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 5/12/25 is in accordance with provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Preliminary Amendment
The preliminary amendment filed 5/12/25 has been entered and made of record.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1 and 3-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Washington (U.S. Pub. No. 2007/0103313; cited in the IDS filed 5/12/25) in view of Kaku et al. (JP 2020043510A; cited in the IDS filed 5/12/25).
In regard to claim 1, Washington teaches a positioning system comprising:
a camera for capturing an image of a moving object (i.e., camera assemblies 302) (Fig. 3; para[0049]);
an antenna disposed at a position of the camera (i.e., pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras equipped with RFID antenna array) (Figs. 2, 3; para[0046]);
an arithmetic-apparatus configured to calculate a position of the moving object on a basis of an image captured by the camera (i.e., an object may be located using the disclosed methods and systems for visual tracking, as shown in Fig. 5, both the object’s surroundings 500 and a digitally zoomed image 502 of the object; such an embodiment may be advantageously implemented, for example, by configuring visual tracking camera assemblies 312 of FIG. 3 with high resolution digital PTZ cameras) (Figs. 3, 5; para[0065]); and
a wireless communication apparatus to be held by the moving object (i.e., a passenger 100 and/or luggage are tagged with RFID tags 110) (Fig. 3; para[0036]), the wireless communication apparatus being capable of communicating with the antenna (i.e., the antenna arrays of the system PTZ cameras so equipped may be activated to locate the particular RFID tag 110 associated with the given passenger 100) (Figs. 2, 3; para[0047]).
However, Washington does not explicitly teach wherein
an apparatus including the antenna, the wireless communication apparatus, or the arithmetic apparatus calculates a distance between the antenna and the wireless communication apparatus on a basis of communication between the antenna and the wireless communication apparatus, and
the camera executes image capturing processing in a case where the calculated distance is within a predetermined range, but restricts execution of the image capturing processing in a case where the calculated distance is outside the predetermined range.
In the same field of endeavor, Kaku teaches wherein
an apparatus including the antenna, the wireless communication apparatus, or the arithmetic apparatus calculates a distance between the antenna and the wireless communication apparatus on a basis of communication between the antenna and the wireless communication apparatus (i.e., the information acquiring unit 122 acquires the unique information of the unit information transmitting unit h0 included in the received RF signal; the information acquiring unit 122 acquires distance information from the unique information transmitting units h2 to h10 based on the intensity of radio waves emitted from the unique information transmitting units h2 to h10) (para[0024]), and
the camera executes image capturing processing in a case where the calculated distance is within a predetermined range (i.e., the determination unit 126 determines whether or not the unique information transmitters h2 to h10 are within the imaging range based on…the information on the distances to the unique information transmitters h2 to h10; the determination unit 126 determines whether or not the target unique information transmitting unit can be imaged at the current angle of view of the optical system 14 based on the information of the angle θ and the range information (step S104); when it is possible to capture an image of the unique information transmitting unit (YES in step S104),…captures an image) (Fig. 14; para[0032], [0045]-[0046]), but restricts execution of the image capturing processing in a case where the calculated distance is outside the predetermined range (i.e., in a case where the imaging of the unique information transmitting unit is not possible (NO in step S104); note: no image is captured until adjustments are made to be within range) (para[0045]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to combine the teachings of Washington and Kaku because Kaku teaches acquiring unique information transmitted from the unique transmission unit and performing a processing of associating the unique information with the image when the unique information transmission unit is located within an imaging range of the optical system (See, for example, para[0005] of Kaku). Therefore, it would have been obvious to combine the teachings of Washington and Kaku.
In regard to claim 3, Washington and Kaku teach all of the limitations of claim 1 above. However, Washington does not explicitly teach wherein the arithmetic apparatus calculates the position of the moving object on a basis of the image captured by the camera and the communication between the antenna and the wireless communication apparatus.
In the same field of endeavor, Kaku teaches wherein the arithmetic apparatus calculates the position of the moving object on a basis of the image captured by the camera and the communication between the antenna and the wireless communication apparatus (i.e., the information acquiring unit 122 acquires the unique information of the unit information transmitting unit h0 included in the received RF signal; the information acquiring unit 122 acquires distance information from the unique information transmitting units h2 to h10 based on the intensity of radio waves emitted from the unique information transmitting units h2 to h10; in addition to the unique information and the two dimensional coordinates (x, y), the processing unit 124 may associate distance information to the unique information transmitting unit h0 with the image) (para[0024], [0030]).
