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 Amendment
Claims 1, 3-9, 11, and 13-19 have been amended. Claims 1, 3-11, and 13-21 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 11 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 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 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US 2016/0224493) in view of Peng (US 2020/0104053) and further in view of Yasui (US 2010/0309491) and further in view of Chen (US 2012/0054372).
Regarding claim 1, Wang teaches a method, comprising: determining, by the USB device, whether a USB host (Figs. 2 and 6A, PC1 is a USB host PC) transmits a human interface device (HID) interrupt signal (Fig. 6A, HID interrupt request is received and detected by the USB device; Paragraph 0072, Paragraph 0072, USB devices of the HID class only provide endpoints for control and for the interrupt transfer (IN)); and determining, by the USB device, a type according to the result of whether the USB host transmits the HID interrupt signal (Fig. 6A, USB device determines a HID interrupt data transfer type is being performed; Paragraph 0039, By enumerating a USB device, a USB host performs data transfer with an endpoint of the USB device according to the data transfer type in the descriptors. The control transfer, bulk transfer, isochronous transfer and interrupt transfer have their respective standards).
Wang does not teach the method for determining a system type of a universal serial bus (USB) host, comprising: determining, by the USB device, whether the USB host transmits a USB audio device class-specific request signal; and determining, by the USB device, a system type of the USB host according to the result of whether the USB host transmits the USB audio device class-specific request signal.
Peng teaches the method for determining a system type of a universal serial bus (USB) host (Fig. 1, Host 12), comprising: determining, by the USB device (Fig. 1, USB device 10), whether the USB host transmits a USB audio device class-specific request signal (Fig. 2, USB device receives audio class-specific request command from host in step 203; Paragraph 0030, step 203, the audio playback device 10 determines whether an audio class-specific request command (not illustrated) is received from the host 12); and determining, by the USB device, a system type of the USB host according to the result of whether the USB host transmits the USB audio device class-specific request signal (Fig. 2, USB device 10 determines USB host 12 system type is first transmission bus format type (i.e. a system type) in step 204 or second transmission bus format type in step 205; Paragraph 0031, when the audio playback device 10 receives the audio class-specific request command from the host 12, the audio playback device 10 determines that the host 12 supports the first transmission bus format. As a result, in step 204… Paragraph 0033, When the audio playback device 10 dose not receive the audio control feature unit descriptor request command from the host 12, the audio playback device 10 determines that the host 12 does not support the first transmission bus format… Paragraph 0034, As a result, in step 205… the audio playback device 10 selects the second audio playback device information 103 to respond to the host 14).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang’s method to incorporate the teachings of Peng and enable the determination of a communication system type of the USB host using the HID signal of Wang and the audio class-request signal of Peng.
One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make the modifications in order to create compatibility between USB audio peripherals and a wide variety of host system communication types, thus allowing heterogeneous devices to be used with the most efficient communication format with the host (See Peng: Paragraphs 0003 and 0036).
Neither Wang nor Peng teaches the method comprising a USB audio device class 1 (UAC1) status signal.
Yasui teaches the method comprising a USB audio device class 1 (UAC1) status signal (Fig. 26, USB audio class 1; Paragraph 0368, a class code ("1" to "9"), corresponding class name ("Audio", "Communication," and the like; refer to the table), and corresponding class information ("0x01" to "0x09") are established for each function of the target device 500 based on USB standards).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang/Peng’s method to incorporate the teachings of Yasui and enable the host to use audio class 1 codes and HID codes.
One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make the modifications in order to provide complete host support for widespread and heterogeneous USB peripherals such as audio and HID peripherals (See Yasui: paragraphs 0370 and 0371).
The combination of Wang/Peng/Yasui does not teach the method comprising: determining, by the USB device, that an operating system of the USB host comprises a gaming platform operating system, a Windows operating system, a Linux operating system, or a Macintosh operating system according to a result of whether the USB host transmits a signal.
Chen teaches the method comprising: determining, by the USB device (Fig. 1, USB device collects data from USB host in step S13 to determine operating system of USB host in step S14; Paragraph 0037, USB device receives messages (requests) from the host… messages from the USB host contain various information, some of which is characteristic of the type of OS of the host. For example, the request from the host may indicate whether the host supports certain classes of USB devices… USB device collects such information from the messages and uses it to attempt to determine the OS type of the host (step S14)), that an operating system of the USB host comprises a gaming platform operating system, a Windows operating system, a Linux operating system, or a Macintosh operating system according to a result of whether the USB host transmits a USB class-specific request signal (Fig. 8, Operating system detected can be Windows, Mac, or Linux based on class request signal from USB host; Paragraph 0038, information (sometimes referred to as OS behavior factors in this disclosure) collected by the USB device… used to allow the underlying USB device to claim its compatible device class… Paragraph 0072, if the detected OS is Windows XP or XP SP1, or unknown OS, a device enumeration process for RNDIS+MSD is carried out; and if the detected OS is MAC-OS or Linux, a device enumeration process for CDC+MSD is carried out).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang/Peng/Yasui’s method to incorporate the teachings of Chen and enable the USB peripheral device to determine a Windows, Mac, or Linux operating system type of the host based on whether USB class signals and HID signals of Wang and Peng are detected.
