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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on November 23, 2023 has been considered by the Examiner and made of record in the application.
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 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 5, 6, 11-14, and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chen (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2025/0181303 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 19, Chen teaches and discloses a product comprising one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising instructions ([0249]; [0252]) and an apparatus comprising logic and circuitry configured to cause a first Bluetooth (BT) device (terminal device, figures 1, 2, and 4) to:
set up a bidirectional BT stream connection with a second BT device (wireless headset, figures 1 and 3) based on connection configuration information defined according to one or more stream setup messages communicated between the first BT device and the second BT device ([0092]; [0112]; teaches a terminal device setting up a bidirectional Bluetooth connection with a wireless headset in which connection configuration information is exchanged in order to establish the connection),
wherein the bidirectional BT stream connection is configured to support communication of an audio data stream from the second BT device to the first BT device and a non-audio data stream from the first BT device to the second BT device ([0112]; [0125]; [0126]; [0142]; teaches the bidirectional connection is configured to support the communication of both audio data and non-audio data, such as control or indication information),
wherein the non-audio data stream comprises head-orientation data based on an orientation of a head of a user, wherein the connection configuration information comprises non-audio data stream configuration information to indicate a configuration of the non-audio data stream ([0112]; [0121]; [0125]; [0126]; teaches the non-audio data comprises head orientation data, such as head rotation, motion or posture of a user, and configuration information is exchanged between the BT devices); and
transmit the head-orientation data to the second BT device according to the configuration of the non-audio data stream ([0125]; [0126]; [0127]; [0128]; teaches transmitting head orientation data to the BST device).
Regarding claim 5, Chen further teaches and discloses process a stream setup enable message from the second BT device to identify the non-audio data stream configuration information to indicate the configuration of the non-audio data stream ([0112]; [0125]; [0126]; [0142]; teaches the bidirectional connection is configured to support the communication of both audio data and non-audio data, such as control or indication information, and configuration information is exchanged between the BT devices).
Regarding claim 6, Chen further teaches and discloses wherein the non-audio data stream configuration information comprises at least one of an enabled interval between data frames of the non-audio data stream, an enabled length of a data frame of the non-audio data stream, or an enabled coordinate system for the head-orientation data ([0089]; [0101]; [0107]; [0138]; teaches the non-audio data comprises head orientation data, such as head rotation, motion or posture of a user).
Regarding claims 11 and 20, Chen further teaches and discloses wherein the head-orientation data comprises at least one of angle of rotation information representing an angle of rotation of the head of the user, or acceleration information representing an acceleration of the head of the user ([0094]; [0101]; [0107]; taches the head-orientation data includes head rotation angle).
Regarding claim 12, Chen further teaches and discloses wherein the head-orientation data comprises body-based movement data, which is based on a body movement of the user ([0060]; [0107]; [0116]; teaches motion data of the user).
Regarding claim 13, Chen further teaches and discloses wherein the head-orientation data comprises head-based movement data, which is based on a head movement of the user ([0060]; [0107]; [0116]; teaches motion data of the user).
Regarding claim 14, Chen further teaches and discloses wherein the non-audio data stream configuration information is to configure the non-audio data stream according to a zero retransmission policy defining no retransmission of the head-orientation data ([0112]; [0125]; [0126]; [0127]; [0128]; teaches non-audio data is only transmitted once and not retransmitted).
Regarding claim 16, Chen further teaches and discloses wherein the audio data stream comprises two audio channels comprising spatial audio data to be provided to a headphone device ([0013]; [0101]; [0113]; [0118]; teaches the audio data comprises audio channels for spatial audio).
Regarding claim 17, Chen further teaches and discloses at least one radio (communication modules, figure 2) to transmit the head-orientation data to the second BT device ([0072]; [0125]; [0126]; [0127]; teaches communication modules for transmitting the head orientation data to the second BT device).
Regarding claim 18, Chen further teaches and discloses one or more antennas (antennas, figure 2) connected to the radio, and a processor (processor, figure 2) to execute instructions of an operating system ([0066]; [0072]; [0249]; teaches the BT device comprises an antenna and processor).