In regard to claim 4, Washington teaches a positioning system comprising:
a first camera for capturing an image of a moving object (i.e., camera assemblies 302) (Fig. 3; para[0049]);
a second camera disposed apart from the first camera, for capturing an image of the moving object (i.e., camera assemblies 302) (Fig. 3; para[0049]);
a first antenna disposed at a position of the first camera (i.e., pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras equipped with RFID antenna array) (Figs. 2, 3; para[0046]);
a second antenna disposed at a position of the second camera (i.e., pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras equipped with RFID antenna array) (Figs. 2, 3; para[0046]);
an arithmetic apparatus configured to calculate a position of the moving object on a basis of an image captured by a camera including at least the first camera or the second camera (i.e., an object may be located using the disclosed methods and systems for visual tracking, as shown in Fig. 5, both the object’s surroundings 500 and a digitally zoomed image 502 of the object; such an embodiment may be advantageously implemented, for example, by configuring visual tracking camera assemblies 312 of FIG. 3 with high resolution digital PTZ cameras) (Figs. 3, 5; para[0065]); and
a wireless communication apparatus to be held by the moving object (i.e., a passenger 100 and/or luggage are tagged with RFID tags 110) (Fig. 3; para[0036]), the wireless communication apparatus being capable of communicating with the first antenna and the second antenna (i.e., the antenna arrays of the system PTZ cameras so equipped may be activated to locate the particular RFID tag 110 associated with the given passenger 100) (Figs. 2, 3; para[0047]).
However, Washington does not explicitly teach wherein
an apparatus including the first antenna, the wireless communication apparatus, or the arithmetic apparatus calculates a first distance between the first antenna and the wireless communication apparatus on a basis of communication between the first antenna and the wireless communication apparatus,
an apparatus including the second antenna, the wireless communication apparatus, or the arithmetic apparatus calculates a second distance between the second antenna and the wireless communication apparatus on a basis of communication between the second antenna and the wireless communication apparatus,
the first camera executes image capturing processing in a case where the calculated first distance is within a predetermined range, but restricts execution of the image capturing processing in a case where the calculated first distance is outside the predetermined range, and
the second camera executes image capturing processing in a case where the calculated second distance is within a predetermined range, but restricts execution of the image capturing processing in a case where the calculated second distance is outside the predetermined range.
In the same field of endeavor, Kaku teaches wherein
an apparatus including the first antenna, the wireless communication apparatus, or the arithmetic apparatus calculates a first distance between the first antenna and the wireless communication apparatus on a basis of communication between the first antenna and the wireless communication apparatus (i.e., the information acquiring unit 122 acquires the unique information of the unit information transmitting unit h0 included in the received RF signal; the information acquiring unit 122 acquires distance information from the unique information transmitting units h2 to h10 based on the intensity of radio waves emitted from the unique information transmitting units h2 to h10) (para[0024]),
an apparatus including the second antenna, the wireless communication apparatus, or the arithmetic apparatus calculates a second distance between the second antenna and the wireless communication apparatus on a basis of communication between the second antenna and the wireless communication apparatus (i.e., the information acquiring unit 122 acquires the unique information of the unit information transmitting unit h0 included in the received RF signal; the information acquiring unit 122 acquires distance information from the unique information transmitting units h2 to h10 based on the intensity of radio waves emitted from the unique information transmitting units h2 to h10) (para[0024]),
the first camera executes image capturing processing in a case where the calculated first distance is within a predetermined range (i.e., the determination unit 126 determines whether or not the unique information transmitters h2 to h10 are within the imaging range based on…the information on the distances to the unique information transmitters h2 to h10; the determination unit 126 determines whether or not the target unique information transmitting unit can be imaged at the current angle of view of the optical system 14 based on the information of the angle θ and the range information (step S104); when it is possible to capture an image of the unique information transmitting unit (YES in step S104),…captures an image) (Fig. 14; para[0032], [0045]-[0046]), but restricts execution of the image capturing processing in a case where the calculated first distance is outside the predetermined range (i.e., in a case where the imaging of the unique information transmitting unit is not possible (NO in step S104); note: no image is captured until adjustments are made to be within range) (para[0045]), and
the second camera executes image capturing processing in a case where the calculated second distance is within a predetermined range (i.e., the determination unit 126 determines whether or not the unique information transmitters h2 to h10 are within the imaging range based on…the information on the distances to the unique information transmitters h2 to h10; the determination unit 126 determines whether or not the target unique information transmitting unit can be imaged at the current angle of view of the optical system 14 based on the information of the angle θ and the range information (step S104); when it is possible to capture an image of the unique information transmitting unit (YES in step S104),…captures an image) (Fig. 14; para[0032], [0045]-[0046]), but restricts execution of the image capturing processing in a case where the calculated second distance is outside the predetermined range (i.e., in a case where the imaging of the unique information transmitting unit is not possible (NO in step S104); note: no image is captured until adjustments are made to be within range) (para[0045]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to combine the teachings of Washington and Kaku because Kaku teaches acquiring unique information transmitted from the unique transmission unit and performing a processing of associating the unique information with the image when the unique information transmission unit is located within an imaging range of the optical system (See, for example, para[0005] of Kaku). Therefore, it would have been obvious to combine the teachings of Washington and Kaku.
In regard to claim 5, the claim recites analogous limitations to claim 1 above, and is therefore rejected on the same premise.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 is 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
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KRISTIN DOBBS
Examiner
Art Unit 2488
/KRISTIN DOBBS/Examiner, Art Unit 2488
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