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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al., US2018/0007499 A1, and further in view of Qian et al., US2024/0147128 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Lee teaches A method of controlling a Bluetooth connection on a Bluetooth host device (Abstract; a method and apparatus for controlling a connection between a first device and a second device by using a Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) or a Bluetooth BR/EDR.), the method comprising: detecting a Bluetooth connection event (par. 0003; the user may discover a Bluetooth device according to a Bluetooth communication method intended to be used using the Bluetooth device, and subsequently perform a connection.); identifying a connection mode supported by a connection target device, between a first connection mode and a second connection mode (par. 0004; The Bluetooth communication method may be classified (i.e., identified) as a BR/EDR method (i.e., first connection mode) and an LE method (i.e., second connection mode). The BR/EDR method may be termed Bluetooth Classic. The Bluetooth Classic method includes a Bluetooth technology led from Bluetooth 1.0 and a Bluetooth technology using an enhanced data rate (EDR) supported by Bluetooth 2.0 or a subsequent version: 6p A Bluetooth low energy (LE) technology applied, starting from Bluetooth 4.0, may stably provide information of hundreds of kilobytes (KB) at low power consumption.); when the connection target device supports both the first connection mode and the second connection mode, registering first connection information corresponding to the first connection mode and second connection information corresponding to the second connection mode (par. 0631; the control device 500 may change the mode of the first device 300 to the discovery mode in which the discovery is available (an inquiry scan mode for the Bluetooth BR/EDR and an advertising mode for the Bluetooth LE), and may establish a Bluetooth BR/EDR connection or a Bluetooth LE connection with the first device 300 (step, S36010).); when the connection target device supports the second connection mode and does not support the first connection mode, registering the second connection information corresponding to the second connection mode (par. 0630; the control device 500 controls a dual mode device that supports the Bluetooth BR/EDR and the Bluetooth LE or the first device 300 that supports the Bluetooth LE only such that the first device 300 establishes a Bluetooth LE connection with the second device 400 that supports the Bluetooth LE only.).
Lee fails to teach the following recited limitation. However, Qian teaches identifying a current mode indicating a current Bluetooth connection mode, selecting one connection mode from the first connection mode or the second connection mode considering the current mode and the connection mode supported by the connection target device, and establishing a connection with the connection target device using the selected connection mode (par. 0109; in response to detecting a selection instruction triggered based on the microphone mode component, sending a microphone mode setting instruction to the Bluetooth headset for setting a working mode to the microphone mode, in the microphone mode, picking up a sound signal through a main microphone in the Bluetooth headset, and playing the sound signal picked up by the main microphone through a target speaker, the Bluetooth headset and the target speaker are communicated through a second Bluetooth connection mode.). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine Lee’s teachings with Qian’s teachings in order to provide a mode control method for Bluetooth headset (Qian, par. 0005).
Regarding claim 2, Lee and Qian teach all the limitations in claim 1. Lee further teaches wherein the establishing of the connection with the connection target device using the selected connection mode comprises: when the connection target device supports both the first connection mode and the second connection mode and the current mode is the first connection mode, establishing the connection with the connection target device using the first connection mode (par. 0419; the devices through the advertising message transmitted from the first device 300 and the second device 400 transmits an Inquiry Message to the first device 300 and the second device 400 in order to obtain the information in relation to the Bluetooth BR/EDR state of the first device 300 and the second device 400 (step, S18030).); and when the connection target device supports both the first connection mode and the second connection mode and the current mode is the second connection mode, establishing the connection with the connection target device using the second connection mode (par. 0423; In order to establish the Bluetooth LE connection with the searched first device 300 or second device 400, the control device transmits a connection request message to the first device 300 and the second device 400 (step, S18050).).
Regarding claim 3, Lee and Qian teach all the limitations in claim 1. Lee further teaches wherein the establishing of the connection with the connection target device using the selected connection mode comprises: when the connection target device supports the second connection mode and does not support the first connection mode and the current mode is the second connection mode, establishing the connection with the connection target device using the second connection mode (par. 0430); and when the connection target device supports the second connection mode and does not support the first connection mode and the current mode is the first connection mode, changing a connection mode of a previously connected device to the second connection mode and establishing the connection with the connection target device using the second connection mode (par. 0436).
Regarding claim 4, Lee and Qian teach all the limitations in claim 1. Lee further teaches wherein the first connection mode indicates a mode for establishing a Bluetooth connection using a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technique (par. 0191).
