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 .
1. This is in response to CON application filed 06/04/2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jacobsen et al. (Pub.No.: 2006/0153155 A1) in view of Jarvis et al (Pub.No.:2020/351602 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 15, Jacobsen teaches an audio system and method (reads on wireless audio distribution system, see abstract), comprising:
a main audio device (reads on multipoint system with wireless receiver nodes 30A-30D, each comprising a speaker 50A-50D, see Figs. 4 and 7 in addition to [0087]) comprising:
a first transmission circuit configured to transmit a first wireless audio signal comprising first audio data (reads on first transceiver 23, see Figs. 7 and 15 and [0092]) corresponding to a plurality of first channels (reads on audio programs W+X, see [0092]), and
a second transmission circuit configured to transmit a second wireless audio signal comprising second audio data (reads on transceiver 25, see Fig. 7 and [0092]) corresponding to a plurality of second channels different from the plurality of first channels (reads on audio programs Y+Z, see [0092]);
a first auxiliary audio device comprising a first reception circuit (reads on receive node 30A with transceiver 32A, see Figs. 4 and 7 and [0087]) configured to:
receive the first wireless audio signal from the first transmission circuit (reads on transmitted data information 12, see Fig. 7 and [0092]) and extract third audio data (reads on receiver node 30A extracts audio channel “W”, see Fig. 7);
a second auxiliary audio device comprising a second reception circuit configured to (reads on receiver node 30B with transceiver 32B, see Fig. 7 and [0087]):
receive the first wireless audio signal from the first transmission circuit (reads on transmitted audio information 12, see Fig. 7 and [0083], [0086] and [0089]) and extract fourth audio data corresponding to one channel among the plurality of first channels (reads on receive node 30B extracts audio signal “X”, see Fig. 7), different from the channels among the plurality of first channels, from the first wireless audio signal (see Fig. 7 and [0092]); and
a third auxiliary audio device comprising a third reception circuit configured to:
receive the second wireless audio signal from the second transmission circuit and extract fifth audio data (reads on receive node 30C and 30D receive audio programs Y+Z, see Fig. 7).
Jacobsen features already addressed in the rejection of claim 1. Jacobsen does not specifically teach “audio data extracted by the first auxiliary audio device corresponding to three channels among the plurality of first channels from the first wireless audio signal” and “audio data extracted by the third auxiliary audio device corresponding to three channels among the plurality of second channels from the second wireless audio signal”.
Jarvis teaches that two or more channels maybe played by the same device and the playback device 702 may be configured to play the front-right, center, and front- left channels, see [0136] which discloses that "a sound bar may play three channels of audio". Jarvis also teaches the use of two different wireless 1.5 networks as shown in Fig. 14 and [0155]-[0159], in particular a 5GHz star network 1408 and a 2.4GHz mesh network 1414 with corresponding transmission circuits, see Fig. 12, [0137] "Spectrum 1 interface 1204" and "Spectrum 2 interface 1206". Jarvis further discloses that a subset of the audio channels may be sent via the star network 1408 to satellite loudspeakers and a subwoofer, see [0157]-[0158]. Also, the distribution of audio channels to other zone players via the mesh network 1414 for synchronized playback is disclosed in [0156].
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features disclosed by Jarvis into the teaching of Jacobsen in order to the number of wireless reception circuits.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Jacobsen and Jarvis teaches wherein the main audio device comprises a main host device configured to:
transmit a control signal for controlling an operation of the first transmission circuit and the second transmission circuit (see Jacobsen [0036]-[0042]),
transmit the first audio data corresponding to the plurality of first channels to the first transmission circuit, and transmit the second audio data corresponding to the plurality of second channels to the second transmission circuit (see Jacobsen [0036-0042], see also [0050]-[0055] for control of wireless transmission).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Jacobsen and Jarvis teaches wherein the main host device comprises:
a controller configured to transmit the control signal the first transmission circuit and the second transmission circuit (see Jacobsen [0036]-[0042]); and
an audio data transmitter (the examiner is interpreting this broadly and may read on any internal connection (e.g., data bus) on the main hosting device by which the two transmission circuits are provided with the data to be transmitted, see Jacobsen [0097]) configured to transmit the first audio data and the second audio data (see Jacobsen [0097]).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Jacobsen and Jarvis teaches wherein the first transmission circuit comprises: a storage configured to store firmware ( see [0082]) for operating a transmission module; and a communication circuit configured to: establish a connection with the first reception circuit and the second reception circuit, and transmit the first wireless audio signal to the first reception circuit and the second reception circuit (see Jacobsen [0036-0042], see also [0050]-[0055] for control of wireless transmission), based on the control signal received from the main host device see Jacobsen [0036]-[0042]) being a signal to operate in a left mode (see Jacobsen [0015]. For the claimed "left mode", note that configuring the reception circuits according to their positions within a
surround sound system is also implicitly done in the system of Jacobsen).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Jacobsen and Jarvis teaches wherein the second transmission circuit comprises: a storage configured to store firmware (see [0082]) for operating a transmission module; and a communication circuit configured to: establish a connection with the third reception circuit, and transmit the second wireless audio signal to the third reception circuit (see Jacobsen [0036-0042], see also [0050]-[0055] for control of wireless transmission), based on the control signal received from the main host device being a signal to operate in a right mode (see Jacobsen [0015]). For the claimed "right mode", note that configuring the reception circuits according to their positions within a surround sound system is also implicitly done in the system of Jacobsen).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Jacobsen and Jarvis teaches wherein the first audio data corresponding to the plurality of first channels comprises: audio data corresponding to a rear left channel output from the rear left of a user in all directions; audio data corresponding to a rear top left channel output from the rear left of the user in an up direction; audio data corresponding to a rear side left channel output from the rear left of the user in a lateral direction; and audio data corresponding to a sub-woofer channel corresponding to low-pitched sound”. Note that Jacobsen teaches surround system as shown in Fig. 15 and [0103] and that the subwoofer channel can be transmitted via the wireless link, see [0103].
