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 .
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 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.
Status of Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending.
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 of this title, 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, 8, 17, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pub. No. 20220038667 A1 to Richards in view of US Pub. No. 20230020363 A1 to Okamoto and in further view of US Patent No. 7,221,374 B2 to Dixon.
As to claims 1, 17 and 20, Richards discloses a display method for a projection device, comprising:
obtaining current ambient light information of the projection device (Richards Fig. 1-12, ¶0045, 0048, 0061-0063, 0073, receiving ambient light information/parameter of the projector using sensor);
determining a brightness range for the projection device to perform projection based on the current ambient light information (Richards Fig. 1-12, ¶0045, 0048, 0050, 0061-0069, 0073, determining dimming, e.g. brightness levels, for the projection to project the image based on the high/low ambient light), and
obtaining a source image to be projected (Richards Fig. 1-12, ¶0045, 0048, 0061-0063, 0073, 0075-0077, receiving content/image to be projected), and
processing the source image according to the brightness range (Richards Fig. 1-12, ¶0045, 0048, , 0050, 0061-0069, 0073, 0075-0077, processing the content/image based on the dimming, e.g. brightness levels); and
projecting and displaying the target image (Richards Fig. 1-12, ¶0045, 0048, 0061-0063, 0073, 0075-0077, projecting and displaying the processed content/image).
Richards does not expressly disclose obtaining a current projection size of the projection device;
determining the current projection size;
determining a color for the projection device to perform projection based on the current ambient light information;
obtaining a high dynamic range (HDR) source image to be projected, and
processing the HDR source image according to the color to obtain an HDR target image; and
projecting and displaying the HDR target image according to the current projection size.
Okamoto discloses obtaining a current projection size of the projection device (Okamoto Fig. 1-3, ¶0030, 0035, receive the size of the projected image of the projector);
determining the current projection size (Okamoto Fig. 1-3, ¶0030, 0035, calculating the size of the projection, e.g. length of the diagonal line in inches, and the area of the projected area can be calculated);
obtaining a high dynamic range (HDR) source image to be projected (Okamoto Fig. 1-3, ¶0020, 0025, receiving image in the HRD format to be projected), and
processing the HDR source image according to the color to obtain an HDR target image (Okamoto Fig. 1-3, ¶0020, 0025, 0033, 0056, processing the HDR image based on the color to generate the processing HDR image); and
projecting and displaying the HDR target image according to the current projection size (Okamoto Fig. 1-3, ¶0020, 0025, 0033, 0056, projecting and displaying the HDR image based on the size of the projection).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Richards by obtaining a current projection size of the projection device; determining the current projection size; obtaining a high dynamic range (HDR) source image to be projected, and processing the HDR source image according to the color to obtain an HDR target image; and projecting and displaying the HDR target image according to the current projection size as disclosed by Okamoto. The suggestion/motivation would have been in order to yield predictable results of increasing the quality of the image to be projected and displayed thereby enhancing the user’s experience
Richards and Okamoto do not expressly disclose determining a color for the projection device to perform projection based on the current ambient light information.
Dixon discloses determining a color for the projection device to perform projection based on the current ambient light information (Dixon col. 2. ll.19-col. 3, ll. 64 and col. 5, ll. 55-col. 6, ll. 60, determining adjusted colors for the projector to project/display the image based on the ambient light source).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Richards and Okamoto by determining a color for the projection device to perform projection based on the current ambient light information as disclosed by Dixon. The suggestion/motivation would have been in order to yield predictable results of increasing the quality of the image to be projected and displayed based on the ambient light thereby enhancing the user’s experience.
As to claims 8 and 19, Dixon discloses wherein the determining a color for the projection device to perform projection based on the current ambient light information comprises: determining a third coefficient of the current ambient light information on the color for the projection device to perform projection based on the current ambient light information (Dixon col. 2. ll.19-col. 3, ll. 64 and col. 5, ll. 55-col. 6, ll. 60, col. 8, ll. 5-14, determining adjusted colors for the projector to project/display the image based on the ambient light source where the a plurality (1 to n, with n greater than or equal to 2) of predetermined signatures 50 from a corresponding number candidate light sources 52, which may be represented digitally. Each predetermined signature 50 and corresponding candidate light source 52 also may be associated with a predefined color adjustment 54 for that candidate light source); and determining the color for the projection device to perform projection based on the third coefficient (Dixon col. 2. ll.19-col. 3, ll. 64 and col. 5, ll. 55-col. 6, ll. 60, col. 8, ll. 5-14, determining adjusted colors for the projector to project/display the image based on the ambient light source where the a plurality (1 to n, with n greater than or equal to 2) of predetermined signatures 50 from a corresponding number candidate light sources 52, which may be represented digitally. Each predetermined signature 50 and corresponding candidate light source 52 also may be associated with a predefined color adjustment 54 for that candidate light source).
Claims 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pub. No. 20220038667 A1 to Richards in view of US Pub. No. 20230020363 A1 to Okamoto and in further view of US Patent No. 7,221,374 B2 to Dixon and in further view of US Pub. No. 20200177855 A1 to Miao.
As to claim 11, Richards and Dixon disclose determining the brightness range from a predefined table based on the current ambient light information (Richards ¶0045, 0048, 0061-0063, 0073, determining the projector peak level in nits from the Table 1 based on the ambient light)
wherein the determining a color for the projection device to perform projection based on the current ambient light information comprises: determining the color from the predefined table based on the current ambient light information (Dixon col. 2. ll.19-col. 3, ll. 64 and col. 5, ll. 55-col. 6, ll. 60, col. 8, ll. 5-14, lookup tables for the color).
