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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on 11/20/2025 are 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 § 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) 1-17, 19, and 21-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goldman et al. (US 20190147619 A1) (hereinafter Goldman) in view of Yeung et al. (US 20200236278 A1) (hereinafter Yeung).
Regarding claim 1, Goldman discloses:
A computer-based anomaly management system for object rendering, comprising:
a plurality of sensors that capture information about objects in a real-world scene; [See Goldman, ¶ 0044, 0046, 0057, 0059, 0061, 0063 discloses a plurality of cameras capturing information about objects of interest in a real-world scene under surveillance.]
at least one computer readable non-transitory memory storing instructions; and [See Goldman, ¶ 0069, discloses a memory of other storage media, wherein one of ordinary skill would understand that storing instructions or programming code is routine and conventional in the art; See Goldman Fig. 1 illustrates a processor (120), which would be accompanied by code to instruct the processor to function as intended.]
at least one processor coupled with the plurality of sensors and the at least one memory, and that performs the following operations upon execution of the software instructions: [See Goldman, Fig. 1 illustrates a processor (120) and memory (122) coupled to a user device (110) with at least sensor (112).]
pre-building models in the at least one memory of one or more objects of interest in the real-world scene; [See Goldman, ¶ 0032, 0037-0039, Fig. 1 discloses generating a “3D geographic model” (124) including objects of interest within a real-world scene under surveillance.]
tracking a location or a movement within the real-world scene of the one or more objects having models associated therewith based on sensor data received from the plurality of sensors; [See Goldman, ¶ 0045 discloses tracking techniques, including geographically-registered supplementary content may be projected onto a sequence of displayed images with imaging parameters that change over time, where the position and orientation of the image contents is tracked and the relevant AR content is updated accordingly. Additionally, more standard image tracking techniques may be applied to track the location of the scene element between image frames in order to determine the correct placement for superposition of the AR content in subsequent frames, and then intermittently apply the aforementioned process (i.e., determining an updated model-image, comparing with the associated sensor-image, and determining an updated geolocation of imaging sensor 112 accordingly) after a selected number of frames in order to “recalibrate”.]
updating motion of the models relative to the real-world scene and other objects; [See Goldman, ¶ 0045 discloses determining an updated model-image, comparing with the associated sensor-image, and determining an updated geolocation of imaging sensor 112 accordingly.]
identify anomalies between an actual representation of the one or more object and an expected representation of the one or more object from the updated models; [See Goldman, ¶ 0037-0041 discloses determining discrepancies (anomalies) between images arising from inaccuracy of a detected geolocation of an imaging sensor by a user device relative to its true geolocation.]
determining whether to represent the identified anomalies in a final production of the model based on a prioritization policy; and [See Goldman, ¶ 0067, 0070, discloses that a plurality of cameras in an assembly may be assigned a ranking accounting for different criteria that affects its ability and/or effectiveness to perform (direct) image georegistration, where the different criteria may be weighted in terms of their relative importance, and may be dynamic. The camera with the “highest” ranking (i.e., deemed to be most effective for georegistration) may then be selected to perform direct georegistration, and used for determining the pose of other cameras in the assembly; See Goldman, ¶ 0036-0044, Figs. 3a-3b discloses superimposing supplementary AR (augmented-reality) content in a visualization of a model, particularly concerning a discrepancy (anomaly).]
Goldman does not appear to explicitly disclose:
generating at least one data stream to selectively represent the identified anomalies according to the determination.
However, Yeung discloses:
generating at least one data stream to selectively represent the identified anomalies according to the determination. [See Yeung, ¶ 0155, 0183 discloses different events and content capable of being transmitted to end users is prioritized for each individual user based on relevancy and/or user preferences; See Yeung, ¶ 0121-0126, 0149-0154, 0155-0169 discloses generating data streams representative of event detection.]
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention disclosed by Goldman to add the teachings of Yeung in order to generate and transmit virtual reality streams to a plurality of client virtual reality devices.
