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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: RECEIVING MOTION DATA FROM A REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE.
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heo (US PGPub 2025/0094014) in view of Kang (US PGPub 2020/0057518).
Regarding claim 1, Heo discloses an electronic apparatus (fig. 1, display device 100), comprising:
memory that stores instructions ([0053], “The storage unit 140 may store a program for processing and controlling each signal used in the controller 180, and may store a signal-processed image, a voice, or a data signal. For example, the storage unit 140 may store application programs designed for the purpose of performing various tasks that can be processed by the controller 180, and may selectively provide some of the stored application programs upon request of the controller 180”);
a communication interface configured to connect with a terminal device ([0077], “the external device interface unit 171 may establish a communication network with various remote controllers 200, may receive a control signal related to operation of the display device 100 from the remote controller 200, or may transmit data related to operation of the display device 100 to the remote controller 200”);
a display (fig. 1, display 150); and
at least one processor comprising processing circuitry ([0082], “The controller 180 may include at least one processor, and may control the overall operation of the display device 100 using the processor included therein”), wherein the instructions, when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, cause the electronic apparatus to:
control the display to display a screen comprising a plurality of objects ([0141] and fig. 6, “the display device 100 may output a guide pop-up window 610 when content 600 being output from the display module is content included in a first category”) and a pointer user interface (UI) ([0181] and fig. 11, “the display device 100 may output the cursor 1100”);
receive, via the communication interface, ([0114], “the display device may analyze the data received from the remote controller 200 and use the remote controller 200 in one of a first mode (hereinafter, a mouse mode) or a second mode (hereinafter, a remote controller mode)” and [0136], “when the mode of the remote controller is the remote controller mode, the coordinate filter module 500 may change the roll rotation data value and the x-axis data value to 0. In an embodiment, when the mode of the remote controller is the remote controller mode, the coordinate filter module 500 may delete the x-axis data and the roll rotation data among the original data”);
based on the ([0167], “when the remote controller 200 is in the mouse mode, the display device 100 outputs a first user interface 900a on the content”); and
based on the motion data being received, control the display to move the pointer UI based on the motion data ([0167], “when the remote controller 200 is in the remote controller mode, the display device 100 outputs a second user interface 900b on the content, but the first user interface 900a has a larger number of items included therein than the second user interface 900b”),
wherein the terminal device operates in the second mode based on a pre-set event ([0125], “a mode recognition module 400 may determine which mode the remote controller is being used in using received data (raw sensor data)”).
While Heo teaches a first mode as a mouse mode and a second mode as a remote control mode and further teaches receive a user input through the remote controller 200 through a touchpad or a user input interface unit 173 ([0052], also see [0081]) in general, it has been known to perform a function corresponding to touch data based on the touch data being received when operating in a first mode. In a similar field of endeavor of input devices, Kang discloses receive, via the communication interface, touch data from the terminal device operating in a first mode or motion data from the terminal device operating in a second mode ([0053], “The controller determines first whether it is a mouse mode, a touch pad mode, or a combination mode as a pointing device on the basis of the touch signal or the operation signal, secondarily determines whether it is another support mode except for the pointing device, for example, a remote control mode, a smartphone control mode, or a keypad mode, and then provides a suitable function fitted to each mode. When it is a pointing device mode, it is possible to extract movement information (a movement position, a movement distance, a movement direction, etc. of the pointer) on a monitor intended by a user”); based on the touch data being received, perform a function corresponding to the touch data ([0054], “when the touch pad mode is selected, the smart touch pad device can perform a pointing device function as a touch pad”).
