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 May 15, 2025 has been considered by the examiner and made of record in the application file has been considered by the examiner.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
(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, 7, 12, 15, 16, 18-22, 24, 29, and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Xu (US PGPUB 2024/0056207 A1).
Consider claim 1. Xu discloses a broadcaster device, comprising:
a processing system that includes processor circuitry and memory circuitry that stores code (paragraphs 106, 152, read as a processor, a memory, a program stored on the memory and runnable on the processor, where the program is executed by the processor to realize the various processes of the above embodiments of the audio broadcasting method and can achieve the same technical effect), the processing system configured to cause the broadcaster device to:
transmit, via a plurality of broadcast isochronous streams of a broadcast isochronous group and during one or more first sub-events of a first broadcast isochronous group event, one or more first packets that indicate that a control sub-event of the first broadcast isochronous group event is associated with vendor-specific communication ("IBIS PDU" [0098] are defined as audio data packets communicated between the master and the slave devices and have the same structure as standard BIS PDU but different packet header formats, i.e. vendor specific. These specificities are further defined in [0099] disclosing using the CSSN, CSTF, IBISR and IBISD fields"); and
communicate control information with one or more peripheral devices during the control sub-event in accordance with the one or more first packets indicating that the control sub-event is associated with the vendor-specific communication ("IBISC PDU" [0098] are also revised headers of the standard packets which specificities are described in [0099] and is sent according to the format of the IBIS PDU, see [0127]-[0128]).
Consider claim 2 and as applied to claim 1. Xu discloses wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the broadcaster device to: transmit, via the plurality of broadcast isochronous streams of the broadcast isochronous group and during one or more second sub-events of a second broadcast isochronous group event, one or more second packets in accordance with the control information (paragraphs 127-128).
Consider claim 3 and as applied to claim 1. Xu discloses wherein the one or more first packets further include a sequence number field, and wherein the sequence number field indicates a direction of transmission of the control information between the broadcaster device and the one or more peripheral devices in accordance with the one or more first packets indicating that the control sub-event is associated with the vendor-specific communication (paragraphs 127-128).
Consider claim 4 and as applied to claim 3. Xu discloses wherein a first bit pattern of the sequence number field indicates that the direction of transmission is broadcaster-to-peripheral and a second bit pattern of the sequence number field indicates that the direction of transmission is peripheral-to-broadcaster (paragraphs 127-128).
Consider claim 5 and as applied to claim 4. Xu discloses wherein, to communicate the control information with the one or more peripheral devices, the processing system is configured to cause the broadcaster device to: transmit the control information to the one or more peripheral devices in accordance with the sequence number field including the first bit pattern; or receive the control information from a peripheral device, of the one or more peripheral devices, in accordance with the sequence number field including the second bit pattern (paragraphs 127-128).
Consider claim 7 and as applied to claim 3. Xu discloses wherein, to communicate the control information with the one or more peripheral devices, the processing system is configured to cause the broadcaster device to: receive, during the control sub-event, a packet that includes the control information from a first peripheral device, of the one or more peripheral devices, in accordance with the direction of transmission and in accordance with a broadcast isochronous group event number corresponding to the first broadcast isochronous group event (paragraphs 127-128).
Consider claim 12 and as applied to claim 7. Xu discloses wherein the packet includes a second sequence number field indicative of a sequence number associated with the control information (paragraph 96).
Consider claim 15 and as applied to claim 1. Xu discloses wherein, to communicate the control information with the one or more peripheral devices, the processing system is configured to cause the broadcaster device to: communicate a packet that includes the control information, wherein the packet further includes an indication that the control information is associated with controller-based information or host-based information (paragraph 96).
Consider claim 16 and as applied to claim 15. Xu discloses wherein an opcode of the packet includes the indication that the control information is associated with the controller-based information or the host-based information (paragraphs 69, 87).
Consider claim 18. Xu discloses a peripheral device, comprising:
a processing system that includes processor circuitry and memory circuitry that stores code (paragraphs 106, 152, read as a processor, a memory, a program stored on the memory and runnable on the processor, where the program is executed by the processor to realize the various processes of the above embodiments of the audio broadcasting method and can achieve the same technical effect), the processing system configured to cause the peripheral device to:
receive, via a broadcast isochronous stream of a broadcast isochronous group and during one or more first sub-events of a first broadcast isochronous group event, one or more first packets that indicate that a control sub-event of the first broadcast isochronous group event is associated with vendor-specific communication ("IBIS PDU" [0098] are defined as audio data packets communicated between the master and the slave devices and have the same structure as standard BIS PDU but different packet header formats, i.e. vendor specific. These specificities are further defined in [0099] disclosing using the CSSN, CSTF, IBISR and IBISD fields"); and
communicate control information with a broadcaster device during the control sub-event in accordance with the one or more first packets indicating that the control sub-event is associated with the vendor-specific communication ("IBISC PDU" [0098] are also revised headers of the standard packets which specificities are described in [0099] and is sent according to the format of the IBIS PDU, see [0127]-[0128]).
