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 .
Remarks
This action is in response to the applicant’s response filed 28 July 2025, which is in response to the USPTO office action mailed 13 March 2025. Claims 1, 8 and 19 are amended. Claims 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13 and 15-18 are cancelled. Claims 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 19, 20 and 22-24 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
With respect to the 35 USC §103 rejections of claims 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 19, 20 and 22-24, the applicant’s arguments are moot in view of a new grounds of rejection, as necessitated by the applicant's amendments.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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, 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Patel et al., US 2007/0178828 A1 (hereinafter “Patel”) in view of view of Cox et al., US 2013/0309986 A1 (hereinafter “Cox”) in further view of Schultz et al., US 2011/0007745 A1 (hereinafter “Schultz”) in further view of Hamilton et al., US 2011/0301728 A1 (hereinafter “Hamilton”).
Claim 1: Patel teaches a method for continuing an ongoing real-time reception and reproduction by an infotainment system of audio content from a first source after a temporary interruption, by reception and reproduction by the infotainment system of audio content from a second source, to the ongoing real-time reception and reproduction by the infotainment system of the audio content from the first source, the method comprising (Patel, [0022] note broadcast programs can be reproduced on the cellular telephone, [0081] note a user would wish temporarily to interrupt the radio or television program which is being reproduced on the cellular telephone 14, and to resume reproduction thereof later, without missing the portion of the radio or telephone program which was broadcast during the interruption, [0082] note resume reproduction of the radio or television program in real time):
- storing a first time marking the beginning of the temporary interruption, by a reproduction of audio content from the second source, to the ongoing real-time reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source, wherein the second source is a navigation system, a cellular phone, or a vehicle component that provides a signal tone (Patel, [0026] note the user may be listening to or watching a program using the cellular telephone 14, when an incoming telephone call is received, [0081] note a user would wish temporarily to interrupt the radio or television program which is being reproduced on the cellular telephone 14, and to resume reproduction thereof later, without missing the portion of the radio or telephone program which was broadcast during the interruption, [0028] note record at least a part of the received broadcast program signal in response to a trigger event);
- when the first source is at least one of a first-source group of a radio receiver and a streaming-media receiver, the first source receives and reproduces substantially in real time at least one of a content-type group of broadcast audio content and streaming audio content (Patel, [0027] note broadcast receiver arrangement 34 is configured for receiving a broadcast from one of an analog radio broadcast, a digital radio broadcast, an analog television broadcast, a digital television broadcast, an analog movie broadcast and a digital movie broadcast, [0022] note broadcast programs can be reproduced on the cellular telephone, [0082] note resume reproduction of the radio or television program in real time), and
the at least one of the content-type group of broadcast audio content and streaming audio content continues to be at least one of broadcast and streamed during the interruption to the ongoing real-time reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source, such that the at least one of broadcast audio content and streaming audio content that is at least one of broadcast and streamed during the interruption to the ongoing real-time reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source would be lost if not recorded during the interruption to the ongoing real-time reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source (Patel, [0081] note Further, a scenario may occur that a user needs to perform a function with the cellular telephone 14, such as requesting or receiving a telephone call, or executing an available application on the cellular telephone 14, such as consulting a diary application, in which case, conveniently, a user would wish temporarily to interrupt the radio or television program which is being reproduced on the cellular telephone 14, and to resume reproduction thereof later, without missing the portion of the radio or telephone program which was broadcast during the interruption):
- continuously recording in a buffer a quantity of the audio content from the first source that is consistent with a first reproduction duration (Patel, [0037] note The recording module 36 also includes a buffer memory 90 which is defined by the onboard data memory 70, for recording at least a part of the received broadcast program signal in response to a trigger event, [0082] note the remaining broadcast is continuously buffered or recorded),
- detecting whether the audio content received from the first source substantially contains speech content at least from the first time onward (Patel, [0031] note detecting module 40 includes a speech recognition module 52 for recognizing the presence of the at least one word in the broadcast program),
- detecting the end of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source (Patel, [0030] note a playback pause button 46 to pause and then playback the broadcast program in response to reception and termination of a telephone call respectively, is provided for the cellular telephone 14, [0081] note a user would wish temporarily to interrupt the radio or television program which is being reproduced on the cellular telephone 14, and to resume reproduction thereof later, without missing the portion of the radio or telephone program which was broadcast during the interruption),
(i) recording the received audio content from the first source starting from the beginning of the interruption onward (Patel, [0028] note a recording module 36 to record at least a part of the received broadcast program signal in response to a trigger event, and a recording activating module 38 for activating the recording module 36 in response to the trigger event to record a predetermined broadcast program),
(iii) once reproduction of the audio content from the second source is finished, resuming reproduction of the audio content from the first source starting with the audio content, which was continuously recorded in the buffer (Patel, [0082] note After termination of the relevant application or telephone call, a user selects, at block 244, either to resume reproduction of the radio or television program in real time, or to resume reproduction in delayed time. If a user selects the delayed time option, then branch 244.1 is followed, and the recorded portion 91 of the program is played back from the point when the reproduction was interrupted by retrieving the recorded portion 91 from buffer 90, while the remaining broadcast is continuously buffered or recorded, so that, in effect, a delayed reproduction of the radio or television program is performed on the cellular telephone 14).