Regarding claim 5, Lee and Qian teach all the limitations in claim 1. Lee further teaches wherein the second connection mode indicates a mode for establishing a Bluetooth connection using a classic Bluetooth technique (par. 0631).
Regarding claim 6, Lee and Qian teach all the limitations in claim 1. Lee further teaches further comprising: when the current mode is the second connection mode, detecting a reconnection request from a registered device by performing Bluetooth scanning corresponding to the second connection mode at preset intervals (par. 0225); and when the reconnection request from the registered device is detected, establishing a Bluetooth connection with the registered device requesting a reconnection using the second connection mode (par. 0347).
Regarding claim 7, Lee and Qian teach all the limitations in claim 1. Lee further teaches further comprising: when the current mode is the first connection mode, detecting a reconnection request from a registered device by performing Bluetooth scanning corresponding to the first connection mode and Bluetooth scanning corresponding to the second connection mode at preset intervals (par. 0095); when the reconnection request from the registered device is detected during the Bluetooth scanning corresponding to the first connection mode, establishing a Bluetooth connection with the registered device requesting a reconnection using the first connection mode (par. 0345); and when the reconnection request from the registered device is detected during the Bluetooth scanning corresponding to the second connection mode, changing a connection mode of a previously connected device to the second connection mode and establishing a Bluetooth connection with the registered device requesting a reconnection using the second connection mode (par. 0096).
Regarding claim 8, Lee and Qian teach all the limitations in claim 1. Lee further teaches further comprising: before the current mode is set, detecting a reconnection request from a registered device by performing Bluetooth scanning corresponding to the first connection mode and Bluetooth scanning corresponding to the second connection mode at preset intervals (par. 0095); when the reconnection request from the registered device is detected during the Bluetooth scanning corresponding to the first connection mode, establishing a Bluetooth connection with the registered device requesting a reconnection using the first connection mode (par. 0347); and when the reconnection request from the registered device is detected during the Bluetooth scanning corresponding to the second connection mode, establishing a Bluetooth connection with the registered device requesting a reconnection using the second connection mode (par. 0347).
Regarding claim 9, Lee and Qian teach all the limitations in claim 1. Lee further teaches further comprising: when the current mode is the first connection mode and disconnection of one of connected registered devices is detected, verifying whether there are remaining connected registered devices (par. 0293; When the first device 200 that verifies existence and information of other devices through such a search intends to be connected with the second device 300, the first device 200 performs a paging procedure.); and when there are the remaining connected registered devices, maintaining the current mode as the first connection mode (par. 0315).
Regarding claims 10 and 12, Lee and Qian teach all the limitations in claims 1 and 11. Lee further teaches further comprising: when the current mode is the second connection mode and disconnection of one of connected registered devices is detected, verifying whether there are remaining connected registered devices (par. 0293); when there are the remaining connected registered devices, verifying whether there is a device supporting the second connection mode and does not support the first connection mode among the remaining connected registered devices (par. 0592); when it is verified that there is the device supporting the second connection mode and does not support the first connection mode among the remaining connected registered devices, maintaining the current mode as the second connection mode (par. 0593); and when it is verified that there is no device supporting the second connection mode among the remaining connected registered devices, changing the current mode to the first connection mode and reestablishing a connection with the remaining connected registered devices using the first connection mode (par. 0630).
Regarding claim 11, Lee teaches A method of controlling a Bluetooth connection on a Bluetooth host device (Abstract; a method and apparatus for controlling a connection between a first device and a second device by using a Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) or a Bluetooth BR/EDR.), the method comprising: when a current mode indicating a current Bluetooth connection mode is a first connection mode, detecting a reconnection request from a registered device by performing Bluetooth scanning corresponding to the first connection mode and Bluetooth scanning corresponding to a second connection mode at preset intervals (par. 0321; The control message may be an Advertising message or a Scan Request message in the case that the control device 500 and the first device 300 are not connected through Bluetooth, and may be a write request message for requesting a writing in a characteristic of GATT Data base in the case that the control device 500 and the first device 300 are connected through Bluetooth.); when the reconnection request from the registered device is detected during the Bluetooth scanning corresponding to the first connection mode, establishing a Bluetooth connection with the registered device requesting a reconnection using the first connection mode (par. 0631; the control device 500 may change the mode of the first device 300 to the discovery mode in which the discovery is available (an inquiry scan mode for the Bluetooth BR/EDR and an advertising mode for the Bluetooth LE), and may establish a Bluetooth BR/EDR connection or a Bluetooth LE connection with the first device 300 (step, S36010).).
