DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This Office Action is in response to a RCE application filed on November 7, 2025 and wherein claims 53, 57-58, 68, 70 amended, claims 59 canceled, and claims 1-52 previously cancelled, and claims 66-67 remained withdraw status.
In virtue of this communication, claims 53-58, 60-73 are currently pending in this Office Action.
The Office appreciates the explanation of the amendment and summarization of interview wherein there is no agreement to have been achieved at that point about claim patentability and analyses of the prior arts, and however, although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993) and MPEP 2145.
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 made in this Office action:
A person shall 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 effective filing date of the claimed invention..
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 68, 71 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Biswas (US 20180358028 A1).
Claim 68: Biswas teaches an apparatus (title and abstract, ln 1-12 and a decoder in fig. 5) for generating, in a dynamic range reduced domain (the audio signal and processing from a compression 104 at an audio encoder side to expansion 114 at an audio decoder side is in dynamic range reduced domain due to compression 104, para 34), an enhanced multi-channel audio signal (audio out 116 having ordinal dynamic range in fig. 1, para 34) including a multi-channel audio signal (multiple channels handled by duplicating the operation separately on each channel, para 59), wherein the apparatus includes:
a receiver for receiving the audio bitstream (part of core decoder 502 for receiving the bitstream in fig. 5);
a core decoder (rest of the core decoder 502 in fig. 2) for core decoding the audio bitstream (the bitstream decoded to generate decoded portion of bitstream into QMF analysis 504 in fig. 5) and for obtaining a dynamic range reduced raw multi-channel audio signal based on the received audio bitstream (output from the core decoder 502 in fig. 5), wherein the dynamic range reduced raw multi-channel audio signal comprises two or more channels (including stereo two channels, para 68 and two or more channels, para 59); and
a multi-channel generator (QMF analysis 504 and/or a tool to reconstruct the full bandwidth compressed signal in fig. 5, para 67) for jointly enhancing the two or more channels of the dynamic range reduced raw multi-channel audio signal in the dynamic range reduced domain (parametric stereo PS tool and reconstructing full bandwidth from mono downmix to stereo channels by using side information, or channels are grouped according to detected similarities, para 60, and the channels are processed by using the tools above, i.e., jointly enhancement, para 67-68) and for obtaining an enhanced dynamic range reduced multi-channel audio signal (e.g., full bandwidth compressed signal and input to the expander 506 in fig. 5) for subsequent expansion of the dynamic range (expander 506 to be used for receiving QMF and/or tools’ output signals as enhanced channel signals in fig. 5), wherein the enhanced dynamic range reduced multi-channel audio signal comprises two or more channels (stereo from mono downmix signal and two or more channels, the discussion above).
Claim 71: Biswas further teaches, according to claim 68 above, wherein the apparatus further includes an expansion unit (expander 506 in fig. 5) configured to perform an expansion operation on the two or more channels (64 bands from QMF analysis 504 and multiple channels including stereo and discussion in claim 68 above) to expand the enhanced dynamic range reduced multi-channel audio signal to an expanded dynamic range domain (expanding the dynamic range of the compressed audio signal back to the dynamic range of the original input audio signal 102, para 34).
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 of this title, 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 53, 55 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Biswas (US 20180358028 A1) and in view of reference Blyth et al (US 20150008962 A1, hereinafter Blyth).
