DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
1. The information disclosure statement submitted on 06/14/2024 is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
2. 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.
3. Claims 1-3 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Mohammad et al, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0174010 (hereinafter Mohammad).
Regarding claim 1, Mohammad discloses a method of generating a multidimensional audio notification in a vehicle (from abstract, see A multichannel acoustic system (MAS) comprises an arrangement of microphones, loudspeakers, and filters along with a multichannel acoustic processor (MAP) and other components to together provide and enhance the auditory experience of persons in a shared acoustic space such as, for example, the driver and other passengers in an automobile.), the method comprising:
registering, in a vehicle having an audio system with multiple channels, an event for which a directional notification is to be generated (from paragraph 0055, see detect a hazard. At 504, the MAS may determine that the detected hazard warrants an audible cue be produced for the driver);
obtaining, from among multiple pre-rendered multidimensional sounds in a storage, a first pre-rendered multidimensional sound that is assigned to the event, the first pre-rendered multidimensional sound including audio for more than one of the multiple channels (from paragraph 0055, see a sound signal cue that matches the detected hazard is selected from a plurality of sound signal cues); and
playing the obtained first pre-rendered multidimensional sound using the audio system (from paragraph 0055, see this sound signal cue is produced on a subset of speakers from among the plurality of speakers in the automobile in a manner that indicates to the driver both the nature of the detection and the direction of the hazard).
Regarding claim 2, Mohammad discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the first pre-rendered multidimensional sound includes a first sound for all of the multiple channels, and a second sound for fewer than all of the multiple channels, and wherein the first and second sounds are played separately from each other in time (from paragraph 0056, see For certain implementations, the enhanced auditory feedback system may also comprise an interface by which the driver can personalize which sound signal cues are played for specific hazards, as well as set various parameters of sensitivity for when the driver would like to receive a sound signal cue. Furthermore, the sound signal cue might be produced so that all passengers can hear it, so that a select subset of passengers can hear it, or so that only the driver can hear it. The specific sound signals and who might hear them can also be determined by the identity of the driver and other passengers that may be determined by the MAS as described further herein).
Regarding claim 3, Mohammad discloses the method of claim 2, wherein playing the obtained first pre-rendered multidimensional sound comprises playing the first sound before the second sound (from paragraph 0055, see signal cue is produced on a subset of speakers from among the plurality of speakers in the automobile in a manner that indicates to the driver both the nature of the detection and the direction of the hazard. The process returns to 502 for the next hazard detection).
Regarding claim 6, Mohammad discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the obtained first pre-rendered multidimensional sound has one of a front left directionality or a front right directionality, and wherein a second pre-rendered multidimensional sound among the multiple pre-rendered multidimensional sounds has another of the front left directionality or the front right directionality (from paragraph 0006, see For some implementations, navigation information may also be provided by the multichannel acoustic system to the driver, the navigation information comprising a directional context such that navigation information corresponding to vehicle left is perceived by a recipient as coming from vehicle left, navigation information corresponding to vehicle right is perceived by a recipient as coming from vehicle right, navigation information corresponding to vehicle front is perceived by a recipient as coming from vehicle front, and navigation information corresponding to vehicle back is perceived by a recipient as coming from vehicle back).
4. Claims 1, 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Dembicks, U.S. Patent No. 5,646,590 (hereinafter Dembicks).
Regarding claim 1, Dembicks discloses a method of generating a multidimensional audio notification in a vehicle, the method comprising:
registering, in a vehicle having an audio system with multiple channels (from Figure 1, see 24a and 24b), an event for which a directional notification is to be generated (from abstract, see An audible turn signal indicator system includes a turn signal selector for indicating an anticipated change in the direction of travel of a vehicle to a first direction and a second direction);
obtaining, from among multiple pre-rendered multidimensional sounds in a storage, a first pre-rendered multidimensional sound (from abstract, see The first and second signals are audibly different in a predetermined manner such that the operator can determine the direction of the anticipated change in travel based upon the audible signals) that is assigned to the event, the first pre-rendered multidimensional sound including audio for more than one of the multiple channels; and
playing the obtained first pre-rendered multidimensional sound using the audio system (from abstract, see The audible directional indicator means generally includes one or more speakers and an audible directional indicator controller for driving the speakers such that first and second audibly different signals are emitted thereby. For example, the first and second signals can be audibly different in frequency, volume or pattern, or the location of the source of the signals may be different).
