The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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, 5-7, 9-11, and 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ko et al. (US 2022/0053270).
Regarding claims 1 and 16, Ko discloses a method of audio sharing to be performed by a first user device 1901, and an audio sharing system including a first user device 1901 comprising a first memory storing first instructions and a first processor communicatively coupled to the first memory and a second user device 1905 comprising a second memory storing second instructions and a second processor communicatively coupled the second memory, (see figs. 1-5, 19A-19B, and para. 0287-0294, for example) comprising: advertising, by the first user device 1901, an audio sharing message comprising a predetermined set identification (see step 1955 “transmit signal for requesting connection with second wireless audio device set” 1907), based on an indication from a user to share an audio content (see step 1920 “execute audio sharing mode”, and step 1950 “detect input to select second wireless audio device set” 1907), the first user device 1901 having established a short-range wireless connection with a first audio playing device 1903 of a plurality of audio playing devices 1903, 1907 (see step 1910 “establish communication link” with first wireless audio device set 1903); receiving, by the first user device 1901 from a second audio playing device 1907 of the plurality of audio playing devices 1903, 1907, an audio sharing confirmation message comprising the predetermined set identification and indicating that the second audio playing device 1907 has switched from an original set identification to the predetermined set identification based on the audio sharing message (see step 1965 “transmit response signal for accepting release of communication link”, and step 1970 “transmit information about release of communication link with second wireless audio device” 1907), the second audio playing device 1907 having been instructed to switch to the predetermined set identification through a second short-range wireless connection established with a second user device 1905 (see step 1960 “transmit signal for requesting release of communication link”), and the second audio playing device 1907 being at least one audio playing device of the second user device 1905 (see step 1915, regarding second short-range wireless connection established between the second user device 1905 and the second audio playing device 1907); establishing, by the first user device 1901, a third short-range wireless connection with the second audio playing device 1907 (see step 1975 “establish communication link” with the second audio playing device 1907); and sending, by the first user device 1901, an audio data packet of the audio content to the first audio playing device 1903, using the first short-range wireless connection (see para. 0294, regarding a first audio sharing mode wherein “the electronic device 1901 may transmit the currently played audio data to the first wireless audio device set 1903, based on the configuration information … about the first wireless audio set 1903”), and the second audio playing device 1907, using the third short-range wireless connection (see para. 0294, regarding “the electronic device 1901 may transmit the currently played audio data to the second wireless audio device set 1907, based on the configuration information … about the second wireless audio device set 1907”).
Regarding claim 5, the establishing of the third short-range wireless connection (e.g., step 1975 in Fig. 19B) comprises establishing at least one Bluetooth Connected Isochronous Stream (CIS) connection. See para. 0088, regarding “the wireless communication circuit 405 (e.g., the communication module 190 of FIG. 1) may include a short-range wireless communication circuit. The short-range wireless communication circuit may include … Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)”. Note that a CIS is a logical transport used in BLE for unidirectional or bidirectional isochronous data transfer between connected devices as is performed in step 1975.
Regarding claims 6 and 7, the receiving the audio sharing confirmation message (e.g., steps 1965, 1970) comprises receiving the audio sharing confirmation message within a predetermined period of time, and the third short-range wireless connection with the second audio play device 1907 is established (e.g., step 1975) after an end of the predetermined period of time. See fig. 19B.
Regarding claim 9, Ko discloses a method of audio sharing to be performed by a second audio playing device 1907, (see figs. 1-5, 14A, 19A-19B, and para. 0287-0294, for example) comprising: receiving, by the second audio playing device 1907 from a second user device 1905, an indication instructing the second audio playing device 1907 to switch from an original set identification to a predetermined set identification (see step 1960 “transmit signal for requesting release of communication link”), the indication having been transmitted based on a first indication of a first user to share an audio content of a second user (see step 1920 “execute audio sharing mode”, and step 1950 “detect input to select second wireless audio device set” 1907), the second audio playing device 1907 having at least one audio playing device of the second user device 1905, the second audio playing device 1907 having established a first short-range wireless connection with the second user device 1905 (see step 1915, regarding second short-range wireless connection established between the second user device 1905 and the second audio playing device 1907); switching, by the second audio playing device 1907, from the original set identification to the predetermined set identification (in response to step 1960); advertising, by the second audio playing device 1907, an audio sharing confirmation message comprising the predetermined set identification (see step 1965 “transmit response signal for accepting release of communication link”); establishing, by the second audio playing device 1907, a second short-range wireless connection with a first user device 1901 (see step 1975 “establish communication link” with the second audio playing device 1907); and receiving, by the second audio playing device 1907 from the first user device 1901, an audio data packet of the audio content using the second short-range wireless connection (see para. 0295, regarding “the electronic device 1901 may transmit the first audio signal to the second wireless audio device set 1907, based on the configuration information … about the second wireless audio device set 1907”).
Regarding claim 10, the method further includes: disconnecting, by the second audio playing device 1907, the first short-range wireless connection with the second user device 1905, after the advertising of the audio sharing confirmation message (see step 1965 “transmit response signal for accepting release of communication link”). The disconnecting of the first short-range wireless connection comprises at least one Bluetooth Connected Isochronous Stream (CIS) connection. See para. 0088, regarding “the wireless communication circuit 405 (e.g., the communication module 190 of FIG. 1) may include a short-range wireless communication circuit. The short-range wireless communication circuit may include … Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)”. Note that a CIS is a logical transport used in BLE for unidirectional or bidirectional isochronous data transfer between connected devices as is performed in step 1915.
Regarding claim 11, the method further includes: disconnecting, by the second audio playing device 1907, the second short-range wireless connection with the first user device 1901, based on a second indication of the first user to terminate the sharing of the audio content. See fig. 17, step 1750 “disconnect”, for example, which is used by the user to disconnect as claimed.
Regarding claims 13 and 14, the advertising the audio sharing confirmation message (e.g., step 1965) comprises advertising the audio sharing confirmation message within a predetermined period of time, and a third short-range wireless connection with the second audio play device 1907 is established (e.g., step 1975) after an end of the predetermined period of time. See fig. 19B.
Regarding claim 15, the establishing of the second short-range wireless connection (e.g., step 1975) comprises establishing at least one Bluetooth CIS connection. See para. 0088, regarding “the wireless communication circuit 405 (e.g., the communication module 190 of FIG. 1) may include a short-range wireless communication circuit. The short-range wireless communication circuit may include … Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)”. Note that a CIS is a logical transport used in BLE for unidirectional or bidirectional isochronous data transfer between connected devices as is performed in step 1915.
Claims 2-4, 8, 12, and 17-20 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.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The references cited on the PTO-892 each disclose a method of audio sharing.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL W HUBER whose telephone number is (571)272-7588.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Duc Nguyen, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-7503. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL W HUBER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691
pwh
January 30, 2026