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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities: it recites "faulty information related to a faulty of the drive source of the watercraft body"; however, it should recite "fault information related to a fault of the drive source of the watercraft body". Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 13 is objected to because of the following informalities: it recites "by the processing circuity"; however, it should recite " by the processing circuitry". Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, and 10–13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sheedy et al (US 2018/0317004 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Sheedy discloses a watercraft (boat 100) comprising:
a watercraft body (Sheedy discloses a boat 100 having a hull 110 (with bow 112, transom 114, and port and starboard sides 116, 118) and a deck 170 including a floor 172 (Sheedy, [0035], [0044]; Figs. 1–2).);
a speaker supported by the watercraft body and exposed to an external environment (Sheedy discloses a plurality of speakers 210 positioned throughout the boat, including tower speakers 212 attached to the tower 160 (underside of header 166) and positioned to project sound in an aft direction outside of the boat to a watersport participant, and bow speakers 214 located in the open bow seating area 132 (Sheedy, [0047]–[0048]; Figs. 1, 15, 21). The tower and bow speakers are mounted in open areas of the boat and are thereby exposed to the external environment; Sheedy further confirms the speakers are "marine grade speakers designed for the marine environment" (Sheedy, [0050]).); and
processing circuitry supported by the watercraft body (Sheedy discloses the boat's onboard control system 500 including a microprocessor-based controller 510 (processor 512 and memory 514), together with a digital signal processing unit 240 having its own processor and memory, all mounted on the boat and communicatively coupled to the speakers via an amplifier 242 (Sheedy, [0070]–[0071], [0121], [0130]; Figs. 16, 21).), wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
acquire status information indicating a status of the watercraft (Sheedy discloses the controller 510 acquires the active operating mode of the boat, where "each different mode corresponds to a different activity" and each mode corresponds to particular operating/environmental conditions of the boat (Sheedy, [0076], [0123]). The controller receives the boat's speed from a GPS system 562 and the engine speed from the engine 550 (Sheedy, [0083]–[0084]), and automatically switches modes based on measured boat speed — e.g., it "may automatically switch from the chill mode to the drive mode when the speed of the boat exceeds a predetermined speed" (Sheedy, [0079]). The several modes correspond to defined boat-speed/movement states (drive mode at planing speeds higher than 20 mph, [0125]; surf mode at 9–12 mph, [0127]; wake mode at 18–25 mph, [0128]). This acquired boat-speed / operating-mode information constitutes status information indicating a status of the watercraft, corresponding to the "watercraft speed information" / "movement state" species at [0074] of the instant application.);
acquire sound information (Sheedy discloses the audio system 200 receives an audio signal from an audio source 230 (e.g., AM/FM radio, satellite radio, digital media player, streaming service, or CD), and the controller 510 receives that audio signal (Sheedy, [0120]–[0121]).);
based on the sound information, generate a speaker driving current that allows the speaker to emit a sound (Sheedy teaches the digital signal processing unit 240 processes the received audio signal and outputs it to the amplifier 242, which, drawing power from the battery 554, amplifies the audio signal and transmits the amplified audio signal to each speaker 212, 214, 216, 218, 220, "which in turn produces the audio sound" (Sheedy, [0130]; Fig. 21). The amplifier's generation and delivery of the amplified audio signal driving the speakers reads on generating a speaker driving current that allows the speaker to emit a sound.); and
modify the speaker driving current based on the status information (Sheedy discloses the digital signal processing unit 240 generates an adjusted audio signal that "compensates for at least one environmental condition associated with an operating condition of the boat" by selecting subranges of frequencies that are dependent on the mode and adjusting the gain of those selected subranges (Sheedy, [0119], [0123]; Fig. 22, steps S815–S825). Because each mode corresponds to a particular operational condition (and associated boat speed and ambient/operational noise), the subrange and gain adjustments differ by mode — for example, in the drive mode (planing speeds higher than 20 mph) the bow speakers are set to compensate for high wind noise by adjusting the high- and mid-frequency subranges, whereas in the chill mode (boat not moving) none of the subranges are modified (Sheedy, [0124]–[0128]). Adjusting the gain of the audio signal that ultimately drives the speakers, as a function of the acquired mode/speed status information, reads on modifying the speaker driving current based on the status information.).
