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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for international priority under 35 U.S.C. 371. The application is a national stage entry of PCT Application No. PCT/JP2023/013959, filed on April 4, 2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on September 25, 2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
As a result of the Preliminary Amendment of September 25, 2025, a clean and marked-up version of the Specification has been submitted to the file wrapper. No new matter has been added.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kimura et al., United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2024/0169319 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Kimura discloses a video display system (Figs. 1-10, generally) comprising:
a server (Detailed Description, [0446]); and
a plurality of video display devices (Figs. 1-10, information processing system, #10; image display device. #12a/b/c; Detailed Description, [0073][0342-0345] [0446]),
the server and the plurality of video display devices being connected for communication therebetween (Figs. 1-10, information processing system, #10; Detailed Description, [0446]), respectively,
the server including:
a storage device configured to store participant management information in which avatars corresponding to users of the plurality of video display devices, respectively, is recorded (Fig. 4, HD, Detailed Description, [0103-0141]; See next Fig. 42 and Detailed Description, [0341-0350]); and
a first communication interface configured to transmit the participant management information to the plurality of video display devices, respectively (Fig. 2-4, network, N; Detailed Description, [0084-0100]) and
each of the video display devices including:
a second communication interface configured to receive the participant management information (Figs. 2-4, communication unit, #31; Detailed Description, [0142-0150]);
an operation device configured to receive selection of a virtual reality space to be displayed on the video display device (Detailed Description, [0339-0350], virtual space, #320);
a display (Figs. 2-4, display, #506); and
a processor configured to refer to the participant management information to generate a video in which avatars corresponding to all other users than a user of the video display device are placed in the virtual reality space selected for the video display device, and carry out display control for the display (Fig. 4, HDD controller, #505; See next Fig. 42-43; Detailed Description, [0339-0350], “The user operates the controller 331 carried by the user for VR operation to move the avatar in the virtual space 320. In the initial state, the direction of the avatar in the virtual space 320 matches the direction of the seat in the virtual space 320. The direction of the avatar is directed to the direction instructed by the operation of the controller 331 or the direction detected by the activity sensor 9. Thus, the face direction in the virtual space 320 is specified.”).
Regarding claim 2, Kimura discloses
in each of the video display devices,
the processor is configured to accept designation of positions where the avatars corresponding to all the other users are to be displayed in the virtual reality space selected for the video display device, generate a video in which the avatars corresponding to all the other users are placed at the positions designated in the virtual reality space, and carry out display control (See Fig. 42-43; Detailed Description, [0339-0350], “When the virtual space 320 is the virtual office 324 as illustrated in FIG. 43, the position information and the direction information detected by the activity sensor 9 are used for the position and the direction in the virtual office 324. The information processing system 10 reproduces the real office 325 in the real space in the virtual space 320, and uses the position information and the direction information detected by the activity sensor 9 for the position and the direction of the avatar 328. As the user moves in the office 325, the avatar 328 also moves in the virtual office 324.”).
Regarding claim 3, Kimura discloses wherein
the participant management information records therein one of a body, a face, or a line of sight of each of the avatars as an orientation of the avatar (See Figs. 2-5; Fig. 42-43; Detailed Description, [0339-0350]),
the orientation of the avatar is defined using a display position of another avatar (See Fig. 42-43; Detailed Description, [0339-0350]; See also Figs. 1-10 and orientation sensor, #607, and
in each of the video display devices, the processor is configured to generate a video in which each of the avatars is facing the other avatar defined in the participant management information in the virtual reality space selected by the video display device, and carry out display control (See Fig. 42-43; Detailed Description, [0339-0350], “When the virtual space 320 is the virtual office 324 as illustrated in FIG. 43, the position information and the direction information detected by the activity sensor 9 are used for the position and the direction in the virtual office 324. The information processing system 10 reproduces the real office 325 in the real space in the virtual space 320, and uses the position information and the direction information detected by the activity sensor 9 for the position and the direction of the avatar 328. As the user moves in the office 325, the avatar 328 also moves in the virtual office 324.”).
