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
Claims 1-8 are cancelled by Applicant as being drawn to a nonelected group I, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/9/2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 9-10 and 12-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being described by Curtis et al (US 2020/0091958).
For claim 9, Curtis et al teach a computer-implemented method comprising:
transmitting, by an electronic device, a first signal to an external speaker that is coupled to an audio interface associated with the electronic device (e.g. abstract, figure 1, paragraph 13: transmit, at a display device, a spread spectrum signal to a dumb speaker over a data channel (e.g., High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) Audio Return. Control (ARC)) at a time of transmission using a spread spectrum code.);
obtaining a latency associated with the external speaker, wherein the latency is based on a reception time of the first signal (e.g. paragraph 13: The display device calculates an audiovisual output path delay for the dumb speaker based on the time of receipt and the time of transmission.); and
adjusting, by the electronic device and based on the latency, at least one of a video playback timing and an audio playback timing of an audiovisual media content item (e.g. paragraph 13: The display device then synchronizes the playback of the audiovisual content at the dumb speaker and a smart speaker based on the audiovisual output path delay of the dumb speaker).
For claim 10, Curtis et al teach transmitting, by the electronic device, a second signal to a built-in speaker that is integrated with the electronic device (figure 1, paragraph 49: display device 104 can output the content using display 106 and/or speakers 108).
For claim 12, Curtis et al teach obtaining the latency associated with the external speaker further comprises: receiving the latency from an external electronic device, wherein the external electronic device includes at least one microphone that is configured to receive the first signal and the second signal (e.g. paragraph 59, figure 1: microphone 118-1).
For claim 13, Curtis et al teach obtaining the latency associated with the external speaker further comprises: receiving the latency from an external electronic device, wherein the external electronic device shares a synchronized clock signal with the electronic device (e.g. paragraph 6: each smart speaker in a smart speaker system can share a common clock for audio playback), and wherein the external electronic device includes at least one microphone that is configured to receive the first signal and determine the latency based on the synchronized clock signal (e.g. paragraph 6: For example, each smart speaker in a smart speaker system can share a common clock for audio playback. This ensures that each smart speaker in the smart speaker system outputs the same audio sample at the same time.).
For claim 14, Curtis et al teach the first signal corresponds to a spread spectrum signal (e.g. abstract, figure 1, paragraph 13: transmit, at a display device, a spread spectrum signal to a dumb speaker over a data channel (e.g., High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) Audio Return. Control (ARC)) at a time of transmission using a spread spectrum code.).
For claim 15, Curtis et al teach repeating a transmission of the first signal periodically based on a timer (e.g. paragraph 114: the spreading code can be configured to repeat after a period of time (e.g., every second).).
For claim 16, Curtis et al teach detecting a change associated with one or more audio settings; and transmitting the first signal in response to detecting the change (e.g. paragraph 252: smart speaker being moving to new room, so the speakers and display device needs to be synchronized again).
for claim 17, Curtis et al teach adjusting the video playback timing further comprises: delaying playback of a video component of the audiovisual media content item, wherein the playback of the video component is synchronized with an audio component of the audiovisual media content item that is outputted by the external speaker (e.g. paragraph 13: The display device then synchronizes the playback of the audiovisual content at the dumb speaker and a smart speaker based on the audiovisual output path delay of the dumb speaker).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, 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 11 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Curtis et al, as applied to claims 9-10 and 12-17, and further in view of Kim et al (US 2019/0387344).
For claim 18, Curtis et al teach a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device (e.g. paragraph 261: CPU), cause the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:
transmit, by an electronic device, a first signal to an external speaker that is coupled to an audio interface associated with the electronic device (e.g. abstract, figure 1, paragraph 13: transmit, at a display device, a spread spectrum signal to a dumb speaker over a data channel (e.g., High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) Audio Return. Control (ARC)) at a time of transmission using a spread spectrum code.);
transmit, by the electronic device, a second signal to a built-in speaker that is integrated with the electronic device (figure 1, paragraph 49: display device 104 can output the content using display 106 and/or speakers 108);
adjust at least one of a video playback timing and an audio playback timing of an audiovisual media content item based on the latency (e.g. paragraph 13: The display device then synchronizes the playback of the audiovisual content at the dumb speaker and a smart speaker based on the audiovisual output path delay of the dumb speaker).
Curtis et al do not disclose obtain a latency between a first reception time corresponding to the first signal and a second reception time corresponding to the second signal. Kim et al teach obtain a latency between a first reception time corresponding to the first signal and a second reception time corresponding to the second signal (e.g. figure 8 shows “Delay time” between speaker 200 and speaker 300; also paragraphs 122-123: As illustrated in FIG. 8, it is understood that a time delay of 400 msec is generated in the wireless speaker 300 as compared with the wired speaker 200 in the processing to the signal transmission and the audio output. ). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Kim et al into the teaching of Curtis et al to provide synchronize output (e.g. paragraph 16, Kim et al) to improve quality of the system.
For claims 11 and 19, Curtis et al teach obtaining the latency associated with the external speaker further comprises: receiving the first signal and the second signal via at least one microphone that is coupled to the electronic device (e.g. figure 1: microphone 118).
Curtis et al do not further disclose calculating a difference between a first reception time corresponding to the first signal and a second reception time corresponding to the second signal, wherein the latency corresponds to the difference. Kim et al teach calculating a difference between a first reception time corresponding to the first signal and a second reception time corresponding to the second signal, wherein the latency corresponds to the difference (e.g. figure 8 shows “Delay time” between speaker 200 and speaker 300; also paragraphs 122-123: As illustrated in FIG. 8, it is understood that a time delay of 400 msec is generated in the wireless speaker 300 as compared with the wired speaker 200 in the processing to the signal transmission and the audio output. ). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Kim et al into the teaching of Curtis et al to provide synchronize output (e.g. paragraph 16, Kim et al) to improve quality of the system.
For claim 20, Curtis et al teach obtaining the latency associated with the external speaker further comprises: receiving the latency from an external electronic device, wherein the external electronic device includes at least one microphone that is configured to receive the first signal and the second signal (e.g. paragraph 59, figure 1: microphone 118-1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAQUAN ZHAO whose telephone number is (571)270-1119. The examiner can normally be reached M-Thur: 7:00 am-5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thai Tran can be reached on 571-272-7382. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Email: daquan.zhao1@uspto.gov.
Phone: (571)270-1119
/DAQUAN ZHAO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2484