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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Arguments pages 10, filed on 01/20/2026, with respect to Claim Objection of claim 25 has been fully considered and is persuasive. The claim objection of claim 25 has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments, see Arguments pages 10-15, filed on 01/20/2026, with
respect to the 35 USC § 103 claim rejections of claims 1-2, 4, 6-8, 10, 12-14, 16, 18-20, 22 and 24-28, have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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, 7, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Angel et al. Pat App. No. US 2020/0082123 A1 (Angel) in view of Williams et al. Pat. App. No. US 10803859 B1 (Williams), and further in view of DeLuca et al. Pat App No. US 20190158655 A1 (DeLuca).
Regarding Claim 1, Angel discloses an in-vehicle speech interaction method (Angel, para 0011, Voice application devices include voice command devices (VCD's), monitoring devices, and companion robots. VCD's operate based on verbal communications, thus eliminating the need for physical interactions with a device), comprising:
obtaining, during speech interaction, user speech information of a user when receiving a user instruction, wherein the user speech information indicates the user instruction (Angel, para 0033, In some embodiments, privacy preserving program 102 identifies utterances based on converting audio signals into text. In these embodiments, privacy preserving program 102 converts audio signals into text using speech to-text (STT) software; Angel, para 0034, In some embodiments, privacy preserving program 102 identifies utterances without the use of STT software or natural language processing (NLP) software. In these embodiments, privacy preserving program uses automatic speech recognition (ASR) software to identify utterances);
converting, based on semantic parsing, the user speech information into the user instruction (Angel, para 0026, a protected piece is based on prosodic characteristics of speech, such as intonation, tone, stress, rhythm, and emotional state. In an embodiment, a protected piece is determined based on a type of dialog act corresponding to the speech…A dialog act may relate to a speaker's intention (e.g., question, request, suggestion, agreement, statement, etc.));
Angel does not specifically disclose generating response content to the user instruction, wherein the response content includes private content and not-private content, identifying, based on the user instruction, whether the response content to the user instruction is privacy-related, wherein the response content is privacy-related when the response content comprises the private content, and transmitting the response content to a public device for outputting the response content in a non-privacy mode when the response content is privacy-related and the user is in a single person scenario.
However, Williams, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
generating response content to the user instruction, wherein the response content includes private content of the user and not-private content (Williams, col 5, ln 11-13, the command may be specific to the user, the output data corresponding to the command may include certain public and certain non-public portions);
transmitting the response content to a public device for outputting the response content in a privacy protection mode when the response content is privacy-related (Williams, col 27, ln 60 – col 28, ln 2, the system may also consider the public/private state of the user and/or the original audio capture device 110 when determining how to send the user output data that may include public portions versus private portions. Public response data may be sent to a public device, but private response data may be sent to a private device (e.g., a user's cell phone). The routing may depend on the data itself (e.g., how sensitive the data is), the environment of the user (e.g., private data may still be sent for output to a public device if no other users are around)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Williams in the method of Angel because this would enable a speech-processing system capable of receiving spoken commands determine and identify a user and nearby users for the purpose of routing private data to private or non-private and/or public or personal devices (Williams, Abstract).
Angel in view of Williams do not specifically disclose querying a private content list with the private content, and identifying, based on the querying, whether the response content to the user instruction is privacy-related, wherein the response content is privacy-related when the response content list comprises one or more pieces of the private content of the response content.
However, DeLuca, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
querying, during the speech interaction, a pre-stored private content list with the private content of the user (DeLuca, para 0016, According to one embodiment, user responses in a variety of forms (e.g., verbal, written, or typed) to various sensitive data requests may be stored in a repository, such as a database on a server or a data storage device within a client computing device. When a user receives a request for sensitive information during participation in a telephone conversation, voice recognition technology may identify the request, determine the appropriate response from the stored user responses, and, upon user authorization);
identifying, based on the querying, whether the response content to the user instruction is privacy-related, wherein the response content is privacy-related when the response content comprises one or more pieces of the private content of the response content (DeLuca, para 0081, identifying the stored user response that satisfies the inquiry so a transmission may be sent to the requesting party without requiring a user to verbalize a response that may contain the sensitive information);
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of DeLuca in the method of Angel in view of Williams because this would enable identifying a request for sensitive information by a call participant during a phone call and ensuring that the data received by the recipient is an accurate representation of the data queried and transmitted from the source (DeLuca, Abstract and para 0002).