Regarding claim 4, Kimura discloses wherein
in each of the video display devices,
the operation device accepts input of content including at least one of an object, data, or a whiteboard to be displayed in the virtual reality space selected by the video display device (Detailed Description, [0096-0104]; See Figs. 1-5, “The flat panel display is preferably a touch panel and preferably has a large screen. The image display device 12 may be an electronic whiteboard having a flat panel display. The electronic whiteboard may be embedded in a wall or may be disposed in front of the wall. The image display device 12 serves as a display device that displays an image and may be any display device that has at least a function of displaying an image.”),
the processor is configured to generate a video in which the content is displayed in the virtual reality space selected by the video display device and carry out display control of the video, and also carry out transmission control of transmitting the content to the server via the
second communication interface (Detailed Description, [0096-0099][0339-0350][0446]),
the server updates the content and records the content as updated in the participant management information, and transmits the participant management information as updated to all the video display devices among the video display devices, in each of other
video display devices than a video display device that has accepted display of the content (Detailed Description, [0096-0099][0339-0350][0370-0390], “The second environmental control unit 37 outputs an image corresponding to the image data generated by generation unit 35 to virtual space 320. There are two manners of output. One is outputting the image to all the display terminals 330 so that all avatars in the virtual space 320 can view the image.”),
the processor is configured to place the content recorded in the participant management information as updated in the virtual reality space selected by each of the other video display devices t (Detailed Description, [0096-0099][0339-0350]).
Regarding claim 5, Kimura discloses wherein
each of the video display devices is a head-mounted display to be worn on a head of each user (Figs. 42-43, Detailed Description, [0339-0350], “In the case of the system configuration illustrated in FIG. 42, examples of the display terminal 330 include VR goggles, a VR headset, and augmented reality (AR) goggles, mixed reality (MR) goggles, and a head mounted display (HMD)”),
the head-mounted display includes at least one of a gyroscope sensor or an acceleration sensor (Detailed Description, [0111]), and
the processor is configured to detect a change in a position of an avatar corresponding to each of the users or an orientation thereof based on angle information obtained from the gyroscope sensor or the acceleration sensor, generate the video, and carry out display control of the video as generated (Figs. 42-43, Detailed Description, [0339-0350]).
Regarding claim 6, Kimura discloses wherein
the processor is configured to generate a three-dimensional audio signal based on a positional relationship of a plurality of avatars being displayed on the video display device, and transmit the three-dimensional audio signal to stereo headphones linked to the video display device (Figs. 42-47, Detailed Description, [0361-372], “The first environmental control unit 36 of the present embodiment outputs a tone (ambient sound) corresponding to the sound data generated by the generation unit 35 in the virtual space 320. There are two manners of output. One is outputting the tone from all the display terminals 330 so that all avatars in the virtual space 320 hear the tone.”).
Regarding claim 7, Kimura discloses wherein
in the participant management information, duplication permission information for permitting another video display device to duplicate information about the virtual reality space, of which selection has been accepted by the video display device, is defined (Detailed Description, [0337-0350], “Some technologies are known in the art to display a screen of an electronic whiteboard or a PC screen in a virtual space, and enable users to hold, for example, a meeting while viewing a screen displaying a virtual space with virtual reality (VR) goggles. Some technologies are known in the art to hold, for example, online meetings in which a PC monitor displays the faces of the participants or a screen of an electronic whiteboard. Compared with such online meetings, in the virtual space (within the field of view of the VR goggles), the participants and the screen of the electronic whiteboard or PC are displayed as if the participants and the screen are in front of the eyes. Accordingly, the participants can feel the realism of the meeting.”; See also Detailed Description, [0420-430], “In step S54A, in the system configuration illustrated in FIG. 42, an image may be displayed on the image display device 12 such as a laptop PC, for example, in front of the avatar being the speaker. Alternatively, an image may be displayed in any desirable space by utilizing the merit of the virtual space 320. In the system configuration of FIG. 43, an image is displayed on the virtual image display device 12 in the virtual office 324. Alternatively, an image may be displayed in any desirable space by utilizing the merit of the virtual space 320. In either case, the image may or may not be visible to other avatars. Regarding the image corresponding to the concentration level, the image may be output only to the display terminal 330 of the user corresponding to the avatar being the speaker, or may be output to the display terminals 330 of the users corresponding to all the avatars in the same virtual space 320.”),
