DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments 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
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-6, 8, 10-11 and 19 rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Berson (US 20060198531 A1), in view of Chen (US 6990205 B1), and further in view of Asayama (US 5784467 A).
Regarding claims 1, 11 and 19, Berson discloses a computer-based method for modifying a sound source (Berson, ¶ [0006]), the method comprising:
accessing, by an acoustic processing facility including at least one processor, a multi- dimensional sound signature of a location within a hypothetical space (Berson, Fig. 1, item 104; ¶ [0032]: “acoustic environment may be any location in a venue in which performances occur, such as a concert hall, sports stadium, recording studio, etc.” and Fig. 2, item 230; ¶ [0045]: “Analysis system 230 may then extract those commonalities and use them to generate characterization (signature), which may be directed towards characterizing an acoustic environment for a particular type of music.”), wherein the multi-dimensional sound signature comprises:
a simulated time-based sound reflection sequence for the location within the hypothetical space (Berson, Fig. 1, item 104; ¶ [0032]: “acoustic environment may be any location in a venue in which performances occur, such as a concert hall,
sports stadium, recording studio, etc.” and Fig. 2, item 230; ¶ [0045]: “Analysis system 230 may then extract those commonalities and use them to generate characterization (signature), which may be directed towards characterizing an acoustic environment for a particular type of music.”); wherein
receiving sound source data from a sound input device in a recording space (Berson, Fig. 1, item 104; ¶ [0033]: “a recording studio designed to minimize the effect of the environment on the sounds emitted by audio source”).
modifying, by the acoustic processing facility, the sound source data based at least in part on the multi-dimensional sound signature to generate a modified sound source data; and recording the modified sound source data on a sound recording device (Berson, Fig. 1, items 108, 110, 112, 116; ¶ [0034]: “These representative signals are then processed by processor 108 (modified), digitized by digitizer 110, stored on storage media by recording device 112, uploaded to Internet 116, and/or they may be recorded in analog form on magnetic tape for later use.”).
However, Berson fails to disclose a simulated time-based sound reflection sequence comprising a primary reflection and a secondary reflection for the location, wherein the primary reflection occurs at a first time in the simulated time-based sound reflection sequence, and the secondary reflection occurs at a second time in the simulated time-based sound reflection sequence.
In an analogous field of endeavor, Chen (US 6990205 B1) discloses a simulated time-based sound reflection sequence comprising a primary reflection and a secondary reflection for the location, wherein the primary reflection occurs at a first time in the simulated time-based sound reflection sequence and the secondary reflection occurs at a second time in the simulated time-based sound reflection sequence (Chen, col. 4, lines 21-34: “ The room acoustic model generates relative directions of each source and their reflective images with respect to the listeners. The azimuth and elevation angles are calculated with binaural difference in consideration for every possible combination of direct source, reflection image, and the listeners. Distance attenuation and acoustic delays are also calculated for each source and image with respect to each listener. FIFO buffers are introduced as important functional elements to simulate the room reverberance time and the tapped outputs from these buffers can thus simulate reflections (primary, secondary or more) of a source with delays (time-based) by varying the tap output positions. Such buffers are also used as output buffers to collect multiple reflections in alternative embodiments.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have used the disclosure of a simulated time-based reflections sequence for a location, wherein the various reflections reflection occurs at time in the time-based sound reflection sequence as taught by Chen in Berson invention. The motivation is to provide an apparatus for reproducing three-dimensional sound with multiple independent 3D sound sources and their multiple reflections are synthesized by acoustical transducers such that the listener's perceived virtual sound field approximates the real-world experience.
However, the combination of Berson and Chen fails to disclose a plurality of sound vectors each representing an incidence of sound at the location in the sound direction dimension from a direction defined by three spatial dimensions , wherein each sound vector includes a time lag and loudness at a frequency from the direction; wherein the primary reflection and the secondary reflection are included among the incidences of sound represented by the plurality of sound vectors,
In an analogous field of endeavor, Asayama (US 5784467 A) discloses a plurality of sound vectors (Asayama, Abstract: “multiple sound ray vectors”) each representing an incidence of sound at the location (point) in the sound direction dimension from a direction defined by three spatial dimensions (Asayama, col. 1, ln. 9-11: “a sound source and propagated to an arbitrary point in a three-dimensional virtual space”), wherein each sound vector includes a time lag (delay) and loudness (volume) at a frequency (wavelength) from the direction; wherein the primary reflection and the secondary reflection are included among the incidences of sound represented by the plurality of sound vectors (Asayama, col. 7, Fig. 6, 22; lines 20-44).
