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 .
Election/Restrictions
2. Applicant's arguments regarding examiner’s requirement for restriction/election, in the reply filed on 6/8/2026, have been considered and are persuasive. Therefore, requirement for restriction/election has been withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Claims 1, 15, and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Marino et al. (US Pub. 20180234637) in view of Lee et al. (US Pub. 20080070516).
Regarding claim 1, Marino discloses an audio/video base station (see fig. 1; abstract), comprising:
a plurality of audio/video input ports (see fig. 1, item 104 and 110A – 110C; paragraph 61-63);
an audio/video output port (see fig. 1, item 104 and 110d; paragraph 61-63);
one or more processors (see paragraphs 59 and 68); and
a memory device having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors (see paragraphs 59 and 68), cause the audio/video base station to:
while continuing to transmit a video output signal to the audio/video output port (see fig. 1, item 104 and 102D; paragraph 64; note the video output signal is continuously transmitted to sink device 102D).
Marino fails to explicitly disclose a communication interface that is coupleable with an audio transceiver;
detect that the audio transceiver has been undocked from the audio/video base station; and
in response to detecting that the audio transceiver has been undocked from the audio/video base station, automatically switching an audio output signal from the audio/video output port to the communication interface.
However, Lee discloses a communication interface that is coupleable with an audio transceiver (see fig. 1; speaker/base system 2 includes a headset docking station 21 and a Bluetooth module 7 that links to wireless headset 16)
detect that the audio transceiver has been undocked from the audio base station (see fig. 2, item 28; paragraph 25; headset 16 includes a dock/undock switch 28 that reports docked/undocked state to headset controller 22); and
in response to detecting that the audio transceiver has been undocked from the audio base station, automatically switching an audio output signal from the audio output port to the communication interface (see figs. 3A and 3B, items 207-220).
Therefore, it 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, to have incorporated Lee’s communication interface that is coupleable with an audio transceiver; detect that the audio transceiver has been undocked from the audio/video base station; and in response to detecting that the audio transceiver has been undocked from the audio/video base station, automatically switching an audio output signal from the audio/video output port to the communication interface with the audio/video base station of Marino, in order to provide an option of privately listening over a wireless headset without disrupting the video.
Regarding claim 15, Marino discloses an audio/video system (see fig. 1; abstract), comprising:
a base station (see fig. 1, item 104), comprising:
a plurality of audio/video input ports (see fig. 1, item 104 and 110A – 110C; paragraph 61-63);
an audio/video output port (see fig. 1, item 104 and 110d; paragraph 61-63);
one or more processors (see paragraphs 59 and 68); and
a memory device having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors (see paragraphs 59 and 68), cause the base station to:
while continuing to transmit a video signal to the audio/video output port (see fig. 1, item 104 and 102D; paragraph 64; note the video output signal is continuously transmitted to sink device 102D).
Marino fails to explicitly disclose an audio transceiver, comprising:
input select interface; and
a volume mixing interface; and
a communication interface that is coupled with the audio transceiver;
detect that the audio transceiver has been undocked from the base station; and
in response to detecting that the audio transceiver has been undocked from the base station, automatically switching an audio signal from the audio/video output port to the communication interface.
However, Lee discloses an audio transceiver (see fig. 1; speaker/base system 2 includes a headset docking station 21 and a Bluetooth module 7 that links to wireless headset 16), comprising:
input select interface (see fig. 1, items 4 and 6; paragraph 25); and
a volume mixing interface (see fig. 2, items 22 and 30; paragraph 31); and
a communication interface that is coupled with the audio transceiver (see fig. 1; speaker/base system 2 includes a headset docking station 21 and a Bluetooth module 7 that links to wireless headset 16);
detect that the audio transceiver has been undocked from the base station (see fig. 1; paragraph 25; speaker/base system 2 includes a headset docking station 21 and a Bluetooth module 7 that links to wireless headset 16); and
in response to detecting that the audio transceiver has been undocked from the base station, automatically switching an audio signal from the audio/video output port to the communication interface (see figs. 3A and 3B, items 207-220).
