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 § 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 5, 17-18, and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Robinson et al. (US 10,880,668 B1 and hereafter Robinson).
Regarding claim 1, Robinson anticipates:
“A method performed by an audio renderer, the method comprising:
obtaining metadata for an extended reality scene” (see Robinson, column 3, line 55 - column 4, line 12, column 18, lines 13-37, and column 20, lines 1-24, and figure 5, units 520, 525, and 550, where acoustic parameters for an artificial reality environment are received from a mapping server in order for an audio system in a headset to generate audio to a user of the headset);
“obtaining from the metadata, or deriving from the metadata, a first reverberation parameter, wherein the first reverberation parameter is a reverberation time parameter, an acoustical absorption parameter, or a reverberation level parameter” (see Robinson, column 13, line 35 - column 14, line 20, where the acoustic parameters received from the mapping server include parameters such as reverberation time (RT60) parameter, a reverberation energy value, and some other acoustic property of the local area; also see Robinson, column 9, lines 1-40 and column 11, lines 19-32, where other properties include a critical distance value);
“after obtaining the first reverberation parameter from the metadata or deriving the first reverberation parameter from the metadata, using the first reverberation parameter to derive a second reverberation parameter” (see Robinson, column 14, line 54 - column 15, line 12 and column 20, lines 11-13, where a second reverberation parameter, such as the critical distance value, is calculated, or derived, from a received first reverberation parameter, such as the RT60 parameter); and
“using the first reverberation parameter and the second reverberation parameter to render audio for a listener” (see Robinson, column 15, line 55 - column 17, line 5 and column 20, lines 15-24, where the reverberation parameters are used to generate amplitude scaled audio with direct and reverberant components appropriately scaled to provide virtual audio that blends seamlessly with the real audio content in the local area), wherein
“the second reverberation parameter is a different reverberation parameter than the first reverberation parameter and the second reverberation parameter is a reverberation time parameter, a reverberation level parameter, or an acoustical absorption parameter” (see Robinson, column 14, line 54 - column 15, line 12 and column 20, lines 11-13, where the second reverberation parameter is different than the first, such that the critical distance value is calculated, or derived, from the RT60 parameter).
Regarding claim 5, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 1 above. Robinson anticipates the “method of claim 1, wherein
the first reverberation parameter is a reverberation time parameter (RT)” (see Robinson, column 13, line 35 - column 14, line 20 and column 20, lines 11-13, where the received first reverberation parameter is a reverberation time parameter, such as the RT60 parameter),
“the first and second reverberation parameters are associated with an acoustical environment having a volume” (see Robinson, column 14, line 54 - column 15, line 12, where RT60 and the second reverberation parameter, such as the critical distance, are associated with the volume (V) of the local area), and
“deriving the second reverberation parameter comprises calculating:
f1 x (RT/V) or (f1 x (RT/V)f2) where f1 is a predetermined coefficient, f2 is a predetermined value, and V is a volume value indicating the volume of the acoustical environment” (see Robinson, column 14, line 54 - column 15, line 12, where the equation to calculate the critical distance comprises a predetermined coefficient equal to 0.057, an exponent equal to 0.5, and a volume V).
Regarding claim 17, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 1 above. Robinson anticipates the “method of claim 1, wherein
the reverberation level parameter is expressed in terms of an energy ratio between reverberant sound and total emitted energy of a source or an energy ratio between reverberant sound and direct sound of a source” (see Robinson, column 15, line 55 - column 16, line 66, where the ratio of direct energy to reverberant energy is used to scale the audio content for the listener).
Regarding claim 18, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 1 above. Robinson anticipates the “method of claim 1, wherein using the first reverberation parameter and the second reverberation parameter to render audio for a listener comprises:
generating a reverberation signal using the first reverberation parameter and/or the second reverberation parameter” (see Robinson, column 15, line 55 - column 16, line 17 and column 16, lines 29-66, where the second reverberation parameter, such as the calculated critical distance, which was calculated from the first reverberation parameter, is used generate a reverberant audio component for the listener); and
“generating an output audio signal using the reverberation signal” (see Robinson, column 16, line 55 - column 17, line 5 and column 20, lines 15-24, where the generated output audio signal for the listener comprises the generated reverberation signal).
