Prior art — US Patent 9977495

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 9977495, I will examine the patent citations listed within US9977495. The USPTO provides tools for patent searching, including access to patent application publications and issued patents. Prior art can anticipate claims if it discloses all elements of the claimed invention and is presumed to be operable.

Here's an analysis of the patent citations listed in US9977495:

Patent Citations (Prior Art for US9977495):

US20050234333A1
- Full Citation: US20050234333A1, "Marker detection method and apparatus, and position and orientation estimation method"
- Priority Date: March 31, 2004
- Publication Date: October 20, 2005
- Brief Description: This patent application describes a marker detection method and apparatus, and a position and orientation estimation method. It focuses on using markers to determine the position and orientation of an object, which can be relevant in augmented reality or virtual reality systems for tracking user or object movement.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference potentially anticipates elements of US9977495 related to tracking user orientation or movement within an immersive display system, as described in the detailed description of US9977495 (e.g., the orientation/movement sensor 220 and its function). However, it does not appear to directly anticipate the specific claims of US9977495 regarding the occlusion or differential rendering of a "nose image" or peripheral areas, as its focus is on general object tracking.
US20080063384A1
- Full Citation: US20080063384A1, "Recording device, printing system, and disc medium"
- Priority Date: September 8, 2006
- Publication Date: March 13, 2008
- Brief Description: This patent application describes a recording device, printing system, and disc medium. The abstract and title suggest it relates to data recording and printing, likely for optical discs.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Based on its description, this patent appears to be in a very different technical domain (data recording/printing) and does not seem to directly anticipate any claims of US9977495, which focuses on immersive displays and image rendering techniques for virtual/augmented reality.
US9214052B2
- Full Citation: US9214052B2, "Analysis of stereoscopic images"
- Priority Date: March 18, 2010
- Publication Date: December 15, 2015
- Brief Description: This patent describes methods and systems for analyzing stereoscopic images. This could involve techniques for improving 3D perception or addressing issues like discomfort in stereoscopic viewing.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent potentially anticipates aspects of US9977495 related to the general display of stereoscopic 3D images and possibly techniques to improve user experience, given that US9977495 also aims to reduce motion sickness by modifying displayed imagery. It might be relevant to the broad concept of processing images for immersive displays.
US20130250382A1
- Full Citation: US20130250382A1, "Holograms and fabrication processes"
- Priority Date: October 6, 2010
- Publication Date: September 26, 2013
- Brief Description: This patent application describes holograms and methods for their fabrication.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference deals with holography, which is a method of displaying 3D images, but it doesn't appear to directly anticipate the specific image processing and display modification techniques for nose occlusion or differential rendering that are central to US9977495. Its relevance might be in the broader field of 3D display technologies.
US20140285428A1
- Full Citation: US20140285428A1, "Resource-responsive motion capture"
- Priority Date: March 15, 2013
- Publication Date: September 25, 2014
- Brief Description: This patent application describes systems and methods for motion capture that are responsive to available computing resources. This could involve adjusting the fidelity of motion capture based on processing power.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference might be relevant to the resource optimization aspects discussed in US9977495, particularly regarding reducing processing requirements, memory requirements, and bandwidth by excluding or simplifying parts of the image (as discussed in relation to FIG. 3 of US9977495). However, it does not appear to anticipate the specific content of the modifications (e.g., nose simulation) or the reason for them (reducing motion sickness, enhancing realism by simulating normal occlusion).
US20150015666A1
- Full Citation: US20150015666A1, "Method and apparatus for providing 3d video streaming service"
- Priority Date: July 9, 2013
- Publication Date: January 15, 2015
- Brief Description: This patent application describes a method and apparatus for providing 3D video streaming services, potentially involving efficient transmission and display of 3D video content.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference broadly relates to 3D video display. While US9977495 deals with displaying 3D environments, this citation does not explicitly detail the unique image manipulation techniques (occlusion or differential rendering for specific facial features/peripheral vision) that form the core of US9977495's claims.
US20150078621A1
- Full Citation: US20150078621A1, "Apparatus and method for providing content experience service"
- Priority Date: September 13, 2013
- Publication Date: March 19, 2015
- Brief Description: This patent application describes an apparatus and method for providing a content experience service, which could encompass various forms of media delivery and user interaction.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This is a very broad title. Without a more detailed description of the "content experience service," it is difficult to definitively assess its anticipation of US9977495. However, given the specific nature of US9977495's claims, it is unlikely to anticipate the unique aspects of image modification for immersive displays.
US20150154783A1
- Full Citation: US20150154783A1, "Augmenting physical appearance using illumination"
- Priority Date: December 4, 2013
- Publication Date: June 4, 2015
- Brief Description: This patent application describes techniques for augmenting a user's physical appearance using illumination, potentially in an augmented reality context.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent appears to be related to augmented reality and modifying a user's appearance through illumination. While it touches on AR, it does not directly address the problems and solutions (occlusion or differential rendering for improved immersion and reduced motion sickness) that are central to US9977495's claims.
US20150294504A1
- Full Citation: US20150294504A1, "Marker-based pixel replacement"
- Priority Date: April 15, 2014
- Publication Date: October 15, 2015
- Brief Description: This patent application describes marker-based pixel replacement, where certain pixels are replaced based on detected markers.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is highly relevant. The concept of "pixel replacement" directly aligns with the "excluding part of the information to yield adjusted information to occlude or replace first information" as recited in Claim 1 of US9977495. While it uses "markers" as a trigger, the fundamental action of replacing pixels in a defined area is present. This could potentially anticipate aspects of Claim 1, especially if the markers could be used to identify areas corresponding to a user's nose or other occluded regions, or Claim 4 regarding the processor's function in removing/replacing information. It is crucial to determine if this prior art teaches or suggests replacing pixels with a static nose image or for the purpose of simulating a user's physical occlusion to definitively assert anticipation of claims 1 and 4 in their entirety. Without further details on the nature of the replacement content and the context of its application, it's difficult to say for sure if it anticipates the "first nose image and a second nose image" limitation. However, the general idea of pixel replacement makes it a strong candidate for anticipating the broader concept of modifying display information for specific areas.