Regarding claim 4, Goldman in view of Yeung discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Yeung discloses:
wherein the operations further include:
generating a first data stream of the at least one data stream that represents the identified anomalies; and [See Yeung, ¶ 0121-0126, 0149-0154, 0155-0169 discloses generating data streams representative of event detection; See Yeung, ¶ 0245 discloses detecting a triggering event and transmitting an indication of the triggering event to a plurality of client VR devices, wherein a first client VR device is to generate first event-based graphics within a first VR environment in accordance with the indication.]
generate a second data stream of the at least one data stream that does not represent the identified anomalies. [See Yeung, ¶ 0121-0126, 0149-0154, 0155-0169 discloses generating data streams representative of event detection; See Yeung, ¶ 0247 discloses the plurality of client VR devices are each configurable to generate different event-based graphics and/or event-based audio responsive to the indication of the triggering event.]
The reasons to combine the cited prior art are applicable to those presented for previously rejected claim 1.
Regarding claim 5, Goldman in view of Yeung discloses all the limitations of claim 4.
Yeung discloses:
wherein the operations further include:
transmitting the first data stream to a first endpoint device; and [See Yeung, ¶ 0245 discloses detecting a triggering event and transmitting an indication of the triggering event to a plurality of client VR devices, wherein a first client VR device is to generate first event-based graphics within a first VR environment in accordance with the indication.]
transmitting the second data stream to a second endpoint device. [See Yeung, ¶ 0247 discloses the plurality of client VR devices are each configurable to generate different event-based graphics and/or event-based audio responsive to the indication of the triggering event.]
The reasons to combine the cited prior art are applicable to those presented for previously rejected claim 1.
Regarding claim 6, Goldman in view of Yeung discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Goldman discloses:
wherein the operations further include enhancing the models with one or more virtual articles. [See Goldman, ¶ 0036-0042 discloses overlaying supplementary AR content projected onto display 114 may be any type of graphical or visual design, including but not limited to: text; images; illustrations; symbology; geometric designs; highlighting; changing or adding the color, shape, or size of the image feature (environmental element) in question, and the like.]
Regarding claim 7, Goldman in view of Yeung discloses all the limitations of claim 6.
Goldman discloses:
wherein the one or more virtual articles include at least one of virtual clothing, a virtual accessory, or a virtual device. [See Goldman, ¶ 0036-0042 discloses overlaying supplementary AR content projected onto display 114 may be any type of graphical or visual design, including but not limited to: text; images; illustrations; symbology; geometric designs; highlighting; changing or adding the color, shape, or size of the image feature (environmental element) in question, and the like.]
Regarding claim 8, Goldman in view of Yeung discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Yeung discloses:
wherein identifying anomalies comprises detecting an object associated with a person has moved from an expected location relative to the person. [See Yeung, ¶ 0118-0119, Fig. 17 illustrates detection that a distance between an object and a subject has changed.]
The reasons to combine the cited prior art are applicable to those presented for previously rejected claim 1.
Regarding claim 9, Goldman in view of Yeung discloses all the limitations of claim 8.
Goldman discloses:
wherein the operations further include modifying a presentation of the object associated with the person to match the expected presentation of the object associated with the person. [See Goldman, ¶ 0036-0044, Figs. 3a-3b discloses superimposing supplementary AR (augmented-reality) content in a visualization of a model, particularly concerning a discrepancy (anomaly).]
Regarding claim 10, Goldman in view of Yeung discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Goldman discloses:
wherein the operations further include:
building an augmented reality (AR) representation of the one or more objects using the sensor data; and [See Goldman, ¶ 0025 discloses presentation of location-based augmented reality, where supplementary content is superimposed onto a view of a real-world environment in relation to at least one element in the environment.]
transmitting the AR representation within the at least one data stream such that a user device displays the expected presentation of the object as compared to the actual presentation of the object as detected by sensor data. [See Goldman, ¶ 0012, 0060, discloses transmitting feature descriptors and 3D position/orientation of scene features extracted in at least one image; See Goldman, ¶ 0025, 0035, 0037-0042, 0045 discloses displaying an “expected” presentation of content (supplementary content in a “correct” geospatial position) as compared to “actual” presentation of content (supplementary content illustrative of a positional discrepancy).]