Patel does not explicitly teach by an infotainment system of a motor vehicle, - before the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source and continuing until the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source, continuously recording in a ring buffer, - performing following steps (i), (ii), and (iii) only when the audio content substantially contains speech content at least from the first time onward, and not performing the following steps (i), (ii), and (iii) when the audio content does not substantially contain speech content at least from the first time onward; (ii) placing, at the front of the recording of the received audio content from the first source that started at the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source, the audio content that was continuously recorded in the ring buffer, followed by the recording of the audio content from the first source that started at the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source, such that the audio content, which has been both received from the first source and already reproduced before the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content received from the first source, is reproduced again beginning upon the end of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content received by at least one of broadcast and streaming from the first source; and wherein the infotainment system of the motor vehicle switches from reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source to reception and reproduction of the audio content from the second source automatically, without any user-interface interaction with the infotainment system, and the infotainment system of the motor vehicle switches back from reception and reproduction of the audio content from the second source to reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source automatically, without any user-interface interaction with the infotainment system.
However, Cox teaches an infotainment system of a motor vehicle (Cox, [Fig. 1] note 14, [0024] note As illustrated in FIG. 1, a receiver unit 14 can be configured for stationary use (e.g., on a subscriber's premises), or mobile use (e.g., portable use or mobile use in a vehicle), or both), [0026] note FIG. 2 illustrates different service transmission channels… These channels are multiplexed and transmitted in a composite data stream that can be a source stream for a radio receiver 14),
- before the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source and continuing until the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source, continuously recording in a ring buffer (Cox, [0018] note Multiple channels can be received and buffered simultaneously. The buffered content is used to allow a user to switch between channels during a live listening mode (i.e., listening to content in a broadcast or streamed content stream as it is being received) and is to be distinguished from receivers that buffer content for a subsequent or deferred playback mode (e.g., listening to previously received and stored content at another time such as when a transmitted signal is not available or simply when deferred playback is desired by the user), [0075] note storing and retrieving cached data into and out of the Content Buffer 112 can be used, including but not limited to continuous ring buffers),
(ii) placing, at the front of the recording of the received audio content from the first source that started at the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source, the audio content that was continuously recorded in the ring buffer, followed by the recording of the audio content from the first source that started at the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source, such that the audio content, which has been both received from the first source and already reproduced before the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content received from the first source, is reproduced again beginning upon the end of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content received by at least one of broadcast and streaming from the first source (Cox, [0064] note When the user selects a different channel during the LIVE mode, playback begins from the start of a track previously cached in the Content Buffer 112 for that channel (i.e., unless that channel was designated for buffering but live playback). Thus, the user hears content from the new channel from the start of a track. If the user continues to listen to that channel, he effectively is listening to that channel time-shifted, that is, delayed from the real-time content reception by a duration equal to the time the channel was selected minus the time the cached track started broadcasting or transmitting).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the application to combine the content reproduction of Patel with the content buffer of Cox according to known methods (i.e. buffering content from different channels so that playback begins at a starting point previously cached in the content buffer). Motivation for doing so is that this provides a significant improvement to the user experience is realized by a radio receiver or other user device that buffers content on each of plural channels, so that selecting a favorite or other designated channel results in the start of play at the beginning of a track or other selected playback point within the track broadcast or otherwise transmitted on that channel (Cox, [0007]).
Patel and Cox do not explicitly teach - performing following steps (i), (ii), and (iii) only when the audio content substantially contains speech content at least from the first time onward, and not performing the following steps (i), (ii), and (iii) when the audio content does not substantially contain speech content at least from the first time onward; and wherein the infotainment system of the motor vehicle switches from reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source to reception and reproduction of the audio content from the second source automatically, without any user-interface interaction with the infotainment system, and the infotainment system of the motor vehicle switches back from reception and reproduction of the audio content from the second source to reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source automatically, without any user-interface interaction with the infotainment system.
However, Schultz teaches wherein the infotainment system of the motor vehicle switches from reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source to reception and reproduction of the audio content from the second source automatically, without any user-interface interaction with the infotainment system, and the infotainment system of the motor vehicle switches back from reception and reproduction of the audio content from the second source to reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source automatically, without any user-interface interaction with the infotainment system (Schultz, [0004] note Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) is a term used to refer to satellite television broadcasts which can cover both analog and digital television and radio reception… A mobile service can be offered for cars, boats, and RVs, and satellite service for aircraft can be offered as well, [0007] note a system is provided configured to store all of the content from all sources during an interruption/pause period and to automatically resume the content's playback after the interruption stops. Such a system can be simplified, e.g., by providing all of the pause functionality in connection with centralized content distribution. This eliminates requiring each passenger's set top box to include local storage to provide a pause function. In addition, the passengers do not have to worry about handling and implementing the control functions since the saving and resuming procedures would be automatically performed for all of the programming content, [0049] note a multiplexer can be added (e.g., see 315 in FIG. 3) to the system, to enable switching between either real time or stored (paused) content from the memory).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the application to combine the content reproduction of Patel and Cox with the automatic resuming a content's playback of Schultz according to known methods (i.e. reproducing content automatically). Motivation for doing so is that passengers do not have to worry about handling and implementing the control functions since the saving and resuming procedures would be automatically performed for all of the programming content (Schultz, [0007]).
