The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Applicant’s election of Group I, claims 1-5 and 11-15, in the reply filed on December 16, 2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Please note that in claim 3, “a reception device” should be “the reception device” because one is referring to the reception device on line 15 of claim 1 therein. The claim language would be clearer if claim 3 were amended in view of the above. See claim 13 for similar claim language.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-5 and 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 is indefinite on lines 14-15 because there is no clear antecedent basis for “the mixed woofer channel”. There are two mixed woofer channels – the mixed sub-left woofer channel and the mixed sub-right woofer channel. Which of these two woofer channels is one referring to here?
Claim 1 is indefinite on line 15 because there is no positive antecedent basis for “the reception device”.
Claim 2 is indefinite on lines 3-4 and on lines 5-6 because it is not understood what one means by “wherein the high-pass audio signals of the woofer channel and the sub-left channel are mixed” or by “wherein the high-pass audio signals of the woofer channel and the sub-right channel are mixed” because there is no prior recitation of high-pass audio signals of a woofer channel. Note that in claim 1, and as taught in reference to fig. 4, the high-pass audio signal of the sub-left channel is mixed with the woofer channel, and the high-pass audio signal of the sub-right channel is mixed with the woofer channel, not high-pass audio signals of the woofer channel mixed with the sub-left channel or the sub-right channel as claimed herein.
Claim 3 is indefinite on lines 4-5 because there is no clear antecedent basis for “the mixed first woofer channel”, “the mixed second woofer channel”, “the mixed left channel” and “the mixed right channel” because there is no clear prior recitation of such channels.
Claim 3 is further indefinite because the claim recites “transmit the audio signals of four channels … to a reception device”, but there is only recitation of transmitting audio signals of three channels to the reception device on lines 14-15 of claim 1.
Claim 11 is indefinite on lines 11-12 because there is no clear antecedent basis for “the mixed woofer channel”. There are two mixed woofer channels – the mixed sub-left woofer channel and the mixed sub-right woofer channel. Which of these two woofer channels is one referring to here?
Claim 11 is indefinite on line 12 because there is no positive antecedent basis for “the reception device”.
Claim 12 is indefinite on lines 3-4 and on lines 5-6 because it is not understood what one means by “wherein the high-pass audio signals of the woofer channel and the sub-left channel are mixed” or by “wherein the high-pass audio signals of the woofer channel and the sub-right channel are mixed” because there is no prior recitation of high-pass audio signals of a woofer channel. Note that in claim 11, and as taught in reference to fig. 4, the high-pass audio signal of the sub-left channel is mixed with the woofer channel, and the high-pass audio signal of the sub-right channel is mixed with the woofer channel, not high-pass audio signals of the woofer channel mixed with the sub-left channel or the sub-right channel as claimed herein.
Claim 13 is indefinite on lines 3-4 because there is no clear antecedent basis for “the mixed first woofer channel”, “the mixed second woofer channel”, “the mixed left channel” and “the mixed right channel” because there is no clear prior recitation of such channels.
Claim 13 is further indefinite because the claim recites “transmitting the audio signals of four channels … to the reception device”, but there is only recitation of transmitting audio signals of three channels to the reception device on lines 11-12 of claim 11.
Claims 1-5 and 11-15 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The references cited on the PTO-892 each disclose a device and method for mixing a plurality of audio channels.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL W HUBER whose telephone number is (571)272-7588.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Duc Nguyen, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-7503. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Examiner interviews are available via a variety of formats. See MPEP § 713.01. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) Form at https://www.uspto.gov/InterviewPractice.
/PAUL W HUBER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691
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January 5, 2026