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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 75-77, 80-91, 94-96, 99-109 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claim(s) 73-74, 78-79, 92-93, 97-98, 110-111 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Atti (US 2015/0106084) in view of "Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); LTE; EVS Codec Detailed Algorithmic Description (3GPP TS 26.445 version 12.0.0 Release 12)" provided by Applicant in PE2E.
With respect to claim 92 (similarly claim 73), Atti teaches a device (e.g. a decoding system or apparatus [0061]) for time-domain bandwidth expansion of an excitation signal during decoding of a cross-talk sound signal (e.g. [0005]-[0006] and [0061]), comprising:
at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the processor and storing non-transitory instructions that when executed cause the processor (e.g. inherently the decoding system or apparatus of [0061] comprises at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the processor and storing non-transitory instructions that when executed cause the inherent processor) to implement:
a decoder of a high-band mixing factor received in a bitstream (e.g. the high-band side information 172 of FIG. 1 may include the mixing factor (.alpha.) and may be transmitted to the system 400 [0065]); and
a mixer of a low-band excitation signal and a random noise excitation signal using the high-band mixing factor (e.g. a mixer 411 [0066] using a mixing factor for combining a signal derived from a white noise [0064] and a signal derived from a low-band excitation signal [0062]) to produce the time-domain bandwidth expanded excitation signal (e.g. to produce the time-domain bandwidth expanded excitation signal as suggested in [0074]).
Even though Atti teaches in [0005] that in the presence of noise, the correlation between the low-band and the high-band may be weak, and the signal model may no longer be able to accurately represent the high-band. This may result in artifacts (e.g., distorted speech) at the receiver, he does not teach encoding and decoding of cross-talk sound signal.
"Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); LTE; EVS Codec Detailed Algorithmic Description (3GPP TS 26.445 version 12.0.0 Release 12)" teaches encoding and decoding of cross-talk sound signal (e.g. sections 5.2.6.1-5.2.6.1.17 for encoder side, sections 6.1.5.1-6.1.5.1.15 for the decoder side).
In "Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); LTE; EVS Codec Detailed Algorithmic Description (3GPP TS 26.445 version 12.0.0 Release 12)" the mixing factor is derived from the voicing factor (section 6.1.5.1.8 derived from ACELP parameters as disclosed in 6.1.5.1.1)
[0034] of Atti discloses that relying on the voicing factor in case of noisy speech results in artifacts. Therefore, it would have been obvious to people having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Atti with the teachings of "Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); LTE; EVS Codec Detailed Algorithmic Description (3GPP TS 26.445 version 12.0.0 Release 12)" to teach encoding and decoding of cross-talk sound signal, calculating and transmitting a mixing factor, in order to solve the artifacts for noisy speech such as cross-talk sound signal.
With respect to claim 93 (similarly claim 74), Atti teaches the device according to claim 92, wherein the decoder of the high-band mixing factor decodes a quantized normalized gain received in the bitstream and calculates the high- band mixing factor using the decoded quantized normalized gain (Atti e.g. Fig 1 [0048] suggest the decoder of the high-band mixing factor decodes a quantized normalized gain received in the bitstream and calculates the high- band mixing factor using the decoded quantized normalized gain).
With respect to claim 97 (similarly claim 78), Atti teaches the device according to claim 92, further comprising: an estimator of quantized gain/shape parameters ("Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); LTE; EVS Codec Detailed Algorithmic Description (3GPP TS 26.445 version 12.0.0 Release 12)" sections 6.1.5.1.1, 6.1.5.3.1 teach an estimator of quantized gain/shape parameters).
With respect to claim 110, Atti teaches a device (e.g. a decoding system or apparatus [0061])for time-domain bandwidth expansion of an excitation signal during decoding of a cross-talk sound signal (e.g. [0005]-[0006] and [0061], comprising:
at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the processor and storing non-transitory instructions that when executed cause the processor (e.g. inherently the decoding system or apparatus of [0061] comprises at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the processor and storing non-transitory instructions that when executed cause the inherent processor) to:
decode a high-band mixing factor received in a bitstream (e.g. the high-band side information 172 of FIG. 1 may include the mixing factor (.alpha.) and may be transmitted to the system 400 [0065]); and
mix a low-band excitation signal and a random noise excitation signal using the high-band mixing factor (e.g. a mixer 411 [0066] using a mixing factor for combining a signal derived from a white noise [0064] and a signal derived from a low-band excitation signal [0062]) to produce the time-domain bandwidth expanded excitation signal (e.g. to produce the time-domain bandwidth expanded excitation signal as suggested in [0074]).
Even though Atti teaches in [0005] that in the presence of noise, the correlation between the low-band and the high-band may be weak, and the signal model may no longer be able to accurately represent the high-band. This may result in artifacts (e.g., distorted speech) at the receiver, he does not teach encoding and decoding of cross-talk sound signal.
"Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); LTE; EVS Codec Detailed Algorithmic Description (3GPP TS 26.445 version 12.0.0 Release 12)" teaches encoding and decoding of cross-talk sound signal (e.g. sections 5.2.6.1-5.2.6.1.17 for encoder side, sections 6.1.5.1-6.1.5.1.15 for the decoder side).
