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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 6-13-2024 and 12-11-2025 are considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 9-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim(s) does/do not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because claims 9 - 16 recites "A computer program product" which may encompass both signals per se and software per se. Upon checking the specification, paragraph [0034] discloses that "The methods and modules described above may be implemented using hardware or software running on a computing system." Appropriate action is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 1-20 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.
Claims 1, 9, and 17 recite the limitation "determining a filtered result, by the control logic, based on a near-end microphone signal and a selected one of the foreground echo estimation and the background echo estimation, the filtered result being subsequently used to generate a near-end voice signal" in lines 11-13 in claim 1, in lines 10-12 in claim 9, and lines 10-12 in claim 17. It is not clear how the ‘selected’ feature is performed. Appropriate action is required. Claims 2-8 depend on claim 1 and are also rejected based on this claim limitation. Claims 10-16 depend on claim 9 and are also rejected based on this claim limitation. Claims 18-20 depend on claim 17 and are also rejected based on this claim limitation.
Claims 1, 9, and 17 recite the limitation "halting, by the control logic, adaptation by the background filter based on a deviation signal" in lines 14-15 in claim 1, in lines 13-14 in claim 9, and lines 13-14 in claim 17. It is not clear how the ‘halting’ feature is performed and what ‘halting based on a deviation signal’ means. Appropriate action is required. Claims 2-8 depend on claim 1 and are also rejected based on this claim limitation. Claims 10-16 depend on claim 9 and are also rejected based on this claim limitation. Claims 18-20 depend on claim 17 and are also rejected based on this claim limitation.
Claims 1, 9, and 17 recite the limitation "selecting one sum of the cross-correlation coefficients for the foreground echo estimation and the sum of the cross-correlation coefficients for the background echo estimation" in lines 22-24 in claim 1, in lines 21-23 in claim 9, and lines 21-23 in claim 17. It is not clear how the ‘selected’ feature is performed. Appropriate action is required. Claims 2-8 depend on claim 1 and are also rejected based on this claim limitation. Claims 10-16 depend on claim 9 and are also rejected based on this claim limitation. Claims 18-20 depend on claim 17 and are also rejected based on this claim limitation.
Claims 1, 9, and 17 recite the limitation "the deviation signal being active in response to the hysteresis function outputting the high value" in lines 28-29 in claim 1, in lines 27-28 in claim 9, and 27-28 in claim 17. It is not clear what ‘the deviation signal being active’ means. Appropriate action is required. Claims 2-8 depend on claim 1 and are also rejected based on this claim limitation. Claims 10-16 depend on claim 9 and are also rejected based on this claim limitation. Claims 18-20 depend on claim 17 and are also rejected based on this claim limitation.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 9, and 17 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. Claims 2-8 depend on claim 1, claims 10-16 depend on claim 9, and claims 18-20 depend on claim 17.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 Form.
Any response to this action should be mailed to:
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
Or faxed to:
(571) 273-8300 (for formal communications intended for entry)
Or call:
(571) 272-2600 (for customer service assistance)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LISA HASHEM whose telephone number is 571-272-7542. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Carolyn Edwards can be reached on 571-270-7136.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for published applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Patent Center for authorized users only. Should you have questions about access to Patent Center, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
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) Form at https://www.uspto.gov/patents/uspto-automated- interview-request-air-form.
/LISA HASHEM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2692