In view of the teachings of Heo and Kang, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include a touch input of Kang as one of the modes of input in Heo, for the purpose of using touch input as a known type of input which has the advantages of intuitive operation and improved accessibility.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Heo and Kang further discloses wherein the instructions, when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, further cause the electronic apparatus to:
receive a notification from the terminal device via the communication interface, the notification indicating that an application for controlling the electronic apparatus has been executed (Heo: [0182], “In step S1220, the display device may determine the mode of the remote controller based on the information included in the data. In this regard, the mode of the remote controller may include the first mode (e.g., the mouse mode) and the second mode (e.g., the remote controller mode). In an embodiment, the display device may determine the mode of the remote controller to be the mouse mode when the rotation data and the z-axis data values among the information included in the data are 0” and [0190], “In an embodiment, the display device may output the guide pop-up window that guides switching the mode of the remote controller to the mouse mode under certain conditions. In this regard, the certain conditions may include when the content being output on the display module is included in the first category, when the virtual keyboard is output, when the number of items included in the content is equal to or greater than the first number, and the like”); and
based on the notification being received, control the display to display the pointer UI (Heo: [0179], “a diagram illustrating an embodiment of controlling a movement speed of a cursor in a display device”).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Heo and Kang further discloses wherein
the function corresponding to the touch data comprises at least one of: moving the pointer UI, selecting an object corresponding to a position at which the pointer UI is displayed from the plurality of objects, displaying a home screen, displaying a previous screen, or scrolling a current screen (Kang: [0056], “Further, when the user moves the main body unit in a plane, the controller 600 can move the pointer on the monitor. When the user selects a specific icon on the monitor and pushes the touch button 320, the controller 600 can execute a program (instruction) related to the icon (mouse mode)”).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Heo and Kang further discloses wherein
the touch data comprises at least one of: a drag signal, a tap signal a long tap signal, a double tap signal, or an edge scroll signal (Kang: [0057], “When a user touches short once (clicks) or continuously touches short twice (double clicks) the touch pad 310 in the mouse mode supporting the mouse function, the controller 600 can control the touch pad device 10 to perform the same functions as click and double click functions of a mouse”).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Heo and Kang further discloses wherein
the pre-set event comprises at least one of: a pre-set area of a display of the terminal device being touched, a floating UI displayed on the display of the terminal device being touched, an area of the display of the terminal device being touched for a threshold time or more, a pre-set physical button of the terminal device being touched, or a pre-set UI displayed on the display of the terminal device being touched (Kang: [0081], “The smart touch pad device can feely switch and use the pointing device mode, the remote control mode, or the keypad mode using the touch gesture commands” and [0087], “Further, for mode change, it is possible to change into the pointing device mode and the remote control mode in a toggle type by simultaneously long-pressing two touch buttons”).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Heo and Kang further discloses wherein the instructions, when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, further cause the electronic apparatus to:
based on receiving the touch data comprising a user input received through a first area of a display of the terminal device, perform a function corresponding to the touch data; and
based on the motion data being received based on a user input received through a second area of the display of the terminal device, control the display for the pointer UI to move based on the motion data (Kang: [0088], “Further, an instruction to perform a mode change or system setup can be allocated by a simultaneous touch with three fingers. In a state where three fingers are touched, it is possible to set the pointing device mode by pressing the left button and it is possible to set the remote control mode by pressing the right button. Alternatively, it is possible to set a specific mode depending on movement directions, by moving up, down, left, and right with three fingers touched”).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Heo and Kang further discloses wherein the instructions, when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, further cause the electronic apparatus to:
based on receiving the motion data obtained while a user input for selecting a floating UI displayed on the display of the terminal device is received, control the display for the pointer UI to move based on the motion data (Heo: [0180], “when the remote controller 200 is in the remote controller mode, the display device 100 may set the movement speed of the cursor 1100 output on the content based on the remote controller 200 to a second speed”).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Heo and Kang further discloses wherein
the motion data comprises gyroscope data obtained through a gyroscope sensor in the terminal device or acceleration data obtained through an acceleration sensor in the terminal device (Heo: [0116], “the remote controller 200 according to an embodiment may include a 3-axis gyro sensor and a 3-axis acceleration sensor, which together are also referred to as a 6-axis gyro sensor, to recognize a 3-dimensional space. Additionally, the remote controller 200 may recognize a tilt for each axis using the 3-axis gyro sensor and the 3-axis acceleration sensor”).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Heo and Kang further discloses wherein the instructions, when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, further cause the electronic apparatus to:
adjust a moving speed of the pointer UI based on movement pattern information of the pointer UI stored in the memory (Heo: [0179], “an embodiment of controlling a movement speed of a cursor in a display device”),
wherein the movement pattern information of the pointer UI comprises information indicating a pattern by which the pointer UI is moved to select an object (Heo: [0182], “when the remote controller 200 is in the remote controller mode, the display device 100 may recognize a first coordinate value for the movement of the remote controller 200 (e.g., a value that changes from (x1, y1, z1) to (x1′, y1', z1′)). Thereafter, the display device 100 may convert the first coordinate value into a second coordinate value (a value that changes from (x2, y2, z2) to (x2′, y2′, z2′)) based on a first formula and output the second coordinate value on the display module with the cursor 1100. In this regard, to output the cursor 1100 on the display module, the z-axis data may be replaced with 0”).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Heo and Kang further discloses wherein the instructions, when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, further cause the electronic apparatus to:
control the display to display identification information corresponding to the terminal device together with the pointer UI (Heo: [0142], “the display device 100 may receive information on the content 600 being output. In this regard, the information on the content 600 may include application identification information. The application identification information may indicate whether an application is a web browser or the like. Additionally, the information on the content 600 may include HTML code information”).
Claims 11-20 are method claims drawn to the apparatus of claims 1-10 respectively and are therefore interpreted and rejected based on similar reasoning.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sun et al. (US PGPub 2024/0310963) discloses mode transitions associated with the pointing device (fig. 2).
Everist (US PGPub 2023/0359267) discloses different views of an example thumb plate of the self-tracking controller of FIGS. 3A and 3B (figs. 4A and 4B).
Nishizawa (US PGPub 2019/0227642) discloses a control device (fig. 9).
Li (US PGPub 2017/0123516) discloses a controller (fig. 1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EMILY J FRANK whose telephone number is (571)270-7255. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8AM-6PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Benjamin C Lee can be reached at (571)272-2963. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EJF/
/BENJAMIN C LEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2629
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