Patel, Cox and Schultz do not explicitly teach - performing following steps (i), (ii), and (iii) only when the audio content substantially contains speech content at least from the first time onward, and not performing the following steps (i), (ii), and (iii) when the audio content does not substantially contain speech content at least from the first time onward.
However, Hamilton teaches this (Hamilton, [0036] note continuous or first audio 108A may, for example, have been tagged with sentence beginnings, and/or the first application 104 may determine a tag of the continuous or first audio 108A. The tag may have been included in the file from which the first application 104 generated the continuous or first audio output 108A, or the first application 104 may find a boundary and/or endpoint of the continuous or first audio 108A, such as based on pauses or audio energy, sentence boundary detection, end points, speech recognition, [0036] note data which the first application 104 will read to generate the continuous or first audio output 108A may, for example, be maintained in a continuous or first or circular buffer, [0043] note The first application 104 may, for example, replay and/or re-output the portion of the continuous or first audio by playing and/or outputting a complete sentence or a complete portion or portion beginning with the most recent tag of a file read by the first application 104, [0053] note The first device 302 may determine a time period before the pause message 310 at which time the tag began, and may instruct the second device 304 to rewind that period of time which will cause the second device 304 to resume playing and/or outputting the continuous or first audio 306B at the beginning or at the determined tag point).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the application to combine the content reproduction of Patel, Cox and Schultz with the sentence begging tag of Hamilton according to known methods (i.e. rewinding to a time period based on a sentence beginning tag). Motivation for doing so is that this avoids a loss of context or continuity of the continuous or first audio (Hamilton, [0029]).
Claim 3: Patel, Cox, Schultz and Hamilton teach the method as claimed in claim 1, additionally comprising: - analysing the content of the recording for a linguistic syntax, wherein the point in the recording that is before the first time, and from which reproduction is continued, is a start of a sentence interrupted by the interruption (Hamilton, [0043] note The first application 104 may, for example, replay and/or re-output the portion of the continuous or first audio by playing and/or outputting a complete sentence or a complete portion or portion beginning with the most recent tag of a file read by the first application 104).
Claim 5: Patel, Cox, Schultz and Hamilton teach the method as claimed in claim 3, additionally comprising: - receiving a user input prompting reproduction of a recorded audio content to be terminated after the interruption, in which case undelayed reproduction of a received signal is effected (Patel, [0082] note After termination of the relevant application or telephone call, a user selects, at block 244, either to resume reproduction of the radio or television program in real time, or to resume reproduction in delayed time).
Claim 8: Patel teaches an infotainment system for continuing an ongoing real-time reception and reproduction of audio content from a first source after a temporary interruption, by reception and reproduction by the infotainment system of audio content from a second source, to the ongoing real-time reception and reproduction by the infotainment system of the audio content from the first source, the infotainment system comprising:
- an interface for actuating at least one loudspeaker for reproducing audio content, - a microprocessor, - main memory, - nonvolatile memory, - an interface for accessing means for locally storing audio content that are communicatively connected to the microprocessor, the main memory, and the nonvolatile memory by means of at least one or more data lines and one or more data buses for transmitting at least one of data signals and control signals, wherein the nonvolatile memory contains computer program instructions that, when executed by the microprocessor during access to the main memory, set up the infotainment system to carry out operations comprising (Patel, [Fig. 2], [Fig. 3], [0027] note a cellular telephone, [0022] note broadcast programs can be reproduced on the cellular telephone, [0081] note a user would wish temporarily to interrupt the radio or television program which is being reproduced on the cellular telephone 14, and to resume reproduction thereof later, without missing the portion of the radio or telephone program which was broadcast during the interruption, [0082] note resume reproduction of the radio or television program in real time):
- storing a first time marking the beginning of the temporary interruption to the ongoing real-time reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source with a reproduction of audio content from the second source, wherein the second source is a navigation system, a cellular phone, or a vehicle component that provides a signal tone (Patel, [0026] note from time-to-time, a user may want to use the cellular telephone 14 as a telephonic communication device when a radio or television program, which the user wants to listen to or watch, is being broadcast, [0081] note a user would wish temporarily to interrupt the radio or television program which is being reproduced on the cellular telephone 14, and to resume reproduction thereof later, without missing the portion of the radio or telephone program which was broadcast during the interruption, [0028] note record at least a part of the received broadcast program signal in response to a trigger event);
