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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on August 15, 2025 was filed before the mailing date of a first Office action on the merits. The submission 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 § 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.
Claims 13 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 13 recites the limitation “the display apparatus” in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 15 recites the limitation “the display” in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakazawa et al., CN 112954435 A (hereinafter Nakazawa) [English translation via Espacenet attached] [included in IDS] in view of Lee, US Pub. 11323763 B2 (hereinafter Lee), and further in view of Diamand et al., US Pub. 7251328 B2 (hereinafter Diamand).
In regards to Claim 1, Nakazawa discloses a display apparatus, comprising: a display, configured to display a picture and/or a graphic user interface (Nakazawa: [n0263], where the display unit 205 generates a display image by combining multiple decoded images generated by multiple decoding units 204A to 204D, and displays the display image); a memory, configured to store computer instructions and data associated with the display apparatus (Nakazawa: [n1387], where the receiving device can also be configured to have an accumulation section that accumulates the conversion data output…in a storage device… The storage device is implemented, for example, by an auxiliary storage device consisting of a hard disk drive, a non-volatile memory, etc.); and at least one processor, connected to the display, the user interface, the communication device, and the memory, and configured to execute the computer instructions to cause the display apparatus to (Nakazawa: [n0355], where the receiving unit, generating unit, and decoding unit are implemented using microcomputers, processors, dedicated circuits, etc.; [n1410], where each component can also be implemented by reading and executing software programs recorded in recording media such as hard disks or semiconductor memory through a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor): in response to a playing command for media asset data, establish a media asset transport channel based on a media transport protocol of the media asset data (Nakazawa: [n0191]-[n0196], where the receiving device 200 includes a tuner 201, a demodulation unit 202, an inverse multiplexing unit 203, multiple decoding units 204A to 204D, and a display unit 205…tuner 201 receives broadcast signals. The demodulation unit 202 demodulates the received broadcast signal. The demodulated data is input to the inverse multiplexing unit 203...The inverse multiplexing unit 203 separates the demodulated data into segments and outputs the data of each segment to the decoding units 204A to 204D…the above description uses the transmitting device 100 and the receiving device 200 for broadcasting as examples, but the content can also be transmitted and received via a communication network); acquire media presentation information signaling through the media asset transport channel, wherein the media presentation information signaling comprises a presentation information table and a component description table (Nakazawa: [n0273], where the transmitting device 100 may also include information indicating whether the subsample unit exists in the MPU or MovieFragment in the MMT, such as the MPT (MP table); [n1084], where one method for transmitting additional information via signaling is to store and transmit the additional information in control messages, descriptors, tables); query the media asset data based on the presentation information table and the component description table to acquire a data transport stream of the media asset data, wherein the data transport stream comprises media processing unit (MPU) metadata, fragment metadata, and media fragmentation unit (MFU) data (Nakazawa: [n0327], where the MPU data is first constructed in the order of MPU metadata, MF metadata, and media data); detect a transport sequence of the MPU metadata, the fragment metadata, and the MFU data in the data transport stream (Nakazawa: [n0328]-[n0348], where the receiving device determines which transmission orders of MPU metadata/MF metadata/media data was used in order to select the corresponding decoding method ((A-1/2), (B-1/2), (C-1/2), and (D-1/2)); in response to the transport sequence being a target sequence, inject the data transport stream into a player to cause the player to perform decoding and playing on the data transport stream in real time (Nakazawa: [n0328]-[n0331], where after the MPU data is constructed, as shown in Figure 21(a), when the transmitting device transmits the data in the order of MPU metadata, MF metadata, and media data, the receiving device can decode it…After obtaining the MPU header information (MPU metadata and MF metadata), the receiving device uses the MPU header information to decode the media data…there is no need to buffer the media data in the receiving device…it can also be applied to conventional receiving devices). However, he fails to explicitly disclose that the display apparatus comprises a user interface, configured to receive a command from a user; and a communication device, configured to communicate with an external device based on a predetermined protocol. He also fails to explicitly disclose that in response to the transport sequence being not the target sequence, the display apparatus encapsulates the data transport stream as a media transport package based on the target sequence, and injects the media transport package into the player.