Regarding claim 11, Goldman in view of Yeung discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Goldman discloses:
wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least two different types of sensors. [See Goldman, ¶ 0029-0030, 0046 discloses a plurality of imaging sensors including any type of device capable of acquiring and storing an image representation of a real-world scene, including the acquisition of any form of electromagnetic radiation at any range of wavelengths (e.g., light in the visible or non-visible spectrum, ultraviolet, infrared, radar, microwave, RF, and the like).]
Regarding claim 12, Goldman in view of Yeung discloses all the limitations of claim 11.
Goldman discloses:
wherein the at least two different types of sensors include at least two of:
an image pickup device, LIDAR, radar, an infrared detector, an ultraviolet detector, a proximity detector, a depth detector, a motion detector, a position detector, and an accelerometer. [See Goldman, ¶ 0029-0030, 0046, 0048, 0051 discloses a plurality of imaging sensors including any type of device capable of acquiring and storing an image representation of a real-world scene, including the acquisition of any form of electromagnetic radiation at any range of wavelengths (e.g., light in the visible or non-visible spectrum, ultraviolet, infrared, radar, microwave, RF, and the like). The sensor may also be a GPS (position detector).]
Regarding claim 13, Goldman in view of Yeung discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Yeung discloses:
wherein the operations further include:
determining a priority for the at least one data stream according to a prioritization policy; and [See Yeung, ¶ 0155-0169, 0183 discloses different events and content capable of being transmitted to end users is prioritized for each individual user based on relevancy and/or user preferences.]
transmitting the at least one data stream across a communication network according to the determined priority. [See Yeung, ¶ 0155-0169, 0183 discloses transmitting supplemental virtual reality information streams in accordance with an associated priority.]
The reasons to combine the cited prior art are applicable to those presented for previously rejected claim 1.
Regarding claim 14, Goldman in view of Yeung discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Yeung discloses:
wherein the operations further include:
identifying a performance having multiple performers; [See Yeung, ¶ 0149-0155 discloses a virtual reality framework geared towards real-time viewing of sports.]
monitoring expected attributes of each performer including at least one of a position, an orientation, and a spoken word as a function of time; and [See Yeung, ¶ 0149-0155 discloses configuring detection of events related to athlete performance at a sports game.]
identifying a mismatch between expected attributes and observed attributes as an anomaly from the anomalies. [See Yeung, ¶ 0149-0155 discloses detecting a significant event (an anomaly from standard gameplay) such as a record being broken or a scoring event (e.g., a touchdown, 3-pt shot, etc); (c) historical relevance of the event (e.g., the player's first stolen base in 10 years, player becomes the winningest pitcher in MLB, basketball player becomes the leading active scorer, etc).]
The reasons to combine the cited prior art are applicable to those presented for previously rejected claim 1.
Regarding claim 15, Goldman in view of Yeung discloses all the limitations of claim 14.
Yeung discloses:
wherein the operations further include prioritizing transmission of data relating to the mismatch in the at last one data stream. [See Yeung, ¶ 0155-0169, 0183 discloses different events and content capable of being transmitted to end users is prioritized for each individual user based on relevancy and/or user preferences; See Yeung, ¶ 0134 discloses composited video or graphics can be used to show event-related, real-time data (such as a game clock, score, statistics, or other relevant data) or can be used as virtual jumbotron and/or a virtual advertisement board.]
The reasons to combine the cited prior art are applicable to those presented for previously rejected claim 1.
Regarding claim 16, Goldman in view of Yeung discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Yeung discloses:
wherein the operations further include receiving input from a human operator indicating whether to represent or omit the identified anomalies. [See Yeung, ¶ 0060-0061, 0155-0169 discloses that various types of statistics may be displayed and/or made available in response to user input.]
