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`UNITEDSTATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`18/000,520
`
`12/02/2022
`
`Ryohei TAKAHASHI
`
`14634US02
`
`6302
`
`Xsensts
`
`/Sony
`
`nme
`
`Xsensus / Sony
`100 Daingerfield Road, Suite 402
`Alexandria, VA 22314
`
`ZALALEE, SULTANA MARCIA
`
`2614
`
`10/24/2024
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`Xdocket @ XSensus.com
`
`Xsensuspat@ XSensus.com
`anaquadocketing @ Xsensus.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-20 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) _ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`C} Claim(s)__ is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected.
`(] Claim(s)__ is/are objectedto.
`C] Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)( The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11) The drawing(s) filed on 12/02/2022 is/are: a)[¥) accepted or b)(.) objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121(d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)£) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`_—_c)L) None ofthe:
`b)L) Some**
`a)Q) All
`1.1) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No. |
`3.2.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`*“ See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3)
`
`4)
`
`(LJ Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20241019
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`48/000,520
`TAKAHASH|etal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF)StatusExaminer
`SULTANA M ZALALEE
`2614
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORYPERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensionsof time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 12/02/2022.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)() This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3) An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4)(2) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 18/000,520
`Art Unit: 2614
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Claim Interpretation
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
`
`(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. — An element in a claim for a combination may be
`expressed as a meansor step for performing a specified function without the recital of
`structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the
`corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents
`thereof.
`
`The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
`
`An elementin a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing
`a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and
`suchclaim shall be construed to cover the correspondingstructure, material, or acts
`described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
`
`This application includes one or moreclaim limitations that do not use the word
`
`“means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AlA 35
`
`U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, becausethe claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder
`
`that is coupled with functional language withoutreciting sufficient structure to perform
`
`the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier.
`
`Such claim limitation(s) is/are: unit in claims 1-9, 11-19.
`
`Becausethis/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C.
`
`112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to
`
`cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the
`
`claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
`
`If applicant does not intend to havethis/theselimitation(s) interpreted under 35
`
`U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may:
`
`(1) amend the
`
`claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AlA
`
`35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 18/000,520
`Art Unit: 2614
`
`Page 3
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`claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s)
`
`sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so asto avoid it/them being
`
`interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that
`
`form the basis for the rejections under this section madein this Office action:
`
`A personshall be entitled to a patent unless —
`
`(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use,
`on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effectivefiling date of the claimed
`invention.
`
`Claims 1, 9-11, 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being
`
`anticipated by Wanget al (WO 2020045590 A1, see corresponding US application
`
`US 20210168392 A1 for translation cited herein).
`
`RE claim 1, Wang teaches Aninformation processing apparatus (Fig 1, [0008],
`
`[0108]) comprising:
`
`a tile managementinformation generation unit that generates, by using tile
`
`identification information indicating a tile of a point cloud corresponding to a data unit of
`
`a bitstream of the point cloud expressing an object having a three-dimensional shape as
`
`a set of points,tile managementinformation that is information for managingthe tile
`
`corresponding to a subsample including a single or a plurality of consecutive data units
`
`of the bitstream stored as a samplein a file (Figs 1-2, 10, 18, 20, 23, 26, 52,60, 63 etc,
`
`[0087], [0124], [0372]); and
`
`a file generation unit that generatesthe file that stores the bitstream andthe tile
`
`managementinformation (Fig 26, [0259], [0265]).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 18/000,520
`Art Unit: 2614
`
`Page 4
`
`RE claim 9, Wang teachesfurther comprising an encoding unit that encodes
`
`data of the point cloud and generates the bitstream, wherein the file generation unit
`
`generatesthe file that stores the bitstream generated by the encoding unit (Figs 1-2, 10,
`
`18, 20, 23, 26, 52,60, 63 etc, [0087], [0124], [0372)).
`
`RE claim 11, Wang teaches Aninformation processing apparatus (Fig 1, [0008],
`
`[0108]) comprising: an extraction unit that extracts, from a file, a portion of a bitstream
`
`necessary for reproduction of a desired tile, on a basis of tile managementinformation
`
`that is information for managing the tile corresponding to a subsamplestoredin the file
`
`by usingtile identification information indicating the tile of a point cloud corresponding to
`
`the subsampleincluding a single or a plurality of consecutive data units of the bitstream
`
`stored in the file together with the bitstream of the point cloud expressing an object
`
`having a three-dimensional shapeas a set of points (Figs 1-2, 7, 15, 18, 28-29, 52,60-
`
`63 etc, [0098], [0201], [0205)).
`
`RE claim 19, Wang teachesfurther comprising a decoding unit that decodes the
`
`portion necessary for reproducing the desiredtile in the bitstream extracted by the
`
`extraction unit (Figs 1-2, 7, 15, 18, 28-29, 52,60- 63 etc, [0098], [0201], [0205]).
`
`Claims 10 and 20 recite limitations similar in scope with limitations of claims 1
`
`and 11 as method andtherefore rejected under the same rationale.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basisfor 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 effectivefiling date of the claimed invention to a person having
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 18/000,520
`Art Unit: 2614
`
`Page 5
`
`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 asfollows:
`
`1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
`
`2. Ascertaining the differences betweenthe prior art and the claims at issue.
`
`3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
`
`4. Considering objective evidence presentin the application indicating
`
`obviousness or nonobviousness.
`
`Claims 2-6, 8, 12-16, 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being
`
`unpatentable over Wang, and further in view of Oh (US 20210029187 A1).