Regarding Claim 7, Angel discloses an apparatus, comprising:
Processor (Angel, para 0062, one or more processor(s) 304 (including one or more computer processors)); and
a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructionsProgram instructions for privacy preserving program 102 may be stored in the persistent storage 308, or more generally, any computer readable storage media, for execution by one or more of the respective computer processors 304 via one or more memories of the memory 306. The persistent storage 308 may be a magnetic hard disk drive, a solid state disk drive, a semiconductor storage device, read-only memory (ROM), electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, or any other computer readable storage media that is capable of storing program instructions or digital information):
obtain, during speech interaction, user speech information of a user when receiving a user instruction, wherein the user speech information indicates the user instruction (Angel, para 0033, In some embodiments, privacy preserving program 102 identifies utterances based on converting audio signals into text. In these embodiments, privacy preserving program 102 converts audio signals into text using speech to-text (STT) software; Angel, para 0034, In some embodiments, privacy preserving program 102 identifies utterances without the use of STT software or natural language processing (NLP) software. In these embodiments, privacy preserving program uses automatic speech recognition (ASR) software to identify utterances);
convert, based on semantic parsing, the user speech information into the user instruction (Angel, para 0026, a protected piece is based on prosodic characteristics of speech, such as intonation, tone, stress, rhythm, and emotional state. In an embodiment, a protected piece is determined based on a type of dialog act corresponding to the speech…A dialog act may relate to a speaker's intention (e.g., question, request, suggestion, agreement, statement, etc.));
Angel does not specifically disclose generate response content to the user instruction, wherein the response content includes private content and not-private content, identify, based on the user instruction, whether the response content to the user instruction is privacy-related , wherein the response content is privacy-related when the response content comprises the private content, and transmit the response content to a public device for outputting the response content in a non-privacy mode when the response content is privacy-related and the user is in a single person scenario,.
However, Williams, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
generate response content to the user instruction, wherein the response content includes private content of the user and not-private content (Williams, col 5, ln 11-13, the command may be specific to the user, the output data corresponding to the command may include certain public and certain non-public portions);
transmit the response content to a public device for outputting the response content in a privacy protection mode when the response content is privacy-related (Williams, col 27, ln 60 – col 28, ln 2, the system may also consider the public/private state of the user and/or the original audio capture device 110 when determining how to send the user output data that may include public portions versus private portions. Public response data may be sent to a public device, but private response data may be sent to a private device (e.g., a user's cell phone). The routing may depend on the data itself (e.g., how sensitive the data is), the environment of the user (e.g., private data may still be sent for output to a public device if no other users are around)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Williams in the method of Angel because this would enable a speech-processing system capable of receiving spoken commands determine and identify a user and nearby users for the purpose of routing private data to private or non-private and/or public or personal devices (Williams, Abstract).
Angel in view of Williams do not specifically disclose querying a private content list with the private content, and identifying, based on the querying, whether the response content to the user instruction is privacy-related, wherein the response content is privacy-related when the response content list comprises one or more pieces of the private content of the response content.
However, DeLuca, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
query, during the speech interaction, a pre-stored private content list with the private content of the user (DeLuca, para 0016, According to one embodiment, user responses in a variety of forms (e.g., verbal, written, or typed) to various sensitive data requests may be stored in a repository, such as a database on a server or a data storage device within a client computing device. When a user receives a request for sensitive information during participation in a telephone conversation, voice recognition technology may identify the request, determine the appropriate response from the stored user responses, and, upon user authorization);
identify, based on the querying pre-stored private content list, whether the response content to the user instruction is privacy-related, wherein the response content is privacy-related when the response content comprises one or more pieces of the private content of the response content (DeLuca, para 0081, identifying the stored user response that satisfies the inquiry so a transmission may be sent to the requesting party without requiring a user to verbalize a response that may contain the sensitive information );
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of DeLuca in the method of Angel in view of Williams because this would enable identifying a request for sensitive information by a call participant during a phone call and ensuring that the data received by the recipient is an accurate representation of the data queried and transmitted from the source (DeLuca, Abstract and para 0002).
.
Regarding Claim 13, Angel discloses a computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions that are stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and that, when executed by a processor cause an in-vehicle speech interaction apparatus to be configured to (Angel, para 0069, the computer program product may include a computer readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention):
obtain, during speech interaction, user speech information of a user when receiving a user instruction, wherein the user speech information indicates the user instruction (Angel, para 0033, In some embodiments, privacy preserving program 102 identifies utterances based on converting audio signals into text. In these embodiments, privacy preserving program 102 converts audio signals into text using speech to-text (STT) software; Angel, para 0034, In some embodiments, privacy preserving program 102 identifies utterances without the use of STT software or natural language processing (NLP) software. In these embodiments, privacy preserving program uses automatic speech recognition (ASR) software to identify utterances);
convert, based on semantic parsing, the user speech information into the user instruction ([NOTE: the Examiner considers there is some error in amending this claim, and therefore it not tried to be mapped with new citations] Angel, para 0026, a protected piece is based on prosodic characteristics of speech, such as intonation, tone, stress, rhythm, and emotional state. In an embodiment, a protected piece is determined based on a type of dialog act corresponding to the speech…A dialog act may relate to a speaker's intention (e.g., question, request, suggestion, agreement, statement, etc.));
Angel does not specifically disclose generate response content to the user instruction, wherein the response content includes private content and not-private content, identifying, based on the user instruction, whether the response content to the user instruction is privacy-related, wherein the response content is privacy-related when the response content comprises the private content, and transmit the response content to a public device for outputting the response content in a non-privacy mode when the response content is privacy-related and the user is in a single person scenario.