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Jacobsen and Jarvis teaches wherein the second audio data corresponding to the plurality of second channels comprises: audio data corresponding to a rear right channel output from the rear right of a user in all directions; audio data corresponding to a rear top right channel output from the rear right of the user in an up direction; and audio data corresponding to a rear side right channel output from the rear right of the user in a lateral direction. Note that Jacobsen teaches surround system as shown in Fig. 15 and [0103] and that the subwoofer channel can be transmitted via the wireless link, see [0103].
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Jacobsen and Jarvis teaches wherein the first auxiliary audio device comprises a first auxiliary host device configured to: transmit a control signal for controlling the first reception circuit (see Jacobsen [0036]-[0042]), and receive the third audio data corresponding to the three channels among the plurality of first channels from the first reception circuit (see Jarvis [0136]-[0137] and [0155]-[0159]).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Jacobsen and Jarvis teaches wherein the first reception circuit comprises: a storage configured to store firmware ( see [0082]) for operating a reception module; and a communication circuit configured to: establish a connection with the first transmission circuit, receive the first wireless audio signal from the first transmission circuit, and extract the third audio data corresponding to the three channels among the plurality of first channels from the first wireless audio signal to provide the extracted audio data to the first auxiliary host device (see Jacobsen [0036-0042], see also [0050]-[0055] for control of wireless transmission), based on the control signal received from the first auxiliary host device being a signal to operate in a rear left mode (see Jacobsen [0015]). For the claimed "left mode", note that configuring the reception circuits according to their positions within a surround sound system is also implicitly done in the system of Jacobsen).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Jacobsen and Jarvis teaches wherein the second auxiliary audio device comprises a second auxiliary host device configured to: transmit a control signal for controlling the second reception circuit (see Jacobsen [0036]-[0042]) and receive the fourth audio data corresponding to the one channel among the plurality of first channels from the second reception circuit (see Jarvis [0136]-[0137] and [0155]-[0159]).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Jacobsen and Jarvis teaches wherein the second reception circuit comprises: a storage configured to store firmware for operating a reception module; and a communication circuit configured to: establish a connection with the first transmission circuit, receive the first wireless audio signal from the first transmission circuit, and extract the fourth audio data corresponding to the one channel among the plurality of first channels from the first wireless audio signal to provide the extracted audio data to the second auxiliary host device, based on the control signal received from the second auxiliary host device being a signal to operate in a sub-woofer mode. Note that Jacobsen teaches surround system as shown in Fig. 15 and [0103] and that the subwoofer channel can be transmitted via the wireless link, see [0103].
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Jacobsen and Jarvis teaches wherein the third auxiliary audio device comprises a third auxiliary host device configured to: transmit a control signal for controlling the third reception circuit (see Jacobsen [0036]-[0042]) and receive the fifth audio data corresponding to the three channels among the plurality of second channels from the third reception circuit (see Jarvis [0136]-[0137] and [0155]-[0159]).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Jacobsen and Jarvis teaches wherein the third reception circuit comprises: a storage configured to store firmware (see [0082]) for operating a reception module; and a communication circuit configured to: establish a connection with the second transmission circuit, receive the second wireless audio signal from the second transmission circuit, and extract the fifth audio data corresponding to the three channels among the plurality of second channels from the second wireless audio signal to provide the extracted audio data to the third auxiliary host device (see Jacobsen [0036-0042], see also [0050]-[0055] for control of wireless transmission), based on the control signal received from the third auxiliary host device being a signal to operate in a rear right mode (see Jacobsen [0015]). For the claimed "right mode", note that configuring the reception circuits according to their positions within a surround sound system is also implicitly done in the system of Jacobsen).
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Jacobsen and Jarvis teaches wherein the first transmission circuit, the second transmission circuit, the first reception circuit, the second reception circuit, and the third reception circuit are all configured in a same module, wherein the module is configured to: operate as a transmission module based on a control signal received from the main audio device, or a control signal received; or operate as a reception module based on control signal received from the main audio device (note that Jarvis teaches that the various zone players and playback devices can be configured in a flexible manner either as transmitter (audio source) or receiver (audio sink), see e.g., [0033]).
Conclusion
4. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Rasha S. AL-Aubaidi whose telephone number is (571) 272-7481. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Ahmad Matar, can be reached on (571) 272-7488.
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/RASHA S AL AUBAIDI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2693