- when the first source is at least one of a first-source group of a radio receiver and a streaming-media receiver, the first source receives and reproduces substantially in real time at least one of a content-type group of broadcast audio content and streaming audio content (Patel, [0027] note broadcast receiver arrangement 34 is configured for receiving a broadcast from one of an analog radio broadcast, a digital radio broadcast, an analog television broadcast, a digital television broadcast, an analog movie broadcast and a digital movie broadcast, [0022] note broadcast programs can be reproduced on the cellular telephone, [0082] note resume reproduction of the radio or television program in real time), and
the at least one of the content-type group of broadcast audio content and streaming audio content continues to be at least one of broadcast and streamed during the interruption to the ongoing real- time reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source, such that the at least one of broadcast audio content and streaming audio content that is at least one of broadcast and streamed during the interruption to the ongoing real-time reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source would be lost if not recorded during the interruption to the ongoing real-time reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source (Patel, [0081] note Further, a scenario may occur that a user needs to perform a function with the cellular telephone 14, such as requesting or receiving a telephone call, or executing an available application on the cellular telephone 14, such as consulting a diary application, in which case, conveniently, a user would wish temporarily to interrupt the radio or television program which is being reproduced on the cellular telephone 14, and to resume reproduction thereof later, without missing the portion of the radio or telephone program which was broadcast during the interruption):
- continuously recording in a buffer a quantity of the audio content from the first source that is consistent with a first reproduction duration (Patel, [0037] note The recording module 36 also includes a buffer memory 90 which is defined by the onboard data memory 70, for recording at least a part of the received broadcast program signal in response to a trigger event, [0082] note the remaining broadcast is continuously buffered or recorded),
- detecting whether the audio content received from the first source substantially contains speech information at least from the first time onward (Patel, [0031] note detecting module 40 includes a speech recognition module 52 for recognizing the presence of the at least one word in the broadcast program),
- detecting the end of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source (Patel, [0030] note a playback pause button 46 to pause and then playback the broadcast program in response to reception and termination of a telephone call respectively, is provided for the cellular telephone 14, [0081] note a user would wish temporarily to interrupt the radio or television program which is being reproduced on the cellular telephone 14, and to resume reproduction thereof later, without missing the portion of the radio or telephone program which was broadcast during the interruption),
(i) recording the received audio content from the first source starting from the beginning of the interruption onward (Patel, [0028] note a recording module 36 to record at least a part of the received broadcast program signal in response to a trigger event, and a recording activating module 38 for activating the recording module 36 in response to the trigger event to record a predetermined broadcast program),
(ii) once reproduction of the audio content from the second source is finished, resuming reproduction of the audio content from the first source starting with the audio content, which was continuously recorded in the buffer (Patel, [0082] note After termination of the relevant application or telephone call, a user selects, at block 244, either to resume reproduction of the radio or television program in real time, or to resume reproduction in delayed time. If a user selects the delayed time option, then branch 244.1 is followed, and the recorded portion 91 of the program is played back from the point when the reproduction was interrupted by retrieving the recorded portion 91 from buffer 90, while the remaining broadcast is continuously buffered or recorded, so that, in effect, a delayed reproduction of the radio or television program is performed on the cellular telephone 14).
Patel does not explicitly teach by an infotainment system of a motor vehicle, - before the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source and continuing until the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source, continuously recording in a ring buffer, - performing following steps (i), (ii), and (iii) only when the audio content substantially contains speech content at least from the first time onward, and not performing the following steps (i), (ii), and (iii) when the audio content does not substantially contain speech content at least from the first time onward; (ii) placing, at the front of the recording of the received audio content from the first source that started at the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source, the audio content that was continuously recorded in the ring buffer, followed by the recording of the audio content from the first source that started at the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source, such that the audio content, which has been both received from the first source and already reproduced before the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content received from the first source, is reproduced again beginning upon the end of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content received by at least one of broadcast and streaming from the first source; and wherein the infotainment system of the motor vehicle switches from reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source to reception and reproduction of the audio content from the second source automatically, without any user-interface interaction with the infotainment system, and the infotainment system of the motor vehicle switches back from reception and reproduction of the audio content from the second source to reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source automatically, without any user-interface interaction with the infotainment system.
