Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED ACTION
Introduction
2. This action responds to the applicant elects, without traverse, Group I ( claims 1-12) and claims 13- 20 have been canceled and claims 21-28 have been added, filed on 04-24-2026. Claims 1-12 and 21-28 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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.
4. 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.
(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.
5. Claims 1-6, 8, 10-12, 21-26 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a (2) as being anticipated by Thomas et al. (US 2024/0381046).
Consider Claim 1, Thomas teaches a computing system comprising:
at least one memory(see fig. 1B(165)); at least one hardware processor coupled to the at least one memory; and one or more computer readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions, that, when executed, cause the computing system to perform audio configuration operations that improve audio quality, the audio configuration operations(see figs. 1A-2B and paragraphs[0036]-[0037]) comprising:
generating a first audio configuration signal(see fig. 1B(110));
sending(see fig. 1B(111)) the first audio configuration signal to be rendered by a first speaker device;
receiving(see figs. 1A, 2B)) first audio output generated by the first speaker device in response to the first audio configuration signal;
performing digital processing on the first audio output to generate at least a first value for at least a first audio quality metric(see figs. 1A-2B, 21 and paragraphs[0128]-[0131]);
using the at least a first value for the at least a first audio quality metric, determining at least a first value for attenuating at least a first audio frequency(see figs. 1A-11 and paragraphs[0163]-[0166]);
storing the at least a first value in association with an identifier of the first speaker device(see figs. 1A-7 and paragraphs[0206]-[0212]); and
determining at least a first gain compensation for a second speaker device for the at least a first audio frequency, wherein a value of the at least a first gain compensation is determined using the at least a first value for attenuating the at least a first audio frequency(see figs. 1A-11, 21-23E, 36 and paragraphs[0545]-[0564]).
Consider Claims 2 and 3, Thomas teaches the computing system wherein the first audio output is recorded by a first microphone of the first speaker device(see figs. 1A-2B and paragraphs[0036]-[0037]); and the computing system wherein the first audio configuration signal generates at least one frequency within each of multiple frequency bands(see figs. 5-11, 18-22 and paragraphs[0226]-[0304]).
Consider Claims 4 and 5, Thomas teaches the computing system wherein the multiple frequency bands comprise a low frequency band, a middle frequency band, and a high frequency band(see figs. 5-11, 18-22 and paragraphs[0226]-[0304]); and the computing system wherein the at least a first audio frequency is within a range of 20 Hz to 250 Hz(see figs. 5-11, 18-22 and paragraphs[0724])...
Consider Claims 6 and 8, Thomas teaches the computing system wherein the at least a first audio quality metric characterizes mechanical vibration in the first speaker device(see figs. 1A-11 and paragraphs[0163]-[0166]); and the computing system wherein the at least a first quality metric characterizes echo distortion in the first speaker device( see. figs. 25B-26 and paragraphs[0383]-[0393]).
Consider Claim 10, Thomas teaches the computing system wherein the second speaker device reproduces low frequency sounds with less distortion than the first speaker device for a same sound pressure level(see figs. 5-11, 18-22 and paragraphs[0226]-[0304]).
Consider Claim 11, Thomas teaches the computing system the operations further comprising: generating a second audio configuration signal, where the second audio configuration signal is the first audio configuration signal or is different than the first audio configuration signal; sending the second audio configuration signal to be rendered by the second speaker device; receiving second audio output generated by the second speaker device in response to the second audio configuration signal; performing digital processing on the second audio output to generate at least a second value for at least a second audio quality metric, wherein the at least a second audio quality metric is the at least a first audio quality metric or is an audio quality metric different than the at least a first audio quality metric; using the at least a second value for the at least a second audio quality metric, determining at least a second value for attenuating at least a second audio frequency; storing the at least a second value in association with an identifier of the second speaker device; and determining at least a second gain compensation for the first speaker device for the at least a second audio frequency, where a value of the at least a second gain compensation is determined using the at least a second value for attenuating the at least a second audio frequency(see figs. 1A-11, 21-23E, 36 and paragraphs[0545]-[0564]).
Consider Claim 12, Thomas teaches the computing system the operations further comprising: after receiving the first audio output, applying echo compensation to the first audio output to provide first echo-compensated audio output, wherein the digital processing is performed on the first echo-compensated audio output( figs. 25B-26 and paragraphs[ 0383}-[0393]).