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 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 of this title, 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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 2-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2025/0181303 A1) in view of LEE (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2023/0103916 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Chen discloses setting up a bidirectional Bluetooth connection configured to support the communication of both audio data and non-audio data including head orientation data, but may not explicitly disclose set source capability information in a stream setup message to be transmitted from the first BT device to the second BT device, wherein the source capability information comprises one or more source supported characteristics, which are supported by the first BT device for the non-audio data stream.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Lee teaches and suggests set source capability information in a stream setup message to be transmitted from the first BT device to the second BT device, wherein the source capability information comprises one or more source supported characteristics, which are supported by the first BT device for the non-audio data stream ([0024]; [0025]; [0266]; teaches transmitting capability information during setup of the connection between the BT devices, where the capability information includes supported characteristics).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate transmitting capability information during setup of the connection between the BT devices, where the capability information includes supported characteristics as taught by Lee with the method and apparatus for setting up a bidirectional Bluetooth connection configured to support the communication of both audio data and non-audio data including head orientation data as disclosed by Chen for the purpose of improving audio data communication using short-range wireless communication, such as Bluetooth communication, as suggested by Lee.
Regarding claim 3, Chen, as modified by Lee, teaches and suggests wherein the one or more source supported characteristics comprises at least one of a source supported interval between data frames of the non-audio data stream, a source supported report length of a data frame of the non-audio data stream, or a source supported coordinate system for the head-orientation data ([0089]; [0101]; [0107]; [0138]; teaches the non-audio data comprises head orientation data, such as head rotation, motion or posture of a user).
Regarding claim 4, Chen discloses setting up a bidirectional Bluetooth connection configured to support the communication of both audio data and non-audio data including head orientation data, but may not explicitly disclose set a metadata parameter to represent the source capability information, wherein the stream setup message comprises a source Published Audio Capabilities (PAC) record message comprising a source PAC characteristics element, wherein the source PAC characteristics element comprises the metadata parameter.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Lee teaches and suggests set a metadata parameter to represent the source capability information, wherein the stream setup message comprises a source Published Audio Capabilities (PAC) record message comprising a source PAC characteristics element, wherein the source PAC characteristics element comprises the metadata parameter ([0024]; [0025]; [0266]; teaches setting metadata for transmitting capability information during setup of the connection between the BT devices, where the capability information includes supported characteristics, using PAC).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate setting metadata for transmitting capability information during setup of the connection between the BT devices, where the capability information includes supported characteristics, using PAC as taught by Lee with the method and apparatus for setting up a bidirectional Bluetooth connection configured to support the communication of both audio data and non-audio data including head orientation data as disclosed by Chen for the purpose of improving audio data communication using short-range wireless communication, such as Bluetooth communication, as suggested by Lee.
Claims 7-10 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2025/0181303 A1) in view of RYU et al. (hereinafter Ryu) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2025/0240839 A1).
Regarding claim 7, Chen discloses setting up a bidirectional Bluetooth connection configured to support the communication of both audio data and non-audio data including head orientation data, but may not explicitly disclose process an Audio Stream Endpoint (ASE) enable message from the second BT device to identify the non-audio data stream configuration information in a metadata parameter in an additional ASE parameter field of the ASE enable message.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Ryu teaches and suggests process an Audio Stream Endpoint (ASE) enable message from the second BT device to identify the non-audio data stream configuration information in a metadata parameter in an additional ASE parameter field of the ASE enable message ([0162]; [0164]; [0184]; [0188]; [0210]; teaches exchanging and processing ASE messages for configuration information).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate exchanging and processing ASE messages for configuration information as taught by Ryu with the method and apparatus for setting up a bidirectional Bluetooth connection configured to support the communication of both audio data and non-audio data including head orientation data as disclosed by Chen for the purpose of improving configuration of short-range wireless communication, such as Bluetooth communication, as suggested by Ryu.
Regarding claim 8, Chen discloses setting up a bidirectional Bluetooth connection configured to support the communication of both audio data and non-audio data including head orientation data, but may not explicitly disclose process an additional Audio Stream Endpoint (ASE) parameter field in an ASE codec message from the second BT device to identify an ASE Identifier (ID) for the non-audio data stream, a codec specific configuration length field to indicate a frame length for the non-audio data stream, and a codec specific configuration field to indicate a frame duration for the non-audio data stream, a number of octets per frame for the non-audio data stream, and a maximal supported frame length per Protocol Data Unit (PDU) for the non-audio data stream.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Ryu teaches and suggests process an additional Audio Stream Endpoint (ASE) parameter field in an ASE codec message from the second BT device to identify an ASE Identifier (ID) for the non-audio data stream, a codec specific configuration length field to indicate a frame length for the non-audio data stream, and a codec specific configuration field to indicate a frame duration for the non-audio data stream, a number of octets per frame for the non-audio data stream, and a maximal supported frame length per Protocol Data Unit (PDU) for the non-audio data stream ([0130]; [0162]; [0164]; [0170]; [0172]; [0188]; [0191]; [0210]; teaches exchanging and processing ASE messages for configuration information, including ASE ID, codec configuration).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate exchanging and processing ASE messages for configuration information, including ASE ID, codec configuration as taught by Ryu with the method and apparatus for setting up a bidirectional Bluetooth connection configured to support the communication of both audio data and non-audio data including head orientation data as disclosed by Chen for the purpose of improving configuration of short-range wireless communication, such as Bluetooth communication, as suggested by Ryu.