However, Cox teaches an infotainment system of a motor vehicle (Cox, [Fig. 1] note 14, [0024] note As illustrated in FIG. 1, a receiver unit 14 can be configured for stationary use (e.g., on a subscriber's premises), or mobile use (e.g., portable use or mobile use in a vehicle), or both), [0026] note FIG. 2 illustrates different service transmission channels… These channels are multiplexed and transmitted in a composite data stream that can be a source stream for a radio receiver 14),
- before the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source and continuing until the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source, continuously recording in a ring buffer (Cox, [0018] note Multiple channels can be received and buffered simultaneously. The buffered content is used to allow a user to switch between channels during a live listening mode (i.e., listening to content in a broadcast or streamed content stream as it is being received) and is to be distinguished from receivers that buffer content for a subsequent or deferred playback mode (e.g., listening to previously received and stored content at another time such as when a transmitted signal is not available or simply when deferred playback is desired by the user), [0075] note storing and retrieving cached data into and out of the Content Buffer 112 can be used, including but not limited to continuous ring buffers),
(ii) placing, at the front of the recording of the received audio content from the first source that started at the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source, the audio content that was continuously recorded in the ring buffer, followed by the recording of the audio content from the first source that started at the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source, such that the audio content, which has been both received from the first source and already reproduced before the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content received from the first source, is reproduced again beginning upon the end of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content received by at least one of broadcast and streaming from the first source (Cox, [0064] note When the user selects a different channel during the LIVE mode, playback begins from the start of a track previously cached in the Content Buffer 112 for that channel (i.e., unless that channel was designated for buffering but live playback). Thus, the user hears content from the new channel from the start of a track. If the user continues to listen to that channel, he effectively is listening to that channel time-shifted, that is, delayed from the real-time content reception by a duration equal to the time the channel was selected minus the time the cached track started broadcasting or transmitting).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the application to combine the content reproduction of Patel with the content buffer of Cox according to known methods (i.e. buffering content from different channels so that playback begins at a starting point previously cached in the content buffer). Motivation for doing so is that this provides a significant improvement to the user experience is realized by a radio receiver or other user device that buffers content on each of plural channels, so that selecting a favorite or other designated channel results in the start of play at the beginning of a track or other selected playback point within the track broadcast or otherwise transmitted on that channel (Cox, [0007]).
Patel and Cox do not explicitly teach - performing following steps (i), (ii), and (iii) only when the audio content substantially contains speech content at least from the first time onward, and not performing the following steps (i), (ii), and (iii) when the audio content does not substantially contain speech content at least from the first time onward; and wherein the infotainment system of the motor vehicle switches from reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source to reception and reproduction of the audio content from the second source automatically, without any user-interface interaction with the infotainment system, and the infotainment system of the motor vehicle switches back from reception and reproduction of the audio content from the second source to reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source automatically, without any user-interface interaction with the infotainment system.
However, Schultz teaches wherein the infotainment system of the motor vehicle switches from reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source to reception and reproduction of the audio content from the second source automatically, without any user-interface interaction with the infotainment system, and the infotainment system of the motor vehicle switches back from reception and reproduction of the audio content from the second source to reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source automatically, without any user-interface interaction with the infotainment system (Schultz, [0004] note Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) is a term used to refer to satellite television broadcasts which can cover both analog and digital television and radio reception… A mobile service can be offered for cars, boats, and RVs, and satellite service for aircraft can be offered as well, [0007] note a system is provided configured to store all of the content from all sources during an interruption/pause period and to automatically resume the content's playback after the interruption stops. Such a system can be simplified, e.g., by providing all of the pause functionality in connection with centralized content distribution. This eliminates requiring each passenger's set top box to include local storage to provide a pause function. In addition, the passengers do not have to worry about handling and implementing the control functions since the saving and resuming procedures would be automatically performed for all of the programming content, [0049] note a multiplexer can be added (e.g., see 315 in FIG. 3) to the system, to enable switching between either real time or stored (paused) content from the memory).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the application to combine the content reproduction of Patel and Cox with the automatic resuming a content's playback of Schultz according to known methods (i.e. reproducing content automatically). Motivation for doing so is that passengers do not have to worry about handling and implementing the control functions since the saving and resuming procedures would be automatically performed for all of the programming content (Schultz, [0007]).
Patel, Cox and Schultz do not explicitly teach - performing following steps (i), (ii), and (iii) only when the audio content substantially contains speech content at least from the first time onward, and not performing the following steps (i), (ii), and (iii) when the audio content does not substantially contain speech content at least from the first time onward.
However, Hamilton teaches this (Hamilton, [0036] note continuous or first audio 108A may, for example, have been tagged with sentence beginnings, and/or the first application 104 may determine a tag of the continuous or first audio 108A. The tag may have been included in the file from which the first application 104 generated the continuous or first audio output 108A, or the first application 104 may find a boundary and/or endpoint of the continuous or first audio 108A, such as based on pauses or audio energy, sentence boundary detection, end points, speech recognition, [0036] note data which the first application 104 will read to generate the continuous or first audio output 108A may, for example, be maintained in a continuous or first or circular buffer, [0043] note The first application 104 may, for example, replay and/or re-output the portion of the continuous or first audio by playing and/or outputting a complete sentence or a complete portion or portion beginning with the most recent tag of a file read by the first application 104, [0053] note The first device 302 may determine a time period before the pause message 310 at which time the tag began, and may instruct the second device 304 to rewind that period of time which will cause the second device 304 to resume playing and/or outputting the continuous or first audio 306B at the beginning or at the determined tag point).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the application to combine the content reproduction of Patel, Cox and Schultz with the sentence begging tag of Hamilton according to known methods (i.e. rewinding to a time period based on a sentence beginning tag). Motivation for doing so is that this avoids a loss of context or continuity of the continuous or first audio (Hamilton, [0029]).
Claim 10: Patel, Cox, Schultz and Hamilton teach the infotainment system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the nonvolatile memory contains computer program instructions that, when executed by the microprocessor during access to the main memory, set up the infotainment system to carry out further operations comprising: - analysing the content of the recording for a linguistic syntax, wherein the point in the recording that is before the first time, and from which reproduction is continued, is a start of a sentence interrupted by the interruption (Hamilton, [0043] note The first application 104 may, for example, replay and/or re-output the portion of the continuous or first audio by playing and/or outputting a complete sentence or a complete portion or portion beginning with the most recent tag of a file read by the first application 104).
