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 22 objected to because of the following informalities: ‘modifying determine’ should be ‘modifying’.
Claims 26 and 27 are objected to because of the following informalities, they are missing the claim dependency designation. They should each depend from claim 14.
Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Buck et al (US 20170287502 A1).
As per claim 1, Buck discloses an audio apparatus comprising
a receiver circuit (part of the processor of fig. 8,7a),
wherein the receiver circuit is arranged to receive audio
data (the signals from the microphones) and metadata for the audio data (any of the parameters per para 8),
wherein the audio data comprises comprising data for a
plurality of audio signals (the signals from the microphones, also the microphones pickup the desired voice and also background echo/noise),
wherein plurality of audio signals represent
audio sources in an environment (para 83, the residual interference, and the user’s voice noting the telephony application per para 6), and
wherein the metadata comprises including data for
reverberation parameters for the environment (para 8, para a,b,c);
a modifier circuit (fig. 7a, parts of 706,714),
wherein the modifier circuit is arranged to generate a
modified first parameter value (the determined delay element para 8) by modifying an initial first
parameter value of a first reverberation parameter (the determined delay element is set to the number of FIR filter taps),
wherein the first reverberation parameter is being a
parameter from the group consisting of a reverberation delay
parameter (para, 8, the delay element) and a reverberation decay rate parameter (the received parameter B-before it is adapted);
a compensator circuit (part of the processor the perform the cited functions),
wherein the compensator circuit is arranged to generate a
modified second parameter value by modifying an initial second
parameter value (para 8 determined parameter B) for a second reverberation parameter in
response to the modification of the first reverberation parameter (para 8: compensating the first component, which corresponds to an early reverberation PSD, from an observed PSD, to drive the adaptation of the parameter B),
wherein the second reverberation parameter is being included in the metadata (as it is received by the processor when it is adapted/determined), and
wherein the second reverberation parameter is being
indicative of an energy of reverberation in the acoustic
environment (the decay/parameter B is an indication of the relative amount of reverberation in the environment over time);
a renderer circuit (part of 706 and 714),
wherein the renderer circuit is arranged to generate
audio output signals by rendering the audio data using the
metadata (output of 714),
wherein the renderer circuit comprises a
reverberation renderer circuit (part of 714 in fig. 7a),
wherein the reverberation renderer circuit is arranged to
generate at least one reverberation signal component (para. 8: the reference signal comprises a loudspeaker signal and the RSV estimate) for at
least one audio output signal from at least one of the
plurality of audio signals (para. 8 the audio signal which is being dereverberated or residual echo suppressed), and
in response to the first
modified parameter value and the second modified parameter
value (the RSV and echo suppression is performed iteratively and dynamically, as such the current parameter values are based on the currently modified values of the cited parameters).
As per claim 2, the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compensator circuit (505) comprises a model for
diffuse reverberation (para 8, reverberation, which is diffuse),
wherein the model is being dependent on the first
reverberation parameter and the second reverberation parameter (as per para 8), and
wherein the compensator circuit is arranged to determine the
modified second parameter value in response to the model (as per the claim 1 rejection).
As per claim 3, the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first reverberation parameter is a reverberation decay rate (the filter length, directly determines parameter B, which is a decay, per para. 8, also noting, in para 8: dynamically adjusting a length of the FIR filter corresponding to a reverberation time and/or the ratio of early and late residual interference).
As per claim 4, the apparatus of claim 3, wherein the compensator circuit (505) is arranged to modify
the second parameter value so as to reduce a change in an amplitude reference for the reverberation decay rate,
wherein the change in the amplitude reference for the reverberation decay rate results from the modification of
the first reverberation parameter (para. 8: determining the parameter B by extrapolating a log of an AEC filter response linearly and using the resulting late reverb-PSD jointly with an FIR Model, where the iterative step size and the PSD each each amplitude references that are reduced as part of the iterative process to produce the adapted parameter B ).
As per claim 5, the apparatus of claim 4, wherein the
compensator circuit (505) is arranged to modify the second
parameter value such that the amplitude reference for the
reverberation decay rate is substantially unchanged for the
modification of the first reverberation parameter (para. 8: controlling a step size of the adaptation AIC filter, dynamically adjusting a length of the FIR filter corresponding to a reverberation time and/or the ratio of early and late residual interference; where, once the filter has converged, the second parameter is modified such that there is no further step/error/amplitude reference left to adapt on).
