DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
1. 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)(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.
2. Claims 1, 26, 29 and 54 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Thall et al, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0296533 (hereinafter Thall).
Regarding claim 1, Thall discloses a method for rendering an audio element, wherein the audio element has an extent and is represented (from paragraph 0023, see sound sources are often spatially represented by one or more points in space) using a set of virtual loudspeakers comprising a middle virtual loudspeaker, the method comprising:
based on a position of a listener, selecting a position (from paragraph 0023, see Referring again to FIG. 1, as a listener moves from a position further from a sound source (e.g., listener 12B) to a position closer to the sound source (e.g., listener 12A), the points representing the sound source need to be moved farther out relative to the house 15 (e.g., points 25c and 25i), in order for the sound source to be heard. As the listener moves from a position closer to the sound source (e.g., listener 12A) to a position further from the sound source (e.g., listener 12B) the points need to be moved inward relative to the house 15 (e.g., points 25d and 25h)) for the middle virtual loudspeaker and/or calculating an attenuation factor for the middle virtual loudspeaker (from paragraph 0024, see As the listener moves towards and away from the sound source, one may also want to consider how synthesis of the sound should be varied. Current approaches tend to attenuate sound as distance between a listener and a sound source in the virtual environment increases. Volume of the sound may be increased or decreased according to distance. In some cases, filtering of the sound is also performed, with the high frequencies of the sound being attenuated more as distance increases).
Regarding claim 26, Thall discloses based on the position of the middle virtual loudspeaker, generating a middle virtual loudspeaker signal for the middle virtual loudspeaker; and using the middle virtual loudspeaker signal to render the audio element (see Figure 1).
Regarding claim 29, Thall discloses an audio rendering apparatus for rendering an audio element, wherein the audio element has an extent and is represented (from paragraph 0023, see sound sources are often spatially represented by one or more points in space) using a set of virtual loudspeakers comprising a middle virtual loudspeaker, the audio rendering apparatus being configured to:
based on a position of a listener, select a position (from paragraph 0023, see Referring again to FIG. 1, as a listener moves from a position further from a sound source (e.g., listener 12B) to a position closer to the sound source (e.g., listener 12A), the points representing the sound source need to be moved farther out relative to the house 15 (e.g., points 25c and 25i), in order for the sound source to be heard. As the listener moves from a position closer to the sound source (e.g., listener 12A) to a position further from the sound source (e.g., listener 12B) the points need to be moved inward relative to the house 15 (e.g., points 25d and 25h)) for the middle virtual loudspeaker and/or calculating an attenuation (from paragraph 0024, see As the listener moves towards and away from the sound source, one may also want to consider how synthesis of the sound should be varied. Current approaches tend to attenuate sound as distance between a listener and a sound source in the virtual environment increases. Volume of the sound may be increased or decreased according to distance. In some cases, filtering of the sound is also performed, with the high frequencies of the sound being attenuated more as distance increases) factor for the middle virtual loudspeaker.
Claim 54 is rejected for the same reasons as claim 26.
Allowable Subject Matter
3. Claims 2, 10-14, 18-23, 30, 38-42, 46-49 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.
Response to Arguments
4. Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are deemed to be moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
Conclusion
5. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OLISA ANWAH whose telephone number is 571-272-7533. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday from 8.30 AM to 6 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Carolyn Edwards can be reached on 571-270-7136. The fax phone numbers for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned are 571-273-8300 for regular communications and 571-273-8300 for After Final communications.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is 571-272-2600.
Olisa Anwah
Patent Examiner
July 8, 2026
/OLISA ANWAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2692
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