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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted is considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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(s) 1, 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kadam (US Publication Number 2023/0063215 A1) in view of Teranishi et al. (US Publication Number 2022/0114785 A1, hereinafter “Teranishi”).
(1) regarding claim 1:
As shown in fig. 1, Kadam disclosed a three-dimensional model generation method in a computer (fig. 1, note that processing of generating a 3D model of a subject is disclosed), the method comprising:
generating point cloud data of a three-dimensional model indicating a three-dimensional shape of a subject on a basis of distance from a position of a camera to the subject (para. [0044], note that as illustrated in FIG. 1, the generation of the 3D model includes capturing of a subject 90 by a plurality of imaging devices 70 (70a, 70b, 70c). Volumetric capture is to acquire information including both the texture and the depth (distance) of the subject 90. Also see para. [0049], the point cloud describes the subject 90 as a plurality of pieces of point cloud information forming the surface of the subject 90);
generating mesh data from the point cloud data (para. [0047], note that the 3D model 90M includes mesh data called polygon mesh in which geometry information of the subject 90 is expressed by connection between vertices and vertices, and texture information and depth information (distance information) corresponding to each polygon mesh);
generating a plurality of texture candidate images to be pasted to a plurality of polygons constituting the mesh data on a basis of an image in which distances between the plurality of polygons constituting the mesh data and having pixel regions corresponding to the mesh data (para. [0048], note that the 3D model 90M is subjected to so-called texture mapping in which a texture representing the color, pattern, or texture of the mesh is pasted according to the mesh position. In the texture mapping, it is desirable to paste a (view dependent) texture according to the viewpoint position in order to improve the reality of the 3D model 90M. As a result, when the 3D model 90M is captured from an arbitrary viewpoint (hereinafter referred to as a free viewpoint), the texture changes according to the viewpoint position, so that a higher-quality free viewpoint video can be generated. However, since the amount of calculation increases, a (view independent) texture that does not depend on the line-of-sight position may be pasted to the 3D model 90M); and
pasting an image of a region on the plurality of texture candidate images corresponding to a position of each of the plurality of polygons as a texture to each of the plurality of polygons (para. [0058], note that the 3D model 90M can be drawn by pasting the texture information Ta (VI rendering) on the surface of the mesh information M representing the 3D model 90M. Then, at this time, even when the viewpoint position for viewing the 3D model 90M changes, the same texture information Ta is pasted to the mesh representing the same region).
Kadam disclosed most of the subject matter as described above except for specifically teaching of a plurality of images arranged in ascending order, and the image are shortest among images.
However, Teranishi disclosed a plurality of images arranged in ascending order (para. [0134], note that frameset generator 141 generates a frameset in which the plurality of frames are arranged in ascending order according to the position and orientation of camera 301), and the image are shortest among images (para. [0134], note that frameset generator 141 generates the frameset in which the plurality of frames are rearranged in the order of a shorter distance between the subject and the positions of camera 301).
At the time of filing for the invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art to teach a plurality of images arranged in ascending order, and the image are shortest among image. The suggestion/motivation for doing so would have been in order to reduce processing time for generating a three-dimensional model (para. [0031]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to combine Kadam with Teranishi to obtain the invention as specified in claim 1.
(2) regarding claim 8:
Kadam further disclosed the three-dimensional model generation method according to claim 1, wherein the pasting the image includes determining whether or not each of the plurality of polygons is visible from the position of the camera in the texture candidate image (para. [0048], note that is desirable to paste a (view dependent) texture according to the viewpoint position in order to improve the reality of the 3D model 90M), and pasting an image of a region on the texture candidate image corresponding to a position of the polygon determined to be visible from the position of the camera as the texture on the polygon (para. [0048], note that as a result, when the 3D model 90M is captured from an arbitrary viewpoint (hereinafter referred to as a free viewpoint), the texture changes according to the viewpoint position, so that a higher-quality free viewpoint video can be generated).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-7 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: the prior arts made of record do not teach “wherein the generating the plurality of texture candidate images includes generating a texture candidate image in which a region other than a region including a plurality of pixels corresponding to a point cloud in an image used to generate the point cloud data has been subjected to mask processing”, as recited in claim 2. Claims 3-7 depend on claim 2.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ceylan et al. (US Publication Number 2018/0218535 A1) disclosed systems and methods that facilitate scanning an object (e.g., a three-dimensional object) having custom mesh lines thereon and generating a three-dimensional mesh of the object.
Kim (US Publication Number 2008/0084413 A1) disclosed a method for generating a multi-resolution three-dimensional model, and for extracting feature lines using texture images and geometric data from a three-dimensional model.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to Hilina K Demeter whose telephone number is (571) 270-1676.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, King Y. Poon could be reached at (571) 270- 0728. 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 PAIR system, see http://pari-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.
/HILINA K DEMETER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2617
Prosecution Insights