As per claim 6, the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first reverberation parameter is a reverberation
delay parameter (per claim 1 rejection), wherein the reverberation delay parameter indicates indicative
of a propagation time delay for reverberation in the environment (per the definition of reverb as applied to audio playback).
As per claim 7, the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second reverberation parameter is indicative of an
energy of reverberation in the acoustic environment after a propagation time delay,
wherein the propagation time delay is indicated by the first reverberation parameter (parameter B is the decay, and the first parameter is the delay/filter length per the claim 1 rejection).
As per claim 8, the apparatus of claim 6,
wherein the compensator circuit (505) is arranged to determine
the modified second parameter value SO as to reduce a difference
between a first reverberation energy measure and a second
reverberation energy measure, (the adaptation of parameter B per claim 1 rejection, reduces the difference of the input/previous parameter and output/current-adapted parameter, in order to minimize and error signal)
wherein the first reverberation energy measure is being an
energy of reverberation after a modified delay (the delay of the filter is set/modified and parameter B is adapted per para 8),
wherein the modified delay is represented by the modified
first parameter value (para. 8: a delay element with the delay equal to the length of the FIR filter,) , and
wherein the modified delay is determined from a reverberation
model using the modified delay value and the modified second
parameter value (the values are set and adapted within the model described in para 8-10),
wherein the second reverberation energy measure is being an
energy of reverberation after the modified delay (the parameter B is a decay which is based on the filter length per para 8), and
wherein the second reverberation energy is determined from the
reverberation model using the initial delay value and the initial
second parameter value (the adaptation of parameter B over time per para 8 based on previous values of B and also the delay element).
As per claim 9, the apparatus of claim 8, wherein the compensator circuit is arranged to determine the modified second reverberation parameter value such that the first reverberation energy measure and the second reverberation energy measure are substantially the same (per para. 8: the parameters are adapted based on: using equation error principle processing, using a logarithmic cost function for the gradient descend processing, which each are based on, where once the error is minimized, the first and second reverberation energy measures are the same and there is no adaptation of the parameters because the filter has adapted to the current set of conditions/parameters).
As per claim 10, the apparatus of claim 6, wherein the compensator circuit is arranged to
modify the second parameter value so as to reduce a difference in a reverberation amplitude as a function of time when for a delay exceeds delay indicated by the modified first parameter
value (when a given parameter B/decay rate or filter delay changes, an error based adaptation occurs per the claim 9 rejection, where the error is a reverberation amplitude which is reduced over time as the filter adapts to a converged solution based on the current set of parameters and conditions).
As per claim 11, the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second parameter represents a level of diffuse
reverberation sound relative to total emitted sound in the environment (the decay of the level of reverb in the environment over time per para 8).
As per claim 12, the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second reverberation parameter represents
a distance for which an energy of a direct response for sound propagation in the environment is equal to an energy of reverberation in the environment (the parameters are used for and are representations of echo which is based on sound propagating in an environment, per para 8, the echo suppression, where the parameters are adapted in order to detect an echo, where an echo comprises the distance of the direct energy propagating in the environment, and the parameters are adapted in order to produce an equal echo estimate to reverb in the environment, in order to perform the echo suppression per para 8).
As per claim 13, the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first reverberation parameter is one of the
reverberation parameters of the metadata (per the claim 1 rejection).