Lee from a similar endeavor teaches a display apparatus comprising a user interface configured to receive a command from a user (Lee: Col. 7, lines 51-54, where the display device 1 may receive a control command from the user by displaying the user interface on the display as described above); and a communication device, configured to communicate with an external device based on a predetermined protocol (Lee: Col. 7, lines 42-46, where the communication interface 150 enables the display apparatus 100 to communicate with an external server). Diamand from a similar endeavor teaches a display apparatus, that in response to the transport sequence being not the target sequence, encapsulates the data transport stream as a media transport package based on the target sequence, and injects the media transport package into the player (Diamand: Col. 4, lines 23-25 and 32-36, where since packets may be received out-of-order, reassembler 120 acts to place the packets of information back into proper order…the reassembler extracts the encrypted payloads from the packets, and uses these encrypted payloads to reconstruct the access unit, so content sent via bus 130 to media decoder is still encrypted).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Nakazawa in view of Lee and Diamand such that the display apparatus disclosed by Nakazawa would also include the limitations further disclosed by Lee and Diamand. Lee’s display apparatus makes it possible so that a user can choose to view a certain type of content, triggering Nakazawa’s transportation and querying steps. Diamand repackages reconstructed data since Nakazawa teaches that it must be the target sequence before reaching the player. The pieces that Lee and Diamand supply complete the apparatus described by Nakazawa, allowing for a complete, smooth, and user-operable display apparatus.
Regarding Claim 2, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer instructions to cause the display apparatus to: monitor a manipulation event of an upper-layer application (Lee: Col. 6, lines 7-11, where in order for the remote control apparatus 200 to control an operation of the display apparatus 100 according to a user's manipulation, the display apparatus 100 needs to recognize a control signal transmitted by the remote control apparatus 200); in response to the manipulation event of switching a channel or accessing a channel, detect a target channel accessed by the display apparatus (Lee: Col. 6 lines 65-67 and Col. 7 line 1, where when a channel up or down key is input once, a display apparatus sequentially changes a channel of displayed content to previous or next channels stored in a current channel map); query the media asset data corresponding to the target channel (Lee: Col. 8, lines 41-48, where in response to a specific event , the controller 130 may switch the currently displayed content to content corresponding to a current channel item indicated by the current channel indicator and display the switched-to content on the display 110. The specific event may include a user input of selecting the current channel item or a lapse of a predefined period of time after the release input is detected); and generate the playing command based on the media asset data (Lee: Col. 8, lines 54-60, where when the controller 310 of the external apparatus 300 receives a channel control code signal…transmits content according to the channel control to the display apparatus 100).
Regarding Claim 3, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer instructions to cause the display apparatus to, when acquiring the data transport stream of the media asset data, call a channel interface of a protocol stack middleware (Lee: Col. 7, lines 44-46 and lines 49-50, where the communication interface 150 may receive a channel map of the external apparatus 300 connected to the display apparatus 100 from the external server; and the I/O interface 170 receives content from the external apparatus 300); control a target channel accessed by the display apparatus through the channel interface (Lee: Col. 8, lines 54-58, where when the controller 310 of the external apparatus 300 receives a channel control code signal from the display apparatus 100…the controller 310 controls a channel provided by the external apparatus 300); and receive the media presentation information signaling and media asset data of the target channel (Lee: Col. 8, lines 59-61, where the controller transmits content according to the channel control to the display apparatus 100 via the I/O interface 320).
Regarding Claim 4, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer instructions to cause the display apparatus to: start a media server of a protocol stack middleware (Nakazawa: [n0355], where the receiving unit, generating unit, and decoding unit are implemented using microcomputers, processors, dedicated circuits, etc.); establish a connection relationship between the protocol stack middleware and the player through the media server (Nakazawa: [n1274], where when each processing unit is installed as a different LSI, different device, or different apparatus (such as a television, monitor, recording device, set-top box, etc.), the decoding prompting mechanism 1609 connects to each processing block using an external output mechanism, communication mechanism, interface mechanism 1610, etc.); and call the player based on the connection relationship, and inject the data transport stream or the media transport package into the player (Diamand: Col. 4, lines 37-40, where the media decoder causes decryption of the information and also decodes the information so that the original content can be presented as, e.g., audio or video playback, on output device 160).
Regarding Claim 5, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer instructions to cause the display apparatus to, when decoding and playing the data transport stream, initialize a decoder of the player (Nakazawa: [n0171], where the receiving device has four decoders, each of which decodes any one of the four segments.); decode the data transport stream by the decoder (Nakazawa: [n0262], where multiple decoding units 204A to 204D decode multiple input data in parallel according to the DTS of the access unit, thereby generating multiple decoded images (S210)); and call a underlying resource to render a playing picture of the media asset data on the display (Nakazawa: [n0263], where the display unit 205 generates a display image by combining multiple decoded images generated by multiple decoding units 204A to 204D, and displays the display image according to the PTS of the access unit (S211)).
Regarding Claim 6, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the target sequence is the MPU metadata, the fragment metadata, and the MFU data in sequence (Nakazawa: [n0327], where the MPU data is first constructed in the order of MPU metadata, MF metadata, and media data).