Regarding claim 2, Sheedy discloses the watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the status information includes at least information related to a movement state of the watercraft body or information related to an alert state of operation of the watercraft (Sheedy discloses the controller 510 receives the boat's speed from the GPS system 562 and the engine speed from the engine 550 ([0083]–[0084]), and this movement state information is used to control the boat, including automatically switching operating modes when boat speed crosses a threshold ([0079]) — which in turn governs the per mode audio signal adjustment of claim 1 ([0123]–[0128]).).
Regarding claim 10, Sheedy discloses the watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: based on the status information, set a frequency band for which the processing circuitry performs sound quality adjustment (Sheedy's digital signal processing unit 240 divides the audio spectrum into a plurality of frequency subranges (Sheedy, [0122]; Table 1) and, based on the boat's operating mode/status, selects one or more (but not all) of those subranges to be adjusted: "The subranges selected in step S815 are based on the mode, and the adjustments are made to compensate for the environmental conditions of that mode" (Sheedy, [0123]; Fig. 22, step S815). For example, in the drive mode the selected subranges for the bow speakers include the high frequency ranges (presence and brilliance) and the mid frequency ranges, and in the surf mode the selected subrange for the cockpit speakers is the mid frequency range (Sheedy, [0125], [0127]). Selecting, based on the status information, the frequency subrange(s) in which the audio is to be adjusted reads on setting a frequency band for which the processing circuitry performs sound quality adjustment.); and accentuate or attenuate a sound component included in the sound information and falling within the set frequency band (Sheedy adjusts the selected subrange(s) "by modifying the gain of frequencies in the subrange to compensate for environmental conditions" (Sheedy, [0123], step S820), such that the selected subranges are "accentuated or attenuated" relative to the other subranges (Sheedy, [0125] describing the mode-dependent subrange gain adjustments; [0129] combining the "adjusted subrange frequencies" with the "unmodified subrange frequencies" to produce the adjusted audio signal). Modifying the gain of (i.e., accentuating or attenuating) the sound components of the audio signal falling within the set frequency subrange reads on this limitation.).
Regarding claim 11, Sheedy discloses the watercraft according to claim 1, further comprising a meter display supported by the watercraft body (Sheedy discloses the control system 500 includes at least one display screen 520 (a center display 522 and a side display 524) mounted at the top of the dash 320 of the boat's control console 300, which is supported by the control console support 176 of the boat's deck (Sheedy, [0072]; Figs. 3, 16). The center display 522 resembles instrument gauges, containing a digital speedometer gauge and a digital tachometer gauge (Sheedy, [0083]–[0084]), and is thus a meter display supported by the watercraft body.), wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to display the status information on the meter display (Sheedy discloses the controller 510 displays the boat's status information on the center display 522, including the speed of the boat 100 received from the GPS system 562 (displayed on the digital speedometer gauge 610), the engine speed received from the engine 550 (displayed on the digital tachometer gauge 620), the engine temperature, the remaining fuel level, the battery voltage, and the currently active mode (Sheedy, [0083]–[0084], [0089]). Displaying this boat status information — which corresponds to the "watercraft speed information," "rotational speed information," "fuel information," and related status information of the instant application (see [0074])—on the display reads on displaying the status information on the meter display.).
