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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-2 and 4-13 are pending in this application and have been examined in response to application amendment filed on 02/02/2026.
Claim 3 is canceled.
FOREIGN APPLICATIONS: KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 10-2023-0146052 10/27/2023
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention.
Claim 6 recites: “audio of a second channel in priority order is output while the content of the first channel is not displayed.” The limitation “…in priority order…” is not clearly defined in relation to the priority order of the first channel.
Claims 7-8 are rejected similarly because they are depended on claim 6.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-2 and 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable by Yu et al. (2023/0297324 A1).
As to INDEPENDENT claim 1, Yu discloses a display device comprising: a wireless communication interface connected to a plurality of sink devices that output audio of content ([0454]; the display device may communicate with audio output devices wirelessly);
a display configured to display a content list including a plurality of content items respectively corresponding to a plurality of content and a plurality of sink device lists respectively corresponding to the plurality of content items ([0803], fig.64-fig.65; content items and lists of sinking devices are displayed); and
a controller configured to obtain a plurality of sound sources respectively corresponding to the plurality of content, and generate a plurality of sink sound sources respectively corresponding to a first content item and a second content item based on different sound sources among the plurality of sound sources (fig.76, “7601”, “6902”; two different sounds are playable),
wherein the controller is configured to concurrently transmit: (i) a first sink sound source of the plurality of sink sound sources to a first sink device of the plurality of sink devices, and (ii) a second sink sound source of the plurality of sink sound sources to a second sink device of the plurality of sink devices, such that audio corresponding to the first sink sound source and audio corresponding to a second sink sound source are output concurrently via the first sink device and the second sink device, respectively (fig.75, fig.76; [0866]; different sound sources are configured to be played on different sink devices concurrently).
As to claim 2, Yu discloses wherein the controller is configured to generate two or more sink sound sources for transmission to sink devices respectively corresponding to selected sink device items based on a sound source of content corresponding to one sink device list of the plurality of sink device lists when receiving a user input for selecting two or more of sink device items included in one sink device of the one sink device list (fig.65; [0666], [0811]; multiple sound sources are outputted to multiple sink devices based on user selections).
As to claim 4, Yu discloses wherein the controller is configured to adjust a volume to be output from each of the first and second sound sources based on a type of a sink device corresponding to the selected sink device item ([0150]; volume outputs are customized based on sink device types).
As to claim 5, Yu discloses wherein the controller is configured to generate a sink sound source based on a priority for a channel providing content or a scene of the content ([0814]; different sink devices are prioritized based on the content setting).
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 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu in view of Colby (US 2023/0224527 A1).
As to claim 6, Yu discloses wherein the controller is configured to: generate the sink sound source (fig.7). Yu does not expressly disclose such that audio of a first channel with a highest priority is output while content of the first channel is displayed when the priority is a priority set for the channel providing the content, and generate the sink sound source such that audio of a second channel in priority order is output while the content of the first channel is not displayed.
In the same field of endeavor, Colby discloses audio of a first channel with a highest priority is output while content of the first channel is displayed when the priority is a priority set for the channel providing the content, such that audio of a second channel in priority order is output while the content of the first channel is not displayed ([0030]; a prioritized content interrupts a low-priority content, when the prioritized content is finished, the low-priority content is resumed).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teaching of Yu and Colby before him prior to the effective filling date, to modify the multi-audio playing method taught by Yu to include content prioritization taught by Colby with the motivation being to emphasize important contents over regular contents.
As to claim 7, the prior art as combined discloses wherein the controller is configured to generate the sink sound source such that audio of the second channel is output when receiving a user input for ending display of a content item corresponding to the first channel (Yu, fig.8; the user may terminate the first app to stop the output of the audio associated with the first app and initiate another app to start the output of another audio).
As to claim 8, Yu discloses wherein the controller is configured to generate the sink sound source (fig.7). Yu does not expressly disclose …such that audio of a channel displaying a scene of content with a highest priority is output when the priority is set for the scene of the content.
In the same field of endeavor, Colby discloses outputting prioritized audio contents ([0030]; currently playing content is interrupted for playing a prioritized content).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teaching of Yu and Colby before him prior to the effective filling date, to modify the multi-audio playing method taught by Yu to include content prioritization taught by Colby with the motivation being to emphasize important contents over regular contents.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-13 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 02/02/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues Yu does not disclose a controller is configured to concurrently transmit: (i) a first sink sound source of the plurality of sink sound sources to a first sink device of the plurality of sink devices, and (ii) a second sink sound source of the plurality of sink sound sources to a second sink device of the plurality of sink devices, such that audio corresponding to the first sink sound source and audio corresponding to a second sink sound source are output concurrently via the first sink device and the second sink device, respectively.
In response to applicant’s argument Yu discloses different sound sources are configured to be played on different sink devices concurrently (fig.75, fig.76; [0858], ]0859], [0866]).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/HAOSHIAN SHIH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2179