DETAILED ACTION
The Art Unit location of your application in the PTO has changed. To aid in correlating any papers for this application, all further correspondence regarding this application should be directed to Group Art Unit 2691.
This communication is responsive to the preliminary amended claims filed 06/24/2024.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 13-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Irakoze et al. (U. S. Pat. App. Pub. No. – 2021/0170172).
Regarding claim 37, Irakoze et al. disclose a system (100), comprising: a user device (Fig. 2) is configured to be worn by a user comprising one or more sensors (Microphone) configured to capture environmental signals; one or more remote devices in wireless communication with the user device (Bluetooth Receiver), wherein the one or more remote devices each include at least one sensor (Fig. 1B) configured to capture environmental signals; and one or more processors (Speech Processor, Stimulus Controller) configured to:
determine, based on the environmental signals, one or more noises present in an ambient environment of the user device,
determine at least one user-preferred noise from the one or more noises for suppression, and suppress the at least one user-preferred noise within the environmental signals to generate noise-suppressed environmental signals (Claims 1 and 4) as claimed.
Regarding claim 38, Irakoze et al. further disclose the system, wherein the environmental signals are sound signals (claim 1).
Regarding claim 39, Irakoze et al. further disclose the system, wherein to determine (Fig. 5) at least one user-preferred noise from the one or more noises (510, 520) for suppression, the one or more processors are configured to: provide the user of the user device with an indication of the one or more noises present in an ambient environment (520, 530, 540); and receive, from the user, a selection of the at least one user-preferred noise to suppress (560).
Regarding claim 40, Irakoze et al. further disclose the system, wherein (Fig. 5) to determine at least one user-preferred noise from the one or more noises for suppression (510, 520), the one or more processors are configured to: automatically determine at least one user-preferred noise with a machine-learning prioritization module (530, 540, 550, claims 1 and 4).
Method claims 23-36 are similar to claims 37-40 except for being couched in method terminology; such methods would be inherent when the structure is shown in the references.
Computer software product claims 13-22 are similar to claims 23-40 except for being couched in computer software terminology; such product would be inherent when the structure/method is shown in the references.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SUHAN NI whose telephone number is (571)272-7505. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm.
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/SUHAN NI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691
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