Regarding claim 12, Sheedy discloses the watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the status information includes at least one piece of information selected from the group consisting of: watercraft speed information related to a speed of the watercraft body; rotational speed information related to a rotational speed of a drive source of the watercraft body; attitude information related to an attitude of the watercraft body; information related to a steering angle of the watercraft body; turning information related to a turning state of the watercraft body; faulty information related to a faulty of the drive source of the watercraft body; fuel information related to a remaining amount of fuel of the drive source of the watercraft body; location information related to a geographical location of the watercraft body; information related to a status of a person on board the watercraft; and falling-overboard information related to occurrence of falling overboard in a body of water including the watercraft body (Sheedy discloses several members of the group: The controller 510 acquires watercraft speed information related to a speed of the watercraft body — the speed of the boat 100 received from the GPS system 562 (Sheedy, [0083]); rotational speed information related to a rotational speed of a drive source of the watercraft body — the engine speed (RPM) of the engine 550 received from the engine (Sheedy, [0084]); fuel information related to a remaining amount of fuel of the drive source of the watercraft body — the fuel level received from a sensor in the fuel tank 558 (Sheedy, [0089]–[0090]); and location information related to a geographical location of the watercraft body — the boat's location received from the GPS system 562 (Sheedy, [0086]). As set forth in the rejection of claim 1, this status information is used by the processing circuitry as the basis for modifying the speaker driving current (Sheedy, [0121], [0123]–[0128]). Sheedy therefore discloses that the status information includes at least one piece of information from the recited group.).
Regarding claim 13, Sheedy discloses the watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the modifying the speaker driving current based on the status information by the processing circuitry includes: changing a sound volume included in the sound information based on the status information by the processing circuitry; accentuating or attenuating a sound component included in the sound information and falling within a given frequency band based on the status information by the processing circuity; or stopping outputting of the sound information based on the status information by the processing circuitry (Sheedy discloses the "accentuating or attenuating a sound component included in the sound information and falling within a given frequency band based on the status information" alternative: Sheedy's digital signal processing unit 240, based on the boat's operating mode/status, selects one or more frequency subranges and modifies the gain of the frequencies in the selected subrange(s) to compensate for the environmental conditions associated with that mode, thereby accentuating or attenuating those sound components relative to the unmodified subranges (Sheedy, [0122]–[0123], [0125], [0129]; Fig. 22, steps S815–S825). Selecting the subrange based on the mode/status and modifying its gain reads on accentuating or attenuating a sound component falling within a given frequency band based on the status information.).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 3, 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sheedy (US 2018/0317004 A1) in view of Jun (US 2004/0202337 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Sheedy discloses the watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the status information includes watercraft speed information related to a moving speed of the watercraft body (Sheedy discloses the controller 510 receives the boat's speed from the GPS system 562 (Sheedy, [0083]).), and the processing circuitry is further configured to: based on the watercraft speed information, determine whether the moving speed is higher than a predetermined speed threshold (Sheedy discloses the controller "compares the speed of the boat to a predetermined threshold (e.g., two miles per hour)" and acts upon the boat's speed exceeding that threshold (Sheedy, [0079]).).
However, Sheedy does not expressly disclose upon determining that the moving speed is higher than the speed threshold, allow a volume of the sound emitted from the speaker to be higher than in a case where the moving speed is determined to be not higher than the speed threshold. Sheedy recognizes that its higher-speed operating modes are accompanied by increased wind and engine noise that the audio output must overcome to remain audible, and adjusts the audio driving the speakers accordingly (Sheedy, [0118], [0125], [0127]–[0128]). Sheedy effects this compensation by adjusting the gain of selected frequency subranges and does not expressly state that the overall volume of the sound emitted from the speaker is made higher when the moving speed exceeds the threshold than when it does not.