Claim 12: Patel, Cox, Schultz and Hamilton teach the infotainment system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the nonvolatile memory contains computer program instructions that, when executed by the microprocessor during access to the main memory, set up the infotainment system to carry out further operations comprising: - receiving a user input prompting reproduction a recorded audio to be terminated after the interruption or overlay, in which case undelayed reproduction of a received signal is effected (Patel, [0082] note After termination of the relevant application or telephone call, a user selects, at block 244, either to resume reproduction of the radio or television program in real time, or to resume reproduction in delayed time).
Claims 19, 20, 22 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Patel in view of Cox in further view of Hamilton.
Claim 19: Patel teaches continuing an ongoing real-time reception and reproduction of audio content from a first source after a temporary interruption to the ongoing real-time reception and reproduction, comprising:
- an interface for actuating at least one loudspeaker for reproducing audio content, - a microprocessor, - main memory, - nonvolatile memory, - an interface for accessing means for locally storing audio content that are communicatively connected to the microprocessor, the main memory, and the nonvolatile memory by means of at least one or more data lines and one or more data buses for transmitting at least one of data signals and control signals, wherein the nonvolatile memory contains computer program instructions that, when executed by the microprocessor during access to the main memory, set up the apparatus to carry out operations comprising (Patel, [Fig. 2], [Fig. 3], [0027] note a cellular telephone, [0022] note broadcast programs can be reproduced on the cellular telephone, [0081] note a user would wish temporarily to interrupt the radio or television program which is being reproduced on the cellular telephone 14, and to resume reproduction thereof later, without missing the portion of the radio or telephone program which was broadcast during the interruption, [0082] note resume reproduction of the radio or television program in real time):
- storing a first time marking the beginning of an interruption, by a reproduction of audio content from a second source, to the ongoing real-time reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source (Patel, [0026] note from time-to-time, a user may want to use the cellular telephone 14 as a telephonic communication device when a radio or television program, which the user wants to listen to or watch, is being broadcast, [0081] note a user would wish temporarily to interrupt the radio or television program which is being reproduced on the cellular telephone 14, and to resume reproduction thereof later, without missing the portion of the radio or telephone program which was broadcast during the interruption, [0028] note record at least a part of the received broadcast program signal in response to a trigger event);
- when the first source is at least one of a radio receiver and a streaming- media receiver, the first source receives and reproduces substantially in real time at least one of broadcast audio content and streaming audio content (Patel, [0027] note broadcast receiver arrangement 34 is configured for receiving a broadcast from one of an analog radio broadcast, a digital radio broadcast, an analog television broadcast, a digital television broadcast, an analog movie broadcast and a digital movie broadcast, [0022] note broadcast programs can be reproduced on the cellular telephone, [0082] note resume reproduction of the radio or television program in real time), and
the at least one of broadcast audio content and streaming audio content continues to be at least one of broadcast and streamed during the interruption to the ongoing real-time reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source, such that the at least one of broadcast audio content and streaming audio content that is at least one of broadcast and streamed during the interruption to the ongoing real-time reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source would be lost if not recorded during the interruption to the ongoing real-time reception and reproduction of the audio content from the first source (Patel, [0081] note Further, a scenario may occur that a user needs to perform a function with the cellular telephone 14, such as requesting or receiving a telephone call, or executing an available application on the cellular telephone 14, such as consulting a diary application, in which case, conveniently, a user would wish temporarily to interrupt the radio or television program which is being reproduced on the cellular telephone 14, and to resume reproduction thereof later, without missing the portion of the radio or telephone program which was broadcast during the interruption):
continuously recording in a buffer a quantity of the audio content from the first source that is consistent with a first reproduction duration (Patel, [0037] note The recording module 36 also includes a buffer memory 90 which is defined by the onboard data memory 70, for recording at least a part of the received broadcast program signal in response to a trigger event, [0082] note the remaining broadcast is continuously buffered or recorded),
- from the first time onward, detecting whether the audio content received from the first source substantially contains speech information (Patel, [0031] note detecting module 40 includes a speech recognition module 52 for recognizing the presence of the at least one word in the broadcast program, [0028] note a recording module 36 to record at least a part of the received broadcast program signal in response to a trigger event, and a recording activating module 38 for activating the recording module 36 in response to the trigger event to record a predetermined broadcast program),
- detecting the end of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source (Patel, [0030] note a playback pause button 46 to pause and then playback the broadcast program in response to reception and termination of a telephone call respectively, is provided for the cellular telephone 14, [0081] note a user would wish temporarily to interrupt the radio or television program which is being reproduced on the cellular telephone 14, and to resume reproduction thereof later, without missing the portion of the radio or telephone program which was broadcast during the interruption),
(i) recording the received audio content from the first source starting from the beginning of the interruption onward (Patel, [0028] note a recording module 36 to record at least a part of the received broadcast program signal in response to a trigger event, and a recording activating module 38 for activating the recording module 36 in response to the trigger event to record a predetermined broadcast program),
(ii) once reproduction of the audio content from the second source is finished, resuming reproduction of the audio content from the first source (Patel, [0082] note After termination of the relevant application or telephone call, a user selects, at block 244, either to resume reproduction of the radio or television program in real time, or to resume reproduction in delayed time. If a user selects the delayed time option, then branch 244.1 is followed, and the recorded portion 91 of the program is played back from the point when the reproduction was interrupted by retrieving the recorded portion 91 from buffer 90, while the remaining broadcast is continuously buffered or recorded, so that, in effect, a delayed reproduction of the radio or television program is performed on the cellular telephone 14).
