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 .
Election/Restrictions
In respond to an election/restriction requirement mailed on 12/04/2025, applicants elect group II (Claims 31-40 and 46-50) with traverse but no argument has been submitted.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 46-50 are allowed.
2. Claims 32-34 and 36-37 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3.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.
4. Claim(s) 31 and 38 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YAJUN et al. (WO 2020048209) in view of JIAO et al. (CN111142831)
Regarding claim 31, YAJUN discloses a sound channel configuration method, applied by a first electronic device, wherein the method comprises: receiving a first operation of a user (Paragraphs: 0007 and 0048: the user touches the audio control and displays a sound effect selection control, which allows the user to select the desired enhancement effect, i.e. upon receiving a first operation of a user); performing sound channel configuration in response to receiving the first operation (Paragraphs: 0008, 0031 and 0048: YAJUN discusses how an audio output occurs in various scenarios during the operation of electronic devices; and how the system allows the user to select the desired enhancement effect by operating the sound effect selection control, thereby enabling the electronic device to determine the target audio output path), the sound channel configuration comprising: collecting a sound by a first sound collection apparatus of the first electronic device (Paragraphs: 0051 and 0118: YAJUN discusses how the audio module can receive audio processing parameters obtained by the wireless module; and how sound receives by both ears, i.e. via sound collection apparatus); determining a first sound intensity of a first sound based on the collected sound (Paragraphs: 0051 and 0054-0055: YAJUN discusses how the system determine the sound intensity of the sound transmitted through the left channel, i.e. a first sound intensity of a first sound); determining, based on the first sound intensity, a target sound channel in to-be-configured sound channels of the first electronic device (Paragraphs: 0054-0055: YAJUN discusses if the current "thump thump thump" walking sound is coming from the left side of the user's location on the electronic device (i.e. the first electronic device) in the game interface scene, then the sound intensity of the "thump thump thump" sound transmitted by the left channel (i.e. sound channels of the first electronic device) can be set to be higher than the sound intensity of the "thump thump thump" sound transmitted by the right channel, i.e. allowing to determine the target channel based on the sound intensity); receiving at least one second sound intensity sent by one or more second electronic devices (Paragraphs: 0051 and 0118: YAJUN discusses how sound intensity of the sound transmitted through the right channel, i.e. second sound intensity); determining a target device in the second electronic devices based on the at least one second sound intensity (Paragraphs: 0054-0055: YAJUN discusses how the sound intensity of the "thump thump thump" sound transmitted by the left channel can be set to be higher than the sound intensity of the "thump thump thump" sound transmitted by the right channel; and how the target audio output path can be achieved by increasing the difference between the sound intensity of the sound transmitted through the left channel and the sound intensity of the sound transmitted through the right channel);
YAJUN discloses the invention set forth above but does not specifically point out “matching the target sound channel with the target device”
JIAO however discloses a system matching the target sound channel with the target device (Paragraphs: 0015 and 0034: JIAO discusses how the target left and right terminals are matched with the connection signal; and how the system switching the current left and right channel terminals to the target left and right terminals that match the connection signal, thus the accuracy of data transmission can be guaranteed regardless of whether the audio output device and the target interface are in the first connection mode or the second connection mode).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention of YAJUN, and modify the system to match the target sound channel with the target device, as taught by JIAO, thus allowing to obtain the connection signal between the target interface and the audio output device; wherein the connection signal is used to characterize the connection method between the audio output device and the target interface, as discussed by JIAO.
Considering claim 38, YAJUN discloses the method according to claim 31, wherein the first sound is generated by a second operation of the user, and the second operation comprises one or more of the following: an operation of tapping the target device by using a knuckle of the user, and an operation of making a sound by the user at or near the target device; or the first sound is generated by the target device by playing audio (Paragraphs: 0058 and 0117: YAJUN discusses how an audio output device is an audio output device such as headphones that can be directly worn in the user's ears; and how the sound it plays is usually transmitted directly to the user's ears, i.e. the first sound is generated by the target device by playing audio).
5. Claim(s) 35 and 39-40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YAJUN et al. (WO 2020048209) in view of JIAO et al. (CN 111142831) and further in view of Chen et al. (CN 113747092).
Considering claim 35, YAJUN in view of JIAO fail to disclose claim 35. Chen however discloses the method according to claim 35, wherein a sound-emitting position of the first sound comprises a first position of the target device or a second position near the target device (Paragraphs: 0044 and 0069: Chen discusses how the smart terminal informed the channel to be configured based on the location of the determined target speaker; and how the system controls the target speaker to play through the configured channel according to the audio playback command).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention of YAJUN and JIAO, and modify the system wherein a sound-emitting position of the first sound comprises a first position of the target device or a second position near the target device, as taught by Chen, thus improve efficiency and convenience for users by automatically configuring speakers placed in different positions into the corresponding surround sound channels for that position, as discussed by Chen.
Considering claim 39, Chen further discloses the method according to claim 38, wherein if the first sound is generated by the second operation of the user, the method further comprises: prompting the user to perform the second operation (Paragraphs: 0010, 0040 and 0046: Chen discusses how the system prompt the smart terminal to start the channel configuration operation and to help the smart terminal locate the sound source, that is, to locate the target speaker playing the wake-up sound; and how the target speaker can be for instructing the smart terminal for instructions other than channel configuration operations, such as control instructions, such as powering off, a channel configuration tone for initiating channel configuration operations)
Considering claim 40, Chen further discloses the method according to claim 31, wherein the method further comprises: prompting the user that the sound channel configuration is completed (Paragraphs: 0049, 0047 and 0074: the smart terminal does not perform any operation after receiving the wake-up tone).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YOSEF K LAEKEMARIAM whose telephone number is (571)270-5149. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30-6:30 M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Duc Nguyen can be reached at (571) 272-7503. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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YOSEF K. LAEKEMARIAM
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2651
/YOSEF K LAEKEMARIAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691
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