Richards, Okamoto and Dixon do not expressly disclose determining the brightness range from a predefined table based on the current ambient light information and the current projection size.
Miao discloses determining the brightness range from a predefined table based on the current ambient light information and the current projection size (Miao ¶0034-0036, 0049-0051 Table 2 & 3, determining brightness numbers from lookup table based on the image/projection size).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Richards, Okamoto and Dixon by determining the brightness range from a predefined table based on the current ambient light information and the current projection size as disclosed by Miao. The suggestion/motivation would have been in order to yield predictable results of providing brightness adjustments to the projected image thereby improving the image quality and enhancing the user’s experience.
As to claim 12, Dixon and Miao disclose wherein the preset table is a three-dimensional look-up table, with dimensional variables including ambient light intensity, projection size, and maximum projection brightness of the projection device. (Dixon col. 2. ll.19-col. 3, ll. 64 and col. 5, ll. 55-col. 6, ll. 60, three-dimensional table and ambient light and Miao ¶0034-0036, 0049-0051 Table 2 & 3, image/projector size and max brightness)
Claims 13 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pub. No. 20220038667 A1 to Richards in view of US Pub. No. 20230020363 A1 to Okamoto in further view of US Patent No. 7,221,374 B2 to Dixon and in further view of US Pub. No. 20170105042 A1 to Toma.
As to claim 13, Richards, Okamoto and Dixon do not expressly disclose wherein the obtaining an HDR source image to be projected comprises: obtaining a HDR video source input to the projection device; and decoding the HDR video source to generate the HDR source image.
Toma discloses wherein the obtaining an HDR source image to be projected comprises: obtaining a HDR video source input to the projection device (Toma ¶0074-0075, 0095-0096, 0101, 0110, 0131-0137, receiving HDR video to the projector); and decoding the HDR video source to generate the HDR source image (Toma ¶0074-0075, 0095-0096, 0101, 0110, 0131-0137, decoding the HDR video to display the decoded HDR video).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Richards, Okamoto and Dixon by obtaining a HDR video source input to the projection device; and decoding the HDR video source to generate the HDR source image as disclosed by Toma. The suggestion/motivation would have been in order to yield predictable results of decoding the HDR video to preserve the full dynamic range and color of the original video thereby increasing/enhancing the quality of the video.
As to claim 14, Toma discloses wherein the decoding the HDR video source to generate the HDR source image comprises: parsing metadata of the HDR video source to obtain an initial brightness range and an initial color information (Toma ¶0074-0075, 0095-0096, 0101, 0110, 0131-0137, metadata of the HDR video containing luminance value and color information).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pub. No. 20220038667 A1 to Richards in view of US Pub. No. 20230020363 A1 to Okamoto in further view of US Patent No. 7,221,374 B2 to Dixon and in further view of US Pub. No. 20160117975 A1 to Kang.
As to claim 15, Richards, Okamoto and Dixon do not expressly disclose
mapping brightness information of the HDR source image to the brightness range to perform tone mapping on the HDR source image; and after the tone mapping, performing color correction on the HDR source image based on the color to obtain the HDR target image.
Kang discloses mapping brightness information of the HDR source image to the brightness range to perform tone mapping on the HDR source image; and after the tone mapping, performing color correction on the HDR source image based on the color to obtain the HDR target image (Kang ¶0059, tone mapping curve generator 152 generates a tone mapping curve in accordance with the determined resultant of the brightness distribution determiner 151. The tone mapping curve generated in the tone mapping curve generator 152 can be used to adjust the brightness of the color pixel data signals)
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Richards, Okamoto and Dixon by mapping brightness information of the HDR source image to the brightness range to perform tone mapping on the HDR source image; and after the tone mapping, performing color correction on the HDR source image based on the color to obtain the HDR target image as disclosed by Kang. The suggestion/motivation would have been in order to yield predictable results of improving the image quality by color correcting thereby enhancing the user’s experience.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-7, 9-10, 16 and 18 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
-US Pub. No. 20240357113 A1 to Reinhard discloses adapting media (e.g., video) processing operations and/or parameters based on the conditions of a media environment.
-US Pub. No. 20210223673 A1 to Chou discloses a projector recommendation system comprises a database, an input interface, a processing unit and a display unit. The database stores a look-up table, wherein the look-up table records a plurality of projectors and a plurality of projection parameters corresponding to each of the projectors. The input interface is configured to input a size of a projection plane, a projection distance and an environmental brightness. The processing unit calculates a projection length according to the size of the projection plane, a target aspect ratio and a blending manner, calculates a target throw ratio according to the projection distance and the projection length, and calculates a target minimum projection brightness according to the environmental brightness, a predetermined brightness level and a projection area. The processing unit generates a projector recommendation result according to the target minimum projection brightness, the target throw ratio, a target resolution corresponding to the target aspect ratio and the projection parameters. The display unit is configured to display the projector recommendation result.
Claims 1, 8, 11-15, 17, 19-20 have been rejected.
Claims 2-7, 9-10, 16 and 18 are objected.
Correspondence Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYU CHAE whose telephone number is (571)270-5696. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00am -4:30pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, NASSER MOAZZAMI can be reached on 571-272-4195. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KYU CHAE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2426