In "Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); LTE; EVS Codec Detailed Algorithmic Description (3GPP TS 26.445 version 12.0.0 Release 12)" the mixing factor is derived from the voicing factor (section 6.1.5.1.8 derived from ACELP parameters as disclosed in 6.1.5.1.1)
[0034] of Atti discloses that relying on the voicing factor in case of noisy speech results in artifacts. Therefore, it would have been obvious to people having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Atti with the teachings of "Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); LTE; EVS Codec Detailed Algorithmic Description (3GPP TS 26.445 version 12.0.0 Release 12)" to teach encoding and decoding of cross-talk sound signal, calculating and transmitting a mixing factor, in order to solve the artifacts for noisy speech such as cross-talk sound signal.
With respect to claim 98 (similarly claim 79), Atti teaches a device (e.g. high-band analysis 150 Fig 1 [0005], [0032]) for time-domain bandwidth expansion of an excitation signal during encoding of a cross-talk sound signal (e.g. [0032]), comprising:
at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the processor and storing non-transitory instructions that when executed cause the processor (e.g. inherently the high-band analysis of [0032] comprises at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the processor and storing non-transitory instructions that when executed cause the inherent processor) to implement:
a calculator of a high-band mixing factor usable for mixing a low-band excitation signal and a random noise excitation signal to produce the time-domain bandwidth expanded excitation signal (e.g. [0035] for calculation of a mixing factor usable for mixing a low-band excitation signal and a random noise excitation signal to produce the time-domain bandwidth expanded excitation signal i.e. the high-band analysis module 150 may transmit the mixing factor (.alpha.) to the receiver along with the other high-band side information 172, which may enable the receiver to perform reverse operations to reconstruct the input audio signal [0039]).
Even though Atti teaches in [0005] that in the presence of noise, the correlation between the low-band and the high-band may be weak, and the signal model may no longer be able to accurately represent the high-band. This may result in artifacts (e.g., distorted speech) at the receiver, he does not teach encoding and decoding of cross-talk sound signal.
"Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); LTE; EVS Codec Detailed Algorithmic Description (3GPP TS 26.445 version 12.0.0 Release 12)" teaches encoding and decoding of cross-talk sound signal (e.g. sections 5.2.6.1-5.2.6.1.17 for encoder side, sections 6.1.5.1-6.1.5.1.15 for the decoder side).
In "Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); LTE; EVS Codec Detailed Algorithmic Description (3GPP TS 26.445 version 12.0.0 Release 12)" the mixing factor is derived from the voicing factor (section 6.1.5.1.8 derived from ACELP parameters as disclosed in 6.1.5.1.1)
[0034] of Atti discloses that relying on the voicing factor in case of noisy speech results in artifacts. Therefore, it would have been obvious to people having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Atti with the teachings of "Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); LTE; EVS Codec Detailed Algorithmic Description (3GPP TS 26.445 version 12.0.0 Release 12)" to teach encoding and decoding of cross-talk sound signal, calculating and transmitting a mixing factor, in order to solve the artifacts for noisy speech such as cross-talk sound signal.
With respect to claim 111, Atti teaches a device (e.g. high-band analysis 150 Fig 1 [0005], [0032]) for time-domain bandwidth expansion of an excitation signal during encoding of a cross-talk sound signal (e.g. [0032]), comprising:
at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the processor and storing non-transitory instructions that when executed cause the processor (e.g. inherently the high-band analysis of [0032] comprises at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the processor and storing non-transitory instructions that when executed cause the inherent processor) to:
calculate a high-band mixing factor usable for mixing a low-band excitation signal and a random noise excitation signal to produce the time-domain bandwidth expanded excitation signal (e.g. [0035] for calculation of a mixing factor usable for mixing a low-band excitation signal and a random noise excitation signal to produce the time-domain bandwidth expanded excitation signal i.e. the high-band analysis module 150 may transmit the mixing factor (.alpha.) to the receiver along with the other high-band side information 172, which may enable the receiver to perform reverse operations to reconstruct the input audio signal [0039]).
Even though Atti teaches in [0005] that in the presence of noise, the correlation between the low-band and the high-band may be weak, and the signal model may no longer be able to accurately represent the high-band. This may result in artifacts (e.g., distorted speech) at the receiver, he does not teach encoding and decoding of cross-talk sound signal.
"Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); LTE; EVS Codec Detailed Algorithmic Description (3GPP TS 26.445 version 12.0.0 Release 12)" teaches encoding and decoding of cross-talk sound signal (e.g. sections 5.2.6.1-5.2.6.1.17 for encoder side, sections 6.1.5.1-6.1.5.1.15 for the decoder side).
In "Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); LTE; EVS Codec Detailed Algorithmic Description (3GPP TS 26.445 version 12.0.0 Release 12)" the mixing factor is derived from the voicing factor (section 6.1.5.1.8 derived from ACELP parameters as disclosed in 6.1.5.1.1)
[0034] of Atti discloses that relying on the voicing factor in case of noisy speech results in artifacts. Therefore, it would have been obvious to people having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Atti with the teachings of "Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); LTE; EVS Codec Detailed Algorithmic Description (3GPP TS 26.445 version 12.0.0 Release 12)" to teach encoding and decoding of cross-talk sound signal, calculating and transmitting a mixing factor, in order to solve the artifacts for noisy speech such as cross-talk sound signal.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IBRAHIM SIDDO whose telephone number is (571)272-4508. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00-5:30PM.
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/IBRAHIM SIDDO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2681
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