Jun teaches a vehicle audio system that supplies this express volume behavior. Jun recognizes that "as the vehicle speed is increased, noise such as noise due to friction against wind, the vehicle's engine sound and frictional sound of the vehicle's tires is increased in proportion to the vehicle speed" (Jun, [0010]), and provides a microcomputer that automatically controls the volume of the audio device to output a volume corresponding to vehicle speed, keeping the audio at a uniform level relative to that speed-proportional noise (Jun, [0013]–[0014]). Specifically, a comparator determines a vehicle speed level by comparing the vehicle speed calculated in the vehicle calculation unit with limit values of the vehicle speed level (Jun, [0029]; claim 5), and, when the detected speed falls within a higher speed level, the volume controller outputs a positive volume modification value that increases the volume from the previously set volume — with larger increases at higher speed levels (Jun, [0030]–[0032]; Table 1). When the detected speed is out of (below) the range of speed levels, the modification value is "0" and the previously set volume is maintained (Jun, [0033]). Thus, Jun expressly teaches, upon determining that speed exceeds a predetermined threshold (limit value), allowing the emitted volume to be higher than when the speed is not above that threshold.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sheedy's speed-based audio control such that, upon the controller determining that the boat's moving speed is higher than the predetermined speed threshold, the volume of the sound emitted from the speaker is made higher than when the moving speed is not higher than the threshold, as taught by Jun. The motivation arises directly from Sheedy, which expressly recognizes that wind and engine noise increase at the boat's higher-speed operating modes and that the audio output must compensate to remain audible to occupants (Sheedy, [0118], [0125], [0127]–[0128]) — the same speed proportional noise problem Jun addresses (Jun, [0010]). Applying Jun's known speed dependent volume increase technique to Sheedy's boat audio system, which already determines whether boat speed exceeds a predetermined threshold (Sheedy, [0079]), predictably keeps the audio audible over the greater ambient noise present at higher boat speeds. This is the use of a known audio volume control technique to improve a similar boat audio system in the same way, yielding a predictable result with a reasonable expectation of success. Jun is analogous art, being at least reasonably pertinent to the problem confronting the inventor — maintaining audibility of speaker audio over speed-related wind/engine noise — and directed to the same vehicle audio volume control endeavor reflected in Sheedy's own audio system.
Regarding claim 9, Sheedy discloses the watercraft according to claim 1, but does not expressly disclose wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to, in response to a user action, enable or disable control in which the processing circuitry modifies the speaker driving current based on the status information.
Jun's audio system includes a mode-setting button "formed on the car audio device at a portion thereof, for allowing setting of an automatic volume control mode of the car audio device," and a microcomputer that automatically controls the audio volume based on vehicle speed "according to the automatic volume control mode set through the mode-setting button" (Jun, [0014]; claim 1). That is, in response to a user action (manipulating the mode-setting button 300), the user selects/activates the automatic mode in which the processing circuitry modifies the audio volume based on the status (vehicle speed) information (Jun, [0022]–[0023], [0035]). Jun thus teaches enabling, in response to a user action, the control in which the processing circuitry modifies the audio output based on status information — which satisfies the recited "enable or disable" limitation (recited in the alternative).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sheedy so that the processing circuitry, in response to a user action, enables or disables the control in which it modifies the speaker driving current based on the status information, as taught by Jun. The motivation to do so comes from Jun, which provides the user actuated mode-setting button so that the operator can control whether and how the automatic status-based audio adjustment is applied, thereby improving the driver's convenience (Jun, [0044]). Providing Sheedy's automatic status-based audio modification with a user actuated enable/disable control would predictably allow the boat operator to choose, according to preference, whether the audio is automatically adjusted based on the boat's status or is instead left unaltered — a predictable and well-understood way of giving the user control over an automatic feature, with a reasonable expectation of success. Jun is analogous art, being directed to automatic, status-based control of vehicle audio output and reasonably pertinent to the inventor's problem of providing user control over such automatic audio adjustment.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sheedy (US 2018/0317004 A1) in view of Dickey (US 2005/0163329 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Sheedy discloses the watercraft according to claim 1, but does not expressly disclose wherein the status information includes relative orientation information related to an orientation of an operator of the watercraft relative to the watercraft body, and the processing circuitry is further configured to, based on the relative orientation information, increase a volume of the sound emitted from the speaker with increasing amount of displacement of the operator relative to a straight line passing through the speaker and extending in a direction in which the speaker emits the sound.