Claim 53: Biswas teaches a method (title and abstract, ln 1-12 and a decoder in fig. 5 and method steps in fig. 3B) of generating, in a dynamic range reduced domain (the audio signal and processing from a compression 104 at an audio encoder side to expansion 114 at an audio decoder side is in dynamic range reduced domain due to compression 104, para 34), an enhanced multi-channel audio signal (audio out 512 in fig. 5 or 112 in fig. 1, having ordinal dynamic range with coding noise reduced, para 34) from an audio bitstream (received bitstream 501 in fig. 5) including a multi-channel audio signal (multiple channels handled by duplicating the operation separately on each channel, or grouped channels having similarities, para 59), the method comprising:
receiving the audio bitstream (via a part of core decoder 502 for receiving the bitstream in fig. 5);
core decoding the audio bitstream (the bitstream decoded to generate decoded portion of bitstream into QMF analysis 504 via other part of the core decoder 502 in fig. 5) and obtaining a dynamic range reduced raw multi-channel audio signal based on the received audio bitstream (output from the core decoder 502 in fig. 5), wherein the dynamic range reduced raw multi-channel audio signal comprises two or more channels (including stereo two channels, para 68 and two or more channels, para 59);
inputting two or more channels (stereo as multi-channel signals, para 35, at observed stereo-panned transient signals, para 60) of the dynamic range reduced raw multi-channel audio signal (output signal from core decoder 502 in fig. 5) together into a multi-channel generator (including QMF and/or parametric stereo PS tool, A-CPL tool set, para 67-68, for reconstructing full bandwidth prior to expanding, e.g., parametric stereo tool and A-CPL toolset, and the reconstructing includes using side information and reconstructing stereo channel from the mono, para 67-68, and the processed channel can be group channel from multiple channels having similarities, para 60, i.e., receiving the stereo signals at the same time as claimed together for avoiding audible stereo image artifacts, para 60);
enhancing, with the multi-channel generator, the two or more channels (by using QMF and/or parametric stereo PS tool, A-CPL tool set, para 67-68 and grouped channel to be processed, and the discussion above) in the dynamic range reduced domain (the processing above is performed prior to the expanding by the expander 506 in fig. 5) to output an enhanced dynamic range reduced multi-channel audio signal (reconstructed full bandwidth compressed signal, para 67) for subsequent expansion of the dynamic range (expander 506 to be used for expanding the compressed signals in fig. 5),
wherein the enhanced dynamic range reduced multi-channel audio signal comprises two or more enhanced channels that are enhanced relative to the two or more channels of the dynamic range reduced raw multi-channel audio signal (stereo and two or more channels, the discussion above).
However, Biswas does not explicitly teach that it is simultaneousness to enhance, with the disclosed multi-channel generator, the disclosed two or more channels in the dynamic range reduced domain.
Blyth teaches an analogous field of endeavor by disclosing a method of generating, in a dynamic range reduced domain, an enhanced multi-channel audio signal (title and abstract, ln 1-18 and in fig. 3 and the method for multi-channel in fig. 10) and wherein a multi-channel generator is disclosed (fig. 10, including INTERP 1001, 1002, ENVR 1011, CTRLR 1012, element 1010 for right input audio channel channel DinR and similar elements for left input audio channel DinL, para 125, 130-135) and wherein inputting two or more channels (stereo DinR and DinL in fig. 10, and also applied to more than two channels, e.g., in 5.1 output configurations, para 129) of the dynamic range reduced raw multi-channel audio signal (dynamic range enhancement DRE in fig. 10, para 114 and including the received signal having a low signal levels compared to noise condition, para 130, i.e., the claimed dynamic range reduced) together into the multi-channel generator (for evaluating envelope for both stereo signals, and using the DAR/DAL, DBR/DBL at the same time, para 129);
simultaneously enhancing, with the multi-channel generator, the two or more channels (by evaluating digital gain GDGR/GDGL and applied GDIGR/GDIGL to the interpolated audio signals 64fs at left and right channel paths through a multiplier 1003 for the left and the right channels, respectively and specifically, all four sample inputs applied for evaluating the digital gain values, para 129) to output an enhanced dynamic range reduced multi-channel audio signal (output from the multiplier 1003 for the left and the right channels in fig. 10) for subsequent expansion of the dynamic range (through analog amplifier 1005 for the left and the right channels, for compensation of the digital gains GDIGR/GDIGL, para expander 506 to be used for expanding the compressed signals in fig. 5),
wherein the enhanced dynamic range reduced multi-channel audio signal comprises two or more enhanced channels that are enhanced relative to the two or more channels of the dynamic range reduced raw multi-channel audio signal (stereo two channels, outputted from the multiplier 1003 and compared to the input left and the input right channels DinR, DinL in fig. 10) for benefits of enhancing the dynamic range processing for multi-channel audio signals (by improving noise performance at low signal levels, para 10, by accurately measuring the dynamic range of the audio signals, para 120, in a cost-saving manner, para 10).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have applied wherein simultaneously enhancing, with the multi-channel generator, the two or more channels in the dynamic range reduced domain to output an enhanced dynamic range reduced multi-channel audio signal for subsequent expansion of the dynamic range, as taught by Blyth, to enhancing, with the multi-channel generator, the two or more channels in the dynamic range reduced domain in the method, as taught by Biswas, for the benefits discussed above.
