DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 1, 6-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beavis US PG-Pub 2023/0259323 in view of Anderson US PG-Pub 2024/0114286.
Regarding claim 1, Beavis teaches an image sensor that captures a subject image to generate image data (Fig. 9B & [0046]: a video camera will be recording or obtaining video whilst associated audio is being receive by microphones-101); an audio processor that generates audio data associated with the image data ([0046]&[0062]: synchronizing both the receive audio data and the video data); and a receiver that receives a first audio signal and a second audio signal from an external sound collection apparatus (Fig. 9B & [0028] & [0038]: wireless receiver-103 to receive the audio signals collected by the external microphones-101 using BLE interface & [0048] the receiver-301 is hot mounted to camera-801 giving wireless capability and to the camera-801), the audio processor performs processing to combine the first and second audio signals with each other, to generate the audio data of a sound collection result, the first and second audio signals being received from the receiver as input, the audio data of the sound collection result indicating the input sound in a predetermined data format (Fig. 9B & [0042] & [0075]: the receiver-103 which has a processor may combine/mix the audio samples received from one or more transmitters of the wireless microphones-101 to generate audio file & [0034]: audio data may be formatted).
Beavis failed to explicitly teach wherein the first audio signal indicates a result of first amplification conversion performed on input sound in the sound collection apparatus, the second audio signal indicates a result of second amplification conversion performed on the input sound in the sound collection apparatus, the second amplification conversion being different from the first amplification conversion.
However, Anderson teaches wherein the first audio signal indicates a result of first amplification conversion performed on input sound in the sound collection apparatus, the second audio signal indicates a result of second amplification conversion performed on the input sound in the sound collection apparatus, the second amplification conversion being different from the first amplification conversion (Fig. 5 & [0028] & [0032] & [0037]: having two different microphones and applying two different gain to create a capture audio device with a wider dynamic range).
Beavis and Anderson are analogous art because they are both in the same field of endeavor, namely microphone devices. Therefore, 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, because combining different microphone signals will create an audio signal with a wider dynamic range than one single microphone, providing a better SNR.
Regarding claim 8, Beavis teaches a sound collection apparatus that transmits an audio signal to an imaging apparatus, the sound collection apparatus comprising: a sound input interface that acquires input sound; and a transmitter that transmits a first audio signal and a second audio signal to the imaging apparatus (Fig. 9B & [0048] & [0055]: the microphone-101a transmit audio signal to the receiver-301 that is hot mounted to camera-801 giving wireless capability and to the camera-801 & Fig. 1: having multiple microphones-101a-101d that can send over microphone signal wirelessly to receiver-103).
Beavis failed to teach a first signal processor that performs first amplification conversion on the input sound to generate a first audio signal; a second signal processor that performs second amplification conversion on the input sound to generate a second audio signal, the second amplification conversion being different from the first amplification conversion.
However, Anderson teaches a first signal processor that performs first amplification conversion on the input sound to generate a first audio signal; a second signal processor that performs second amplification conversion on the input sound to generate a second audio signal, the second amplification conversion being different from the first amplification conversion (Fig. 5 & [0028] & [0032] & [0037]: having two different microphones and applying two different gain to create a capture audio device with a wider dynamic range).
Beavis and Anderson are analogous art because they are both in the same field of endeavor, namely microphone devices. Therefore, 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, because combining different microphone signals will create an audio signal with a wider dynamic range than one single microphone, providing a better SNR.
Regarding claim 9, see rejection of claim 8, where Beavis and Anderson teaches the sound collection apparatus according to claim 8; and see rejection of claim 1 where Beavis and Anderson teaches the imaging apparatus that receives the first and second audio signals as input from the sound collection apparatus, and performs processing to combine the received first and second audio signals with each other, to generate the audio data of a sound collection result indicating the input sound in a predetermined data format.