However, Williams, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
generate response content to the user instruction, wherein the response content includes private content of the user and not-private content (Williams, col 5, ln 11-13, the command may be specific to the user, the output data corresponding to the command may include certain public and certain non-public portions);
transmit the response content to a public device for outputting the response content in a privacy protection mode when the response content is privacy-related (Williams, col 27, ln 60 – col 28, ln 2, the system may also consider the public/private state of the user and/or the original audio capture device 110 when determining how to send the user output data that may include public portions versus private portions. Public response data may be sent to a public device, but private response data may be sent to a private device (e.g., a user's cell phone). The routing may depend on the data itself (e.g., how sensitive the data is), the environment of the user (e.g., private data may still be sent for output to a public device if no other users are around)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Williams in the method of Angel because this would enable a speech-processing system capable of receiving spoken commands determine and identify a user and nearby users for the purpose of routing private data to private or non-private and/or public or personal devices (Williams, Abstract).
Angel in view of Williams do not specifically disclose querying a private content list with the private content, and identifying, based on the querying, whether the response content to the user instruction is privacy-related, wherein the response content is privacy-related when the response content list comprises one or more pieces of the private content of the response content.
However, DeLuca, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
query, during the speech interaction, a pre-stored private content list with the private content of the user (DeLuca, para 0016, According to one embodiment, user responses in a variety of forms (e.g., verbal, written, or typed) to various sensitive data requests may be stored in a repository, such as a database on a server or a data storage device within a client computing device. When a user receives a request for sensitive information during participation in a telephone conversation, voice recognition technology may identify the request, determine the appropriate response from the stored user responses, and, upon user authorization);
identify, based on querying the pre-stored, whether the response content to the user instruction is privacy-related, wherein the response content is privacy-related when the response content comprises one or more pieces of the private content of the response content (DeLuca, para 0081, identifying the stored user response that satisfies the inquiry so a transmission may be sent to the requesting party without requiring a user to verbalize a response that may contain the sensitive information);
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Liu in the method of Angel in view of Williams because this would enable identifying a request for sensitive information by a call participant during a phone call and ensuring that the data received by the recipient is an accurate representation of the data queried and transmitted from the source (DeLuca, Abstract and para 0002).
Claims 4, 10, 16, 25, 27 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Angel et al. Pat App. No. US 2020/0082123 A1 (Angel) in view of Williams et al. Pat. App. No. US 10803859 B1 (Williams), further in view of DeLuca, further in view of Lee et al. Pat App No. WO 2016/027928 A1 (Lee), and further in view of Shen et al. Pat App No. US 20200151470 A1 (Shen).
Regarding Claim 4, Angel in view of Williams and DeLucadisclose the in-vehicle speech interaction method of claim 1.
Angel in view of Williams and Liu do not disclose further comprising determining to output the response content in a privacy protection mode comprises determining to output the response content in the privacy protection mode when the response content is privacy-related and the user is in the multi-person scenario.
However, Lee in the same field of endeavor, disclose further comprising determining to output the response content in a privacy protection mode comprises determining to output the response content in the privacy protection mode when the response content is privacy-related and the user is in the multi-person scenario (Lee, 3rd page, 11th para, According to the privacy protection terminal and the method according to the present invention, when the privacy mode is deactivated, the content is output as it is, and when the privacy mode is activated, the content is output by modifying the output form of the content. When using in a public place such as a bus, a conference room, or the like, the contents of the content output through the screen may not be recognized by the surrounding people, thereby preventing the user's privacy from being exposed).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Lee in the method of Angel in view of Williams and Liu because this would enable output the original form of content, as it is, when a privacy protection mode is inactivated, and modifies an output form of the content so as to output the modified form of the content when the privacy protection mode is activated (Lee, Abstract).
Angel in view of Williams, Liu and Lee do not specifically disclose obtaining a user image from an in-vehicle camera, parsing the user image to identify a plurality of human images, and determining the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images.
However, Shen, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
obtaining a user image from an in-vehicle camera (Shen, para 0007, automatically detect the driver-passenger conflict using images captured by at least one camera inside the vehicle);
parsing the user image to identify a plurality of human images (Shen, para 0024, controller 120 may identify human objects, such as driver 102 and one or more passengers 104, using various image processing methods. For example, controller 120 may perform image segmentation and object classification methods to identify the human objects);
determining the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images (Shen, para 0052, In step S504, controller 120 identifies a driver object and a passenger object from the images within image data 203; [i.e., “identifies a driver object and a passenger…from the images” as “determining the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images”]); and
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Shen in the method of Angel in view of Williams, Liu and Lee because this would enable an online hailing platform (e.g., DiDi™ online), when receiving a rideshare service request from a passenger and then providing transportation service by a provider (e.g., a taxi driver, a private car owner, or the like), would enable to identify the driver and the passenger from their pictures/images and help determine in-vehicle conflicts that impose safety threats to the driver and/or the passenger, for instance, if the driver and the passenger may disagree about the route the driver takes for the trip or the fees charged for the service and if the driver or the passenger may attempt to commit crimes against each other, such as assault, battery, or sexual harassment (Shen, para 0003-0004).