Claim 55 has been analyzed and rejected according to claims 53, 71 above and the combination of Biswas and Blyth further teaches wherein the expansion operation is a companding operation based on a p-norm of spectral magnitude for calculating respective gain values (Biswas, p-norm of the spectral magnitudes used for emphasizing weak spectral content, para 41 and details in para 47-53 and Blyth, through analog portion of the DRE in fig. 10, via ENVG 1008, CTLG 1009, PSU 1007, etc., for providing maximum to support dynamic range enhancement, para 127-129).
Claims 69-70, 72 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Biwas (above) and in view of reference Riedmiller et al (US 20150104021 A1, hereinafter Riedmiller).
Claim 69: Biswas further teaches, according to claim 68 above, wherein the received audio bitstream includes metadata (including side information used for replicating higher frequency components, para 64, companding control per channel transmitted from the encoder in fig. 4), wherein the metadata include one or more items of companding control data (companding control per channel and placed into the bitstream 414 and including companding mode control in fig. 4, ), wherein the companding control data include information on a companding mode among one or more companding modes (companding mode selected among on/off/average modes, para 35, switching between individual companding and jointly companding of channels, para 60, different tools used before expanding, e.g., parametric stereo PS tool or A-CPL toolset, etc., para 67-68) that had been used for encoding the multi-channel audio signal (the companding control information passed to compressor 406 at the encoder in fig. 4, para 89-91).
However, Biswas does not explicitly teach a demultiplexer for demultiplexing the received audio bitstream.
Riedmiller teaches an analogous field of endeavor by disclosing an apparatus (title and abstract, ln 1-17, a decoding system in fig. 2c) for generating, in a dynamic range reduced domain (the multi-channel audio signal is encoded and subject to being dynamic range controlled through the decoder in fig. 2c, DRC1, DRC2, DRC3 upon the coding mode, parametric coding mode for low bitrate and discrete coding mode for high bitrate, para 33), an enhanced multi-channel audio signal (reconstructed channel signals X in fig. 2c) from an audio bitstream (bitstream P received by demultiplex 60 or 70 in fig. 2c) including a multi-channel audio signal (n-channel audio signal X and m-channel core signal Y in fig. 2c, abstract), wherein
A demultiplexer is disclosed for demultiplexing the received audio bitstream (demultiplexing encoded audio signal Ẋ, Ẏ and DRC2, DRC3, DRC1, and α in fig. 2c) for benefits of improving performance in audio encoding and audio decoding with compatibility for legacy system (by improving bandwidth efficiency, computational efficiency, error resilience, para 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have applied the demultiplexer for demultiplexing the received audio bitstream, as taught by Riedmiller, to the receiver for receiving the audio bitstream in the apparatus, as taught by Biswas, for the benefits discussed above.
Claim 70: the combination of Biswas and Riedmiller further teaches, according to claim 69 above, wherein the multi-channel Generator is configured to jointly enhance the two or more channels of the dynamic range reduced raw multi-channel audio signal in the dynamic range reduced domain (Biswas, discussion in claim 68 above) depending on the companding mode indicated by the companding control data (Biswas, jointly companding of the channels based on detected similarity between channels, para 60; different tools used before expanding, e.g., parametric stereo PS tool or A-CPL toolset, etc., para 67-68 and discussion above, and Riedmiller, companding modes defined by usage of DRC1, DRC2, and DRC3 and combination of thereof at decoder in fig. 2c and upon either parametric decoding mode as a low bitrate mode or discrete decoding mode as a high bitrate mode, para 33).
