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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This is in response to Application #19/056,393 filed on 02/18/2025 in which Claims 1-15 are presented for examination.
Status of Claims
Claims 1-15 are pending, of which Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102.
Applicant’s Most Recent Claim Set of 02/18/2025
Applicant’s most recent claim set of 02/18/2025 is considered to be the latest claim set under consideration by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Regarding Claim 1, this claim is objected to for lack of antecedent basis. This claim recites the phrase “the electronic device” in Line(s) 8, 9-10. There are multiple electronic devices previously defined in Claim 1 or its potential parent claims when this phrase in encountered in Claim 1, so it is not possible to determine which electronic device is being referred to.
Regarding Claim 2, this claim is objected to for lack of antecedent basis. This claim recites the phrase “the electronic device” in Line(s) 1, 5, 7. There are multiple electronic devices previously defined in Claim 2 or its potential parent claims when this phrase in encountered in Claim 2, so it is not possible to determine which electronic device is being referred to.
Regarding Claim 3, this claim is objected to for lack of antecedent basis. This claim recites the phrase “the electronic device” in Line(s) 1, 5, 8. There are multiple electronic devices previously defined in Claim 3 or its potential parent claims when this phrase in encountered in Claim 3, so it is not possible to determine which electronic device is being referred to.
Regarding Claim 4, this claim is objected to for lack of antecedent basis. This claim recites the phrase “the electronic device” in Line(s) 1, 4-5, 7. There are multiple electronic devices previously defined in Claim 4 or its potential parent claims when this phrase in encountered in Claim 4, so it is not possible to determine which electronic device is being referred to.
Regarding Claim 5, this claim is objected to for lack of antecedent basis. This claim recites the phrase “the electronic device” in Line(s) 1, 3, 5-6, 8. There are multiple electronic devices previously defined in Claim 5 or its potential parent claims when this phrase in encountered in Claim 5, so it is not possible to determine which electronic device is being referred to.
Regarding Claim 6, this claim is objected to for lack of antecedent basis. This claim recites the phrase “the electronic device” in Line(s) 1. There are multiple electronic devices previously defined in Claim 6 or its potential parent claims when this phrase in encountered in Claim 6, so it is not possible to determine which electronic device is being referred to.
Regarding Claim 7, this claim is objected to for lack of antecedent basis. This claim recites the phrase “the electronic device” in Line(s) 1. There are multiple electronic devices previously defined in Claim 7 or its potential parent claims when this phrase in encountered in Claim 7, so it is not possible to determine which electronic device is being referred to.
Regarding Claim 8, this claim is objected to for lack of antecedent basis. This claim recites the phrase “the electronic device” in Line(s) 1. There are multiple electronic devices previously defined in Claim 8 or its potential parent claims when this phrase in encountered in Claim 8, so it is not possible to determine which electronic device is being referred to.
Regarding Claim 9, this claim is objected to for lack of antecedent basis. This claim recites the phrase “the electronic device” in Line(s) 1. There are multiple electronic devices previously defined in Claim 9 or its potential parent claims when this phrase in encountered in Claim 9, so it is not possible to determine which electronic device is being referred to.
Regarding Claim 10, this claim is objected to for lack of antecedent basis. This claim recites the phrase “the electronic device” in Line(s) 1, 2. There are multiple electronic devices previously defined in Claim 10 or its potential parent claims when this phrase in encountered in Claim 10, so it is not possible to determine which electronic device is being referred to.
Regarding Claim 11, this claim is objected to for lack of antecedent basis. This claim recites the phrase “the electronic device” in Line(s) 1, 3. There are multiple electronic devices previously defined in Claim 11 or its potential parent claims when this phrase in encountered in Claim 11, so it is not possible to determine which electronic device is being referred to.
Regarding Claim 11, this claim is objected to for lack of antecedent basis. This claim recites the phrase “second communications unit” in Line(s) 3, 6. There is not a first or previous communications unit defined in Claim 11 or its potential parent claims when this phrase in encountered in Claim 11, with it not being possible to have a second communications unit when there is not a first or previous communications unit.
Regarding Claim 12, this claim is objected to for lack of antecedent basis. This claim recites the phrase “the electronic device” in Line(s) 1. There are multiple electronic devices previously defined in Claim 12 or its potential parent claims when this phrase in encountered in Claim 12, so it is not possible to determine which electronic device is being referred to.
Regarding Claim 13, this claim is objected to for lack of antecedent basis. This claim recites the phrase “the electronic device” in Line(s) 4, 5-6. There are multiple electronic devices previously defined in Claim 13 or its potential parent claims when this phrase in encountered in Claim 13, so it is not possible to determine which electronic device is being referred to.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim(s) does/do not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter.
Regarding Claim 14, a “program” for executing a method is recited. The claim fails to state that the “program” is a computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that always falls into a statutory class of invention. Programs that are not computer program products embodied on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, are viewed as pure software, with an applicant attempting to claim the software itself.
Accordingly, the recited “program” is nothing more than software per se and is not a “process,” a “machine,” a “manufacture” or a “composition of matter,” as defined in 35 U.S.C. 101.