Regarding claim 6, Beavis teaches wherein the receiver receives a data signal from the sound collection apparatus, the data signal conforming to a predetermined communication standard, and the data signal includes a first portion and a second portion for each communication unit in the communication standard, the first portion storing the first audio signal and the second portion storing the second audio signal (Fig. 9B & [0028] & [0038]: wireless receiver-103 to receive the audio signals collected by the external microphones-101 using BLE interface, so the data will be in a standard portion).
Regarding claim 7, Beavis teaches a controller that generates a moving image file by associating the audio data of the sound collection result with the image data (Fig. 9B & [0046]: a video camera will be recording or obtaining video whilst associated audio is being receive by microphones-101).
Claim 2-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beavis US PG-Pub 2023/0259323 in combination with Anderson US PG-Pub 2024/0114286 in view of Haila US PG-Pub 2009/0316916.
Regarding claim 2, the combination teaches wherein the first amplification conversion generates the first audio signal by amplifying the input sound in a first amplifier and performing analogue-to-digital conversion thereon, the first amplifier having a first gain that is set therein, the second amplification conversion generates the second audio signal by amplifying the input sound in a second amplifier and performing analogue-to-digital conversion thereon, the second amplifier having a second gain that is set to be smaller than the first gain (Anderson, Fig. 5 & [0028]: the amplifiers-502a having higher gain then amplifier 502b since the microphone have different characteristics and the ADC-504a/504b).
The combination failed to explicitly teach in the audio data of the sound collection result, a sound volume of a portion corresponding to the first audio signal is equal to or more than a sound volume of a portion corresponding to the second audio signal.
However, Haila teaches audio data of the sound collection result, a sound volume of a portion corresponding to the first audio signal is equal to or more than a sound volume of a portion corresponding to the second audio signal (Fig. 5: two microphones have their volume range which are the same in range but different in intensity).
The combination and Haila are analogous art because they are both in the same field of endeavor, namely microphone devices. Therefore, 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, because is an inventor choice to select the volume for each microphone audio signal, so there are no distortion.
Regarding claim 3, Beavis teaches wherein the audio processor acquires gain information set to the microphones in the sound collection apparatus, and generates the audio data of the sound collection result from the first and second audio signals, based on the gain information ([0028] & [0038]: microphone-101 send digital audio signal via I2S to processor for adjusting gain; and receiver-103 has display to show wireless mic gain being applied).
Beavis failed to explicitly teach first and second amplifiers.
However, Anderson teaches first and second amplifiers (Fig. 5-502a,502b,503a,503b).
Beavis and Anderson are analogous art because they are both in the same field of endeavor, namely microphone devices. Therefore, 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, because sharing information and performing amplification at an internal processor and external processor helps to better control of the amplification of signals, so there is little distortion.
Regarding claim 4, Beavis teaches wherein the audio processor acquires the gain information, via information communication with the sound collection apparatus by the receiver ([0028]: receiver-103 has display to show wireless mic gain being applied).
Claim 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beavis US PG-Pub 2023/0259323 in combination with Anderson US PG-Pub 2024/0114286 in view of Kenyon US PG-Pub 2002/0090141.
Regarding claim 5, the combination failed to explicitly teach wherein the predetermined data format is a float format having a significand part and an exponent part, and the audio processor generates the audio data of the sound collection result to increase the exponent part more as a sound volume of the input sound is larger.
However, Kenyon teaches wherein the predetermined data format is a float format having a significand part and an exponent part, and a processor generates the audio data of a result to increase the exponent part more as the input signal is larger ([0002] & [0031]: on a audio/visual recording, if using float format, when the size of the exponent increase the range of the input numbers/signal also increases).
The combination and Kenyon are analogous art because they are both in the same field of endeavor, namely audio devices. Therefore, 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, because using different data format that are well-known is an inventor choice and no unexpected result will arise.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM A JEREZ LORA whose telephone number is (571)270-5519. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7am-9am and 11am-6pm.
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/WILLIAM A JEREZ LORA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695