Therefore, it 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, to have incorporated Lee’s an audio transceiver, comprising: input select interface; and a volume mixing interface; and a communication interface that is coupled with the audio transceiver; detect that the audio transceiver has been undocked from the base station; and in response to detecting that the audio transceiver has been undocked from the base station, automatically switching an audio signal from the audio/video output port to the communication interface with the audio/video system of Marino, in order to provide an option of privately listening over a wireless headset without disrupting the video.
Regarding claim 17, Marino in view of Lee disclose the audio/video system of claim 15, as discussed above.
Marino fails to disclose wherein: detecting that the audio transceiver has been undocked from the base station comprises the base station detecting that an electrical connector of the audio transceiver has been disengaged from an electrical connector of the base station.
However, Lee discloses wherein: detecting that the audio transceiver has been undocked from the base station comprises the base station detecting that an electrical connector of the audio transceiver has been disengaged from an electrical connector of the base station (see paragraph 25).
Therefore, it 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, to have incorporated Lee’s wherein: detecting that the audio transceiver has been undocked from the base station comprises the base station detecting that an electrical connector of the audio transceiver has been disengaged from an electrical connector of the base station with the audio/video system of Marino, in order to provide an option of privately listening over a wireless headset without disrupting the video.
Regarding claim 18, Marino in view of Lee disclose the audio/video system of claim 15, as discussed above.
Marino fails to disclose wherein: the communication interface comprises a radio connection established between the audio transceiver and the base station.
However, Lee discloses wherein: the communication interface comprises a radio connection established between the audio transceiver and the base station (see paragraph 25).
Therefore, it 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, to have incorporated Lee’s wherein: the communication interface comprises a radio connection established between the audio transceiver and the base station with the audio/video system of Marino, in order to provide an option of privately listening over a wireless headset without disrupting the video.
Regarding claim 19, Marino in view of Lee disclose the audio/video system of claim 15, as discussed above.
Marino fails to disclose wherein: the base station further comprises a Bluetooth antenna; the audio transceiver comprises one or more controls for the Bluetooth antenna; and the instructions further cause the base station to: receive an audio transmission from a connected device via the Bluetooth antenna; and transmit the audio transmission to the audio transceiver over the communication interface.
However, Lee discloses wherein: the base station further comprises a Bluetooth antenna (see paragraph 29; “Bluetooth module 24 also includes an antenna”); the audio transceiver comprises one or more controls for the Bluetooth antenna; and the instructions further cause the base station to: receive an audio transmission from a connected device via the Bluetooth antenna; and transmit the audio transmission to the audio transceiver over the communication interface (see paragraphs 25 and 29).
Therefore, it 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, to have incorporated Lee’s wherein: the base station further comprises a Bluetooth antenna; the audio transceiver comprises one or more controls for the Bluetooth antenna; and the instructions further cause the base station to: receive an audio transmission from a connected device via the Bluetooth antenna; and transmit the audio transmission to the audio transceiver over the communication interface with the audio/video system of Marino, in order to provide an option of privately listening over a wireless headset without disrupting the video.
Regarding claim 20, Marino in view of Lee disclose the audio/video system of claim 15, as discussed above.
Marino fails to disclose wherein: the audio transceiver comprises a headset.
However, Lee discloses wherein: the audio transceiver comprises a headset (see paragraph 25).
Therefore, it 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, to have incorporated Lee’s wherein: the audio transceiver comprises a headset with the audio/video system of Marino, in order to provide an option of privately listening over a wireless headset without disrupting the video.
Allowable Subject Matter
6. Claims 8-14 are allowed.
7. Claims 2-7 and 16 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.
Conclusion
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Wang et al. (US Pat. 11765441) teaches audio/video playback device and method of displaying audio/video signal information.
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL KIM whose telephone number is (571)270-7697. The examiner can normally be reached 9 AM - 5 PM, PST.
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, VIVIAN CHIN 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.
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/PAUL KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695
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