`
`RE claim 2, Wang is silent RE: wherein the tile managementinformation is
`
`generated for each track ofthe file, and includesa list of the tile identification
`
`information corresponding to the subsamples storedin the track.
`
`However Oh teachesin Figs 44-47, [0551], abstract to indicate information for
`
`eachtrackof the file effectively utilizing the ISOBMFF format.
`
`Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
`
`effective filing date of the invention to include in Wang a system and method wherein
`
`the tile managementinformation is generated for each track of the file, and includes a
`
`list of the tile identification information corresponding to the subsamples stored in the
`
`track, as suggested by Oh, in orderto indicate information for each track of the file and
`
`thereby increasing system effectiveness and user experience.
`
`RE claim 3, Wang as modified by Oh teaches wherein the file is an
`
`international organization for standardization base mediafile format (ISOBMFF)file, and
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 18/000,520
`Art Unit: 2614
`
`Page 6
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`the tile managementinformation is stored in a box that stores information regarding the
`
`subsample in a moov box or a moof box of the file (Oh Figs 44, 46, [0549)).
`
`RE claim 4, Wang as modified by Oh teaches wherein the subsampleincludes
`
`the data unit of geometry or the data unit of attributes or both belonging to the same tile
`
`of the bitstream, and the tile managementinformation includes information associating,
`
`with the subsample, thetile identification information corresponding to the data unit of
`
`the geometry included in the subsample (Wang Figs 3, 60-63, [0148], [0372]).
`
`RE claim 5, Wang as modified by Oh teaches wherein the subsample includes
`
`the data unit of geometry or the data unit of attributes or both belonging to the same
`
`slice of the bitstream, and the tile managementinformation includes information
`
`associating, with the subsample,the tile identification information corresponding to the
`
`data unit of the geometry included in the subsample (Wang Figs 3, 60-63, [0143],
`
`[0372]).
`
`RE claim 6, Wang as modified by Oh teaches wherein the subsample includes
`
`a single of the data unit of geometry or attributes of the bitstream, andthetile
`
`managementinformation includes: information that associates, with the subsample
`
`including the data unit of the geometry,the tile identification information corresponding
`
`to the data unit of the geometry andslice identification information corresponding to the
`
`data unit of the geometry and indicating a slice of the point cloud corresponding to the
`
`data units of the bitstream; and information that associatesthe slice identification
`
`information corresponding to the data unit of the attributes with the subsample including
`
`the data unit of the attributes (Wang Figs 3, 60-63, [0143], [0372)).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 18/000,520
`Art Unit: 2614
`
`Page 7
`
`RE claim 7, Wang as modified by Oh teaches wherein the tile management
`
`information is stored in timed metadata of the file (Wang Figs 18, [0147], [0168], [0239]
`
`etc. In addition Oh [0549]).
`
`RE claim 8, Wang is silent RE: wherein the file generation unit stores the data
`
`unit of geometry and the data unit of attributes in different tracks from each other of the
`
`file, and the tile managementinformation generation unit generatesthe tile
`
`managementinformation in each of the tracks.
`
`However Oh teachesin Figs 44-47, [0551], abstract to indicate information for
`
`eachtrackof the file effectively utilizing the ISOBMFF format.
`
`Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
`
`effectivefiling date of the invention to include in Wang a system and method wherein
`
`the file generation unit stores the data unit of geometry and the data unit of attributes in
`
`different tracks from each otherof the file, and the tile managementinformation
`
`generation unit generates the tile managementinformation in each of the tracks, and
`
`includesa list of the tile identification information corresponding to the subsamples
`
`stored in the track, as Suggested by Oh, in orderto indicate information for each track of
`
`the file and thereby increasing system effectiveness and user experience.
`
`Claims 12-16, 18 recite limitations similar in scope with limitations of claims 2-6,
`
`8 and therefore rejected under the same rationale.
`
`Claims 7 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable
`
`over Wang as modified by Oh, and further in view of HANNUKSELA (US
`
`20210194946 A1)
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 18/000,520
`Art Unit: 2614
`
`Page 8
`
`RE claim 7, Wang as modified by Oh teaches wherein the tile management
`
`information is stored in metadata ofthe file (Wang Figs 18, [0147], [0168], [0239] etc.)
`
`Wang as modified by Ohis silent RE: timed metadata. However
`
`HANNUKSELAteachesin [0077], [0321] etc to indicate timed metadata for each track
`
`of the file effectively utilizing the ISOBMFF format.
`
`Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
`
`effectivefiling date of the invention to include in Wang a system and method timed
`
`metadataof the file as suggested by HANNUKSELA,in orderto indicate timed
`
`metadata for each track of the file and thereby increasing system effectiveness and user
`
`experience.
`
`Claim 17 recites limitations similar in scope with limitations of claim 17 and
`
`therefore rejected under the same rationale.
`
`Conclusion
`
`The prior art madeof record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to
`
`applicant's disclosure.
`
`US 20220215616 A1
`
`FILE FORMAT FOR POINT CLOUD DATA
`
`US 20200396471 A1
`
`METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR SPATIAL
`
`GROUPING AND COORDINATE SIGNALING FOR IMMERSIVE MEDIA DATA
`
`TRACKS
`
`US 20220051443 A1
`
`METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR POINT CLOUD
`
`COMPRESSION BITSTREAM FORMAT
`
`Anyinquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to SULTANA MARCIA ZALALEE whosetelephone number
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 18/000,520
`Art Unit: 2614
`
`Page 9
`
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`
`/Sultana M Zalalee/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2614
`
`