The examiner notes that this is the “slave device” that communicates with the master device by replicating the transmitted data and control information (paragraph 5, 98, 127, 128)
Consider claim 19 and as applied to claim 18. Xu discloses wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the peripheral device to: receive, via the broadcast isochronous stream of the broadcast isochronous group and during one or more second sub-events of a second broadcast isochronous group event, one or more second packets in accordance with the control information (paragraphs 127-128).
Consider claim 20 and as applied to claim 18. Xu discloses wherein the one or more first packets further include a sequence number field, and wherein the sequence number field indicates a direction of transmission of the control information between the broadcaster device and the peripheral device in accordance with the one or more first packets indicating that the control sub-event is associated with the vendor-specific communication (paragraphs 127-128).
Consider claim 21 and as applied to claim 20. Xu discloses wherein a first bit pattern of the sequence number field indicates that the direction of transmission is broadcaster-to-peripheral and a second bit pattern of the sequence number field indicates that the direction of transmission is peripheral-to-broadcaster (paragraphs 127-128).
Consider claim 22 and as applied to claim 21. Xu discloses wherein, to communicate the control information with the broadcaster device, the processing system is configured to cause the peripheral device to: receive the control information from the broadcaster device in accordance with the sequence number field including the first bit pattern; or transmit the control information to the broadcaster device in accordance with the sequence number field including the second bit pattern (paragraphs 127-128).
Consider claim 24 and as applied to claim 20. Xu discloses wherein, to communicate the control information with the broadcaster device, the processing system is configured to cause the peripheral device to: transmit, during the control sub-event of the first broadcast isochronous group event, a packet that includes the control information in accordance with the direction of transmission and in accordance with a broadcast isochronous group event number corresponding to the first broadcast isochronous group event (paragraphs 127-128).
Consider claim 29. Xu discloses a method for wireless communication by a broadcaster device, comprising:
transmitting, via a plurality of broadcast isochronous streams of a broadcast isochronous group and during one or more first sub-events of a first broadcast isochronous group event, one or more first packets that indicate that a control sub-event of the first broadcast isochronous group event is associated with vendor-specific communication ("IBIS PDU" [0098] are defined as audio data packets communicated between the master and the slave devices and have the same structure as standard BIS PDU but different packet header formats, i.e. vendor specific. These specificities are further defined in [0099] disclosing using the CSSN, CSTF, IBISR and IBISD fields"); and
communicating control information with one or more peripheral devices during the control sub-event in accordance with the one or more first packets indicating that the control sub-event is associated with the vendor-specific communication ("IBISC PDU" [0098] are also revised headers of the standard packets which specificities are described in [0099] and is sent according to the format of the IBIS PDU, see [0127]-[0128]).
Consider claim 30. Xu discloses a method for wireless communication by a peripheral device (paragraph 5, 98, 127, 128, read as the “slave device” that communicates with the master device by replicating the transmitted data and control information), comprising:
receiving, via a broadcast isochronous stream of a broadcast isochronous group and during one or more first sub-events of a first broadcast isochronous group event, one or more first packets that indicate that a control sub-event of the first broadcast isochronous group event is associated with vendor-specific communication ("IBIS PDU" [0098] are defined as audio data packets communicated between the master and the slave devices and have the same structure as standard BIS PDU but different packet header formats, i.e. vendor specific. These specificities are further defined in [0099] disclosing using the CSSN, CSTF, IBISR and IBISD fields"); and
communicating control information with a broadcaster device during the control sub-event in accordance with the one or more first packets indicating that the control sub-event is associated with the vendor-specific communication ("IBISC PDU" [0098] are also revised headers of the standard packets which specificities are described in [0099] and is sent according to the format of the IBIS PDU, see [0127]-[0128]).
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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, 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 factual inquiries 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.
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.
Claims 6 and 23 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu (US PGPUB 2024/0056207 A1) in view of Verbauwhede et al. (US PGPUB 2007/0038867 A1, hereinafter Verbauwhede).