One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make the modifications in order to simplify and streamline the USB enumeration process across multiple operating system platforms and heterogeneous device types (See Chen: Paragraph 0006).
Regarding claim 11, Wang teaches a universal serial bus (USB) device (Figs. 2 and 6A, USB devices D1 and D2), comprising: a transmission interface circuit (Fig. 2, USB devices D1 and D2 are connected via USB interfaces to KVM switch 50; Paragraph 0044, it is determined whether a USB peripheral device D1 or D2 is attached or connected to the USB KVM switch 50) configured to electrically couple to a USB host (Figs. 2 and 6A, PC1 is a USB host PC); and the USB device configured to: determine whether a USB host transmits at least one of a human interface device (HID) interrupt signal (Fig. 6A, HID interrupt request; Paragraph 0072, Paragraph 0072, USB devices of the HID class only provide endpoints for control and for the interrupt transfer (IN)); and determine a type according to the USB signal (Fig. 6A, USB device determines a HID interrupt data transfer type is being performed; Paragraph 0039, By enumerating a USB device, a USB host performs data transfer with an endpoint of the USB device according to the data transfer type in the descriptors. The control transfer, bulk transfer, isochronous transfer and interrupt transfer have their respective standards).
Wang does not teach the USB device comprising a processor circuit electrically coupled to the transmission interface circuit and configured to: determine whether the USB host transmits a USB audio class-specific request signal using the transmission interface circuit, and generate a result; determine a system type of the USB host according to the result.
Peng teaches the USB device comprising a processor circuit electrically coupled to the transmission interface circuit (Fig. 1, USB device 10 contains processor 102 coupled to interface circuit 14) and configured to: determine whether the USB host (Fig. 1, Host 12) transmits a USB audio class-specific request signal using the transmission interface circuit (Fig. 2, USB device receives audio class-specific request command from host in step 203; Paragraph 0030, step 203, the audio playback device 10 determines whether an audio class-specific request command (not illustrated) is received from the host 12), and generate a result (Fig. 2, Result is generated at step 203); determine a system type of the USB host according to the result (Fig. 2, USB device 10 determines USB host 12 system type is first transmission bus format type in step 204 or second transmission bus format type in step 205; Paragraph 0031, when the audio playback device 10 receives the audio class-specific request command from the host 12, the audio playback device 10 determines that the host 12 supports the first transmission bus format. As a result, in step 204… Paragraph 0033, When the audio playback device 10 dose not receive the audio control feature unit descriptor request command from the host 12, the audio playback device 10 determines that the host 12 does not support the first transmission bus format… Paragraph 0034, As a result, in step 205… the audio playback device 10 selects the second audio playback device information 103 to respond to the host 14).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang’s device to incorporate the teachings of Peng and enable the determination of a communication system type of the USB host using the HID signal of Wang and the audio class-request signal of Peng.
One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make the modifications in order to create compatibility between USB audio peripherals and a wide variety of host system communication types, thus allowing heterogeneous devices to be used with the most efficient communication format with the host (See Peng: Paragraphs 0003 and 0036).
Neither Wang nor Peng teaches the USB device comprising a USB audio device class 1 (UAC1) status signal.
Yasui teaches the USB device comprising a USB audio device class 1 (UAC1) status signal (Fig. 26, USB audio class 1; Paragraph 0368, a class code ("1" to "9"), corresponding class name ("Audio", "Communication," and the like; refer to the table), and corresponding class information ("0x01" to "0x09") are established for each function of the target device 500 based on USB standards).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang/Peng’s device to incorporate the teachings of Yasui and enable the host to use audio class 1 codes and HID codes.
One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make the modifications in order to provide complete host support for widespread and heterogeneous USB peripherals such as audio and HID peripherals (See Yasui: paragraphs 0370 and 0371).
The combination of Wang/Peng/Yasui does not teach the USB device comprising: determining, by the USB device, that an operating system of the USB host comprises a gaming platform operating system, a Windows operating system, a Linux operating system, or a Macintosh operating system according to a result of whether the USB host transmits a signal.