Patel does not explicitly teach an infotainment system of a motor vehicle, - before the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source and continuing until the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source, continuously recording in a ring buffer; determining, during the temporary interruption of the ongoing reproduction of audio content from the first source, when the recording of the audio content received from the first source transitions from a first portion of the recording that does not contain speech to a second portion of the recording that does contain speech; and - performing following steps (i) and (ii) only when the audio content substantially contains speech content at least from the first time onward, and not performing the following steps (i) and (ii) when the audio content does not substantially contain speech content at least from the first time onward; starting with the recorded audio content from when the recorded audio content received from the first source transitions from the first portion of the recording that does not contain speech to the second portion of the recording that does contain speech such that reproduction of the audio content of the first portion of the recording of the audio content from the first source during the interruption that does not contain speech is skipped, and reproduction of the audio content instead begins with the second portion of the recording of the audio content from the first source during the interruption that does contain speech.
However, Cox teaches an infotainment system of a motor vehicle (Cox, [Fig. 1] note 14, [0024] note As illustrated in FIG. 1, a receiver unit 14 can be configured for stationary use (e.g., on a subscriber's premises), or mobile use (e.g., portable use or mobile use in a vehicle), or both), [0026] note FIG. 2 illustrates different service transmission channels… These channels are multiplexed and transmitted in a composite data stream that can be a source stream for a radio receiver 14),
- before the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source and continuing until the beginning of the interruption to the ongoing real-time reproduction of the audio content from the first source, continuously recording in a ring buffer (Cox, [0018] note Multiple channels can be received and buffered simultaneously. The buffered content is used to allow a user to switch between channels during a live listening mode (i.e., listening to content in a broadcast or streamed content stream as it is being received) and is to be distinguished from receivers that buffer content for a subsequent or deferred playback mode (e.g., listening to previously received and stored content at another time such as when a transmitted signal is not available or simply when deferred playback is desired by the user), [0075] note storing and retrieving cached data into and out of the Content Buffer 112 can be used, including but not limited to continuous ring buffers).
Patel and Cox do not explicitly teach determining, during the temporary interruption of the ongoing reproduction of audio content from the first source, when the recording of the audio content received from the first source transitions from a first portion of the recording that does not contain speech to a second portion of the recording that does contain speech; and - performing following steps (i) and (ii) only when the audio content substantially contains speech content at least from the first time onward, and not performing the following steps (i) and (ii) when the audio content does not substantially contain speech content at least from the first time onward; starting with the recorded audio content from when the recorded audio content received from the first source transitions from the first portion of the recording that does not contain speech to the second portion of the recording that does contain speech such that reproduction of the audio content of the first portion of the recording of the audio content from the first source during the interruption that does not contain speech is skipped, and reproduction of the audio content instead begins with the second portion of the recording of the audio content from the first source during the interruption that does contain speech.
However, Hamilton teaches this (Hamilton, [0036] note continuous or first audio 108A may, for example, have been tagged with sentence beginnings, and/or the first application 104 may determine a tag of the continuous or first audio 108A. The tag may have been included in the file from which the first application 104 generated the continuous or first audio output 108A, or the first application 104 may find a boundary and/or endpoint of the continuous or first audio 108A, such as based on pauses or audio energy, sentence boundary detection, end points, speech recognition, [0036] note data which the first application 104 will read to generate the continuous or first audio output 108A may, for example, be maintained in a continuous or first or circular buffer, [0043] note The first application 104 may, for example, replay and/or re-output the portion of the continuous or first audio by playing and/or outputting a complete sentence or a complete portion or portion beginning with the most recent tag of a file read by the first application 104, [0053] note The first device 302 may determine a time period before the pause message 310 at which time the tag began, and may instruct the second device 304 to rewind that period of time which will cause the second device 304 to resume playing and/or outputting the continuous or first audio 306B at the beginning or at the determined tag point).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the application to combine the content reproduction of Patel and Cox with the sentence begging tag of Hamilton according to known methods (i.e. rewinding to a time period based on a sentence beginning tag). Motivation for doing so is that this avoids a loss of context or continuity of the continuous or first audio (Hamilton, [0029]).