Regarding claim 6, Dembicks discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the obtained first pre-rendered multidimensional sound has one of a front left directionality (from Figure 1, see 24a) or a front right directionality (from Figure 1, see 24b), and wherein a second pre-rendered multidimensional sound among the multiple pre-rendered multidimensional sounds has another of the front left directionality (from Figure 1, see 24a) or the front right directionality (from Figure 1, see 24b).
Regarding claim 7, Dembicks discloses the first and second pre-rendered multidimensional sounds comprise turn signal notifications (from abstract, see An audible turn signal indicator system includes a turn signal selector for indicating an anticipated change in the direction of travel of a vehicle to a first direction and a second direction. The audible turn signal indicator system also includes audible directional indicator means for emitting first and second predetermined audible signals in response to an indication of an anticipated change in travel to the first and second directions, respectively. The first and second signals are audibly different in a predetermined manner such that the operator can determine the direction of the anticipated change in travel based upon the audible signals. In addition, the operator can determine which, if any, of the turn signals have been activated by monitoring the audibly different signals. The audible directional indicator means generally includes one or more speakers and an audible directional indicator controller for driving the speakers such that first and second audibly different signals are emitted thereby. For example, the first and second signals can be audibly different in frequency, volume or pattern, or the location of the source of the signals may be different).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
6. Claims 4, 5 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mohammad in view of Brummer et al, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0297769 (hereinafter Brummer).
Regarding claim 4, Mohammad does not clearly teach that the event reflects a circumstance within a passenger cabin of the vehicle. All the same, Brummer discloses the event reflects a circumstance within a passenger cabin of the vehicle (from paragraph 0044 of Brummer, see The position-specific warning signal is a seat belt reminder signal. In order to play back the seat belt reminder signal, the control unit activates only the vehicle seat loudspeaker or those vehicle seat loudspeakers that is/are assigned to the vehicle seat for which the seat belt reminder signal is intended). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Mohammad wherein the event reflects a circumstance within a passenger cabin of the vehicle as taught by Brummer. This modification would have improved the system’s safety by saving lives.
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Mohammad and Brummer discloses the obtained first pre-rendered multidimensional sound comprises a seatbelt reminder, and wherein the multiple pre-rendered multidimensional sounds in the storage include multiple seatbelt reminders corresponding to different locations within the passenger cabin, respectively (from paragraph 0044 of Brummer, see The position-specific warning signal is a seat belt reminder signal. In order to play back the seat belt reminder signal, the control unit activates only the vehicle seat loudspeaker or those vehicle seat loudspeakers that is/are assigned to the vehicle seat for which the seat belt reminder signal is intended).
Regarding claim 8, Mohammad does not teach the obtained first pre-rendered multidimensional sound comprises a seatbelt reminder. All the same, Brummer discloses the obtained first pre-rendered multidimensional sound comprises a seatbelt reminder (from paragraph 0044, see The position-specific warning signal is a seat belt reminder signal. In order to play back the seat belt reminder signal, the control unit activates only the vehicle seat loudspeaker or those vehicle seat loudspeakers that is/are assigned to the vehicle seat for which the seat belt reminder signal is intended). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Mohammad wherein the obtained first pre-rendered multidimensional sound comprises a seatbelt reminder as taught by Brummer. This modification would have improved the system’s safety by saving lives.
Conclusion
7. 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
January 12, 2026
/OLISA ANWAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2692
/CAROLYN R EDWARDS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2692