Dickey, directed to controlling audio delivered to listeners by directional sound emitters, teaches these features. Dickey recognizes that for a directional emitter the perceived sound amplitude at a listener degrades as the listener moves away from the on-axis position, and compensates by "associating listener location with a unique angle of radiation from the emitter and then providing means to alter the emitter performance as a function of angle to provide a corrected amplitude at the listener" (Dickey, [0029]). Dickey accomplishes this with "a nonuniform amplitude distribution pattern from at least one of the emitters assemblies based upon the relative distances of the listener from the emitters" (Dickey, [0033]), such that as "the listener position moves further from the central axis 28, the compensation will increase" (Dickey, [0037]) — i.e., the acoustic energy (volume) directed to the listener is increased as the listener's displacement from the emitter's on-axis direction increases (Dickey, [0044], expressing the radiated amplitude of each emitter as a function of angle).
Dickey further teaches that the status information includes relative orientation information related to the orientation of a listener relative to the emitter. Specifically, Dickey's method locates the various listener positions by "associating listener location with a unique angle of radiation from the emitter" (Dickey, [0029]), and the emitter performance is altered "as a function of angle" of the listener relative to the emitter's on-axis direction (Dickey, [0029], [0044]). This angular location of the listener relative to the emitter's emission direction is relative orientation information related to the orientation of the listener relative to the sound-emitting device. In the combination with Sheedy — where the sound-emitting device is supported by the watercraft body and the listener is the operator of the watercraft — this relative orientation information is information related to the orientation of the operator relative to the watercraft body, and it is the information on which Dickey's volume compensation is based.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sheedy's directional boat audio system so that the processing circuitry acquires, as the status information, the relative orientation information described above (i.e., the operator's angular position relative to the directional speaker's emission axis, per Dickey [0029]) and increases the volume of the sound emitted from the speaker with increasing amount of that displacement, as taught by Dickey. The motivation flows from Sheedy itself: Sheedy deliberately aims its directional speakers at the operator's on-axis listening position to optimize the operator's listening experience (Sheedy, [0056]), and a skilled artisan would recognize that when the operator is displaced from that on-axis position, the perceived level drops because of the speaker's directivity. Applying Dickey's known off-axis level compensation — increasing the acoustic energy delivered as the listener's angular displacement from the emission axis increases (Dickey, [0029], [0037]) — to Sheedy's directional boat speakers would predictably maintain a consistent, audible perceived level for the operator despite the operator being displaced from the speaker's emission axis (which, on a boat, occurs as the operator's head shifts with changes in the boat's attitude or during turning). This is the application of a known audio-compensation technique to a known directional-speaker system ready for the improvement, yielding the predictable result of preserved audibility for an off-axis listener, with a reasonable expectation of success. Dickey is analogous art, being in the same field of endeavor of controlling loudspeaker audio delivered to listeners and reasonably pertinent to the inventor's problem of maintaining audibility of a directional speaker's output as the listener's position relative to the emission axis changes.
Claim(s) 5, 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sheedy (US 2018/0317004 A1) in view of Tsunoda (US 4,352,088).
Regarding claim 5, Sheedy discloses the watercraft according to claim 1, but does not expressly disclose wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to, based on the status information, cause the speaker to output alert information related to an alert state of operation of the watercraft as the sound information.