Regarding Claim 10, Angel in view of Williams and DeLucadisclose the apparatus of claim 7.
Angel in view of Williams do not disclose wherein the program instructions that when executed by the processor further cause the apparatus to be configured to determine whether to output the response content in the privacy protection mode further comprises determine to output the response content in the privacy protection mode when the response content is privacy-related and the user is in the multi-person scenario.
However, Lee in the same field of endeavor, disclose wherein the program instructions that when executed by the processor further cause the apparatus to be configured to determine whether to output the response content in the privacy protection mode further comprises determine to output the response content in the privacy protection mode when the response content is privacy-related and the user is in the multi-person scenario (Lee, 3rd page, 11th para, According to the privacy protection terminal and the method according to the present invention, when the privacy mode is deactivated, the content is output as it is, and when the privacy mode is activated, the content is output by modifying the output form of the content. When using in a public place such as a bus, a conference room, or the like, the contents of the content output through the screen may not be recognized by the surrounding people, thereby preventing the user's privacy from being exposed).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Lee in the method of Angel in view of Williams and DeLuca because this would enable output the original form of content, as it is, when a privacy protection mode is inactivated, and modifies an output form of the content so as to output the modified form of the content when the privacy protection mode is activated (Lee, Abstract).
Angel in view of Williams, Liu and Lee do not specifically disclose obtaining a user image from an in-vehicle camera, parsing the user image to identify a plurality of human images, and determining the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images.
However, Shen, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
obtaining a user image from an in-vehicle camera (Shen, para 0007, automatically detect the driver-passenger conflict using images captured by at least one camera inside the vehicle);
parsing the user image to identify a plurality of human images (Shen, para 0024, controller 120 may identify human objects, such as driver 102 and one or more passengers 104, using various image processing methods. For example, controller 120 may perform image segmentation and object classification methods to identify the human objects);
determining the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images (Shen, para 0052, In step S504, controller 120 identifies a driver object and a passenger object from the images within image data 203; [i.e., “identifies a driver object and a passenger…from the images” as “determining the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images”]); and
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Shen in the method of Angel in view of Williams, Liu and Lee because this would enable an online hailing platform (e.g., DiDi™ online), when receiving a rideshare service request from a passenger and then providing transportation service by a provider (e.g., a taxi driver, a private car owner, or the like), would enable to identify the driver and the passenger from their pictures/images and help determine in-vehicle conflicts that impose safety threats to the driver and/or the passenger, for instance, if the driver and the passenger may disagree about the route the driver takes for the trip or the fees charged for the service and if the driver or the passenger may attempt to commit crimes against each other, such as assault, battery, or sexual harassment (Shen, para 0003-0004).
Regarding Claim 16, Angel in view of Williams and DeLucadisclose the computer program product of claim 13.
Angel in view of Williams and Liu do not disclose that when executed by the processor further cause the in-vehicle speech interaction apparatus to determine to output the response content in a privacy protection mode when the response content is privacy-related and the user is in the multi-person scenario.
However, Lee in the same field of endeavor, disclose that when executed by the processor further cause the in-vehicle speech interaction apparatus to determine to output the response content in a privacy protection mode when the response content is privacy-related and the user is in [[a]] the multi-person scenario (Lee, 3rd page, 11th para, According to the privacy protection terminal and the method according to the present invention, when the privacy mode is deactivated, the content is output as it is, and when the privacy mode is activated, the content is output by modifying the output form of the content. When using in a public place such as a bus, a conference room, or the like, the contents of the content output through the screen may not be recognized by the surrounding people, thereby preventing the user's privacy from being exposed).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Lee in the method of Angel in view of Williams and DeLuca because this would enable output the original form of content, as it is, when a privacy protection mode is inactivated, and modifies an output form of the content so as to output the modified form of the content when the privacy protection mode is activated (Lee, Abstract).
Angel in view of Williams, Liu and Lee do not specifically disclose obtaining a user image from an in-vehicle camera, parsing the user image to identify a plurality of human images, and determining the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images.
Angel in view of Williams, Liu and Lee do not specifically disclose obtaining a user image from an in-vehicle camera, parsing the user image to identify a plurality of human images, and determining the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images.
However, Shen, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
obtaining a user image from an in-vehicle camera (Shen, para 0007, automatically detect the driver-passenger conflict using images captured by at least one camera inside the vehicle);
parsing the user image to identify a plurality of human images (Shen, para 0024, controller 120 may identify human objects, such as driver 102 and one or more passengers 104, using various image processing methods. For example, controller 120 may perform image segmentation and object classification methods to identify the human objects);
determining the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images (Shen, para 0052, In step S504, controller 120 identifies a driver object and a passenger object from the images within image data 203; [i.e., “identifies a driver object and a passenger…from the images” as “determining the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images”]); and
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Shen in the method of Angel in view of Williams, Liu and Lee because this would enable an online hailing platform (e.g., DiDi™ online), when receiving a rideshare service request from a passenger and then providing transportation service by a provider (e.g., a taxi driver, a private car owner, or the like), would enable to identify the driver and the passenger from their pictures/images and help determine in-vehicle conflicts that impose safety threats to the driver and/or the passenger, for instance, if the driver and the passenger may disagree about the route the driver takes for the trip or the fees charged for the service and if the driver or the passenger may attempt to commit crimes against each other, such as assault, battery, or sexual harassment (Shen, para 0003-0004).