As per claim 14, a method of operation for an audio
apparatus comprising:
receiving audio data and metadata for the audio data (claim 1 rejection, receiver circuit),
wherein the audio data comprises comprising data for a
plurality of audio signals (claim 1 rejection),
wherein plurality of audio signals represent representing
audio sources in an environment (claim 1 rejection), and
wherein the metadata comprises including data for
reverberation parameters for the environment (claim 1 rejection,);
modifying a first parameter value by modifying a an initial
first parameter value of a first reverberation parameter (claim 1 rejection, modifier circuit),
wherein the first reverberation parameter is being a
parameter from the group consisting of a reverberation delay
parameter and a reverberation decay rate parameter (claim 1 rejection,);
generating a modified second parameter value by modifying an
initial second parameter value for a second reverberation parameter
in response to the modification of the first reverberation
parameter (claim 1 rejection,),
wherein the second reverberation parameter is being
included in the metadata (claim 1 rejection,), and
wherein the second reverberation parameter is being
indicative of an energy of reverberation in the acoustic
environment (claim 1 rejection,);
generating audio output signals by rendering the audio data
using the metadata,
wherein the rendering circuit comprises comprising
generating at least one reverberation signal component for at
least one audio output signal from at least one of the
plurality of audio signals and in response to the first
modified parameter value and the second modified parameter
value (claim 1 rejection).
As per claim 15, The system of the claim 1 rejection requires a computer program stored on a non-
transitory medium in order to implement the cited functions), wherein the computer program when executed on a processor performs the method as claimed in claim 14 (per the claim 1 and 14 rejections).
As per claim 16, the method of claim 14, further comprising determining
the modified second parameter value in response to a model,
wherein the model is for diffuse reverberation,
wherein the model is dependent on the first reverberation
parameter and the second reverberation parameter (the diffuse reverb model as described in para 8, is based on the cited first and second reverberation values per para 8).
As per claim 17, the method of claim 14, wherein the first reverberation
parameter is a reverberation decay rate (per claim 3 rejection).
As per claim 18, the method of claim 17, further comprising modifying the
second parameter value so as to reduce a change in an amplitude
reference for the reverberation decay rate,
wherein the change in the amplitude reference for the
reverberation decay rate results from the modification of the first
reverberation parameter (per claim 4 rejection).
As per claim 19, the method of claim 18, further comprising modifying the
second parameter value such that the amplitude reference for the
reverberation decay rate is substantially unchanged (per claim 5 rejection).
As per claim 20, the method of claim 14,
wherein the first reverberation parameter is a reverberation
delay parameter,
wherein the reverberation delay parameter indicates a
propagation time delay for reverberation in the environment.(per claim 6 rejection).
As per claim 21, the method of claim 14,
wherein the second reverberation parameter is indicative of an
energy of reverberation in the acoustic environment after a
propagation time delay,
wherein the propagation time delay is indicated by the first
reverberation parameter.(per claim 7 rejection).
As per claim 22, the method of claim 20, further comprising
determine the modified second parameter value so as to reduce a
difference between a first reverberation energy and a second
reverberation energy,
wherein the first reverberation energy is an energy of
reverberation after a modified delay,
9
wherein the modified delay is represented by the modified
first parameter value,
wherein the modified delay is determined from a reverberation
model using the modified delay value and the modified second
parameter value,
wherein the second reverberation energy is an energy of
reverberation after the modified delay,
wherein the second reverberation energy is determined from the
reverberation model using the initial delay value and the initial
second parameter value (per claim 8 rejection).
As per claim 23, the method of claim 22, further comprising determining
the modified second reverberation parameter value such that the
first reverberation energy and the second reverberation energy are
substantially the same (per claim 9 rejection).
As per claim 24, the method of claim 20, further comprising modifying the
second parameter value so as to reduce a difference in a
reverberation amplitude as a function of time when a delay exceeds
a delay indicated by the modified first parameter value (per claim 10 rejection).
As per claim 25, the method of claim 14, wherein the second parameter
represents a level of diffuse reverberation sound relative to total
emitted sound in the environment (per claim 11 rejection).
As per claim 26, the method of claim 14 wherein the second reverberation
parameter represents a distance for which an energy of a direct
response for sound propagation in the environment is equal to an
energy of reverberation in the environment (per claim 12 rejection).
As per claim 27, the method of claim 14 wherein the first reverberation
parameter is one of the reverberation parameters of the metadata (per claim 13 rejection).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER KRZYSTAN whose telephone number is 571-272-7498, and whose email address is alexander.krzystan@uspto.gov
The examiner can usually be reached on m-f 7:30-4:00 est.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone or email are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Fan Tsang can be reached on (571) 272-7547.
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.
/ALEXANDER KRZYSTAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2653
Examiner Alexander Krzystan
February 8, 2026