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 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.
Claim 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Demeuse et al., US PGPUB 20230282148 hereinafter referenced as Demeuse in view Itou, US PGPUB 20200286274.
As to claim 1, Demeuse discloses an information processing system comprising: a host system (e.g., server 1, fig. 1); and
a display unit (e.g., digital art frame 2, fig. 1),
wherein the display unit includes a controller (e.g., controller 26, fig. 3) and an electrophoretic display panel (e.g., display 21, fig. 1),
the controller is configured to drive, with 1 bit, pixels arranged in a steady dynamic region in which display content dynamically fluctuates in a steady manner ([0003] Dithering performed on a server as a pre-processing of images displayed on an electronic paper display is known for moving images. U.S. Pat. No. 9,245,485 discloses to present video images on e-book readers in a 1-bit mode), and
drive, with 2 bits or more, pixels arranged in a non-steady dynamic region, for the electrophoretic display panel ([0065] Preferably, the electronic paper display 21 is configured to show 16 (grey) level intensity levels and/or to display 4-bit images. The electronic paper display 21 is defined by the display characteristics like number of pixels, size and/or pixel density), and
the host system is configured to determine, for an element of a display image to be displayed on the display unit, whether or not to determine a display region of the element as the steady dynamic region based on information on a dynamic characteristic of the element ([0114] For one of the regions, the selected dithering processing could also be not to use a dithering algorithm, e.g. for continuous surface of an intensity level which can be presented by the electronic paper display. However, in this case at least one other region has to apply a dithering process and there must be an active selection between having in this region no dithering processing instead of a dithering processing).
Demeuse does not specifically disclose the host system is configured to determine whether or not to determine a display region of the element as the steady dynamic region based on information on a dynamic characteristic of the element.
However, in the same endeavor, Itou discloses the host system is configured to determine whether or not to determine a display region of the element as the steady dynamic region based on information on a dynamic characteristic of the element ([0057] Character string images G2 and G4 are white-and-black images; accordingly, they remain unchanged after the gradation level is changed from a 256-gradation level to a 2-gradation level. On the other hand, train photo image G3 is a gradation image; accordingly, after the gradation level is changed a 2-gradation level, the image is converted into a white-and-black binarized image, which lacks gradation).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the disclosure of Demeuse to further include Itou’s gradation arrangement method in order to produce an improved processed digital art image.
As to claim 8, Demeuse discloses an information processing apparatus comprising: a host system (e.g., server 1, fig. 1),
wherein the information processing apparatus causes a display unit to display a display image (e.g., digital art frame 2, fig. 1),
the display unit including a controller configured to drive, with 1 bit, pixels arranged in a steady dynamic region in which display content dynamically fluctuates in a steady manner ([0003] Dithering performed on a server as a pre-processing of images displayed on an electronic paper display is known for moving images. U.S. Pat. No. 9,245,485 discloses to present video images on e-book readers in a 1-bit mode), and
drive, with 2 bits or more, pixels arranged in a non-steady dynamic
region, for an electrophoretic display panel ([0065] Preferably, the electronic paper display 21 is configured to show 16 (grey) level intensity levels and/or to display 4-bit images. The electronic paper display 21 is defined by the display characteristics like number of pixels, size and/or pixel density), and
the host system is configured to determine, for an element of the display image to be displayed on the display unit, whether or not to determine a display region of the element as the steady dynamic region based on information on a dynamic characteristic of the element ([0114] For one of the regions, the selected dithering processing could also be not to use a dithering algorithm, e.g. for continuous surface of an intensity level which can be presented by the electronic paper display. However, in this case at least one other region has to apply a dithering process and there must be an active selection between having in this region no dithering processing instead of a dithering processing).
Demeuse does not specifically disclose the host system is configured to determine whether or not to determine a display region of the element as the steady dynamic region based on information on a dynamic characteristic of the element.
However, in the same endeavor, Itou discloses the host system is configured to determine whether or not to determine a display region of the element as the steady dynamic region based on information on a dynamic characteristic of the element ([0057] Character string images G2 and G4 are white-and-black images; accordingly, they remain unchanged after the gradation level is changed from a 256-gradation level to a 2-gradation level. On the other hand, train photo image G3 is a gradation image; accordingly, after the gradation level is changed a 2-gradation level, the image is converted into a white-and-black binarized image, which lacks gradation).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the disclosure of Demeuse to further include Itou’s gradation arrangement method in order to produce an improved processed digital art image.
As to claim 9, Demeuse discloses a control method for an information processing system including a host system (e.g., server 1, fig. 1) and a display unit, in which the display unit includes a controller and an electrophoretic display panel,
the control method comprising: via the controller, driving, with 1 bit, pixels arranged in a steady dynamic region in which display content dynamically fluctuates in a steady manner ([0003] Dithering performed on a server as a pre-processing of images displayed on an electronic paper display is known for moving images. U.S. Pat. No. 9,245,485 discloses to present video images on e-book readers in a 1-bit mode), and
driving, with 2 bits or more, pixels arranged in a non-steady dynamic region, for the electrophoretic display panel ([0065] Preferably, the electronic paper display 21 is configured to show 16 (grey) level intensity levels and/or to display 4-bit images. The electronic paper display 21 is defined by the display characteristics like number of pixels, size and/or pixel density); and
via the host system, determining, for an element of a display image to be displayed on the display unit, whether or not to determine a display region of the element as the steady dynamic region based on information on a dynamic characteristic of the element ([0114] For one of the regions, the selected dithering processing could also be not to use a dithering algorithm, e.g. for continuous surface of an intensity level which can be presented by the electronic paper display. However, in this case at least one other region has to apply a dithering process and there must be an active selection between having in this region no dithering processing instead of a dithering processing).