Regarding Claim 25, Angel in view of Williams, DeLuca and Shen disclose the in-vehicle speech interaction method of claim 4, further comprising:
obtaining a user image from an in-vehicle camera (Shen, para 0007, automatically detect the driver-passenger conflict using images captured by at least one camera inside the vehicle ); and
determining the user is in the multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images (Shen, para 0052, In step S504, controller 120 identifies a driver object and a passenger object from the images within image data 203; [i.e., “identifies a driver object and a passenger…from the images” as “determining the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images”]).
parsing the user image to identify a plurality of human images (Shen, para 0024, controller 120 may identify human objects, such as driver 102 and one or more passengers 104, using various image processing methods. For example, controller 120 may perform image segmentation and object classification methods to identify the human objects );
determining the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images (Shen, para 0052, In step S504, controller 120 identifies a driver object and a passenger object from the images within image data 203; [i.e., “identifies a driver object and a passenger…from the images” as “determining the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images”] ).
Regarding Claim 27, Angel in view of Williams, DeLuca and Shen disclose the apparatus of claim 10, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the processor further cause the apparatus to:
obtain a user image from an in-vehicle camera (Shen, para 0007, automatically detect the driver-passenger conflict using images captured by at least one camera inside the vehicle ); and
determining the user is in the multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images (Shen, para 0052, In step S504, controller 120 identifies a driver object and a passenger object from the images within image data 203; [i.e., “identifies a driver object and a passenger…from the images” as “determining the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images”] ).
parsing the user image to identify a plurality of human images (Shen, para 0024, controller 120 may identify human objects, such as driver 102 and one or more passengers 104, using various image processing methods. For example, controller 120 may perform image segmentation and object classification methods to identify the human objects );
determine the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying a plurality of human images (Shen, para 0052, In step S504, controller 120 identifies a driver object and a passenger object from the images within image data 203; [i.e., “identifies a driver object and a passenger…from the images” as “determining the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images”] ).
Regarding Claim 28, Angel in view of Williams, DeLuca and Shen disclose the computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor further cause the in-vehicle speech interaction apparatus to:
obtain a user image from an in-vehicle camera (Shen, para 0007, automatically detect the driver-passenger conflict using images captured by at least one camera inside the vehicle); and
determining the user is in the multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images (Shen, para 0052, In step S504, controller 120 identifies a driver object and a passenger object from the images within image data 203; [i.e., “identifies a driver object and a passenger…from the images” as “determining the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images”] ).
parsing the user image to identify a plurality of human images (Shen, para 0024, controller 120 may identify human objects, such as driver 102 and one or more passengers 104, using various image processing methods. For example, controller 120 may perform image segmentation and object classification methods to identify the human objects );
determine the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying a plurality of human images (Shen, para 0052, In step S504, controller 120 identifies a driver object and a passenger object from the images within image data 203; [i.e., “identifies a driver object and a passenger…from the images” as “determining the user is in a multi-person scenario based on identifying the plurality of human images”] ).
Claims 2, 8 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Angel in view of Williams, further in view of DeLuca, and further in view of Freed et al. Pat. App. No. US 8922480 B1 (Freed).
Regarding Claim 2, Angel in view of Williams and DeLuca disclose in-vehicle speech interaction method of claim 1, further comprising:
obtaining a user image (Angel, para 0039, For example, privacy preserving program 102 captures an image of a speaker via a camera built into user devices 106);
Angel in view of Williams and DeLucado not disclose determining a gaze direction of a user based on the user image, determining that an intention of the user is to perform human-computer interaction when the gaze direction is the target direction, and further determining the user instruction based on the user speech information when the gaze direction is the target direction.
However, Freed, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
obtaining a gaze direction of a user based on the user image (Freed, col 5, ln 33-35, An imaging element 208 of the device can capture at least one image of a user to determine the approximate gaze direction of the user; Freed, col 1, ln 51-54, FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a gaze direction of a primary user with respect to a portable computing device as can be detected by an element operable to image the facial region of a user in accordance with one embodiment).
