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 01/29/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-2 and 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kikuta et al.
Kikuta et al. (US Pub. No. 2024/0280830 A1) discloses:
Regarding claim 1, an aerial image display system (Figure 10, element 200) including: a display device (Figure 10, element 10) that displays a display image (Figure 11, element 12); and an optical system (Figure 11, element 20) that includes a retroreflective member (Figure 11, element 22) and an optical member (Figure 11, element 70c) having an optical characteristic of reflecting part of incident light and transmitting part of the incident light (page 13, paragraph 0140, lines 10-11), and displays an aerial image (i.e. floating image) corresponding to the display image (Figure 11, element 12) toward a viewer (Figure 11, element 80), the aerial image display system (Figure 10, element 200) comprising: a position information acquisition unit (Figure 10, element 30) that acquires position information on the viewer (page 3, paragraph 0040, lines 5-6); and a display control unit (Figure 10, element 55) that rotates an angle of a reflective surface of the retroreflective member by a designated angle from a direction of the viewer (Figure 11, element 80) as a reference on a basis of the position information on the viewer acquired (page 10, paragraph 0110, lines 11-13).
Regarding claim 2, a display control device (element 250 illustrated in Figures 10 and 11) used in an aerial image display system (Figure 10, element 200) that displays an aerial image (i.e. floating image) corresponding to a display image (Figure 11, element 12) toward a viewer (Figure 11, element 80) by causing the display image (Figure 11, element 12) displayed on a display device (element 10 illustrated in Figures 10 and 11) to be transmitted through an optical system (Figure 11, element 20) in which a retroreflective member (Figure 11, element 22) and an optical member (Figure 11, element 70c) that has an optical characteristic of reflecting part of incident light and transmitting part of the incident light (page 13, paragraph 0140, lines 10-11) are combined, the display control device (element 250 illustrated in Figures 10 and 11) comprising: a first position information acquisition unit (Figure 10, element 30) that acquires position information on the viewer (page 3, paragraph 0040, lines 5-6); and a display control unit (Figure 10, element 55) that rotates an angle of a reflective surface of the retroreflective member by a designated angle from a direction of the viewer (Figure 11, element 80) as a reference on a basis of the position information on the viewer acquired (page 10, paragraph 0110, lines 11-13).
Regarding claim 6, a display control method (i.e. floating image display method; page 2, paragraph 0021, lines 1-2) executed by a control device (element 250 illustrated in Figures 10 and 11) used in an aerial image display system (element 200 illustrated in Figures 10 and 11) that displays an aerial image (i.e. floating image) corresponding to a display image (Figure 11, element 12) toward a viewer (Figure 11, element 80) by causing the display image (Figure 11, element 12) displayed on a display device (element 10 illustrated in Figures 10 and 11) to be transmitted through an optical system (Figure 11, element 20) in which a retroreflective member (Figure 11, element 22) and an optical member (Figure 11, element 70c) that has an optical characteristic of reflecting part of incident light (page 13, paragraph 0140, lines 10-11) and transmitting part of the incident light are combined (clearly illustrated in Figure 11), the display control method (i.e. floating image display method) comprising: acquiring position information on the viewer (page 3, paragraph 0040, lines 5-6); and rotating an angle of a reflective surface of the retroreflective member (Figure 11, element 22) by a designated angle from a direction of the viewer (Figure 11, element 80) as a reference on a basis of the position information on the viewer acquired (page 10, paragraph 0110, lines 11-13).
Regarding claim 7, acquiring position information on the display device (element 10 illustrated in Figures 10 and 11); and controlling a position of the retroreflective member (Figure 11, element 22) with respect to the viewer (Figure 11, element 80) on a basis of the position information on the viewer and the position information on the display device (page 10, paragraph 0110, lines 11-13).
