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 (IDS) submitted on 9-5-2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is acknowledged by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3, 12, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the sounds" in lines 2-3. It is not clear which sounds this limitation is referring to. Examiner suggests ‘sounds’ in claim 1 could be amended to ‘first sounds’. Appropriate action is required.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the sounds" in lines 2-3. It is not clear which sounds this limitation is referring to. Examiner suggests ‘sounds’ in claim 1 could be amended to ‘first sounds’. Appropriate action is required.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the mobile device" in line 10. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Appropriate action is required.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Pat. Appl. Publ. No. 2018/0048768 by Spittle et al, hereinafter Spittle (cited in IDS filed on 9-5-2023 by Applicant).
Regarding claim 1, Spittle discloses a system (i.e. audio conference system; Figures 7 and 12; paragraph: 0118, lines 1-17), comprising:
a mobile device (Fig. 12, 99; i.e. a computer terminal), comprising:
a microphone (i.e. participant 4’s microphone) configured to detect sounds from an environment (Fig. 12) during a conference call (i.e. communicating over an audio conference system) and to convert the detected sounds to a first digital signal (i.e. audio or voice activity of near-end talker or participant 4) (paragraph: 0118, lines 1-4; paragraph: 0126, lines 6-7);
a communications port (Fig. 12, 99; i.e. computer) configured to transmit the first digital signal to at least a far-end device (Fig. 12: 97, 98; i.e. computer) participating in the conference call, the far-end device being located in a different environment than the mobile device (Fig. 12: 97 and 98 are not local to participant 4) (paragraph: 0118, lines 1-13); and
an echo cancellation unit (Fig. 7, 100; paragraph: 0085, lines 1-8; paragraph: 0119, lines 1-6) configured to:
receive a second digital signal (i.e. audio output or background talker activity) from a near-end device (i.e. computer terminal comprising a speaker of participant 1) participating in the conference call (paragraph 0118, lines 5-8), the second digital signal including sounds detected from the environment by the near-end device (i.e. audio output from participant 1’s speaker travels along acoustic path B directly to participant 4) (paragraph 0118, lines 5-8; paragraph: 0119, lines 1-4; paragraph: 0120, lines 1-3); and
cancel the second digital signal based at least in part on the first digital signal (paragraph: 0086, lines 10-14; paragraph: 0145, lines 1-5 and paragraph 0147, line 1 – paragraph 0148, line 3).
Regarding claims 10 and 19, Spittle discloses:
a method for participating in a conference call (i.e. communicating over an audio conference system; Figures 7 and 12; paragraph: 0118, lines 1-17), comprising: at a mobile device (Fig. 12, 99; i.e. a computer terminal):
a controller (Fig. 12, 99; i.e. a computer terminal) comprising:
a processing system (Fig. 7); and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processing system, causes the controller to (paragraph: 0118, lines 1-17):
detecting, via a microphone (i.e. participant 4’s microphone), sounds from an environment (Fig. 12) during a conference call (i.e. communicating over an audio conference system) (paragraph: 0118, lines 1-4; paragraph: 0126, lines 6-7);
converting the detected sounds to a first digital signal (i.e. audio or voice activity of near-end talker or participant 4) (paragraph: 0118, lines 1-4; paragraph: 0126, lines 6-7);
transmitting the first digital signal to at least a far-end device (Fig. 12: 97, 98; i.e. computer)
participating in the conference call, the far-end device being located in a
different environment than the mobile device (Fig. 12: 97 and 98 are not local to participant 4) (paragraph: 0118, lines 1-13);
receiving a second digital signal (i.e. audio output or background talker activity) from a near-end device (i.e. computer terminal comprising a speaker of participant 1) participating in the conference call (paragraph 0118, lines 5-8), the second digital signal including sounds detected from the environment by the near-end device (i.e. audio output from participant 1’s speaker travels along acoustic path B directly to participant 4) (paragraph 0118, lines 5-8; paragraph: 0119, lines 1-4; paragraph: 0120, lines 1-3); and
cancelling the second digital signal based at least in part on the first digital signal (paragraph: 0086, lines 10-14; paragraph: 0145, lines 1-5 and paragraph 0147, line 1 – paragraph 0148, line 3).
Regarding claims 2 and 11, Spittle discloses further comprising a speaker configured to output second sounds based on the second digital signal (paragraph: 0118, lines 8-13).
Regarding claims 3 and 12, Spittle discloses wherein the echo cancellation unit is configured to cancel the second digital signal based at least in part on a correlation between the sounds (i.e. voice activity) and the second sounds (i.e. background audio) (paragraph: 0026, lines 1-8; paragraph: 0029, lines 1-3; paragraph: 0115, lines 1-8; paragraph: 0120, lines 1-5; paragraph: 0154, lines 1-5).
Regarding claims 4 and 13, Spittle discloses wherein the echo cancellation unit is configured to mute the speaker (paragraph: 0115, lines 1-19).
Regarding claims 5 and 14, Spittle discloses wherein the echo cancellation unit is configured to manipulate a signal that is provided to the speaker (paragraph: 0026, lines 1-8; paragraph: 0029, lines 1-3; paragraph: 0115, lines 1-8; paragraph: 0120, lines 1-5; paragraph: 0154, lines 1-5).
Regarding claims 6 and 15, Spittle discloses, further comprising a delay unit (i.e. delay buffer) configured to delay the first digital signal by a delay to provide a delayed first digital signal (paragraph: 0022, lines 1-7; paragraph: 0043, lines 1-7; paragraph: 0087, lines 1-7; paragraph: 0118, lines 6-9; paragraph: 0126, lines 1-11).
Regarding claims 7 and 16, Spittle discloses, wherein the echo cancellation unit is configured to cancel the second digital signal based at least in part on the delayed first digital signal (paragraph: 0022, lines 1-7; paragraph: 0043, lines 1-7; paragraph: 0087, lines 1-7; paragraph: 0118, lines 6-9; paragraph: 0126, lines 1-11).
Regarding claims 8 and 17, Spittle discloses, further comprising a delay estimation unit
configured to estimate the delay based on a correlation between the first digital signal
and the second digital signal (paragraph: 0126, lines 1-11).
Regarding claims 9, 18, and 20, Spittle discloses the sounds detected from the environment by the near-end device (i.e. computer of participant 1) include at least some of the sounds detected from the environment by the microphone (i.e. voice activity of participant 4) (paragraph 0118, lines 5-8; paragraph: 0119, lines 1-4; paragraph: 0120, lines 1-3).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 Form.
Any response to this action should be mailed to:
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
Or faxed to:
(571) 273-8300 (for formal communications intended for entry)
Or call:
(571) 272-2600 (for customer service assistance)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LISA HASHEM whose telephone number is 571-272-7542. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Carolyn Edwards can be reached on 571-270-7136.
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/LISA HASHEM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2692
/CAROLYN R EDWARDS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2692
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