Chen teaches the method comprising: determine that an operating system of the USB host (Fig. 1, USB device collects data from USB host in step S13 to determine operating system of USB host in step S14; Paragraph 0037, USB device receives messages (requests) from the host… messages from the USB host contain various information, some of which is characteristic of the type of OS of the host. For example, the request from the host may indicate whether the host supports certain classes of USB devices… USB device collects such information from the messages and uses it to attempt to determine the OS type of the host (step S14)) comprises a gaming platform operating system, a Windows operating system, a Linux operating system, or a Macintosh operating system according to the result (Fig. 8, Operating system detected can be Windows, Mac, or Linux based on class request signal from USB host; Paragraph 0038, information (sometimes referred to as OS behavior factors in this disclosure) collected by the USB device… used to allow the underlying USB device to claim its compatible device class… Paragraph 0072, if the detected OS is Windows XP or XP SP1, or unknown OS, a device enumeration process for RNDIS+MSD is carried out; and if the detected OS is MAC-OS or Linux, a device enumeration process for CDC+MSD is carried out).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang/Peng/Yasui’s device to incorporate the teachings of Chen and enable the USB peripheral device to determine a Windows, Mac, or Linux operating system type of the host based on whether USB class signals and HID signals of Wang and Peng are detected.
One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make the modifications in order to simplify and streamline the USB enumeration process across multiple operating system platforms and heterogeneous device types (See Chen: Paragraph 0006).
Claims 10 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US 2016/0224493) in view of Peng (US 2020/0104053) and further in view of Yasui (US 2010/0309491) and further in view of Chen (US 2012/0054372) and further in view of Pancholi (US 2015/0242357).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Wang/Peng/Yasui/Chen teaches the method of claim 1. The combination of Wang/Peng/Yasui/Chen does not teach the method comprising wherein the HID interrupt signal is in a bit format.
Pancholi teaches the method comprising wherein the HID interrupt signal is in a bit format (Fig. 2, HID packets includes data bits; Paragraph 0060, According to USB HIS protocol: [0061] (a) all HID devices must have… an interrupt OUT endpoint… Paragraph 0105, report descriptor 260 is the header of a report of the HID device… report descriptor 260 defines the data packets, such as the size of the packet, and the purpose of each data bit in the packet).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang/Peng/Yasui/Chen’s method to incorporate the teachings of Pancholi and include HID interrupt bit format packets.
One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make the modifications in order to comply with highspeed USB protocol standard requirements and enabling the monitoring of the USB system, thus reducing system errors (See Pancholi: Paragraphs 0091, 0093, and 0120).
Regarding claim 20, the combination of Wang/Peng/Yasui/Chen teaches the USB device of claim 11. The combination of Wang/Peng/Yasui/Chen does not teach the device comprising wherein the HID interrupt signal is in a bit format.
Pancholi teaches the USB device comprising wherein the HID interrupt signal is in a bit format (Fig. 2, HID packets includes data bits; Paragraph 0060, According to USB HIS protocol: [0061] (a) all HID devices must have a control endpoint (Endpoint 0) and an interrupt IN endpoint, many devices also use an interrupt OUT endpoint… Paragraph 0105, report descriptor 260 is the header of a report of the HID device… report descriptor 260 defines the data packets, such as the size of the packet, and the purpose of each data bit in the packet).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang/Peng/Yasui/Chen’s USB device to incorporate the teachings of Pancholi and include HID interrupt bit format packets.
One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make the modifications in order to comply with highspeed USB protocol standard requirements and enabling the monitoring of the USB system, thus reducing system errors (See Pancholi: Paragraphs 0091, 0093, and 0120).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-9 and 13-19 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 21 is allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claim 21, none of the cited references either alone or in combination teaches a universal serial bus (USB) device, comprising: a transmission interface circuit configured to electrically couple to a USB host; and a processor circuit electrically coupled to the transmission interface circuit and configured to: determine whether the USB host transmits a human interface device (HID) interrupt signal and a USB audio Class 1 (UAC 1) status interrupt signal using the transmission interface circuit, and generate a result; and determine a system type of the USB host according to the result, wherein the processor circuit is further configured to: determine that the USB host does not transmit the HID interrupt signal; and determine that the system type of the USB host is a gaming platform operating system according to the result that the USB host does not transmit the HID interrupt signal.
US PGPUB 20130028301 to Sashittal discloses a USB audio gateway that determines an audio device connected and selects an audio function interface based on the type of device. No mention of determine whether the USB host transmits a human interface device (HID) interrupt signal and a USB audio Class 1 (UAC 1) status interrupt signal using the transmission interface circuit, and generate a result; and determine a system type of the USB host according to the result, wherein the processor circuit is further configured to: determine that the USB host does not transmit the HID interrupt signal; and determine that the system type of the USB host is a gaming platform operating system according to the result that the USB host does not transmit the HID interrupt signal is present.
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US PGPUB 2017/0046122 to Tanaka discloses that a USB device can be a composite device that is both an audio device and a HID device class (Paragraph 0028, the audio device 1 behaves as a composite device of an audio device class and an HID (human interface device) class. That is, a descriptor indicating that the audio device 1 is a composite device of an audio device class and an HID class is written in the USB interface 10 of the audio device 1).
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HARRY Z WANG whose telephone number is (571)270-1716. The examiner can normally be reached 9 am - 3 pm (Monday-Friday).
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/H.Z.W./Examiner, Art Unit 2184
/HENRY TSAI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2184