Tsunoda is directed to a voice warning system for a vehicle that warns the operator of various operational alert conditions — such as engine temperature, engine oil level, and brake oil level — "by means of speech instead of indicator lights or buzzers" (Tsunoda, col 1 ln 8-39). Upon one of the sensors 3 detecting an abnormal operational condition, an audio output unit 4 outputs voice warning information through a loudspeaker 5, and a controller 2 either cuts off or reduces (via a mixer 14 and resistor 15) the sound volume from the other audio equipment 1 so that the driver can hear the voice warning clearly (Tsunoda, col 2 ln 18–25, col 2 ln 38–51, col 2 ln 37–col 3 ln 32). Tsunoda expressly teaches that the same speaker used for the audio equipment is used to output the warning information — "the speaker for the audio equipment is also used for the warning system" (Tsunoda, col 3 ln 33–38; claim 4). Thus, Tsunoda teaches, based on a detected alert state, causing the speaker to output alert information related to the alert state as the sound information.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sheedy so that, based on the status information indicating an alert state of operation (e.g., the high-engine-temperature or low-fuel condition Sheedy already detects), the processing circuitry causes Sheedy's speaker to output alert information related to that alert state as the sound information, as taught by Tsunoda. The motivation arises directly from Sheedy, which emphasizes that the operator's attention while operating the boat should remain on the water and the boat's heading, without deviating to the display (Sheedy, [0072]); providing the alert audibly through the speaker — as Tsunoda teaches — would predictably ensure the operator perceives the alert state while maneuvering the watercraft even without looking at the display, and reducing or cutting off the entertainment audio during the warning (as Tsunoda teaches at col 2 ln 38–51, col 2 ln 62–col 3 ln 2) would ensure the alert is heard clearly. This is the combination of Tsunoda's known audible warning technique with Sheedy's known boat audio/control system, which already uses the speakers for program audio and already detects the alert conditions, to yield the predictable result of alerting the operator to an operational alert condition through the speaker, with a reasonable expectation of success. Tsunoda is analogous art, being in the field of vehicle audio/warning systems and reasonably pertinent to the inventor's problem of informing the operator of an alert state of operation of the vehicle.
Regarding claim 6, Sheedy in view of Tsunoda discloses the watercraft according to claim 5, wherein the alert information is sound information describing the alert state or sound information describing how to address the alert state (Tsunoda teaches the "sound information describing the alert state" alternative. Tsunoda outputs, through the speaker, voice warning information that informs the operator of the particular abnormal vehicle condition detected by the sensors — e.g., engine temperature, engine oil level, or brake oil level — "by means of speech instead of indicator lights or buzzers" (Tsunoda, col 1 ln 8–39, col 2 ln 18–25). Such speech that identifies and informs the operator of the specific detected condition is sound information describing the alert state. The reasons and motivation for combining Sheedy and Tsunoda set forth in the rejection of claim 5 apply equally here. As applied to Sheedy's watercraft, causing the speaker to output Tsunoda style voice warning information describing the alert state (for example, the high engine temperature condition Sheedy already detects at [0088]) would predictably inform the operator of the nature of the alert state audibly, without requiring the operator to divert attention to the display (Sheedy, [0072]), with a reasonable expectation of success.).
Claim(s) 7, 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sheedy (US 2018/0317004 A1) in view of Partheesh (US 2012/0172027 A1).
Regarding claim 7, Sheedy discloses the watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the status information includes location information indicating a self-location that is a geographical location of the watercraft body (Sheedy's controller 510 is communicatively coupled to a GPS system 562 and "receives the location of the boat 100 from the GPS system 562," using the boat's current geographical location to determine which portion of the navigation map 638 to display (Sheedy, [0086]).), but does not expressly disclose the processing circuitry is further configured to modify an output of the speaker driving current based on the location information.