Consider Claim 21, Thomas teaches a method of improving audio quality, implemented in a computing system comprising at least one memory and at least one hardware processor coupled to the at least one memory(see figs. 1A-2B and paragraphs[0036]-[0037]), the method comprising:
generating a first audio configuration signal(see fig. 1B(110));
sending(see fig. 1B(111)) the first audio configuration signal to be rendered by a first speaker device;
receiving(see figs. 1A, 2B)) first audio output generated by the first speaker device in response to the first audio configuration signal;
performing digital processing on the first audio output to generate at least a first value for at least a first audio quality metric(see figs. 1A-2B, 21 and paragraphs[0128]-[0131]);
using the at least a first value for the at least a first audio quality metric, determining at least a first value for attenuating at least a first audio frequency(see figs. 1A-11 and paragraphs[0163]-[0166]);
storing the at least a first value in association with an identifier of the first speaker device(see figs. 1A-7 and paragraphs[0206]-[0212]); and
determining at least a first gain compensation for a second speaker device for the at least a first audio frequency, wherein a value of the at least a first gain compensation is determined using the at least a first value for attenuating the at least a first audio frequency(see figs. 1A-11, 21-23E, 36 and paragraphs[0545]-[0564]).
Consider Claims 22 and 23, Thomas teaches the method wherein the first audio output is recorded by a first microphone of the first speaker device(see figs. 1A-2B and paragraphs[0036]-[0037]); and the method wherein the first audio configuration signal generates at least one frequency within each of multiple frequency bands(see figs. 5-11, 18-22 and paragraphs[0226]-[0304]).
Consider Claims 24 and 25, Thomas teaches the method wherein the multiple frequency bands comprise a low frequency band, a middle frequency band, and a high frequency band(see figs. 5-11, 18-22 and paragraphs[0226]-[0304]); and the method system, wherein the at least a first audio frequency is within a range of 20 Hz to 250 Hz(see figs. 5-11, 18-22 and paragraphs[0724]).
Consider Claim 26, Thomas teaches the method system wherein the at least a first audio quality metric characterizes mechanical vibration in the first speaker device(see figs. 1A-11 and paragraphs[0163]-[0166]).
Consider Claim 28, Thomas teaches one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media (see fig. 2) comprising: computer executable instructions that, when executed by a computing system comprising at least one memory and at least one hardware processor coupled to the at least one memory(see figs. 1A-2B and paragraphs[0036]-[0037]),
cause the computing system to generate a first audio configuration signal(see fig. 1B(110)); computer executable instructions that, when executed by the computing system
cause the computing system to send the first audio configuration signal to be rendered by a first speaker device; computer executable instructions that, when executed by the computing system(see figs. 1A-2B, 21 and paragraphs[0128]-[0131]),
cause the computing system to receive first audio output generated by the first speaker device in response to the first audio configuration signal; computer executable instructions that, when executed by the computing system(see figs. 1A-11 and paragraphs[0163]-[0166]),
cause the computing system to perform digital processing on the first audio output to generate at least a first value for at least a first audio quality metric(see figs. 1A-2B, 21 and paragraphs[0128]-[0131]);
computer executable instructions that, when executed by the computing system, cause the computing system to, using the at least a first value for the at least a first audio quality metric(see figs. 1A-11 and paragraphs[0163]-[0166]);
determine at least a first value for attenuating at least a first audio frequency; computer executable instructions that, when executed by the computing system,
cause the computing system to store the at least a first value in association with an identifier of the first speaker device; and computer executable instructions that, when executed by the computing system(see figs. 1A-7 and paragraphs[0206]-[0212]),
cause the computing system to determine at least a first gain compensation for a second speaker device for the at least a first audio frequency, wherein a value of the at least a first gain compensation is determined using the at least a first value for attenuating the at least a first audio frequency(see figs. 1A-11, 21-23E, 36 and paragraphs[0545]-[0564]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
9. Claims 7 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Thomas et al. (US 2024/0381046) in view of Zhang et al. (US 2010/0074433).
Consider Claim 7, Thomas teaches the computing system the operations further comprising: receiving a request to initiate a software application; determining that the first speaker device and the second speaker device are used by the software application; retrieving the at least a first value for attenuating the at least a first frequency and the value of the at least a first gain compensation; rendering audio for a teleconference, the rendering comprising receiving an audio signal; attenuating the at least a first audio frequency in the audio signal and sending an attenuated audio signal to the first speaker device; and increasing a gain of the at least a first audio frequency in the audio signal and sending a gain-increased audio signal, having the at least a first gain compensation value applied to the at least a first audio frequency, to the second speaker device(see figs. 1A-11, 21-23E, 36 and paragraphs[0545]-[0564]); but Thomas does not explicitly teach a teleconferencing .
However, Zhang teaches the computing system the operations further comprising: receiving a request to initiate a teleconferencing software application; determining that the first speaker device and the second speaker device are used by the teleconferencing software application; retrieving the at least a first value for attenuating the at least a first frequency and the value of the at least a first gain compensation; rendering audio for a teleconference, the rendering comprising receiving an audio signal; attenuating the at least a first audio frequency in the audio signal and sending an attenuated audio signal to the first speaker device; and increasing a gain of the at least a first audio frequency in the audio signal and sending a gain-increased audio signal, having the at least a first gain compensation value applied to the at least a first audio frequency, to the second speaker device(see figs. 1-8 and paragraphs[0035]- [0045]).