Demeuse does not specifically disclose the host system is configured to determine whether or not to determine a display region of the element as the steady dynamic region based on information on a dynamic characteristic of the element.
However, in the same endeavor, Itou discloses the host system is configured to determine whether or not to determine a display region of the element as the steady dynamic region based on information on a dynamic characteristic of the element ([0057] Character string images G2 and G4 are white-and-black images; accordingly, they remain unchanged after the gradation level is changed from a 256-gradation level to a 2-gradation level. On the other hand, train photo image G3 is a gradation image; accordingly, after the gradation level is changed a 2-gradation level, the image is converted into a white-and-black binarized image, which lacks gradation).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the disclosure of Demeuse to further include Itou’s gradation arrangement method in order to produce an improved processed digital art image.
As to claim 2, the combination of Demeuse and Itou discloses the information processing system according to claim 1. The combination further discloses the host system is configured to refer to a list indicating a predetermined application, and when an application being executed is the predetermined application, determine a display region of an image of the application as the steady dynamic region (Demeuse, [0085] This photo can be used for determining a quality of the processed digital art image by comparing the (original) digital art image with the photo. The comparison result can be used for determining the quality of the processed digital art image and/or as a feedback for image processing algorithms, e.g. for optimization-based image processing algorithms or iterative image processing algorithms).
As to claim 3, the combination of Demeuse and Itou discloses the information processing system according to claim 1. The combination further discloses the host system is configured to when an operation indicating a motion operation of the display region is detected, determine the display region as the steady dynamic region (Itou, [0045] Displaying an object at least part of which is moved will hereinafter be referred to “movement display.” For example, when a displayed object is scrolled, all parts of the displayed object are moved at an identical speed).
As to claim 4, the combination of Demeuse and Itou discloses the information processing system according to claim 1. The combination further discloses the host system is configured to detect an update region updated from a previous frame from a display image of a current frame, and select, as a candidate for the steady dynamic
region, the update region that occurs at a predetermined frequency or more within a predetermined period up to the current frame and that has a common region having a
predetermined size or larger (Itou, [0115] The median pixel value refers to a pixel value positioned in the center of all pixel values of the object, arranged in ascending order, and the mode pixel value refers to a pixel value that appears most frequently among those pixel values).
As to claim 5, the combination of Demeuse and Itou discloses the information processing system according to claim 4. The combination further discloses the host system is configured to exclude the update region having a predetermined
size or smaller from candidates for the steady dynamic region (Demeuse, [0036] In one embodiment, a plurality of processed digital art images are transferred to a plurality of digital art frames, wherein the processed digital art images are distributed to the plurality of digital art frames depending on the detected orientation of the digital art frames).
As to claim 6, the combination of Demeuse and Itou discloses the information processing system according to claim 4. The combination further discloses the host system is configured to when an area ratio of a candidate region that is the candidate for the steady dynamic region to the display image exceeds a predetermined area ratio, determine an entire display image as the steady dynamic region (Demeuse, [0062] The digital art image has image characteristics like number of pixels, size ratio, etc.).
As to claim 7, the combination of Demeuse and Itou discloses the information processing system according to claim 4. The combination further discloses the host system is configured to, when an area ratio of a stationary update region to a candidate region that is the candidate for the steady dynamic region is equal to or less than a predetermined area ratio of the update region, detect edges from the candidate region,
determine an image region whose gradation fluctuates within a predetermined period up to the current frame at a predetermined frequency or more among image regions surrounded by the edges, as the steady dynamic region, and exclude an image region whose gradation does not fluctuate within the predetermined period up to the current
frame from the steady dynamic region (Demeuse, [0112] Each region is selected based on at least one common image feature like presence of edges, smoothness, variation of intensities, etc.).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Nicholson et al., US PGPUB 20200358930 discloses a device, method and computer program product are provided. The device includes a housing having display and back surfaces. A digital camera unit (DCU) is held in the housing and is oriented to face the display surface. The DCU includes sensor pixels to capture image data for a scene in a field of view of the DCU. The sensor pixels are arranged in a sensor matrix with a sensor pixel density. A display layer is held in the housing proximate to the display surface. The display layer includes display pixels arranged in a display matrix having a first pixel density. The display pixels are separated by gaps arranged in rows and columns. The display layer overlays the DCU such that a first subset of the sensor pixels aligns with, and are covered by, the display pixels and a second subset of the sensor pixels align with, and are exposed through, the gaps between the display pixels. The device includes a processor and memory storing program instructions accessible by the processor. Responsive to execution of the program instructions, the processor performs graphical user interface (GUI) related operations to display content on the display layer and performs an image capture operation to obtain image data utilizing the DCU.
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/SAHLU OKEBATO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2625 2/6/2026