Regarding claim 9, Chen discloses setting up a bidirectional Bluetooth connection configured to support the communication of both audio data and non-audio data including head orientation data, but may not explicitly disclose process an additional Audio Stream Endpoint (ASE) parameter field in an ASE Quality of Service (QoS) message from the second BT device to identify an ASE Identifier (ID) for the non-audio data stream, a maximal Stream Data Unit (SDU) field to indicate an SDU length for the non-audio data stream, a retransmission number field to indicate a zero retransmission policy for the non-audio data stream, and a maximal transport latency field to indicate a maximal latency for the non-audio data stream.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Ryu teaches and suggests process an additional Audio Stream Endpoint (ASE) parameter field in an ASE Quality of Service (QoS) message from the second BT device to identify an ASE Identifier (ID) for the non-audio data stream, a maximal Stream Data Unit (SDU) field to indicate an SDU length for the non-audio data stream, a retransmission number field to indicate a zero retransmission policy for the non-audio data stream, and a maximal transport latency field to indicate a maximal latency for the non-audio data stream ([0130]; [0162]; [0164]; [0170]; [0172]; [0180]; [0188]; [0210]; teaches exchanging and processing ASE messages for configuration information, including ASE ID, QoS configuration).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate exchanging and processing ASE messages for configuration information, including ASE ID, QoS configuration as taught by Ryu with the method and apparatus for setting up a bidirectional Bluetooth connection configured to support the communication of both audio data and non-audio data including head orientation data as disclosed by Chen for the purpose of improving configuration of short-range wireless communication, such as Bluetooth communication, as suggested by Ryu.
Regarding claim 10, Chen discloses setting up a bidirectional Bluetooth connection configured to support the communication of both audio data and non-audio data including head orientation data, but may not explicitly disclose initiate communication over the bidirectional BT stream connection based on an Audio Stream Endpoint (ASE) receiver start message from the second BT device, wherein an additional ASE parameter field of the ASE receiver start message comprises a first ASE Identifier (ID) to identify an ASE for the audio data stream, and a second ASE_ID to identify an ASE for the non-audio data stream.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Ryu teaches and suggests initiate communication over the bidirectional BT stream connection based on an Audio Stream Endpoint (ASE) receiver start message from the second BT device, wherein an additional ASE parameter field of the ASE receiver start message comprises a first ASE Identifier (ID) to identify an ASE for the audio data stream, and a second ASE_ID to identify an ASE for the non-audio data stream ([0162]; [0164]; [0184]; [0188]; [0210]; teaches exchanging and processing ASE messages for configuration information).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate exchanging and processing ASE messages for configuration information as taught by Ryu with the method and apparatus for setting up a bidirectional Bluetooth connection configured to support the communication of both audio data and non-audio data including head orientation data as disclosed by Chen for the purpose of improving configuration of short-range wireless communication, such as Bluetooth communication, as suggested by Ryu.
Regarding claim 15, Chen discloses setting up a bidirectional Bluetooth connection configured to support the communication of both audio data and non-audio data including head orientation data, but may not explicitly disclose setup the bidirectional BT stream connection as a bidirectional Low Energy (LE) Connected Isochronous Stream (CIS) connection.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Ryu teaches and suggests setup the bidirectional BT stream connection as a bidirectional Low Energy (LE) Connected Isochronous Stream (CIS) connection ([0005]; [0115]; [0116]; [0127]; teaches setting up bidirectional BT connection as a BLE CIS connection).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate setting up bidirectional BT connection as a BLE CIS connection as taught by Ryu with the method and apparatus for setting up a bidirectional Bluetooth connection configured to support the communication of both audio data and non-audio data including head orientation data as disclosed by Chen for the purpose of improving configuration of short-range wireless communication, such as Bluetooth communication, as suggested by Ryu.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant’s disclosure.
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/Suk Jin Kang/
Examiner, Art Unit 2477
September 28, 2026
