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 § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 10-13, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Woelfl (US 20180192226, IDS 2/6/25).
Regarding claim 1, Woelfl teaches an audio system arranged in a listening environment in a vehicle (car seat, [0061]) comprises:
an audio unit configured to output audio signals (amplifier output for audio signals, [0157], fig 27);
a first loudspeaker (loudspeaker 304, [0061], fig 38) arranged in a first headrest (headrest 310, [0061], fig 38) of the vehicle, a second loudspeaker arranged in the first headrest (loudspeaker 306, [0061], fig 38), a third loudspeaker arranged in the first headrest (loudspeaker 302, [0061], fig 38), and a fourth loudspeaker arranged in the first headrest (loudspeaker 308, [0061], fig 38), wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth loudspeaker is operably coupled to the audio unit to transmit the audio signals to a passenger seated in front of the headrest in the vehicle (amplifiers connected to speakers, fig 27), the first loudspeaker is located towards a right side of the passenger's head and above a passenger's right ear to transmit the audio signals to the passenger (loudspeaker 304, [0061], fig 38), the second loudspeaker is located towards a left side of the passenger's head and above a passenger's left ear to transmit the audio signals to the passenger (loudspeaker 306, [0061], fig 38), the third loudspeaker is located towards a right side of the passenger's head and below the passenger's right ear (loudspeaker 302, [0061], fig 38), and the fourth loudspeaker is located towards a left side of the passenger's head and below the passenger's left ear (loudspeaker 308, [0061], fig 38).
Regarding claim 19, Woelfl teaches the audio system of claim 18, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth loudspeakers form corners of a four-sided figure (loudspeakers 302, 304, 306, 308 form a rectangle, [0061], fig 38).
Regarding claim 20, Woelfl teaches the audio system of claim 19, wherein the four-sided figure is a square or a rectangle (loudspeakers 302, 304, 306, 308 form a rectangle, [0061], fig 38).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-5, 7-13, 15-17 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, with respect to the rejection of claims 1-5, 7-13, 15-17 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claims 1-5, 7-13, 15-17 has been withdrawn.
Applicant does not make arguments for the patentability of claims 18-20 and the grounds rejections thereof are maintained.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/KILE O BLAIR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691
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