obtaining an intention of the user is to perform human-computer interaction when the gaze direction is the target direction (Freed, col 18, ln 48-58, For applications such as classrooms, continuing education, traffic school or other such applications where attention to specific content is required, the computing device can track how much time each user spent looking at, or away from, the screen. In some cases, a user must gaze at the screen a minimum amount of time in order to receive credit for the viewing. In a testing situation, the devices can track when users view other users' tests, and in some cases can blank the screen or lock out functionality when potential cheating is detected. If facial recognition is used, the device can ensure that only the intended user views the display); and
further obtaining the user instruction based on the user speech information when the gaze direction is the target direction (Freed, col 12, ln 28-37, Some devices can also include a microphone or other audio capture element that accepts voice or other audio commands. For example, a device might not include any buttons at all, but might be controlled only through a combination of visual and audio commands, such that a user can control the device without having to be in contact with the device. As will be discussed later herein, functionality of these additional input devices can also be adjusted or controlled based at least in part upon the determined gaze direction of a user or other such information).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Freed in the method of Angel in view of Williams and DeLuca because this would enable a computing device to monitor the gaze direction of people around the device to determine whether any unintended viewers are viewing content displayed on the device, and a user would be able to activate a privacy mode of the device, such that when an unintended viewer is detected the device can take an appropriate action (Freed, Abstract ).
Regarding Claim 8, Angel in view of Williams and DeLucadisclose the apparatus of claim 7, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the processor further cause the apparatus to:
obtain a user image (Angel, para 0039, For example, privacy preserving program 102 captures an image of a speaker via a camera built into user devices 106);
Angel in view of Williams and Liu do not disclose obtain a gaze direction of the user based on the user image, identify an intention of the user is to perform human-computer interaction when the gaze direction is a target direction, and further obtain the user instruction based on the user speech information when the gaze direction is the target direction.
However, Freed, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
obtain a gaze direction of the user based on the user image (Freed, col 5, ln 33-35, An imaging element 208 of the device can capture at least one image of a user to determine the approximate gaze direction of the user; Freed, col 1, ln 51-54, FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a gaze direction of a primary user with respect to a portable computing device as can be detected by an element operable to image the facial region of a user in accordance with one embodiment).
identify an intention of the user is to perform human-computer interaction when the gaze direction is a target direction (Freed, col 18, ln 48-58, For applications such as classrooms, continuing education, traffic school or other such applications where attention to specific content is required, the computing device can track how much time each user spent looking at, or away from, the screen. In some cases, a user must gaze at the screen a minimum amount of time in order to receive credit for the viewing. In a testing situation, the devices can track when users view other users' tests, and in some cases can blank the screen or lock out functionality when potential cheating is detected. If facial recognition is used, the device can ensure that only the intended user views the display); and
further obtain the user instruction based on the user speech information when the gaze direction is the target direction (Freed, col 12, ln 28-37, Some devices can also include a microphone or other audio capture element that accepts voice or other audio commands. For example, a device might not include any buttons at all, but might be controlled only through a combination of visual and audio commands, such that a user can control the device without having to be in contact with the device. As will be discussed later herein, functionality of these additional input devices can also be adjusted or controlled based at least in part upon the determined gaze direction of a user or other such information).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Freed in the method of Angel in view of Williams and DeLuca because this would enable a computing device to monitor the gaze direction of people around the device to determine whether any unintended viewers are viewing content displayed on the device, and a user would be able to activate a privacy mode of the device, such that when an unintended viewer is detected the device can take an appropriate action (Freed, Abstract) .
Regarding Claim 14, Angel in view of Williams and DeLuca disclose the computer program product of claim 13, wherein the
obtain a user image (Angel, para 0039, For example, privacy preserving program 102 captures an image of a speaker via a camera built into user devices 106);
Angel in view of Williams and Liu do not disclose to obtain a gaze direction of the user based on the user image, identify an intention of the user is to perform human-computer interaction when the gaze direction is a target direction, and further obtain the user instruction based on the user speech information when the gaze direction is the target direction.
However, Freed, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
obtain a gaze direction of the user based on the user image (Freed, col 5, ln 33-35, An imaging element 208 of the device can capture at least one image of a user to determine the approximate gaze direction of the user; Freed, col 1, ln 51-54, FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a gaze direction of a primary user with respect to a portable computing device as can be detected by an element operable to image the facial region of a user in accordance with one embodiment).
determine that an intention of the user is to perform human-computer interaction when the gaze direction is the target direction (Freed, col 18, ln 48-58, For applications such as classrooms, continuing education, traffic school or other such applications where attention to specific content is required, the computing device can track how much time each user spent looking at, or away from, the screen. In some cases, a user must gaze at the screen a minimum amount of time in order to receive credit for the viewing. In a testing situation, the devices can track when users view other users' tests, and in some cases can blank the screen or lock out functionality when potential cheating is detected. If facial recognition is used, the device can ensure that only the intended user views the display); and
determine the user instruction based on the user speech information when the gaze direction is the target direction (Freed, col 12, ln 28-37, Some devices can also include a microphone or other audio capture element that accepts voice or other audio commands. For example, a device might not include any buttons at all, but might be controlled only through a combination of visual and audio commands, such that a user can control the device without having to be in contact with the device. As will be discussed later herein, functionality of these additional input devices can also be adjusted or controlled based at least in part upon the determined gaze direction of a user or other such information).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Freed in the method of Angel in view of Williams and DeLuca because this would enable a computing device to monitor the gaze direction of people around the device to determine whether any unintended viewers are viewing content displayed on the device, and a user would be able to activate a privacy mode of the device, such that when an unintended viewer is detected the device can take an appropriate action (Freed, Abstract).