Consider claim 6 and as applied to claim 4. Xu discloses the claimed invention but fails to teach wherein the sequence number field includes three bits, wherein a first bit of the three bits indicates that the direction of transmission is broadcaster-to-peripheral or that the direction of transmission is peripheral-to-broadcaster, and wherein a remainder of the three bits excluding the first bit indicates a sequence number that is valid in accordance with the first bit indicating that the direction of transmission is broadcaster-to-peripheral.
However, Verbauwhede teaches wherein the sequence number field includes three bits, wherein a first bit of the three bits indicates that the direction of transmission is broadcaster-to-peripheral or that the direction of transmission is peripheral-to-broadcaster, and wherein a remainder of the three bits excluding the first bit indicates a sequence number that is valid in accordance with the first bit indicating that the direction of transmission is broadcaster-to-peripheral (paragraph 100).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of Verbauwhede into the invention of Xu in order to provide more efficient and reliable communications.
Consider claim 23 and as applied to claim 21. Xu discloses the claimed invention but fails to teach wherein the sequence number field includes three bits, wherein a first bit of the three bits indicates that the direction of transmission is broadcaster-to-peripheral or that the direction of transmission is peripheral-to-broadcaster, and wherein a remainder of the three bits excluding the first bit indicates a sequence number that is valid in accordance with the first bit indicating that the direction of transmission is broadcaster-to-peripheral.
However, Verbauwhede teaches wherein the sequence number field includes three bits, wherein a first bit of the three bits indicates that the direction of transmission is broadcaster-to-peripheral or that the direction of transmission is peripheral-to-broadcaster, and wherein a remainder of the three bits excluding the first bit indicates a sequence number that is valid in accordance with the first bit indicating that the direction of transmission is broadcaster-to-peripheral (paragraph 100).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of Verbauwhede into the invention of Xu in order to provide more efficient and reliable communications.
Claims 8-10 and 25-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu (US PGPUB 2024/0056207 A1) in view of Bluetooth (Bluetooth Core Specification).
Consider claim 8 and as applied to claim 7. Xu discloses the claimed invention but fails to teach wherein the first peripheral device is associated with a first broadcast isochronous stream, of the plurality of broadcast isochronous streams, that corresponds to a first broadcast isochronous stream index, wherein the first broadcast isochronous stream index is associated with the first broadcast isochronous group event, and wherein receiving the packet from the first peripheral device during the control sub-event of the first broadcast isochronous group event is in accordance with the first broadcast isochronous stream index being associated with the first broadcast isochronous group event.
However, Bluetooth teaches wherein the first peripheral device is associated with a first broadcast isochronous stream, of the plurality of broadcast isochronous streams, that corresponds to a first broadcast isochronous stream index, wherein the first broadcast isochronous stream index is associated with the first broadcast isochronous group event, and wherein receiving the packet from the first peripheral device during the control sub-event of the first broadcast isochronous group event is in accordance with the first broadcast isochronous stream index being associated with the first broadcast isochronous group event (Section 4.4.6.8 Channel indices).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of Bluetooth into the invention of Xu in order to create and synchronize interoperable Bluetooth devices.
Consider claim 9 and as applied to claim 8. The combination of Xu and Bluetooth discloses wherein the first broadcast isochronous stream index is associated with the first broadcast isochronous group event in accordance with a modulo operation between the broadcast isochronous group event number and a quantity of the plurality of broadcast isochronous streams being equal to the first broadcast isochronous stream index minus one (Bluetooth; Section 4.4.6.8 Channel indices).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of Bluetooth into the invention of Xu in order to create and synchronize interoperable Bluetooth devices.
Consider claim 10 and as applied to claim 8. The combination of Xu and Bluetooth discloses wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the broadcaster device to: transmit, via configuration information associated with the broadcast isochronous group, an indication of a mapping between broadcast isochronous stream indices and broadcast isochronous group events, wherein the first broadcast isochronous stream index is associated with the first broadcast isochronous group event in accordance with the mapping (Bluetooth; Section 4.4.6.8 Channel indices).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of Bluetooth into the invention of Xu in order to create and synchronize interoperable Bluetooth devices.
Consider claim 25 and as applied to claim 24. Xu discloses the claimed invention but fail to teach wherein the broadcast isochronous stream corresponds to a broadcast isochronous stream index, wherein the broadcast isochronous stream index is associated with the first broadcast isochronous group event, and wherein transmitting the packet during the control sub-event of the first broadcast isochronous group event is in accordance with the broadcast isochronous stream index being associated with the first broadcast isochronous group event.