Regarding claim 26, Robinson anticipates:
“An audio rendering apparatus, the audio rendering apparatus being configured to perform a process that includes:
obtaining metadata for an extended reality scene” (see Robinson, column 3, line 55 - column 4, line 12, column 18, lines 13-37, and column 20, lines 1-24, and figure 5, units 505, 520, 525, and 550, where acoustic parameters for an artificial reality environment are received from a mapping server in order for an audio system in a headset to generate audio to a user of the headset);
“obtaining from the metadata, or deriving from the metadata, a first reverberation parameter, wherein the first reverberation parameter is a reverberation time parameter, an acoustical absorption parameter, or a reverberation level parameter” (see Robinson, column 13, line 35 - column 14, line 20, where the acoustic parameters received from the mapping server include parameters such as reverberation time (RT60) parameter, a reverberation energy value, and some other acoustic property of the local area; also see Robinson, column 9, lines 1-40 and column 11, lines 19-32, where other properties include a critical distance value);
“after obtaining the first reverberation parameter from the metadata or deriving the first reverberation parameter from the metadata, using the first reverberation parameter to derive a second reverberation parameter” (see Robinson, column 14, line 54 - column 15, line 12 and column 20, lines 11-13, where a second reverberation parameter, such as the critical distance value, is calculated, or derived, from a received first reverberation parameter, such as the RT60 parameter); and
“using the first reverberation parameter and the second reverberation parameter to render audio for a listener” (see Robinson, column 15, line 55 - column 17, line 5 and column 20, lines 15-24, where the reverberation parameters are used to generate amplitude scaled audio with direct and reverberant components appropriately scaled to provide virtual audio that blends seamlessly with the real audio content in the local area), wherein
“the second reverberation parameter is a different reverberation parameter than the first reverberation parameter and the second reverberation parameter is a reverberation time parameter, a reverberation level parameter, or an acoustical absorption parameter” (see Robinson, column 14, line 54 - column 15, line 12 and column 20, lines 11-13, where the second reverberation parameter is different than the first, such that the critical distance value is calculated, or derived, from the RT60 parameter).
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(s) 2-4, 6-7, 27, and 31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Robinson as applied to claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 2, see the preceding rejection with respect to claims 1 and 26 above. Robinson anticipates the “method of claim 1, wherein
the first reverberation parameter is a reverberation time parameter or a reverberation level parameter” (see Robinson, column 13, line 35 - column 14, line 20, where the acoustic parameters received from the mapping server include parameters such as a reverberation time (RT60) parameter or a reverberation energy value (i.e., reverberation level parameter)),
“the metadata comprises an acoustical absorption parameter that indicates an amount of acoustical absorption (A)” (see Robinson, column 14, line 54 - column 15, line 12, where a critical distance value, is calculated, or derived, from a set of critical distance parameters including an absorption value (A) of surfaces of the local area).
Robinson teaches the equation for determining the critical distance value, where the calculation depends on the set of critical distance parameters including the absorption value and source directivity value (ϒ) and states that this calculation is substantially equivalent to a calculation depending on the volume of the local area (V), the source directivity value, and the RT60 parameter (see Robinson, column 14, line 59 - column 15, line 4 and equation 1). However, Robinson does not explicitly teach that the RT60 value (i.e., the first reverberation parameter) is derived using the acoustical absorption parameter (A).
One of ordinary skill in the art (OOSITA) at the time of the effective filing date would have found it obvious to rearrange equation to solve for the first reverberation parameter given enough information (e.g., given the acoustical absorption parameter (A) and the volume (V), OOSITA would be able to derive the RT60 parameter). It would have been obvious to OOSITA at the time of the effective filing date to modify the teachings of Robinson because it is obvious to allow the designer to select which information to store in the metadata and which information the system calculates from the received metadata and expect the same results.
Therefore, Robinson makes obvious the features where “the first reverberation parameter is derived using the acoustical absorption parameter” (see Robinson, column 14, line 59 - column 15, line 4 and equation 1, where it is obvious to derive the RT60 parameter given the acoustical absorption parameter (A) and the volume (V)).