The reasons to combine the cited prior art are applicable to those presented for previously rejected claim 1.
Regarding claim 17, Goldman in view of Yeung discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Yeung discloses:
wherein the operations further include using different anomaly management settings to different objects within the real-world scene based on object priority levels defined in the prioritization policy. [See Yeung, ¶ 0134 discloses composited video or graphics can be used to show event-related, real-time data (such as a game clock, score, statistics, or other relevant data) or can be used as virtual jumbotron and/or a virtual advertisement board.]
The reasons to combine the cited prior art are applicable to those presented for previously rejected claim 1.
Regarding claim 19, Goldman in view of Yeung discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Yeung discloses:
wherein the at least one data stream represent a movie or a gaming event. [See Yeung, ¶ 0149 discloses a virtual reality (VR) framework geared towards real-time viewing of games such as basketball, football, soccer, and baseball.]
Regarding claim 21, this claim recites analogous limitations to claim 1 in the form of “a method” and is therefore rejected on the same premise. Please see examiner’s earlier rejection of claim 1 for corresponding motivation statement.
Regarding claim 22, this claim recites analogous limitations to claim 1 in the form of “a non-transitory computer-readable medium” rather than “a system”, and is therefore rejected on the same premise. Please see examiner’s earlier rejection of claim 1 for corresponding motivation statement.
Further, claim 22 recites the following limitations which are not explicitly found from claim 1, but are addressed as follows:
Goldman discloses:
A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions stored thereon that cause a processor to: [See Goldman, ¶ 0069 discloses that the platform may include or be coupled with additional components (not shown) for performing the functions of the disclosed subject matter, such as: a processor; a location measurement unit; a memory or other storage media; a 3D geographic model; a communication channel; a user interface; a display; and the like.]
Claim(s) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goldman in view of Yeung in view of Rouvinez et al. (US 20170262045 A1) (hereinafter Rouvinez).
Regarding claim 18, Goldman in view of Yeung discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Goldman in view of Yeung does not disclose:
wherein the at least one data stream corresponds to a remote surgical procedure.
However, Rouvinez discloses:
wherein the at least one data stream corresponds to a remote surgical procedure. [See Rouvinez, ¶ 0050, 0071 discloses a VR/AR surgical or therapy procedure.]
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention disclosed by Goldman in view of Yeung to add the teachings of Rouvinez in order to enable the user to interact with a simulated setting and any objects depicted in a surgery environment.
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goldman in view of Yeung in view of Rosado et al. (US 20180342106 A1) (hereinafter Rosado).
Regarding claim 20, Goldman in view of Yeung discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
Goldman in view of Yeung does not appear to disclose:
wherein the operations further include:
determining a subscription level associated with a user device; and
configure the anomaly management system to represent or omit the identified anomalies based on the subscription level.
However, Rosado discloses:
wherein the operations further include:
determining a subscription level associated with a user device; and [See Rosado, ¶ 0084, 0087, 0090 discloses examples of subscription packages for use in a virtual reality setting, wherein overlaid advertisements are metered for display based on a subscription package type (particularly, a quantity and location of advertisements in a virtual scene/space are allocated based on a package type).]
configure the anomaly management system to represent or omit the identified anomalies based on the subscription level. [See Rosado, ¶ 0084, 0087, 0090 discloses examples of subscription packages for use in a virtual reality setting, wherein overlaid advertisements are metered for display based on a subscription package type. Hence, the prioritization of where virtual overlaid content is placed depends upon a subscription package type/level.]
It would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention disclosed by Goldman in view of Yeung to add the teachings of Rosado in order to track player or performer movement and provide for emulation of a live event with enhanced motion effects. (Rosado, para. 0129)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 3 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PATRICK E DEMOSKY whose telephone number is (571)272-8799. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7-4 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jamie Atala can be reached at 5712727384. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PATRICK E DEMOSKY/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2486
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