Regarding claim 8, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (Figure 10 element 56) configured with instructions executable by one or more processors (Figure 10 element 55) included in a display control device (Figure 10, element 250) to cause the one or more processors (Figure 10 element 55) to perform operations comprising: acquiring position information on a viewer (page 3, paragraph 0040, lines 5-6), the display control device (Figure 10, element 250) being used in an aerial image display system (Figure 10, element 200) that displays an aerial image (i.e. floating image) corresponding to a display image (Figure 11, element 12) toward a viewer (Figure 11, element 80) by causing the display image displayed on a display device (Figure 10, element 10) to be transmitted through an optical system (Figure 11, element 20) in which a retroreflective member (Figure 11, element 22) and an optical member (Figure 11, element 70c) that has an optical characteristic of reflecting part of incident light (page 13, paragraph 0140, lines 10-11) and transmitting part of the incident light are combined (clearly illustrated in Figure 11); and rotating an angle of a reflective surface of the retroreflective member by a designated angle from a direction of the viewer (Figure 11, element 80) as a reference on a basis of the position information on the viewer acquired (page 10, paragraph 0110, lines 11-13).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 and 9-11 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 3, Kikuta et al. (US Pub. No. 2024/0280830 A1) discloses a display control device (element 250 illustrated in Figures 10 and 11) used in an aerial image display system (Figure 10, element 200) that displays an aerial image (i.e. floating image) corresponding to a display image (Figure 11, element 12) toward a viewer (Figure 11, element 80). However, Kikuta et al. and the prior art of record neither shows nor suggests a display control device comprising a second position information acquisition unit that acquires position information on the display device, wherein the display control unit controls a position of the retroreflective member with respect to the viewer and an angle of the reflective surface on a basis of the position information on the viewer and the position information on the display device.
Regarding claim 9, Kikuta et al. (US Pub. No. 2024/0280830 A1) discloses a display control device (element 250 illustrated in Figures 10 and 11) used in an aerial image display system (Figure 10, element 200) that displays an aerial image (i.e. floating image) corresponding to a display image (Figure 11, element 12) toward a viewer (Figure 11, element 80). However, Kikuta et al. and the prior art of record neither shows nor suggests a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium wherein the operations further comprise acquiring position information on the display device, wherein the rotating the angle of the reflective surface controls a position of the retroreflective member with respect to the viewer and an angle of the reflective surface on a basis of the position information on the viewer and the position information on the display device.
Regarding claims 4-5 and 10-11, the claims are allowable based on their dependence from allowable claims 3 and 9 (respectively).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Shintani et al. (US Pub. No. 2024/0253465 A1) discloses an aerial image displayed on a luminous display surface and appears with an optical system that can change a display position in the air in the depth direction. When the aerial image is viewable by the observer, the gaze point is at a position at which image data projected on a retroreflective screen can be perceived as a stereoscopic image.
Kim et al. (US Pub. No. 2019/0285904 A1) teaches a three-dimensional imaging device and/or an electronic device may comprising: a stand for supporting an electronic device including a display panel; a half mirror disposed on one surface of the stand in such a way as to slantingly face the display panel of the electronic device supported by the stand; and a retro-reflection member disposed on the stand in such a way as to incline toward the half mirror, wherein the half mirror reflects an image (hereinafter, “a first output image”) output from the display panel to introduce the reflected image into the retro-reflection member, and allows the image reflected by the retro-reflection member to transmit therethrough, so as to form an image(hereinafter, “a first aerial image”) corresponding to the first output image, on a space at another side of the half mirror. Such an electronic device may exist in various forms according to embodiments.
Yamamoto et al. (US Pub. No. 2018/0284470 A1) shows a display device including a first light source, a first retro-reflective part disposed at a position in an emission direction of first light emitted from the first light source, and a first light-separating part configured to reflect a part of the first light that has passed through the first retro-reflective part as a first reflected light and transmits at least a part of the first reflected light.
Frayne et al. (US Pub. No. 2018/0188550 A1) discloses a persistent image retroreflecting display that enables the formation of a real image in free space includes a first light source that generates a polarized light output; a retroreflector module adjacent a first side of the first light source; a quarter waveplate coupled to the retroreflector module and adjacent the first light source; and a reflective polarizer positioned between the first light source and a viewer of the display.
Brentnall et al. (US Pub. No. 2010/0014053 A1) teaches an apparatus including a projector array with projectors each receiving an input image such as digital video and projecting an image based on the input image. A beam splitter with first and second surfaces is positioned such that the projected images strike the first surface and a portion (e.g., 50 to 95 percent) is transmitted through the beam splitter toward a screen with a retroreflective surface. The retroreflective surface reflects the splitter-transmitted portion back along the same path but with increased brightness. The light reflected from the retroreflective surface strikes the second surface of the beam splitter and is reflected toward a display viewing zone provided at about the focal points of the reflected projectors. A 3D image is perceivable to a viewer who positions his eyes at or near any of two or more viewing locations proximate to the projection surface.
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/MAGDA CRUZ/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2882
10/10/2026
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