Partheesh discloses modifying audio output based on geographical self-location. Partheesh describes a geofence service that performs automatic operations based on "the user's mobile device's current geographic location" as determined by the device's GPS geo-positioning capability (Partheesh, [0003], [0007]), wherein "the mobile device's volume...control settings are adjusted based on the user's location inside or outside a geofence" (Partheesh, Abstract; [0007]). In the phone-ringer application, the service "changes the volume setting as defined by the user" automatically when the user enters a particular geofence, and reverts the setting when the user leaves the geofence (Partheesh, [0030]). Partheesh further contemplates automatically controlling "a music player or other entertainment device setting" based on the user's arrival within a geofence (Partheesh, [0038], item (6)). Thus, Partheesh teaches processing circuitry that modifies the audio (speaker) output based on the device's geographical self-location.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sheedy so that the processing circuitry, in addition to using the GPS self-location for navigation, modifies an output of the speaker driving current based on that location information, as taught by Partheesh. Sheedy already acquires the boat's geographical self-location via its GPS system 562 (Sheedy, [0086]), so applying Partheesh's known technique of automatically adjusting the audio volume/setting as a function of geographic location relative to a geofence would require no additional sensing hardware and would predictably enable the boat's audio output to be automatically tailored to the boat's location. The motivation to do so is expressly provided by Partheesh, which teaches that automatic, location-based control of the volume setting spares the operator from having to remember to change these settings every time the operator enters or leaves a location (Partheesh, [0005], [0030]); this same convenience benefits the boat operator and is consistent with Sheedy's concern for minimizing operator distraction while maneuvering (Sheedy, [0072]). This is the application of a known location-based audio control technique to Sheedy's system, which already has the requisite location data, to yield the predictable result of location appropriate audio output, with a reasonable expectation of success. Partheesh is analogous art, being reasonably pertinent to the inventor's problem of controlling a device's speaker output based on the device's geographical location.
Regarding claim 8, Sheedy discloses the watercraft according to claim 1, but does not expressly disclose wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: determine whether the watercraft body is in a predetermined restricted area; and upon determining that the watercraft body is in the restricted area, allow a volume of the sound emitted from the speaker to be lower than in a case where the watercraft body is determined to be outside the restricted area.
Partheesh's geofence service defines a predetermined geographic boundary (a geofence) associated with a particular location (Partheesh, [0007], [0020]–[0021]), and tracks the device's geographic location relative to the selected geofence to determine whether the device is inside or outside of it (Partheesh, [0028]). Upon determining that the device has entered a particular geofence, the service automatically changes the volume setting to a lower/reduced setting (e.g., vibrate), and reverts to the higher setting when the device leaves the geofence (Partheesh, [0024], [0030]). Partheesh expressly applies this to predetermined areas where reduced sound output is appropriate — for example, an automatically-defined geofence "surrounding cinemas, where the user's mobile device automatically goes to vibrate when the user enters that location," or a geofence around a workplace requiring the phone to be silenced (Partheesh, [0024], [0030]). Thus, Partheesh teaches determining whether a device is in a predetermined restricted area and, upon so determining, allowing the volume to be lower than when the device is outside that area.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Sheedy so that the processing circuitry determines, based on the GPS self-location Sheedy already acquires (Sheedy, [0086]), whether the watercraft body is in a predetermined restricted area and, upon so determining, allows the volume of the sound emitted from the speaker to be lower than when the watercraft is outside that area, as taught by Partheesh. The motivation to do so is provided by Partheesh, which teaches that automatic, location-based reduction of audio volume upon entering a predetermined area where lower volume is appropriate relieves the user from having to remember to change the setting each time the area is entered or exited (Partheesh, [0005], [0024], [0030]); this same benefit accrues to the boat operator and is consistent with Sheedy's concern for minimizing operator distraction while maneuvering (Sheedy, [0072]). Because Sheedy already acquires the requisite geographical self-location, applying Partheesh's known geofence-based volume reduction technique would require no additional sensing hardware and would predictably yield automatic reduction of the boat's speaker volume within a predetermined restricted area, with a reasonable expectation of success. Partheesh is analogous art, being reasonably pertinent to the inventor's problem of controlling a device's speaker output based on the device's geographical location.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAJSHEED O BLACK-CHILDRESS whose telephone number is (571)270-7838. The examiner can normally be reached M to F, 10am to 5pm.
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, Quan-Zhen Wang can be reached at (571) 272-3114. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/RAJSHEED O BLACK-CHILDRESS/Examiner, Art Unit 2685
Prosecution Insights