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
The amended claim (s) 22 no longer under broadest interpretation include transitory medium and thus is now eligible.
Furthermore, the independent claim (s) 1 which include allowable features have been reconsidered and said claims and its dependents are now allowed.
However, upon additional analysis the claim(s) 20 & 22 stand rejected over prior arts.
The representative need to be aware that original claim(s) 20 & subsequently claim 22, in substance differ completely to matter as mentioned in newly amended claim 1, the process claim 20 is only considered for first particular mode since, such the body of the claim only mentioned of the noted first modes and thus any other feature mentioned in preamble and not mentioned in the body is not given weight accordingly, the preamble is read in content of the entire claim language.
Pertinent Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Elliot et al. (10,631,090 B1) also disclose of sound device in various mode and scanning and detecting presence of a nearby device and operating the sound device based on whether detecting of nearby devices.
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.
Claim(s) 20, 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 a (1) as being anticipated b Lee (US 10,123,142).
Claim 20, lee disclose of a method for reproducing sound, wherein a first sound reproduction device is configured to operate according to a first mode of operation wherein the first sound reproduction device is configured to determine at least one first signal reproduction parameter to be used by at least one second device operating according to a second mode for processing the first audio signal when being reproduced by the at least one second device , and wherein, in said second mode of operation, the first sound reproduction device is configured to reproduce the first audio signal processed according to at least one first signal reproduction parameter (col.8 line 25-45/the external speaker may operate in desired mode/the feature which cited second mode is not given patentable weight since such feature only is mentioned in the preamble); the method comprising: the first sound reproducing device scanning for presence of a device already operating according to the first mode of operation, and the first sound reproducing device selecting mode of operation based on the scan for presence of a device already operating according to the first mode of operation (col.2 line 1-40 & col.8 line 25-45/the external speaker may automatically scan for additional output device and operate accordingly)..
Claim 22, which in substance disclose of the same feature as matter in claim 20 has been analyzed and rejected accordingly.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 1, 4-19, 23-24 are allowed.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 DISLER PAUL whose telephone number is (571)270-1187. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00-6:00 M-F.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, chin, Vivian can be reached at (571) 272-7848. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/DISLER PAUL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695