DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the fifth camera" in line 17. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the sixth camera" in line 19. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following was found to be the closest pertinent prior art:
Bhat et al. US 2013/0063542 teaches videoconferencing software in each individual has a portal to access the video feeds of the other participants. Bhat teaches in paragraph [0018] that both employees and managers may be included, which is equivalent to employee and manager portals. Bhat Figure 4A-B teach up to five video feeds being distributed between users in graphical user interface 402 or 430. Figures 1A and 3 illustrate at least three different computing devices with a graphical user interface 216a0c. The Examiner interprets that each feed necessarily has a frame rate.
Decker US 2015/0281648 teaches a media conferencing system (title). Decker paragraph [0044] teaches Each participant 410 sends its main video feed (e.g., its camera source) and optionally one or more content feeds 415 upstream to a centralized entity 420. The centralized entity 420, in turn, sends back a high resolution/bandwidth video stream 417 of the active speaker and the content stream(s), if they exist. Where there are multiple active speakers, the centralized entity 420 may return multiple streams 417 representing the subset of active speakers in some embodiments. While Decker teaches increasing resolution of the speakers feed, Decker is deficient in teaching an increased frame rate for all participants when a video conference is activated. Decker is also deficient in teaching distributing a feed (seventh feed) of a third frame rate as well as distributing feeds at the second frame rate to the second and third computing devices.
Bader-Natal et al. US 2016/0073059 teaches providing feedback in a virtual conference (title). Bader-Natal teaches in paragraph [0083] when a participant is designated as the current speaker and is provided with the central speaking position within the GUI, that participant's client may capture video having a relatively higher resolution and/or frame rate than when the participant is not the speaker (i.e., and the video of the user is rendered within a small thumbnail region of the GUI). Choosing higher quality video for only the current speaker (or current set of speakers if multiple speakers are permitted) significantly reduces the bandwidth requirements of the system. While Bader-Natal teaches increasing the frame rate of the speakers feed, Bader-Natal is deficient in teaching an increased frame rate for all participants when a video conference is activated. Bader-Natal is also deficient in teaching distributing a feed (seventh feed) of a third frame rate as well as distributing feeds at the second frame rate to the second and third computing devices.
Ortiz US 7,884,855 teaches a display system for displaying multiple camera perspectives (title) such as front-facing and side-facing (Figure 7 images 124 and 126, inter alia) in response to a user selection. While these features are not explicitly claimed they are part of the disclosure and may be interpreted that first through third feeds could be side facing and fourth through sixth feeds are front facing.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: As indicated above, the prior art teaches conventional features such as providing for different video feeds, activating conferences, detecting speakers and increasing frame rate of particular feeds. However, all the claimed features are not known either alone or in combination from the prior art.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL E TEITELBAUM, Ph.D. whose telephone number is (571)270-5996. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30AM-5:00PM EST.
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/MICHAEL E TEITELBAUM, Ph.D./Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2422
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