Regarding Claim 7, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer instructions to cause the display apparatus to: in response to the playing command for the media asset data, receive the data transport stream of the media asset data (Nakazawa: [n0445], where the receiving device 20 receives the MMT packet and obtains the MPU data (S401)); cache the data transport stream into a player cache region (Nakazawa: [n0340], where media data needs to be buffered in order to obtain MPU header information; [n0420], where the data acquisition unit 25 buffers the media data until the MPU metadata is acquired (S305)); and in response to that the MPU metadata and the fragment metadata are cached in the player cache region, decapsulate data in the player cache region and inject the data in the player cache region into the player (Diamand: Col. 4, lines 41-50, where the reassembler obtains header information by decryption of one or a few packets…the player within which the reassemble is operating is provided with the necessary information by the reassemble for player initialization so that further decryption, decoding and presentation of the information can be achieved at the player).
Regarding Claim 8, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the display apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the player cache region comprises a metadata cache region and a MFU data cache region, and the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer instructions to cause the display apparatus to, when the data transport stream is cached in the player cache region, detect a data type of data in the data transport stream (Diamand: Col. 3, lines 26-28, where the reassembler decrypts packets searching for the MPEG-4 VOL header needed to establish the size of a rendering window; the reassembler inspects packet data to identify header/metadata-type content as distinct from payload content, detecting data type); in response to the data type being metadata, cache the metadata in the metadata cache region, wherein the metadata comprises the MPU metadata and the fragment metadata (Diamand: Col. 3, lines 26-28, where the reassembler decrypts packets searching for the MPEG-4 VOL header needed to establish the size of a rendering window; the reassembler holds the header information it located separately before reconstruction); and in response to the data type being MFU data, cache the MFU data in the MFU data cache region (Diamand: Col. 4, lines 32-34, where the reassembler extracts the encrypted payloads from the packets, and uses these encrypted payloads to reconstruct the access unit). Diamand distinguishes and separately processes header/metadata information from payload/media-type data, and applying it with Nakazawa’s buffer (see claim 7) as separate metadata cache regions is a predictable design choice.
Regarding Claim 9, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer instructions to cause the display apparatus to play and display the MFU data after receiving the MPU metadata and the fragment metadata (Nakazawa: [n0329], where after obtaining the MPU header information (MPU metadata and MF metadata), the receiving device uses the MPU header information to decode the media data; [n0263], where the display unit 205 generates a display image by combining multiple decoded images generated by multiple decoding units 204A to 204D, and displays the display image).
Regarding Claim 10, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer instructions to cause the display apparatus to, when the data type of data in the data transport stream is neither metadata nor MFU data and the metadata received in the player cache region is not complete, discard the data in the data transport stream (Diamand: Col. 4, lines 32-34, where the reassembler extracts the encrypted payloads from the packets, and uses these encrypted payloads to reconstruct the access unit). Diamand implies that unusable packet data is not carried forward into the reconstructed unit/is discarded instead of being sent to the decoder/player.
Regarding Claim 11, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses a media asset playing method, comprising all of the claimed limitations (see rejection of claim 1 for details).
Regarding Claim 12, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the media asset playing method according to claim 11, further comprising all of the claimed limitations (see rejection of claim 2 for details).
Regarding Claim 13, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the media asset playing method according to claim 11, further comprising all of the claimed limitations (see rejection of claim 3 for details).
Regarding Claim 14, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the media asset playing method according to claim 11, further comprising all of the claimed limitations (see rejection of claim 4 for details).
Regarding Claim 15, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the media asset playing method according to claim 11, further comprising all of the claimed limitations (see rejection of claim 5 for details).
Regarding Claim 16, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the media asset playing method according to claim 11, further comprising the claimed limitation (see rejection of claim 6 for details).
Regarding Claim 17, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the media asset playing method according to claim 11, further comprising all of the claimed limitations (see rejection of claim 7 for details).
Regarding Claim 18, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the media asset playing method according to claim 17, wherein the player cache region comprises a metadata cache region and a MFU data cache region, and the method further comprises all of the claimed limitations (see rejection of claim 8 for details).
Regarding Claim 19, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the media asset playing method according to claim 11, further comprising all of the claimed limitations (see rejection of claim 9 for details).
Regarding Claim 20, the combined teaching of Nakazawa, Lee, and Diamand discloses the media asset playing method according to claim 18, further comprising all of the claimed limitations (see rejection of claim 10 for details).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yoon et al., US Pub. 2018/0278431 A1 teach a display device that can be operated by a communication controller.
Chen et al., US Pub. 2023/0345078 A1 teach a media playback method that includes retrieving data units from a buffer unit and decoding the data units for playback
Park et al., US Pub. 11245940 B2 teach transmitting multimedia data packets to a terminal.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HANNA CHONG whose telephone number is (571)270-0520. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathan Flynn can be reached at (571) 272-1915. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/HANNA CHONG/Examiner, Art Unit 2421 /NATHAN J FLYNN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2421
Prosecution Insights