the server transmits the virtual reality space for which duplication is permitted to another video display device that is different from the video display device that has accepted the selection of the virtual reality space (See also Detailed Description, [0420-00446], “In step S54A, in the system configuration illustrated in FIG. 42, an image may be displayed on the image display device 12 such as a laptop PC, for example, in front of the avatar being the speaker. Alternatively, an image may be displayed in any desirable space by utilizing the merit of the virtual space 320. In the system configuration of FIG. 43, an image is displayed on the virtual image display device 12 in the virtual office 324. Alternatively, an image may be displayed in any desirable space by utilizing the merit of the virtual space 320. In either case, the image may or may not be visible to other avatars. Regarding the image corresponding to the concentration level, the image may be output only to the display terminal 330 of the user corresponding to the avatar being the speaker, or may be output to the display terminals 330 of the users corresponding to all the avatars in the same virtual space 320…The group of apparatuses or devices described in the embodiments of the present disclosure is one of multiple computing environments to implement the embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the information processing system 10 includes multiple computing devices such as a server cluster. The multiple computing devices communicate with one another through any type of communication link including, for example, a network and a shared memory, and perform the processes disclosed in the present disclosure.”), and,
in the other video display device,
the processor is configured to display, on the display, the virtual reality space for which duplication is permitted and which has been selected by the other video display device (Detailed Description, [0337-0350], “These display terminals 330 change the field of view in the virtual space 320 in conjunction with the change in the user's line-of-sight direction, and display the image in this field of view. “; Detailed Description, [0378-0390]),
the operation device accepts input of an instruction to use, as the virtual reality space for the video display device, one of virtual reality spaces being displayed on the display, which has been selected in the other video display device (Detailed Description, [0337-0350][0378-0390], “Descriptions are given below of environmental control in the virtual space 320 based on the flowcharts of FIGS. 15, 22, 25, 27, and 29 of Embodiment 1; and flowcharts of FIGS. 33, 35, 37, 39, and 41 of Embodiment 2.”), and
the processor is configured to generate a video in which the virtual reality space instructed for use by the operation device is used as the virtual reality space for the video display device, and carry out display control of the video as generated (Detailed Description, [0337-0350][0378-0390], “The information processing system 10 constructs the virtual space 320 on a memory and executes environmental control in the virtual space 320. The virtual space 320 is, for example, a 360-degree three-dimensional space that imitates a space or a meeting room where people gather in a virtual space. For example, VR goggles or a VR headset (referred to as a display terminal 330 in the following description) worn by a user displays a field of view of the user in a virtual space. Further, an avatar 328 of the user is present in the virtual space 320. The field of view of the user is an image obtained by projecting a three-dimensional space onto a virtual camera on the assumption that the optical axis of the virtual camera is located in the line-of-sight direction from the position of the avatar 328. The user who participates in the meeting can change the position of the avatar 328 and the direction (including the line-of-sight direction) of the avatar 328 by operating a controller 331 for VR operation (may be referred to simply as “controller 331” in the following description). Further, the user can change the direction of the avatar 328 by operating the controller 331 or by changing his/her direction. In other words, the direction of the avatar 328 can be changed based on the direction information detected by the activity sensor 9. Accordingly, the user can view any viewpoint of the virtual space 320.”).
Regarding claim 8, Kimura discloses a video display method (see Kimura, generally, Summary, See also flowcharts Figs. 49-58 for method aspects) comprising the functional and structural aspects of claim 1 and claim 7.
Thus, claim 8 is met by the rejection to claim 1 and claim 7.
Regarding claim 9, Kimura discloses a portable information terminal d (see Kimura, generally, Summary, Figs. 1-43) comprising the structural and functional features of claim 1 and claim 4.
Thus, claim 9 is met by the rejection to claim 1 and claim 4.
Other References
The following references is also cited as pertinent but may not be relied upon within this Action:
Takagi (US 2025/0200914 A1).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KWIN XIE whose telephone number is (571)272-7812. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/KWIN XIE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2626
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