Claims 6, 12, 18 and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Angel in view of Williams, further in view of DeLuca, further in view of Lee, and further in view of Jing et al. Pat. App. No. WO 2017096566 A1 (Jing).
Regarding Claim 6, Angel in view of Williams, DeLuca and Lee disclose in-vehicle speech interaction method of claim 4, wherein outputting the response content in the privacy protection mode (Lee, 6th page, 1st para, as shown in FIG. 2, the controller 160 may output the content CT to the screen SCR in a content output form determined according to the privacy protection mode) further comprises:
Angel in view of Williams, Liu and Lee do not disclose hiding the private content comprised in the response content when outputting the response content using the public device.
However, Jing, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
hiding the private content comprised in the response content when outputting the response content using the public device (Jing, 3rd page, 3rd-5th para, … determine that the content to be displayed on the display screen contains private information, and the display method can be applied to more application scenarios, …the displaying on the display screen does not display the private information showing the content to be displayed, including: Displaying the content to be displayed in a manner of hiding the private information on the display screen);
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Jing in the method of Angel in view of Williams, DeLuca and Lee because this would enable a display method, apparatus and system of protecting a user's private information from being leaked (Jing, 2nd page, 3rd para).
Regarding Claim 12, Angel in view of Williams, DeLuca and Lee disclose the apparatus of claim 10, wherein the program instructions further cause the apparatus to be configured to (Angel, para 0075, program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus).
Angel in view of Williams, Liu and Lee do not disclose to hiding the private content comprised in the response content when outputting the response content using the public device.
However, Jing, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
hiding the private content comprised in the response content when outputting the response content using the public device (Jing, 3rd page, 3rd-5th para, … determine that the content to be displayed on the display screen contains private information, and the display method can be applied to more application scenarios, …the displaying on the display screen does not display the private information showing the content to be displayed, including: Displaying the content to be displayed in a manner of hiding the private information on the display screen);
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Jing in the method of Angel in view of Williams, DeLuca and Lee because this would enable a display method, apparatus and system of protecting a user's private information from being leaked (Jing, 2nd page, 3rd para).
Regarding Claim 18, Angel in view of Williams, DeLuca and Lee disclose the computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the in-vehicle speech interaction apparatus to be configured to (Angel, para 0075, program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus).
Angel in view of Williams, Liu and Lee do not disclose to hiding the private content comprised in the response content when outputting the response content using the public device.
However, Jing, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
hiding the private content comprised in the response content when outputting the response content using the public device (Jing, 3rd page, 3rd-5th para, … determine that the content to be displayed on the display screen contains private information, and the display method can be applied to more application scenarios, …the displaying on the display screen does not display the private information showing the content to be displayed, including: Displaying the content to be displayed in a manner of hiding the private information on the display screen); OR
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Jing in the method of Angel in view of Williams, DeLuca and Lee because this would enable a display method, apparatus and system of protecting a user's private information from being leaked (Jing, 2nd page, 3rd para).
Regarding Claim 24, Angel in view of Williams, DeLuca and Lee disclose the in-vehicle speech interaction method of claim 1.
Angel in view of Williams in view of Lee do not disclose further output the response content using the non-public device.
However, Jing, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
further outputting the response content using the non-public device (Jing, 2nd page, 8th para, The method of display provided herein, when the portable electronic device determines that the display is to be displayed When the content includes private information, the portable electronic device can transmit the private information and the location information of the private information to the head-mounted visual device, and the private device on the display screen of the portable electronic device by the head-mounted visual device; [i.e., “private device” as “non-public device”]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Jing in the method of Angel in view of Williams, DeLuca and Lee because this would enable a display method, apparatus and system of protecting a user's private information from being leaked (Jing, 2nd page, 3rd para).
Claims 19, 20, 22 and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Angel in view of Williams, Liu, Freed, and further in view of Yang et al. Pat. App. No. CN 112151058 A (Yang).
Regarding Claim 19, Angel in view of Williams, Liu, and further in view of Freed disclose the computer program product of claim 14.
Angel in view of Williams, Liu and Freed do not disclose wherein the target direction is a direction pointing to a collection device.
However, Yang, in the same field of endeavor, discloses wherein the target direction is a direction pointing to a collection device (Yang, 10th page, 11th para – 11th page, 1st para, In this embodiment, S102 to obtain the sound signal pointing to each preset direction, namely the sound signal of different sound source is separated, so as to reduce the influence of the interference signal. For example, the main driving direction of the user in the process of voice interaction with the device, or in the process of conversation, the main driving direction as the target direction, the secondary driving direction as the interference direction, using the solution to respectively obtain the sound signal pointing to the main driving direction and the sound signal pointing to the auxiliary driving direction; the sound signal from the main driving direction is separated from the sound signal from the secondary driving direction, so the device can only process the sound signal of the main driving direction, reduces the interference of the sound signal of the secondary driving direction. Alternatively, in this embodiment to obtain the sound signal pointing to different directions, subsequent can respectively point to different direction of the sound signal to process, specifically is not limited).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Yang in the method of Angel in view of Williams, Liu and Freed because this would enable the usage of the differential microphone array algorithm parameter corresponding to the sound source direction, and processing the obtained multi-path sound signal to obtain the sound signal pointing to the sound source direction so that the sound source direction signal enhancement processing reduces the influence of the interference signal (Yang, Abstract).
