Prior art

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 8471812, I will use the USPTO Patent Public Search tool.

Here is an analysis of the prior art cited in US patent 8471812:

Patent: US8471812B2
Title: Pointing and identification device
Filing Date: 2005-09-23
Issue Date: 2013-06-25

The following prior art documents are explicitly mentioned and discussed within the "DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART" section of US8471812B2:

1. U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,554 B1

   • Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated as filing date in the provided text, but the patent states it "covers technology that uses uniquely-coded objects... to automatically generate an online search".
   • Brief Description: This patent describes technology that uses uniquely-coded objects (like consumer goods) to automatically initiate online searches for related information from a computer, PDA, mobile phone, or other device.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent potentially anticipates aspects of claims related to using a device to identify objects and then access related information. Specifically, it touches upon the concept of object identification and linking to external data, which is relevant to Independent Claim 12 (method for identifying an object) and Independent Claim 13 (method for enabling a user to act upon an item). The key differentiator claimed by US8471812B2 is the direct pointing aspect using a laser or reticle, which 6,430,554 B1 does not appear to emphasize as its primary mechanism for object designation.

2. U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,053 B1

   • Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated as filing date in the provided text, but the patent states it is "an extension of the first".
   • Brief Description: This patent is an extension of U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,554 B1, covering additional mechanisms for performing searches using mobile devices.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to 6,430,554 B1, this patent may anticipate aspects of Independent Claim 12 and 13 regarding object identification and information retrieval via mobile devices. The core distinction for US8471812B2 remains the direct, precise pointing mechanism.

3. U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,165 B1

   • Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated as filing date in the provided text, but the patent states it "covers uses of location-based technology".
   • Brief Description: This patent covers the use of location-based technology to deliver content based on both a specific advertisement and its geographic location.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent might be relevant to aspects of US8471812B2 that involve determining an object's location and providing context-sensitive information. While US8471812B2 claims determining the absolute location of a pointed-to spot and then identifying an object, 6,675,165 B1 focuses on location-based content delivery. It does not appear to describe the specific pointing and camera-based identification mechanism of US8471812B2, particularly the use of a laser or reticle for aiming and pinpointing.

4. U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,363 B1

   • Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated as filing date in the provided text, but the patent states it "covers techniques for providing information to end users".
   • Brief Description: This patent covers techniques for providing information to end users based on objects, goods, or other items depicted in external media, such as video, audio, film, or printed matter.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is highly relevant to Independent Claim 12 and 13 as it addresses providing information based on items in external media. The distinction US8471812B2 emphasizes is the method of designating the item in the media, specifically through a camera-equipped device with a laser or reticle for precise pointing and frame comparison, which seems to go beyond simply identifying items depicted in external media without a direct pointing interface.

Other relevant prior art mentioned:

• OMEGASCOPE® handheld infrared thermometer OS530 E series: This device creates a single dot or a circle of dots via laser to aim an infrared thermometer and has an optional digital camera recorder and distance measuring option. The patent explicitly states, "The camera is not used to process the data in real time because the camera is just a recorder." This distinguishes it from US8471812's claims of real-time image processing for identification and location.
• LaserMouse from Penta Performance: This combines a wireless mouse with a laser pointer for slide presentations, but the user moves the mouse pointer via a navigation disk, and the mouse function operates independently of the laser pointer. This is distinct from US8471812, where the laser is an aiming mechanism directly integrated with the camera and identification process.
• Nintendo "Revolution" (Wii): Described as a distance pointing device that provides roll, distance from screen, and angle to a video game. The patent notes, "It does not use a camera and does not directly mark a screen like a laser." This highlights a key difference in the sensing mechanism and the direct pointing capability of US8471812.
• NeoMedia PaperClick® for Camera Cell Phones™ and PaperClick® Mobile Go-Window™: These products read and decode barcodes (UPC/EAN) to link users to the Internet for information and e-commerce. While they use camera cell phones for identification, they rely on barcode scanning rather than the general object recognition and precise laser/reticle pointing claimed in US8471812 for any object or location.

The core novelty claimed by US8471812 over the explicitly mentioned prior art appears to lie in the combination of a digital camera with a laser or reticle for directly pointing at and identifying distant absolute locations on various surfaces (TV, computer screens, real world) and then processing the image in real-time to determine the precise location and identity of the pointed-to object, and subsequently enabling user actions based on that precise designation.