Claim 72: the combination of Biswas and Riedmiller further teaches, according to claim 68 above, wherein the apparatus further includes a dynamic range reduction unit configured to perform a dynamic range reduction operation after core decoding the audio bitstream to obtain the dynamic range reduced raw multi- channel audio signal (Riedmiller, part of decoding unit 71, compared to a late DRC processing by element 74 in fig. 2c, and the decoding unit 71 further performs DRC by using DRC3 applied on the decoded core signal, para 64, and DRC is used for range compression, para 30, i.e., dynamic range reduction operation).
Claims 54, 56-58 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Biwas (above) and in view of references Blyth (above) and Riedmiller et al (US 20150104021 A1, hereinafter Riedmiller).
Claim 54: the combination of Biswas and Blyth further teaches, according to claim 68 above, core decoding the audio bitstream (Biswas, via core decoder 502 in fig. 5), except wherein performing a dynamic range reduction operation to obtain the dynamic range reduced raw multi- channel audio signal after core decoding the audio bitstream.
Riedmiller teaches an analogous field of endeavor by disclosing an apparatus (title and abstract, ln 1-17, a decoding system in fig. 2c) for generating, in a dynamic range reduced domain (the multi-channel audio signal is encoded and subject to being dynamic range controlled through the decoder in fig. 2c, DRC1, DRC2, DRC3 upon the coding mode, parametric coding mode for low bitrate and discrete coding mode for high bitrate, para 33), an enhanced multi-channel audio signal (reconstructed channel signals X in fig. 2c) from an audio bitstream (bitstream P received by demultiplex 60 or 70 in fig. 2c) including a multi-channel audio signal (n-channel audio signal X and m-channel core signal Y in fig. 2c, abstract), wherein wherein performing a dynamic range reduction operation to obtain the dynamic range reduced raw multi- channel audio signal after core decoding the audio bitstream (a part of decoding unit 71, compared to a late DRC processing by element 74 in fig. 2c, and the decoding unit 71 further performs DRC by using DRC3 applied on the decoded core signal, para 64, and DRC is used for range compression, para 30, i.e., dynamic range reduction operation), for the benefits discussed in claim 72 above.
Claim 56 has been analyzed and rejected according to claims 53, 69 above.
Claim 57 has been analyzed and rejected according to claims 56, 69 above.
Claim 58 has been analyzed and rejected according to claims 57, 70 above.
Claims 59-60, 63-64 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Biwas (above) and in view of references Blyth (above) and Pascual et al. (“SEGAN: Speech Enhancement Generative Adversarial Network”, [1703.09452] SEGAN: Speech Enhancement Generative Adversarial Network, Computer Science, Machine Learning, v3, 2017, hereinafter Pascual).
Claim 59: the combination of Biswas and Blyth teaches all the elements of claim 59, according to claim 53 above, including the multi-channel generator in the dynamic range reduced domain (Biswas, and Blyth, the discussion in claim 53 above), except explicitly teaching wherein the multi-channel generator is a generator trained in the dynamic range reduced domain in a Generative Adversarial Network GAN setting.
Pascual teaches an analogous field of endeavor by disclosing a method (title and abstract, ln 1-19 and training process in fig. 1 and an architecture for speech enhancement network in fig. 2) and wherein a generator is disclosed (including encoder and decoder in fig. 2) to be trained in a spectral domain (spectral domain, abstract, session Introduction, p.1 or waveform domain, abstract) in a generative adversarial network GAN setting (setting in fig. 1, mapping and discriminating processing defined by the formula 1, and improved formula 2, p.2, D-discriminator, G-generator, Ẍ - real speech sample, session 2 Generative Adversarial Networks, p.1-2) for benefits of enhancing intelligibility and quality of generated speech (via introducing multiple and complex noisy conditions, abstract, session 2 Generative Adversarial Networks, p.2, col 1, para 3 and session 3. Speech Enhancement GAN, p.2) with improved training performance (simplifying training process and saving training time, session 3 Speech Enhancement GAN, p.2, col 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have applied the generator trained in the generative adversarial network GAN setting, as taught by Pascual, to the multi-channel Generator in the dynamic range reduced domain in the method, as taught by the combination of Biwas and Blyth, for the benefits discussed above.