Regarding Claim 20, Angel in view of Williams, Liu, and further in view of Freed disclose the in-vehicle speech interaction method of claim 2.
Angel in view of Williams, Liu and Freed do not disclose wherein the target direction is a direction pointing to a collection device.
However, Yang, in the same field of endeavor, discloses wherein the target direction is a direction pointing to a collection device (Yang, 10th page, 11th para – 11th page, 1st para, In this embodiment, S102 to obtain the sound signal pointing to each preset direction, namely the sound signal of different sound source is separated, so as to reduce the influence of the interference signal. For example, the main driving direction of the user in the process of voice interaction with the device, or in the process of conversation, the main driving direction as the target direction, the secondary driving direction as the interference direction, using the solution to respectively obtain the sound signal pointing to the main driving direction and the sound signal pointing to the auxiliary driving direction; the sound signal from the main driving direction is separated from the sound signal from the secondary driving direction, so the device can only process the sound signal of the main driving direction, reduces the interference of the sound signal of the secondary driving direction. Alternatively, in this embodiment to obtain the sound signal pointing to different directions, subsequent can respectively point to different direction of the sound signal to process, specifically is not limited).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Yang in the method of Angel in view of Williams, Liu and Freed because this would enable the usage of the differential microphone array algorithm parameter corresponding to the sound source direction, and processing the obtained multi-path sound signal to obtain the sound signal pointing to the sound source direction so that the sound source direction signal enhancement processing reduces the influence of the interference signal (Yang, Abstract).
Regarding Claim 22, Angel in view of Williams, Liu, further in view of Freed, and further in view of Yang disclose the computer program product of claim 14.
Yang further teaches:
wherein the target direction is a direction pointing to a collection device (Yang, 10th page, 11th para – 11th page, 1st para, In this embodiment, S102 to obtain the sound signal pointing to each preset direction, namely the sound signal of different sound source is separated, so as to reduce the influence of the interference signal. For example, the main driving direction of the user in the process of voice interaction with the device, or in the process of conversation, the main driving direction as the target direction, the secondary driving direction as the interference direction, using the solution to respectively obtain the sound signal pointing to the main driving direction and the sound signal pointing to the auxiliary driving direction; the sound signal from the main driving direction is separated from the sound signal from the secondary driving direction, so the device can only process the sound signal of the main driving direction, reduces the interference of the sound signal of the secondary driving direction. Alternatively, in this embodiment to obtain the sound signal pointing to different directions, subsequent can respectively point to different direction of the sound signal to process, specifically is not limited).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Yang in the method of Angel in view of Williams, Liu and Freed because this would enable the usage of the differential microphone array algorithm parameter corresponding to the sound source direction, and processing the obtained multi-path sound signal to obtain the sound signal pointing to the sound source direction so that the sound source direction signal enhancement processing reduces the influence of the interference signal (Yang, Abstract).
Regarding Claim 26, Angel in view of Williams and Liu disclose the apparatus of claim 8.
Angel in view of Williams and Liu do not disclose wherein the target direction is a direction pointing to a collection device.
However, Yang, in the same field of endeavor, discloses wherein the target direction is a direction pointing to a collection device (Yang, 10th page, 11th para – 11th page, 1st para, In this embodiment, S102 to obtain the sound signal pointing to each preset direction, namely the sound signal of different sound source is separated, so as to reduce the influence of the interference signal. For example, the main driving direction of the user in the process of voice interaction with the device, or in the process of conversation, the main driving direction as the target direction, the secondary driving direction as the interference direction, using the solution to respectively obtain the sound signal pointing to the main driving direction and the sound signal pointing to the auxiliary driving direction; the sound signal from the main driving direction is separated from the sound signal from the secondary driving direction, so the device can only process the sound signal of the main driving direction, reduces the interference of the sound signal of the secondary driving direction. Alternatively, in this embodiment to obtain the sound signal pointing to different directions, subsequent can respectively point to different direction of the sound signal to process, specifically is not limited).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the method of Yang in the method of Angel in view of Williams and Freed because this would enable the usage of the differential microphone array algorithm parameter corresponding to the sound source direction, and processing the obtained multi-path sound signal to obtain the sound signal pointing to the sound source direction so that the sound source direction signal enhancement processing reduces the influence of the interference signal (Yang, Abstract).
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MULUGETA T. DUGDA whose telephone number is (703)756-1106. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri, 4:30am - 7:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Paras D. Shah can be reached at 571-270-1650. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MULUGETA TUJI DUGDA/ Examiner, Art Unit 2653
/Paras D Shah/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2653
05/13/2026
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