Regarding claim 3, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 2 above. Robinson makes obvious the “method of claim 2, wherein
the first reverberation parameter is a reverberation level parameter” (see Robinson, column 13, line 35 - column 14, line 20, where the acoustic parameters received from the mapping server include parameters such as the reverberation energy value (i.e., reverberation level parameter)),
“the reverberation level parameter is a reverberant-to-direct (RDR) energy ratio value” (see Robinson, column 13, line 35 - column 14, line 20, column 15, line 55 - column 16, line 28, and equations 1-4, where the reverberation energy value is the ratio of direct energy to reverberant energy, which is used to scale the audio content for the listener), and
“deriving the RDR energy ratio value comprises calculating: 16 x (π/A)” (see Robinson, column 14, line 59 - column 15, line 4, column 15, line 55 - column 16, line 28, and equations 1-4, where it is obvious to derive the RDR energy ratio value comprising this calculation, because OOSITA would find it obvious that equation 1 can be substituted into equation 3 or 4 to calculate the RDR parameter given the acoustical absorption parameter (A) and the source directivity value (ϒ) (e.g., Ersf = (1/dc)2 = 16 * π / (ϒ * A), from equations 1 and 3)).
Regarding claim 4, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 1 above. Robinson anticipates the method of claim 1, but does not appear to explicitly teach the feature wherein “deriving the second reverberation parameter comprises calculating X x RT or RT/X, where X is a number”. For the same reasons as stated above with respect to claim 2, it would have been obvious to OOSITA at the time of the effective filing date to modify the teachings of Robinson because it is obvious to allow the designer to select which information to store in the metadata and which information the system calculates from the received metadata and expect the same results using equation 1 of Robinson (see Robinson, column 14, line 59 - column 15, line 4 and equation 1).
Therefore, Robinson makes obvious the “method of claim 1, wherein
the first reverberation parameter is a reverberation time parameter (RT)” (see Robinson, column 13, line 35 - column 14, line 20, where the acoustic parameters received from the mapping server include parameters such as a reverberation time (RT60) parameter), and
“deriving the second reverberation parameter comprises calculating X x RT or RT/X, where X is a number” (see Robinson, column 14, line 59 - column 15, line 4, column 15, line 55 - column 16, line 28, and equations 1-4, where it is obvious to derive a second reverberation parameter, such as the critical distance or the reverberant energy scale factor, using the RT60 parameter where equations 1 and/or 3 are rewritten with a substituted variable X that depends on the volume (V), the source directivity value (ϒ), and the leading constant).
Regarding claim 6, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 1 above. Robinson anticipates the method of claim 1, but does not appear to explicitly teach the feature wherein “deriving the second reverberation parameter comprises calculating: X x RL or RL/X, where X is a number”. For the same reasons as stated above with respect to claim 2, it would have been obvious to OOSITA at the time of the effective filing date to modify the teachings of Robinson because it is obvious to allow the designer to select which information to store in the metadata and which information the system calculates from the received metadata and expect the same results using equations 1-4 of Robinson (see Robinson, column 14, line 59 - column 15, line 4, column 15, line 55 - column 16, line 28, and equations 1-4).
Therefore, Robinson makes obvious the “method of claim 1, wherein
the first reverberation parameter is a reverberation level parameter (RL)” (see Robinson, column 13, line 35 - column 14, line 20, where the acoustic parameters received from the mapping server include parameters such as the reverberation energy value (i.e., reverberation level parameter)), and
“deriving the second reverberation parameter comprises calculating: X x RL or RL/X, where X is a number” (see Robinson, column 14, line 59 - column 15, line 4, column 15, line 55 - column 16, line 28, and equations 1-4, where it is obvious to derive a second reverberation parameter, such as the reverberant time parameter, using the reverberation energy value where equations 1 and/or 3 are rewritten with a substituted variable X that depends on the volume (V), the source directivity value (ϒ), the leading constant, and the critical distance).
Regarding claim 7, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 1 above. Robinson anticipates the method of claim 1, but does not appear to explicitly teach the feature wherein “deriving the second reverberation parameter comprises calculating: V x RL/f1 or (V x (RL/f1)1/f2)”. For the same reasons as stated above with respect to claim 2, it would have been obvious to OOSITA at the time of the effective filing date to modify the teachings of Robinson because it is obvious to allow the designer to select which information to store in the metadata and which information the system calculates from the received metadata and expect the same results using equations 1-4 of Robinson (see Robinson, column 14, line 59 - column 15, line 4, column 15, line 55 - column 16, line 28, and equations 1-4).
