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 on 05/13/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 5-6, 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Maizels et al. (US 20240070251 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Meizels teaches information processing system (FIG. 4, Processing unit, 412) comprising:
at least one memory that is configured to store instructions (FIG. 4,Memory device 402); and
at least one processor that is configured to execute the instructions to:
control lighting apparatuses to emit light (FIG. 7, Illumination Control Module and paragraph [0217], “Illumination control module 702 may regulate the operation of light source 410 to illuminate facial region 108”) in at least one of the following modes:
a first mode in which light is emitted to at least a first target in case the first target is located in a predetermined area (paragraph [0217], “as long as user 102 is not speaking, speech detection system 100 may operate in a first illumination mode (e.g., low frame rate); and a second mode in which light is emitted at least to a second target in case the second target is located in the predetermined area (paragraph [0217], “it may process the images to detect at least one trigger in the reflection signals (e.g., a movement of the face) indicative of speech. When such trigger is detected, illumination control module 702 may cause the coherent light source to operate in a second illumination mode (e.g., high frame rate) to enable detection of changes in the coherent light patterns (e.g., speckle) that occur due to silent speech”); and
acquire at least one of biometric information (paragraph [0217], “speech detection system 100”) of the first target to which light is emitted by the lighting apparatuses and biometric information of the second target to which light is emitted by the lighting apparatuses (paragraph [0217], “Illumination control module 702 may also configured to change one or more characteristics of projected light 104 based on various types of triggers. The various types of triggers may be detected by analysis of data from sensors communication module 704”).
Regarding claim 2, Meizels further teaches a first position of the first target in case of the first target is located in the predetermined area, and a second position of the second target in case of the second target is located in the predetermined area, are different positions in an alignment direction that is different from a moving direction of the first target and the second target (paragraph [0265], “projecting light on a plurality of facial region areas of an individual, wherein the plurality of areas includes at least a first area and a second area. The term “projecting” includes controlling a light source (e.g., a coherent light source) such that it emits light in a given direction (e.g., toward a portion of the face), as discussed elsewhere in this disclosure. The term “individual” includes a person who uses a speech detection system (or another person to whom the light source is projected), as described elsewhere in this disclosure. The term “facial region area” or simply “area” in the context of the face includes a portion of the face of the individual, as described elsewhere in this disclosure”).
Regarding claim 5, Meizels further teaches the lighting apparatuses includes a plurality of lighting elements arranged in a line, and the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to control light emission by each of the plurality of lighting elements according to a position of a target in the alignment direction (paragraph [0291], “the plurality of areas are illuminated by multiple light sources (e.g., an array of laser diodes).
Regarding claim 6, Meizels further teaches the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to control the light emission by all of the plurality of lighting elements, in case the second target is located at the second position when the first target is located at the first position (paragraph [0291], “he plurality of areas are illuminated by multiple light sources (e.g., an array of laser diodes) only the light sources that illuminate these two areas may be actuated, thus reducing power consumption. If a large movement of the speech detection system relative to the skin is detected, a different set of light sources may be actuated”).
Regarding claim 8, Meizels teaches an information processing method (FIG. 4, Processing unit, 412 and FIG. 9) comprising:
controlling lighting apparatuses to emit light (FIG. 7, Illumination Control Module and paragraph [0217], “Illumination control module 702 may regulate the operation of light source 410 to illuminate facial region 108”) in at least one of the following modes:
a first mode in which light is emitted to at least a first target in case the first target is located in a predetermined area (paragraph [0217], “as long as user 102 is not speaking, speech detection system 100 may operate in a first illumination mode (e.g., low frame rate); and a second mode in which light is emitted at least to a second target in case the second target is located in the predetermined area (paragraph [0217], “it may process the images to detect at least one trigger in the reflection signals (e.g., a movement of the face) indicative of speech. When such trigger is detected, illumination control module 702 may cause the coherent light source to operate in a second illumination mode (e.g., high frame rate) to enable detection of changes in the coherent light patterns (e.g., speckle) that occur due to silent speech”); and
acquiring at least one of biometric information (paragraph [0217], “speech detection system 100”) of the first target to which light is emitted by the lighting apparatuses and biometric information of the second target to which light is emitted by the lighting apparatuses (paragraph [0217], “Illumination control module 702 may also configured to change one or more characteristics of projected light 104 based on various types of triggers. The various types of triggers may be detected by analysis of data from sensors communication module 704”).
Regarding claim 9, Meizels teaches a non-transitory recording medium FIG. 4,Memory device 402) on which a computer program that allows a computer to execute the information processing method according to claim 8is recorded (FIG. 7, Illumination Control Module and paragraph [0217], “Illumination control module 702 may regulate the operation of light source 410 to illuminate facial region 108”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4, 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:
Regarding claim 3, prior arts whether stand alone or in combination fail to teach or reasonably suggest the information processing system according to Claim 2, comprising “wherein one of the lighting apparatuses are provided at one end of the alignment direction and other of the lighting apparatuses are provided at other end of the alignment direction in a moving area where the first target and the second target move”, as required in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Dependent claim 4 is also objected by virtue of its dependency.
Regarding claim 7, prior arts whether stand alone or in combination fail to teach or reasonably suggest the information processing system according to Claim 2, comprising “at least two other side lighting apparatuses provided at other end of the alignment direction, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to control a first lighting apparatus of the at least two other side lighting apparatuses to emit light to the right eye of the target; and control a second lighting apparatus of the at least two other side lighting apparatuses to emit light to the left eye of the target, in case the target is located on other side of the center in the alignment direction”, as required in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SYED M KAISER whose telephone number is (571)272-9612. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 a.m.-6 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah Riyami can be reached at 571-270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SYED M KAISER/Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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