Claim 60: the combination of Biwas, Blyth, and Pascual further teaches, according to claims 53, 59 above, wherein the multi-channel generator (Biwas, discussed in claim 53 above, and Pascual, generator G and the discussion in claim 53, 59 above) includes an encoder stage and a decoder stage (Biwas, discussed in claim 53 above, and Pascual, encoder-decoder architecture for speech enhancement through G network in fig. 2) arranged in a mirror symmetric manner (Pascual, G has symmetric architecture between encoder or convolutions and decoder or deconvolutions, which are connected through a latent representation layer z in fig. 2, session 3. Speech Enhancement GAN, p.2), wherein the encoder stage and the decoder stage each include L layers with N filters in each layer (Pascual, strided convolution layers and each of the layers has N steps of fitlers for outputting from the layer, session 3, p.2), wherein L is a natural number ≥ 1 and wherein N is a natural number ≥ 1 (Pascual, output from each layer, i.e., from the layer filter, are inputted to the next layer as input of the next layer in fig. 2, e.g., N=2, session 4.2 SEGAN Setup, p.3), and wherein a size of the N filters in each layer of the encoder stage and the decoder stage is the same (Pascual, the encoding process is reversed in the decoding stage and each encoding layer connected to its homologous decoding layer by passing compression performed in the middle of the model, session 3 Speech Enhancement GAN, p.2, col 2) and each of the N filters in the encoder stage and the decoder stage operates with a stride of > 1 (Pascual, L/2, L/4, L/8, …, in fig. 2, session 3, p.2).
Claim 63: the combination of Biwas, Blyth, and Pascual further teaches, according to claims 60 above, wherein one or more skip connections exist between respective homologous layers of the multi-channel generator (Pascual, skip connections used for connecting each encoding layer to its homologous decoding layer, p.2, session 3. Speech Enhancement GAN, col 2, para 3).
Claim 64: the combination of Biwas, Blyth, and Pascual further teaches, according to claims 60 above, wherein the multi-channel generator includes, between the encoder stage and the decoder stage, a stage for modifying multi-channel audio in the dynamic range reduced domain based at least on a dynamic range reduced coded multi-channel audio feature space (Biwas, such as side information used in parametric stereo tool for reconstructing original channels, para 68-69, and Pascual, a latent vector z and a thought vector c layers concatenated each other and between the encoder and the decoder layers in fig. 2, session 3 Speech Enhancement GAN, p.2, col 2, para 2).
Claims 61-62, 65 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Biwas (above) and in view of reference Blyth (above), Pascual (above) and Nesta et al (US 20200349965 A1, hereinafter Nesta).
Claim 61: the combination of Biwas, Blyth, and Pascual teaches all the elements of claim 61, according to claims 60 above, including the multi-channel Generator (Biwas, discussed in claim 53 above, and Pascual, the discussion in claims 60 above) comprising an input layer and an output layer (Pascual, first layer to receive noisy input and last layer to output enhanced output in fig. 2), except wherein the multi-channel Generator further includes a non-strided convolutional layer as an input layer prepending the encoder stage.
Nesta teaches an analogous field of endeavor by a method for enhanced multi-channel audio signal (title and abstract, ln 1- 18 and method step implementation in a noise reduction system in figs. 1A/1B/1C, applied to including multichannel audio signals, para 4) and wherein a multi-channel generator is disclosed (a deep neural network DNN 100 in figs. 1A and autoencoder neural network 120 in fig. 1B, para 19-20) to include a non-strided convolutional layer as an input layer prepending the encoder stage (input layer 104 or 126 by receiving input samples 102, 122 to prepending to the hidden layers 110 or embedding vectors 130 in figs. 1A/1B, respectively, with no strided layer, para 19-20) and a non-strided transposed convolutional layer as an output layer subsequently following the decoder stage (following the noise embedding layer and speech embedding layer, a output layer 106 for noise embedding and 128 for speech embedding in figs. 1A/1B, respectively, para 19-20) for benefits of enhancing speech (by improving denoising and enhancing target by priorly providing noise signal and target signal in the deep embeddings, para 8).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have applied wherein the multi-channel Generator further includes the non-strided convolutional layer as the input layer prepending the encoder stage, as taught by Nesta, to the input layer of the multichannel Generator in the method, as taught by the combination of Biwas, Blyth, and Pascual, for the benefits discussed above.
