DETAILED ACTION
In the response to this office action, the examiner respectfully requests that support be shown for language added to any original claims on amendment and any new claims. That is, indicate support for newly added claim language by specifically pointing to page(s) and line numbers in the specification and/or drawing figure(s). This will assist the examiner in prosecuting this application.
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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because:
The “black box” elements of figures 1 and 2 are not descriptively labeled. The structural elements are merely labeled with identifying numbers. Since these elements are not illustrated as well-known graphical representations, Applicant is required to provide descriptive labels or suitable meaningful legends under 37 CFR § 1.83 (a) and 1.84 (o).
The elements of graphs of figure 4A and 4B are hard to distinguish. Although the lines are described in the text, given the resolution of the drawings, it is hard to tell which line is which. It is suggested that leader lines be used (such as in figures 3A and 3B) to link the lines with short descriptions (2 or 3 words) to make the drawing’s intent clear without relying on the written description.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 1-16 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 states “a method for managing the low frequencies of a loudspeaker” which would be better as “a method for managing low frequencies of a loudspeaker” since no low frequencies have been introduced previously.
Claims 2-16 are objected as inheriting the problems as above.
Claim 1 refers to “a distortion indicator” twice. Given context, the second should be “the distortion indicator”.
Claims 2-16 are objected as inheriting the problems as above.
Claim 1 refers to “a step of determining a frequency response of the audio chain at each volume level, a step of determining a distortion indicator and an unwanted-vibrations indicator for each volume level”. Since multiple are determined, subsequent mentions in the claims should refer to multiple “frequency responses”, “distortion indicators”, and “unwanted-vibrations indicators”, or the claim should clearly describe which of the multiple is being referred to.
Claims 2-16 are objected as inheriting the problems as above.
Claim 1 has several steps separated by indents. The “step of measuring” has a single indent with multiple steps in it. It is not clear why this has a different format. If these are substeps, such could be made clearer by further indenting or some other manner.
Also, an “and” should be inserted before the last step or sub-step, in any list of a series of steps.
Claims 2-16 are objected as inheriting the problems as above.
Claims 1, 11, and 12 refer to “the measurement step”. Since claim 1 states “a step of measuring…” using the form “the step of calibrating” in claims 2 and 3 would be more proper.
Claims 2-16 are objected as inheriting the problems as above.
Claims 2 and 3 refer to “the calibration step”. Since claim 1 states “a step of calibrating…” using the form “the step of calibrating” in claims 2 and 3 would be more proper.
Claim 2 states “-a step of determining an acoustic signature of a cabin of the vehicle;
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- a step of comparing said measured acoustic signature with a target acoustic signal; and
- a step of determining filters for reducing a difference between said measured acoustic signature and said target acoustic signature”.
These secondary portions should be “said determined acoustic signature” to match the first portion.
Claim 7 refers to “measuring the excursion of the membrane by means of the laser”. Since these items were not previously mentioned, this portion should be “measuring an excursion of a membrane of the loudspeaker by means of the laser”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-16 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 states “a step of determining a frequency response of the audio chain at each volume level”, which is unclear. Obviously, this cannot mean every volume level of a continuous volume knob. It is suggested that “a plurality of predetermined volume levels” be introduced somewhere in the claim. Perhaps in the beginning of the claim such as:
“A method for managing the low frequencies of a loudspeaker located on board a vehicle and belonging to an audio chain of said vehicle having an adjustable volume level having a plurality of predetermined volume levels, said method being characterized in that it includes”.
Claims 2-16 are rejected as inheriting the problems as above.
Claims 4 and 5 recite the limitation "the measuring chain". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. At least a “step of measuring” and a “measurement system” are mentioned in claim 1, but it is unclear what “the measuring chain” is referring to.
Claims 6 and 7 are rejected as inheriting the problems as above.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "the loudspeaker modelling parameters". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 1, refers to “parameters of the audio chain” but not “modelling parameters”. It is unclear if these are the same parameters.
Claims 6 and 7 refer to the term “volume pitch” which is not a well known term in the art and is not defined in the specification. It is unclear what this term means and it is unclear if this is related to the term “volume level” used elsewhere in the claims.
Claims 9 refers to “the signals”. It is unclear which signals are being referred to.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-16 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the claim objections and the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 1, the claim as a whole is not obvious over the closest prior art, such as Sinev et al. (US 20220007121 A1), Hadley et al. (US 6061455), Mendes et al. (US 20170019732 A1), Mihelich et al. (US 20100290643 A1), Christoph (US 8842845 B2), Croft (US 20140341394 A1), and Bohme (US 20200351585 A1).
None of the closest prior art expressly teaches or reasonably suggests, “a method for managing the low frequencies of a loudspeaker located on board a vehicle and belonging to an audio chain of said vehicle having an adjustable volume level, said method being characterized in that it includes:
…
- …a step of determining a frequency response of the audio chain at each volume level, a step of determining a distortion indicator and an unwanted-vibrations indicator for each volume level;
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- a step of managing the low frequencies employing said acoustic indicators the frequency response and the unwanted-vibrations indicator, during which rendering of the low frequencies by the loudspeaker is optimised“, in combination with the rest of the limitations of the claim, in a manner as claimed.
Dependent claims 2-16 would be allowed because they contain all the limitations of their independent claim as above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOUGLAS JOHN SUTHERS whose telephone number is (571)272-0563. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8 am -5 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vivian Chin can be reached at 571-272-7848. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DOUGLAS J SUTHERS/ Examiner, Art Unit 2695
/PAUL KIM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695