Prior Art Rejections - 35 USC § 102 and/or 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 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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by MICO LATTA Japan Patent Application Publication #JP2016-031650A. MICO LATTA Japan Patent Application Publication #JP2016-031650A was provided by Applicant in the IDS of 02/18/2025.
Regarding Claim 1, MICO LATTA discloses:
An electronic device comprising: a processor; and a storage that stores an instruction to be executed by the processor, wherein the instruction includes [(MICO LATTA Description Section of the provided English Translation Par 1 Lines 1-2; Par 35 Lines 2-9; Par 36 Lines 1-2) where MICO LATTA teaches an electronic device that includes a processor and a memory storage which stores program instructions to be executed by the processor]:
acquiring position information indicating a position of an electronic device [(MICO LATTA Description Section of the provided English Translation Par 103 Lines 1-5) where MICO LATTA teaches the electronic device that acquires position information indicating a position of the electronic device by acquiring setting information indicating the location type which indicates a location or position of the electronic device, in this case the study of a home];
acquiring security setting information indicating a security setting determined according to the position of the electronic device; and controlling a function related to output of visual information of the electronic device based on the position information and the security setting information [(MICO LATTA Description Section of the provided English Translation Par 103 Lines 1-13) where MICO LATTA teaches the electronic device that acquires position information indicating a position of the electronic device by acquiring setting information indicating the location type which indicates a location or position of the electronic device, in this case the study of the home, of which the location or position of the electronic device in the study of the home is further utilized to determine if the desired security level of a wider or a narrowing viewing angle is chosen to protect a display screen from being seen by a potential peeping person, resulting in the electronic device controlling the display of visual information on the display screen accordingly].
Regarding Claim 2, MICO LATTA discloses:
The electronic device according to Claim 1, wherein controlling the function related to the output of the visual information includes at least one of: controlling on or off of filtering for display information output to a screen of the electronic device; or controlling on or off of output of display information to an external output device connected to the electronic device [(MICO LATTA Description Section of the provided English Translation Par 103 Lines 1-13; Par 38 Lines 1-9) where MICO LATTA teaches the electronic device’s control unit controls the on or off state of the security driven filtering of the wider or narrower image appropriately filtered and displayed on the electronic device’s display screen by turning on or off the wider or narrower image displayed].
Regarding Claim 3, MICO LATTA discloses:
The electronic device according to Claim 1,
wherein the security setting information includes a registered position indicating a position registered in advance and a security setting set for the registered position, and controlling the function related to the output of the visual information includes: determining whether or not the electronic device is at the registered position; and restricting the output of the visual information according to the security setting in accordance with a determination result of whether or not the electronic device is at the registered position [(MICO LATTA Description Section of the provided English Translation Par 103 Lines 1-13; Par 38 Lines 1-9) where MICO LATTA teaches the electronic device acquires position information indicating a position of the electronic device by acquiring setting information indicating the location type which indicates a registered location or position of the electronic device registered in advance, in this case the study of the home, of which the location or position of the electronic device in the study of the home is further utilized to determine if the desired security level of a wider or a narrowing viewing angle is chosen to protect a display screen from being seen by a potential peeping person, resulting in the electronic device controlling the display of visual information on the display screen accordingly, with the electronic device’s control unit controlling the on or off state of the security driven filtering of the wider or narrower image appropriately filtered and displayed on the electronic device’s display screen for the position of the electronic device registered in advance by turning on or off the wider or narrower image displayed].
Regarding Claim 4, MICO LATTA discloses:
The electronic device according to Claim 3,
wherein restricting the output of the visual information according to the security setting includes at least one of: turning on filtering for display information output to a screen of the electronic device; or turning off output of display information to an external output device connected to the electronic device [(MICO LATTA Description Section of the provided English Translation Par 103 Lines 1-13; Par 38 Lines 1-9) where MICO LATTA teaches the electronic device acquires position information indicating a position of the electronic device by acquiring setting information indicating the location type which indicates a registered location or position of the electronic device registered in advance, in this case the study of the home, of which the location or position of the electronic device in the study of the home is further utilized to determine if the desired security level of a wider or a narrowing viewing angle is chosen to protect a display screen from being seen by a potential peeping person, resulting in the electronic device controlling the display of visual information on the display screen accordingly, with the electronic device’s control unit controlling the on or off state of the security driven filtering of the wider or narrower image appropriately filtered and displayed on the electronic device’s display screen for the position of the electronic device registered in advance by turning on or off the wider or narrower image displayed].
Regarding Claim 5, MICO LATTA discloses:
The electronic device according to Claim 3,
wherein controlling the function related to the output of the visual information includes, in accordance with a determination result of whether or not the electronic device is at the registered position, at least one of: turning off filtering for display information output to a screen of the electronic device; or turning on output of display information to an external output device connected to the electronic device [(MICO LATTA Description Section of the provided English Translation Par 103 Lines 1-13; Par 38 Lines 1-9) where MICO LATTA teaches the electronic device acquires position information indicating a position of the electronic device by acquiring setting information indicating the location type which indicates a registered location or position of the electronic device registered in advance, in this case the study of the home, of which the location or position of the electronic device in the study of the home is further utilized to determine if the desired security level of a wider or a narrowing viewing angle is chosen to protect a display screen from being seen by a potential peeping person, resulting in the electronic device controlling the display of visual information on the display screen accordingly, with the electronic device’s control unit controlling the on or off state of the security driven filtering of the wider or narrower image appropriately filtered and displayed on the electronic device’s display screen for the position of the electronic device registered in advance by turning on or off the wider or narrower image displayed].
