Patent decision

BL number

O/211/22

Concerning rights in

GB 1713806.6

Hearing Officer

Miss J Pullen

Decision date

10 March 2022

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

Google LLC

Provisions discussed

Patents Act 1977 sections 1(1)(d), 1(2)(c), 1(2)(d)

Keywords

Excluded fields (refused)

Related Decisions

None

Summary

The invention relates to the organisation of images and the navigation through images of scenes. Images which may be captured by multiple users are combined into clusters related to the same scene based on the images matching a predetermined common pattern. The patterns may relate to the images showing a panorama pattern for a scene, a translation pattern across a scene or an orbit pattern around a scene. Neighbouring images of a given image in a cluster are also identified. When a user requests an image from a cluster, a first image is provided for display. Depending on user input, a neighbouring image or images of the first image is displayed or a first image or images of a second cluster is displayed.

The hearing officer rejected the applicant-™s submissions that the invention made a technical contribution based on the provision of a smooth navigation experience and the provision of a better computer because the different user inputs result in different images being displayed and a reduction of incorrect user inputs. The hearing officer found that the contribution of the independent claims did not make a technical contribution and are excluded from patentability as a computer program and/or the presentation of information, as such. The application was refused under section 18(3).

Full decisionO/211/22  330Kb