However, Bluetooth teaches wherein the broadcast isochronous stream corresponds to a broadcast isochronous stream index, wherein the broadcast isochronous stream index is associated with the first broadcast isochronous group event, and wherein transmitting the packet during the control sub-event of the first broadcast isochronous group event is in accordance with the broadcast isochronous stream index being associated with the first broadcast isochronous group event (Section 4.4.6.8 Channel indices).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of Bluetooth into the invention of Xu in order to create and synchronize interoperable Bluetooth devices.
Consider claim 26 and as applied to claim 25. The combination of Xu and Bluetooth wherein the broadcast isochronous stream index is associated with the first broadcast isochronous group event in accordance with a modulo operation between the broadcast isochronous group event number and a quantity of a plurality of broadcast isochronous streams of the broadcast isochronous group being equal to the broadcast isochronous stream index minus one (Bluetooth; Section 4.4.6.8 Channel indices).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of Bluetooth into the invention of Xu in order to create and synchronize interoperable Bluetooth devices.
Consider claim 27 and as applied to claim 25. The combination of Xu and Bluetooth discloses wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the peripheral device to: receive, via configuration information associated with the broadcast isochronous group, an indication of a mapping between broadcast isochronous stream indices and broadcast isochronous group events, wherein the broadcast isochronous stream index is associated with the first broadcast isochronous group event in accordance with the mapping (Bluetooth; Section 4.4.6.8 Channel indices).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of Bluetooth into the invention of Xu in order to create and synchronize interoperable Bluetooth devices.
Claims 11 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu (US PGPUB 2024/0056207 A1) in view of Haggai et al. (US 2022/0116711 A1, hereinafter Haggai).
Consider claim 11 and as applied to claim 7. Xu discloses the claimed invention but fails to teach wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the broadcaster device to: receive, during a second control sub-event of a second broadcast isochronous group event, a second packet that includes a retransmission of the control information from the first peripheral device, wherein the second broadcast isochronous group event is associated with a random back-off from the first broadcast isochronous group event.
However, Haggai teaches wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the broadcaster device to: receive, during a second control sub-event of a second broadcast isochronous group event, a second packet that includes a retransmission of the control information from the first peripheral device, wherein the second broadcast isochronous group event is associated with a random back-off from the first broadcast isochronous group event (paragraph 99).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of Haggai into the invention of Xu in order to improve audio quality and user experience.
Consider claim 28 and as applied to claim 24. Xu discloses the claimed invention but fails to teach wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the peripheral device to: transmit, during a second control sub-event of a second broadcast isochronous group event, a second packet that includes a retransmission of the control information, wherein the second broadcast isochronous group event is associated with a random back-off from the first broadcast isochronous group event.
However, Haggai teaches wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the peripheral device to: transmit, during a second control sub-event of a second broadcast isochronous group event, a second packet that includes a retransmission of the control information, wherein the second broadcast isochronous group event is associated with a random back-off from the first broadcast isochronous group event (paragraph 99).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of Haggai into the invention of Xu in order to improve audio quality and user experience.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu (US PGPUB 2024/0056207 A1) in view of Chen et al. (US 2022/0322209 A1, hereinafter Chen).
Consider claim 17 and as applied to claim 1. Xu discloses the claimed invention but fails to teach wherein the control information includes a channel assessment by a peripheral device of the one or more peripheral devices, feedback information from the peripheral device of the one or more peripheral devices, an indication of a volume level setting, an indication of a mute setting, or any combination thereof.
However, Chen teaches wherein the control information includes a channel assessment by a peripheral device of the one or more peripheral devices, feedback information from the peripheral device of the one or more peripheral devices, an indication of a volume level setting, an indication of a mute setting, or any combination thereof (paragraph 53).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of Chen into the invention of Xu in order to help the user from missing external alert signals or specific sounds.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13 and 14 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. More specifically, Xu, the other cited references, and a thorough search in the art fails to disclose or suggest transmitting, via configuration information associated with the broadcast isochronous group, an indication of a broadcast isochronous group event number multiple associated with the vendor-specific communication, wherein a modulo operation between the broadcast isochronous group event number and the broadcast isochronous group event number multiple is equal to zero.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER M BRANDT whose telephone number is (571)270-1098. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8:00-5:00.
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/CHRISTOPHER M BRANDT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645 March 5, 2026