Claim 62 has been analyzed and rejected according to claims 60-61 above.
Claim 65: the combination of Biwas, Blyth, Pascual, and Nesta further teaches, according to claims 64, 61 above, wherein a random noise vector z is used in the dynamic range reduced coded multi-channel audio feature space for modifying multi-channel audio in the dynamic range reduced domain (Nesta, the noise reduction neural network NR-NN 150 is trained with random speech and noise sequences to produce an enhanced signal 160, para 21), wherein the use of the random noise vector z is conditioned on a bit rate of the audio bitstream and/or on a number of channels of the multi-channel audio signal (Biwas, channel grouping information is transmitted through the bitstream, para 60 and used for reconstructing the number of original channels, para 34, and Pascual, discrete decoding for high bitrate and parametric decoding for low bitrate, para 33).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on November 7, 2025 have been fully considered and but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection necessitated by the applicant amendment. Although a new ground of rejection has been used to address additional limitations that have been added to at least claims 53, 57-58, 68, 70, a response is considered necessary for several of applicant’s arguments since reference Biswas and Blyth will continue to be used to meet several claimed limitations.
With respect to prior art rejection of claim 53 about claimed “simultaneously enhancing, with …, the two or more channels in the dynamic range reduced domain to output an enhanced dynamic range reduced multi-channel audio signal for …”, applicant argued “Biswas and Blyth do not teach “simultaneously enhancing” feature (above)” because (1) “FIG. 10 of Blyth does not teach a simultaneous relationship between the four signals as taught by Blyth” asserted in paragraph 3 of page 10, (2), even assuming, …, Blyth teaches simultaneously receiving four signals inputs, … Blyth still does not teach ‘simultaneously enhancing, …’” because “Office’s assertions do not address the fact that the ‘multi-channel generator’ is ‘simultaneously enhancing the two or more channels in …” as asserted in paragraph 3 of page 11, and (3) because “Office has not explained how applying four inputs for evaluating digital gain values teaches ‘simultaneously enhancing’” as asserted in paragraph 5 of page 11 and paragraphs 1 of page 12, in Remarks filed on November 7, 2025.
In response to the argument above, the Office respectfully disagrees because
(1) Blyth clearly teaches a circuitry (fig. 10, mapped to claimed multi-channel generator, as discussed in the office action, p.7) for processing left channel signal (DinL) and right channel signal (DinR, fig. 10), see office action, page 7, below:
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In an applicant-initiated telephone interview (September 30, 2025), the Office further indicated Blyth’s two dash-lined boxes (left box and right box indicated below)
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that are essentially symmetric (details in the right channel box with disclosure, para 126, and symmetrically mapped to the left channel box for the stereo output, para 126 and headphone, para 130) applicant provided no contrary to (Interview Summary mailed on October 3, 2025:
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). Blyth further teaches that two dash-lined boxes are for Dynamic Range Enhancement DRE (para 10), including a filter with stop-band attenuation mapped to claimed “in the dynamic range reduced domain” (para 10). Blyth further teaches, that circuitry of fig. 10 is purported to output a stereo for a headphone (a multi-channel audio output for stereo of a headphone, para 126, headphone para 130) by receiving a left channel signal (DinL) and a right channel signal (DinR) and therefore, simultaneously processing or enhancing relationship between the left portion and the right portion of fig. 10 is inherency with respect to enhanced stereo output for the headphone (para 130), although word “simultaneous” does not appeared in Blyth’s writing. Because claim failed to recite how “simultaneously enhancing” is performed with the multi-channel generator, and no recitation of what “multi-channel generator” is, the citation of Blyth disclosure above anticipated broadly claimed and argued “simultaneously enhancing with multi-channel generator” above, and thus, the argument is moot.