A sound direction dimension (Asayama, col. 7, lines 44-50).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have used the disclosure of plurality of sound vectors each representing an incidence of sound at the location in the sound direction dimension; receiving sound source data from a sound input device in a recording space; modifying, by the acoustic processing facility, the sound source data based at least in part on the multi-dimensional sound signature to generate a modified sound source data; and recording the modified sound source data on a sound recording device as taught by Asayama in the Chen-Berson invention. The motivation is to recreate accurately the aural sensation of an acoustic event such as a musical performance or a sporting event by exploiting the capabilities of multiple loudspeakers surrounding a listener. Ideally, the playback system generates a multi-dimensional sound field that recreates the sensation of apparent direction of sounds.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Berson, Chen and Asayama disclose all the limitation of claim 1.
Berson further discloses modifying the sound source data is such that a person
listening to the recorded modified sound source data experiences the modified sound
source data as if the person was listening to the sound source data in the hypothetical
space (which is part of an acoustic environment) (Berson, ¶ [0060]: “The user may also use system to move their listening location to a different seat of Three Rivers Stadium (e.g., by navigating and selecting a different seat displayed on at least one of the display screens of system 400), to hear how The Phantom of the Opera would sound while sitting in the different seat.”)
Regarding claims 3 and 12, the combination of Berson, Chen and Asayama discloses all the limitation of claim 1 and 11 respectively.
Berson further discloses a sound input device is a microphone (Berson, Fig. 1,
item 106).
Regarding claims 4 and 13, the combination of Berson, Chen and Asayama discloses all the limitation of claim 1 and 11 respectively.
Berson further discloses a recording space is an audio recording studio (Berson,
Fig. 1, items 100, 104; ¶ [0032]).
Regarding claims 5 and 14, the combination of Berson, Chen and Asayama discloses all the limitation of claim 1 and 11 respectively.
Berson further discloses recording space is a sound stage (Berson, Fig. 2, item
200, 218).
Regarding claims 6 and 15, the combination of Berson, Chen and Asayama discloses all the limitation of claim 1 and 11 respectively.
Berson further discloses modifying the sound source data is part of a post-
production editing process (Berson, ¶ [0035]: “modifying or otherwise controlling the
signals that represent the captured audio signals”).
Regarding claims 8, 17 and 20, the combination of Berson, Chen and Asayama
discloses all the limitation of claim 1, 11 and 19 respectively.
Berson further discloses a multi-dimensional sound signature comprises a
combination of a plurality of different sound dimensions including at least one of: timing;
amplitude; or frequency of sound reflections (Berson, ¶ [0043]: “pitch, frequency, timing, amplitude and other characteristics… related to the signals emitted by excitation device to the data received by each of the capturing devices. In this manner, analysis system generates characterization (signature) as a representation of how acoustic environment influences sound”).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Berson, Chen and Asayama discloses all the limitation of claim 1.
Berson further discloses multi-dimensional sound signature is accessed from a
database including a plurality of multi-dimensional sound signatures (Berson, ¶ [0066]:
“the system determines whether the requested characterization is available by inquiring with and/or searching through a database of acoustic environment characterizations”).
Claims 7 and 16 rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being
unpatentable over Berson (US 20060198531 A1), in view of Chen (US 6990205 B1), in view of Asayama (US 5784467 A), and further in view of Sekine (US 20030202667 A1).
Regarding claim 7 and 16, the combination of Berson, Chen and Asayama discloses all the limitation of claim 1.
However, the combination of Berson, Chen and Asayama fails to discloses a time-based sound reflection sequence includes at least one of: amplitude; frequency; or quality.
In an analogous field of endeavor, Sekine (US 20030202667 A1) discloses a
time-based sound reflection sequence includes at least one of: amplitude; frequency; or
quality (Sekine, ¶ [0050]: “record includes the acoustic ray path length, the
generation direction, the reflection frequency, and the reflection attenuation
rate”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before
the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have used the disclosure of a time-based sound reflection sequence includes at least one of: amplitude; frequency; or quality as taught by Sekine in the Asayama - Chen - Berson invention. The motivation is to. The motivation is to determine the reflection points and determine actions to
attenuate the reflections.
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 FRIEDRICH FAHNERT whose telephone number is (571)270-7797. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00 am-4:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, CAROLYN EDWARDS can be reached at (571)270-7136. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CAROLYN R EDWARDS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2692
/FRIEDRICH FAHNERT/
Examiner
Art Unit 2692
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