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 .
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (“Wang”, US 2015/0130952) in view of Miyoshi et al. (“Miyoshi”, US 7,433,493).
Regarding claim 1, Wang discloses a method for detecting a freeze frame condition in a WiFi camera, the method comprising:
using the wifi network (Wang: see fig. 1 and par. [0022], wherein the wireless communications network 17 is a long range network such as Wifi);
comparing one of the images to another one of the images (Wang: see fig. 4 and pars. [0036]-[0037], wherein comparing current frame to previous frame); and
detecting the freeze frame condition as a result of determining that a level of similarity between the two captured images exceeds a threshold level (Wang: see fig. 4 and pars. [0037]-[0038], in which detecting the freeze events as a result of determining that a level of similarity between two frames exceeds a non-zero dynamic threshold).
Wang does not explicitly disclose using the camera to capture a plurality of images.
However, Miyoshi teaches using the camera to capture a plurality of images (Miyoshi: see fig. 1 and col. 3, lines 10-12, wherein using the camera to capture a plurality of images).
One would have been modified to include a camera as taught by Miyoshi in the apparatus of Wang to obtain the images.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Miyoshi with the Wang’s system to include using the camera to capture a plurality of images.
Regarding claim 2, Wang in the combination with Miyoshi discloses the method of claim 1.
Wang in the combination with Miyoshi does not explicitly disclose that the camera includes a lens, an image digital signal processor, a video encoder, a video decode engine, and a video processing engine pipeline.
The Examiner takes Official Notice that the camera including a lens, an image digital signal processor, a video encoder, a video decode engine, and a video processing engine pipeline is well known in the art.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the features into Wang and Miyoshi’s system to process the obtained image data signal.
The ration to do so is to obtain image data.
Regarding claim 3, Wang in the combination with Miyoshi discloses the method of claim 1 wherein the comparing step is performed by use of a display screen (Wang: see fig. 4 and par. [0036], wherein this method is often computed from the captured video frames rendered on the display screen).
Regarding claim 4, Wang in the combination with Miyoshi discloses the method of claim 1 wherein the detecting step is performed by use of a display screen (Wang: see fig. 4 and par. [0036], wherein this method is often computed from the captured video frames rendered on the display screen).
Regarding claim 5, Wang in the combination with Miyoshi discloses the method of claim 1.
Miyoshi further teaches comprising sending a notification of the freeze frame condition to a human user via a video overlay (Miyoshi: see col. 3, lines 23-26, wherein Output means 107 is a display unit, by which the place of occurrence of abnormality that has been estimated by the abnormality origin estimation means 106 is displayed to alert the user of the detector to the abnormality, considering the abnormality is the freeze frame condition).
One would have been modified to include a notification as taught by Miyoshi in the apparatus of Wang and Miyoshi to obtain the images.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include sending a notification of the freeze frame condition to a human user via a video overlay.
Regarding claim 6, Wang in the combination with Miyoshi discloses the method of claim 1.
Wang in the combination with Miyoshi does not explicitly disclose comprising sending a notification of the freeze frame condition to a human user over WiFi/Bluetooth.
The Examiner takes Official Notice that comprising sending a notification of the freeze frame condition to a human user over WiFi/Bluetooth is well known in the art.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the features into Wang and Miyoshi’s system to sending the notification.
The ration to do so is to obtain another way to sending the signal.
Regarding claim 7, Wang in the combination with Miyoshi discloses the method of claim 1 wherein the comparing step includes a pixel-to-pixel comparison of the two images (Wang: see par. [0037]).
Regarding claim 8, Wang in the combination with Miyoshi discloses the method of claim 7 wherein the detecting of the freeze frame condition is a result of determining that more than a threshold number or percentage of pixels are identical in the two images (Wang: see fig. 4 and pars. [0037]-[0038], in which detecting the freeze events as a result of determining that more than a threshold in the two frames).
Regarding claim 9, Wang discloses a WiFi camera freeze frame detection arrangement, comprising:
a WiFi network (Wang: see fig. 1 and par. [0022], wherein the wireless communications network 17 is a long range network such as Wifi); and
an electronic processor (42) communicatively coupled to the WiFi network and configured to:
compare one of the images to another one of the images (Wang: see fig. 4 and pars. [0036]-[0037], wherein comparing current frame to previous frame); and
detect a freeze frame condition as a result of determining that a level of similarity between the two captured images exceeds a threshold level (Wang: see fig. 4 and pars. [0037]-[0038], in which detecting the freeze events as a result of determining that a level of similarity between two frames exceeds a non-zero dynamic threshold).
Wang does not explicitly disclose using the camera to capture a plurality of images.
However, Miyoshi teaches using the camera to capture a plurality of images (Miyoshi: see fig. 1 and col. 3, lines 10-12, wherein using the camera to capture a plurality of images).
One would have been modified to include a camera as taught by Miyoshi in the apparatus of Wang to obtain the images.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Miyoshi with the Wang’s system to include using the camera to capture a plurality of images.
Regarding claim 17, Wang discloses a method for detecting a freeze frame condition in a camera, the method comprising:
comparing one of the images to another one of the images by performing a pixel- to-pixel comparison of the two images (Wang: see fig. 4 and par. [0037], comparing the current frame to the previous frame by performing a pixel-to-pixel comparison of the two frames); and
detecting the freeze frame condition as a result of determining that more than a threshold number or percentage of pixels are identical in the two images (Wang: see fig. 4 and pars. [0037]-[0038], in which detecting the freeze events as a result of determining that more than a threshold in the two frames).
Wang does not explicitly disclose using the camera to capture a plurality of images.
However, Miyoshi teaches using the camera to capture a plurality of images (Miyoshi: see fig. 1 and col. 3, lines 10-12, wherein using the camera to capture a plurality of images).
One would have been modified to include a camera as taught by Miyoshi in the apparatus of Wang to obtain the images.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Miyoshi with the Wang’s system to include using the camera to capture a plurality of images.
Regarding claims 10-16 and 18-20, claims 10-16 and 18-20 recite the similar subject matter as previously discussed in claims 2-8.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHAN T H NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-3452. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8AM-4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lin Ye can be reached at 571-272-7372. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHAN T NGUYEN/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2638
/LIN YE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2638
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