(2) as addressed in office action:
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Blyth’s “enhancing” processing is performed simultaneously because of the circuitry (fig. 10, including the left box and the right box, indicated in fig. 10 above) mapped to claimed “multi-channel generator” for left and right channel input signals (DinL and DinR) to output dynamic range enhanced stereo (para 126) for a headphone (para 130), but applicant is in silence, and thus, applicant argument above, that Blyth does not teach because the Office failed to address, is also moot. It is well-known in the art that unsynchronous-processing of left and right channels in stereo audio rendering field would cause a unbalanced and non-nature stereo sound effect and Blyth does not teach, explicitly and implicitly, such expectation by enhancing one channel (left or right) without enhancing other (right or left) or later/earlier enhanced in the unsynchronous manner.
(3) applicant request explain of how Blyth’s four signals are processed in Blyth’s element (1008), but Blyth does not need to disclose and the Office does not have to explain how Blyth’s four signals are processed because claim failed to recite any detail of how “simultaneously enhancing” is performed and prior art Blyth does not have to disclose the features claim did not recite and neither explanation from the Office. But Blyth clearly teaches the circuitry (including interpolators 1001, 1002, separate envelope detector 1011, controller 1012, etc., in fig. 10) to dynamically adjust gain of amplifier 1005 based on input channel signals (DinL/DinR and similar circuitry elements in left channel box of fig. 10) to achieve dynamic range enhancement DRE (para 125) for obtaining enhanced stereo driving signal to drive the headphone (para 130), which anticipated broadly claimed and argued “simultaneously enhancing” with “multi-channel generator”, but applicant is also in silence and thus, the argument above is also moot.
Applicant further challenged prior art Pascual for the argued feature above and argued Pascual does not teach “simultaneously enhancing”, “with the multi-channel generator”, because “Pascual” teaches “multiple distinct G networks” and “each be a single channel generator”, not “multi-channel generator”, “not clear how the multiple distinct G networks would perform ‘simultaneously enhancing, with the multi-channel generator, the two or more channels in the dynamic range reduced domain to output an enhanced dynamic range reduced multi-channel audio signal …” and “the multiple G networks would be distinct from each other and the Office has not explained how the multiple G networks would be synchronized to be simultaneous with each other”, etc., as asserted in the last paragraph of page 12, paragraphs 1=3 of page 13, paragraphs 2-3 of page 14 in Remarks filed on November 7, 2025.
In response to the argument above, the Office further disagrees because (1) as discussed in office action above, Pascual teaches the broadly claimed “multi-channel generator is trained in the dynamic range reduced domain in a Generative Adversarial Network GAN setting”, and whe does not teach how to simultaneously enhance multiple channels of an audio signal” as asserted in paragraph
In response to the argument above, the Office respectfully disagrees because Biswas clearly disclosed that two or more channels from core decoder (502 in fig. 5, para 59) and together inputted to A-SPX processing (508, as claimed generator through expander 506 for decoded two or more channels in fig. 5, para 65), but applicant is in silence and thus, the argument above is moot. However, in order to progress the prosecution, the prior art Blyth is combined in order to address the applicant’s argument and other amended features in claim 53. Amendment claim 53, similar to claim 68, recited a “generator” as a black box by taking “raw … audio signal” and then broadly outputting “enhanced …” with no details of how “enhanced ….” is generated, which is broad and anticipated by the prior arts applied in the office action as set forth above, and therefore, it is recommended to further amend claims to include how “enhanced …” is generated by the “generator”, etc.
Note: independent claim 68 amended unsimilar to claim 53, and the prior art rejection of 68 maintained because Biswas teaches all the elements of amendment claim 68, see the office action above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LESHUI ZHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-5589. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 6:30amp-4:00pm EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vivian Chin can be reached on 571-272-7848. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LESHUI ZHANG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695