Claim 20: Patel, Cox and Hamilton teach the infotainment system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the nonvolatile memory contains computer program instructions that, when executed by the microprocessor during access to the main memory, set up the infotainment system to carry out further operations comprising:
- analysing the content of the recording for a linguistic syntax, wherein the point in the recording that is before the first time, and from which reproduction is continued, is a start of a sentence interrupted by the interruption (Hamilton, [0043] note The first application 104 may, for example, replay and/or re-output the portion of the continuous or first audio by playing and/or outputting a complete sentence or a complete portion or portion beginning with the most recent tag of a file read by the first application 104).
Claim 22: Patel, Cox and Hamilton teach the infotainment system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the nonvolatile memory contains computer program instructions that, when executed by the microprocessor during access to the main memory, set up the infotainment system to carry out further operations comprising:
- receiving a user input prompting reproduction a recorded audio to be terminated after the interruption or overlay, in which case undelayed reproduction of a received signal is effected (Patel, [0071] note In another embodiment, if the playback is interrupted or terminated, upon the restart of the playback or start of a new session the player may offer to start the playback at the last saved position).
Claim 23: Patel, Cox and Hamilton teach the infotainment system as claimed in claim 22, wherein, if the first source provides audio content received and reproduced substantially in real time, the recording is continued during reproduction (Patel, [0022] note broadcast programs can be reproduced on the cellular telephone, [0081] note a user would wish temporarily to interrupt the radio or television program which is being reproduced on the cellular telephone 14, and to resume reproduction thereof later, without missing the portion of the radio or telephone program which was broadcast during the interruption, [0082] note resume reproduction of the radio or television program in real time).
Claims 7 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Patel, Cox, Schultz and Hamilton in further view of Lindahl et al., US 2011/0040981 A1 (hereinafter “Lindahl” – as cited in the IDS filed 4 October 2019).
Claim 7: Patel, Cox, Schultz and Hamilton do not explicitly the method as claimed in claim 5, wherein reproduction of the recording is effected at an increased reproduction speed in comparison with a normal reproduction speed until a time at which at least one of the reproduced audio content and the reproduced video content is consistent with at least a corresponding one of the audio content received and the video content received.
However, Lindahl teaches this (Lindahl, [0021] note the speed at which the buffered radio program is played back may be adjusted (e.g., increased), such that the playback of the buffered radio program eventually synchronizes or "catches up" to the live broadcast. At this point, based upon one or more user preferences, the electronic device may be configured to stop buffering the radio program and simply play back the live stream).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the application to combine the content reproduction Patel, Cox, Schultz and Hamilton with the adjustable playback speed of Lindahl according to known methods (i.e. increasing the playback speed of the reproduced content such that the buffered content eventually synchronizes with the live content). Motivation for doing so is that this lowers over processing demands by reducing the need to buffer, encode, and/or store the on the electronic device, thereby reducing overall power consumption and, in the case of portable electronic devices, prolonging battery life (Lindahl, [0021]).
Claim 14: Patel, Cox, Schultz and Hamilton do not explicitly teach the apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein reproduction of the recording is effected at an increased reproduction speed in comparison with a normal reproduction speed until a time at which at least one of the reproduced audio content and the reproduced video content is consistent with at least one of the audio content received and the video content received.
However, Lindahl teaches this (Lindahl, [0021] note the speed at which the buffered radio program is played back may be adjusted (e.g., increased), such that the playback of the buffered radio program eventually synchronizes or "catches up" to the live broadcast. At this point, based upon one or more user preferences, the electronic device may be configured to stop buffering the radio program and simply play back the live stream).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the application to combine the content reproduction of Patel, Cox, Schultz and Hamilton with the adjustable playback speed of Lindahl according to known methods (i.e. increasing the playback speed of the reproduced content such that the buffered content eventually synchronizes with the live content). Motivation for doing so is that this lowers over processing demands by reducing the need to buffer, encode, and/or store the on the electronic device, thereby reducing overall power consumption and, in the case of portable electronic devices, prolonging battery life (Lindahl, [0021]).
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Patel, Cox and Hamilton in further view of Lindahl.
Claim 24: Patel, Cox and Hamilton do not explicitly teach the infotainment system as claimed in claim 23, wherein reproduction of the recording is effected at an increased reproduction speed in comparison with a normal reproduction speed until a time at which the reproduced audio content is consistent with the audio content received.
However, Lindahl teaches this (Lindahl, [0021] note the speed at which the buffered radio program is played back may be adjusted (e.g., increased), such that the playback of the buffered radio program eventually synchronizes or "catches up" to the live broadcast. At this point, based upon one or more user preferences, the electronic device may be configured to stop buffering the radio program and simply play back the live stream).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the application to combine the content reproduction of Patel, Cox and Hamilton with the adjustable playback speed of Lindahl according to known methods (i.e. increasing the playback speed of the reproduced content such that the buffered content eventually synchronizes with the live content). Motivation for doing so is that this lowers over processing demands by reducing the need to buffer, encode, and/or store the on the electronic device, thereby reducing overall power consumption and, in the case of portable electronic devices, prolonging battery life (Lindahl, [0021]).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/GIUSEPPI GIULIANI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2165
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