Therefore, it would have obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date the invention was made to combine the teaching of Zhang in to the teaching of Thomas to provide a multi-party spatial audio conferencing system is configured to receive far end signals from remote participants. The system comprises a speaker array that outputs spatialized sound signals and one or more microphones that capture and relay a sound signal comprising an echo of the spatialized sound signal to a multichannel acoustic echo cancellation (MC-AEC) unit having a plurality of echo cancellers. Respective echo cancellers perform cancellation of an echo associated with a far end signal from one of the multiple participants according to an algorithm based upon echo cancellation coefficients. The echo cancellation coefficients are determined from the input channel signals, the spatialization parameters associated with each input channel, and the audio signals captured by the microphones. This allows respective echo cancellation filters to be updated simultaneously even though the corresponding remote participant is not talking.
Consider Claim 27, Thomas teaches the method system the operations further comprising: receiving a request to initiate a software application; determining that the first speaker device and the second speaker device are used by the software application; retrieving the at least a first value for attenuating the at least a first frequency and the value of the at least a first gain compensation; rendering audio for a teleconference, the rendering comprising receiving an audio signal; attenuating the at least a first audio frequency in the audio signal and sending an attenuated audio signal to the first speaker device; and increasing a gain of the at least a first audio frequency in the audio signal and sending a gain-increased audio signal, having the at least a first gain compensation value applied to the at least a first audio frequency, to the second speaker device(see figs. 1A-11, 21-23E, 36 and paragraphs[0545]-[0564]); but Thomas does not explicitly teach a teleconferencing .
However, Zhang teaches the method system the operations further comprising: receiving a request to initiate a teleconferencing software application; determining that the first speaker device and the second speaker device are used by the teleconferencing software application; retrieving the at least a first value for attenuating the at least a first frequency and the value of the at least a first gain compensation; rendering audio for a teleconference, the rendering comprising receiving an audio signal; attenuating the at least a first audio frequency in the audio signal and sending an attenuated audio signal to the first speaker device; and increasing a gain of the at least a first audio frequency in the audio signal and sending a gain-increased audio signal, having the at least a first gain compensation value applied to the at least a first audio frequency, to the second speaker device(see figs. 1-8 and paragraphs[0035]- [0045]).
Therefore, it would have obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date the invention was made to combine the teaching of Zhang in to the teaching of Thomas to provide a multi-party spatial audio conferencing system is configured to receive far end signals from remote participants. The system comprises a speaker array that outputs spatialized sound signals and one or more microphones that capture and relay a sound signal comprising an echo of the spatialized sound signal to a multichannel acoustic echo cancellation (MC-AEC) unit having a plurality of echo cancellers. Respective echo cancellers perform cancellation of an echo associated with a far end signal from one of the multiple participants according to an algorithm based upon echo cancellation coefficients. The echo cancellation coefficients are determined from the input channel signals, the spatialization parameters associated with each input channel, and the audio signals captured by the microphones. This allows respective echo cancellation filters to be updated simultaneously even though the corresponding remote participant is not talking.
10. Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Thomas et al. (US 2024/0381046) in view of Snook et al. (WO 2023/081534 A1).
Consider Claim 9, Thomas does not explicitly teach the computing system wherein the first audio configuration signal comprises a step sweep signal or a chirp signal.
However, Snook teaches the computing system wherein the first audio configuration signal comprises a step sweep signal or a chirp signal (see figs. 1-8 and paragraphs[0068]- [0070]).
Therefore, it would have obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date the invention was made to combine the teaching of Snook in to the teaching of Thomas to provide a process may include detecting, via a controller, one or more microphones and one or more speakers in an area, measuring audio performance levels of the one or more microphones and the one or more speakers to identify one or more of a noise floor and a reverberation level, identifying an initial room performance rating based on the audio performance levels, applying optimized speaker tuning levels to the one or more speakers and the one or more microphones, measuring, via the one or more microphones, optimized audio performance levels of the one or more speakers based on the applied optimized speaker tuning levels, and generating a report to identify an optimized room performance rating based on the applied optimized speaker tuning.
Conclusion
11. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Pandey et al. (US 2021/0098015) is cited to show other related the COOPERATIVE AUDIO FREQUENCY REPRODUCTION FOR SPEAKER DEVICES.
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/LUN-SEE LAO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691 US Patent and Trademark Office
Knox
571-272-7501
Date 05-17-2026
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