrangement next to one another wherein each of a plurality of different student users is simultaneously providing visual information to a student user's respective information board of the plurality of information boards in real time;
detecting an activation control input from the instructor user requesting that the plurality of information boards be changed to a surround view adjacent the instructor user's position in the extended reality environment; and changing appearance of the plurality of information boards from the linear arrangement to said plurality of information boards appearing to surround or partially surround the instructor user that enables the instructor user to simultaneously view each student user's visual information provided to each student user's corresponding information board in real time while each student user continues to simultaneously see their respective information board separate and apart from the plurality of information boards being viewed by the instructor user in the extended reality environment.
2
1
3
1
4
1
5. The method of claim 4, wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth extended reality displays are a display of a virtual reality headset.
1
6. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth extended reality displays are a display of a virtual reality headset.
1
7. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth extended reality displays are a display of a virtual reality headset.
1
8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth extended reality displays are a display of a virtual reality headset.
1
9
19
10
19
11
19
12
19
13
19
14
19
15
19
16
19
17
7
18
7
19
7
20
7
Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, 7 and 19 of U.S. Patent 12,243,123 in view of Patel et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2024/0040097 A1) (made of record of the IDS submitted 1/29/2025).
For independent claim 1, claim 1 of U.S. Patent 12,243,123 does not disclose a first extended reality display of a first user, a second extended reality display of a second user, a third extended reality display of a third user, and a fourth extended reality display of a fourth user. However, these limitations are well-known in the art as disclosed in Patel et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2024/0040097 A1). It would have been obvious to implement an extended reality environment supporting at least four users where each user is equipped with a respective extended reality display to appropriate present extended reality to multiple users in the extended reality environment (par. 31) as taught in Patel et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2024/0040097 A1). Claim 1 of U.S. Patent 12,243,123 otherwise discloses the same limitations of claim 1 of the instant application as shown in the claim chart above. Therefore, claim 1 is not patentably distinct from claim 1 of U.S. Patent 12,243,123.
For dependent claims 2-4 and 9-20, claims 1, 7 and 19 of U.S. Patent 12,243,123 mirror and recite the same limitations of claims 2-4 and 9-20 as shown in the claim chart above. Therefore, claims 2-4 and 9-20 are not patentably distinct from claims 1, 7 and 19 of U.S. Patent 12,243,123.
For dependent claims 5-8, claim 1 of U.S. Patent 12,243,123 does not disclose a virtual reality headset. However, these limitations are well-known in the art as disclosed in Patel et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2024/0040097 A1). It would have been obvious to implement a head mounted device as a virtual reality headset to appropriately present augmented reality (par. 2) as taught in Patel et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2024/0040097 A1). Therefore claims 5-8 are not patentably distinct from claim 1 of U.S. Patent 12,243,123.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES TSENG whose telephone number is (571)270-3857. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5.
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/CHARLES TSENG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2613