Therefore, Robinson makes obvious the “method of claim 1, wherein
the first reverberation parameter is a reverberation level parameter (RL)” (see Robinson, column 13, line 35 - column 14, line 20, where the acoustic parameters received from the mapping server include parameters such as the reverberation energy value (i.e., reverberation level parameter)),
“the first and second reverberation parameters are associated with an acoustical environment having a volume” (see Robinson, column 14, line 54 - column 15, line 12, where RT60 and the second reverberation parameter, such as the critical distance, are associated with the volume (V) of the local area), and
“deriving the second reverberation parameter comprises calculating: V x RL/f1 or (V x (RL/f1)1/f2) , where f1 is a predetermined coefficient, V is a volume value indicating the volume of the acoustical environment, and f2 is a predetermined value” (see Robinson, column 14, line 54 - column 15, line 12, column 15, line 55 - column 16, line 28, and equations 1-4, where it is obvious to derive a second reverberation parameter, such as the reverberant time parameter, using the reverberation energy value from equations 3 or 4 by substituting into equation 1, and rearranging the variables to calculate the critical distance using a predetermined coefficient equal to 0.057, an exponent equal to 0.5, and the volume V).
Regarding claim 27, see the preceding rejection with respect to claims 2 and 26 above. Robinson anticipates the audio rendering apparatus of claim 26, but Robinson does not explicitly teach that the RT60 value (i.e., the first reverberation parameter) is derived using the acoustical absorption parameter (A). For the same reasons as stated above with respect to claim 2, it would have been obvious to OOSITA at the time of the effective filing date to modify the teachings of Robinson because it is obvious to allow the designer to select which information to store in the metadata and which information the system calculates from the received metadata and expect the same results using equation 1 of Robinson (see Robinson, column 14, line 59 - column 15, line 4 and equation 1).
Therefore, Robinson makes obvious the “audio rendering apparatus of claim 26, wherein
the first reverberation parameter is a reverberation time parameter or a reverberation level parameter” (see Robinson, column 13, line 35 - column 14, line 20, where the acoustic parameters received from the mapping server include parameters such as a reverberation time (RT60) parameter or a reverberation energy value (i.e., reverberation level parameter)),
“the metadata comprises an acoustical absorption parameter that indicates an amount of acoustical absorption (A)” (see Robinson, column 14, line 54 - column 15, line 12, where a critical distance value, is calculated, or derived, from a set of critical distance parameters including an absorption value (A) of surfaces of the local area), and
“the first reverberation parameter is derived using the acoustical absorption parameter” (see Robinson, column 14, line 59 - column 15, line 4 and equation 1, where it is obvious to derive the RT60 parameter given the acoustical absorption parameter (A) and the volume (V)).
Regarding claim 31, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 1 above. Robinson anticipates the method of claim 1, but does not appear to teach the second reverberation parameter as an acoustical absorption parameter when the first reverberation parameter is a reverberation time parameter or a reverberation level parameter. For the same reasons as stated above with respect to claim 2, it would have been obvious to OOSITA at the time of the effective filing date to modify the teachings of Robinson because it is obvious to allow the designer to select which information to store in the metadata and which information the system calculates from the received metadata and expect the same results using equations 1-4 of Robinson (see Robinson, column 14, line 59 - column 15, line 4, column 15, line 55 - column 16, line 28, and equations 1-4).
Therefore Robinson makes obvious the “method of claim 1, wherein
the first reverberation parameter is a reverberation time parameter or a reverberation level parameter” (see Robinson, column 13, line 35 - column 14, line 20, where the acoustic parameters received from the mapping server include parameters such as a reverberation time (RT60) parameter or a reverberation energy value (i.e., reverberation level parameter)), and
“the second reverberation parameter is an acoustical absorption parameter that indicates an amount of acoustical absorption (A)” (see Robinson, column 14, line 59 - column 15, line 4, column 15, line 55 - column 16, line 28, and equations 1-4, where it is obvious to derive a second reverberation parameter, such as the acoustical absorption parameter (A), using equations 1 and 3 to calculate the acoustical absorption given values such as the volume (V), the source directivity value (ϒ), the leading constant, and the reverberation level parameter, or using equation 1 with the critical distance, the reverberation time parameter, the volume (V), the source directivity value (ϒ), and the leading constant to calculate the acoustical absorption).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-16 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
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/Daniel R Sellers/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2694