Lee fails to teach the following recited limitation. However, Qian teaches when the reconnection request from the registered device is detected during the Bluetooth scanning corresponding to the second connection mode, changing a connection mode of a previously connected device to the second connection mode and establishing a Bluetooth connection with the registered device requesting a reconnection using the second connection mode (par. 0109; in response to detecting a selection instruction triggered based on the microphone mode component, sending a microphone mode setting instruction to the Bluetooth headset for setting a working mode to the microphone mode, in the microphone mode, picking up a sound signal through a main microphone in the Bluetooth headset, and playing the sound signal picked up by the main microphone through a target speaker, the Bluetooth headset and the target speaker are communicated through a second Bluetooth connection mode.). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine Lee’s teachings with Qian’s teachings in order to provide a mode control method for Bluetooth headset (Qian, par. 0005).
Regarding claim 13, Lee teaches A Bluetooth connection control device (Fig. 36; control device 500) comprising: a Bluetooth communication unit comprising a first connection mode processing unit configured to process a connection scheme of a first connection mode during Bluetooth communication and a second connection mode processing unit configured to process a connection scheme of a second connection mode during the Bluetooth communication (Fig. 36, par. 0630; the control device 500 controls a dual mode device that supports the Bluetooth BR/EDR and the Bluetooth LE or the first device 300 that supports the Bluetooth LE only such that the first device 300 establishes a Bluetooth LE connection with the second device 400 that supports the Bluetooth LE only.); and a processor configured to, when detecting a Bluetooth connection event, identify a current mode indicating a current Bluetooth connection mode and control establishment of a connection by determining whether to establish a connection with a connection target device using the first connection mode or the second connection mode considering the current mode and a connection mode supported by the connection target device (par. 0631; the control device 500 may change the mode of the first device 300 to the discovery mode in which the discovery is available (an inquiry scan mode for the Bluetooth BR/EDR and an advertising mode for the Bluetooth LE), and may establish a Bluetooth BR/EDR connection or a Bluetooth LE connection with the first device 300 (step, S36010).).
Lee fails to teach the following recited limitation. However, Qian teaches wherein the processor is configured to identify the connection mode supported by the connection target device between the first connection mode and the second connection mode and when the connection target device supports both the first connection mode and the second connection mode, register first connection information corresponding to the first connection mode and second connection information corresponding to the second connection mode (par. 0109; in response to detecting a selection instruction triggered based on the microphone mode component, sending a microphone mode setting instruction to the Bluetooth headset for setting a working mode to the microphone mode, in the microphone mode, picking up a sound signal through a main microphone in the Bluetooth headset, and playing the sound signal picked up by the main microphone through a target speaker, the Bluetooth headset and the target speaker are communicated through a second Bluetooth connection mode.). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine Lee’s teachings with Qian’s teachings in order to provide a mode control method for Bluetooth headset (Qian, par. 0005).
Regarding claim 14, Lee and Qian teach all the limitations in claim 13. Lee further teaches wherein the processor is configured to, when the connection target device supports the second connection mode, register the second connection information corresponding to the second connection mode (par. 0352).
Regarding claim 15, Lee and Qian teach all the limitations in claim 13. Lee further teaches wherein the processor is configured to: when the connection target device supports both the first connection mode and the second connection mode and the current mode is the first connection mode, establish a connection with the connection target device using the first connection mode (par. 0597; The request message may be transmitted after the control device 500 is connected with the gateway 600, but even in the case that the control device 500 is not connected with the gateway 600, the request message may be transmitted in a form of an advertising message of the Bluetooth LE.); and when the connection target device supports both the first connection mode and the second connection mode and the current mode is the second connection mode, establish a connection with the connection target device using the second connection mode (par. 0436; the control device 500 may control the first device 300 and the second device 400 to be discoverable by changing the Bluetooth BR/EDR mode of the first device 300 and the second device 400.).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AYODEJI O AYOTUNDE whose telephone number is (571)270-7983. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 7:00am-3:30pm.
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, Yuwen Pan can be reached at 571-272-7855. 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.
/AYODEJI O AYOTUNDE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2649
Prosecution Insights