Regarding Claim 6, MICO LATTA discloses:
The electronic device according to Claim 1,
further comprising a sensor that acquires detection information of detecting presence of a person, wherein the instruction further includes: acquiring the detection information by the sensor; and controlling the output of the visual information based on the detection information [(MICO LATTA Description Section of the provided English Translation Par 22 Lines 2-13) where MICO LATTA teaches the electronic device includes a line-of-sight detection unit or sensor that detects and acquires sight of a person other than the user having use authority controls or transforms the image displayed on the display screen or the output of the visual information based on this detection information obtained by the line-of-sight detection unit or sensor].
Regarding Claim 7, MICO LATTA discloses:
The electronic device according to Claim 6,
wherein controlling the function related to the output of the visual information includes: determining whether or not acquisition of the detection information by the sensor is stopped based on the position information and the security setting information; and stopping the acquisition of the detection information by the sensor in a case where it is determined to stop the acquisition of the detection information [(MICO LATTA Description Section of the provided English Translation Par 38 Lines 1-9; Par 39 Lines 1-10) where MICO LATTA teaches stopping the acquisition of the detection information of the sensor by putting the electronic device into a stopped sleep state or power saving state as a result of the position and security setting information indicating that power should be saved by stopping or shutting down the electronic device into the stopped sleep state with only a small amount of power consumed to maintain the desired position and security setting information in memory].
Regarding Claim 8, MICO LATTA discloses:
The electronic device according to Claim 6, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a camera, a microphone, a proximity sensor, an infrared sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor [(MICO LATTA Description Section of the provided English Translation Par 47 Lines 1-3) where MICO LATTA teaches the electronic device includes a line-of-sight detection unit or sensor of a camera that detects and acquires sight of a person].
Regarding Claim 9, MICO LATTA discloses:
The electronic device according to Claim 1, further comprising a first communication unit that communicates with an external device that acquires the position information, wherein acquiring the position information includes acquiring the position information from the external device by the first communication unit [(MICO LATTA Description Section of the provided English Translation Par 121 Lines 1-8; Par 123 Lines 1-4) where MICO LATTA teaches that settings and position information may be acquired by or configured in a cloud over the internet residing in an external server, which is acquired or obtained by the electronic device from the external server through a communications unit over the internet].
Regarding Claim 10, MICO LATTA discloses:
The electronic device according to Claim 1, , further comprising a position information detector that acquires the position information of the electronic device, wherein acquiring the position information includes acquiring the position information by the position information detector [(MICO LATTA Description Section of the provided English Translation Par 103 Lines 1-5) where MICO LATTA teaches the electronic device that acquires position information indicating a position of the electronic device by acquiring setting or position information by a position information detector indicating the location type which indicates a location or position of the electronic device, in this case the study of a home].
Regarding Claim 11, MICO LATTA discloses:
The electronic device according to Claim 1, wherein the security setting information is stored in a server on a network, the electronic device further comprises a second communication unit that communicates with the server via the network, and the instruction includes acquiring the security setting information from the server by the second communication unit [(MICO LATTA Description Section of the provided English Translation Par 121 Lines 1-8; Par 123 Lines 1-4) where MICO LATTA teaches that settings including viewing angle security information may be acquired by or configured in a cloud over the internet residing in an external server, which is acquired or obtained by the electronic device from the external server through a communications unit over the internet].
Regarding Claim 12, MICO LATTA discloses:
The electronic device according to Claim 1, wherein the instruction further includes notifying information regarding control of the function related to the output of the visual information [(MICO LATTA Description Section of the provided English Translation Par 96 Lines 1-6; Par 121 Lines 1-8; Par 123 Lines 1-4)) where MICO LATTA teaches that the notifying of setting information including display control settings and viewing angles].
Regarding Claim 13:
It is a method claim corresponding to the system claim of claim 1. Therefore, claim 13 is rejected with the same rationale as applied against claim 1 above.
Regarding Claim 14:
It is a program claim corresponding to the method claim of claim 13. Therefore, claim 14 is rejected with the same rationale as applied against claim 13 above.
Regarding Claim 15:
It is a medium claim corresponding to the program claim of claim 14. Therefore, claim 15 is rejected with the same rationale as applied against claim 14 above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Elms et al - US_20040015729: Elms et al teaches a sensitive display system in which items displayed on a recipient device are controlled depending on the location and security level desired.
Kang et al - US_20150106833: Kang et al teaches a controllable mobile display based on position and security level desired.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRADLEY HOLDER whose telephone number is 571-270-3789. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 10:00AM-7:00PM Eastern Time.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Linglan Edwards, can be reached on (571) 270-5440. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/BRADLEY W HOLDER/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2408
Prosecution Insights