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 .
Status of Application
This communication is responsive to the applicant's application filed 04/10/2024.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bleacher et al (US-2016/0286316, hereinafter, Bleacher).
Regarding claim 1, Bleacher discloses a headrest apparatus (120, see Fig. 1), comprising: a first audio rendering device embedded at a first position in the headrest apparatus; a second audio rendering device embedded at a second position in the headrest apparatus (speakers 102 are a plurality of speakers, see para [0007], [0037]); a processor (100); and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores a plurality of processor-executable instructions which upon execution by the processor cause the processor to: receive, from an electronic device (media player 110), an audio portion of a media content (see para [0038]); determine a plurality of audio channel signals from the received audio portion, wherein the determined plurality of audio channel signals comprises at least a first set of audio channel signals corresponding to a set of rear audio channel signals of the audio portion (see para [0037], where the spatial surround 3D, 5:1, 7:1 or 9:1 including the determined plurality of audio channel signals comprises at least a first set of audio channel signals corresponding to a set of rear audio channel signals of the audio portion); control the first audio rendering device to output a first audio channel signal of the first set of audio channel signals; and control the second audio rendering device to output a second audio channel signal of the first set of audio channel signals (see para [0037], where each of the plurality of speakers is to simulates the different output channels of the 3D, 5:1, 7:1 or 9:1 spatial surround sound).
Regarding claim 2, Bleacher discloses the processor is configured to transmit a control command to the electronic device, wherein the electronic device is configured to control a set of audio rendering devices associated with the electronic device, to output a second set of audio channel signals of the plurality of audio channel signals, based on the transmitted control command (see Fig. 3, processor 300, and para [0046], [0047]).
Regarding claim 3, the 3D, 5:1, 7:1 or 9:1 spatial surround sound discloses by Bleacher is generally including a set of front audio channel signals.
Regarding claim 4, Bleacher discloses the processor is configured to transmit a control command to the electronic device, wherein the electronic device is configured to control a set of audio rendering devices associated with the electronic device, to output a second set of audio channel signals of the plurality of audio channel signals, based on the transmitted control command (see para [0044]).
Regarding claim 5, Bleacher discloses the processor is further configured to: control the first audio capture device to capture a voice signal associated with a voice of a user associated with the headrest apparatus; and transmit the captured voice signal to the electronic device (see Fig. 6, and para [0064]).
Regarding claim 6, see noise cancelling/reduction module 355 in Fig. 3, and para [0039], [0040], [0048], [0049].
Regarding claim 7, Bleacher discloses the headdress apparatus further comprising a set of control interfaces, and wherein the processor is further configured to communicate with the set of control interfaces to control at least one of: a power supply to the headrest apparatus, a power supply to at least one of a first audio capture device or a second audio capture device, a network connection between the headrest apparatus and the electronic device, a playback of the first set of audio channel signals, one or more audio signal parameters associated with the first set of audio channel signals, and one or more audio rendering device parameters associated with at least one of the first audio rendering device and the second audio rendering device (see Fig. 2, para [0042]-[0044]).
Regarding claim 8, Bleacher discloses the audio signal parameters are being process with audio phase shift to emulate 3D, 5:1, 7:1 or 9:1 spatial surround sound (see para [0037]) which is frequency and bandwidth processing associate with the first set of audio channel signals to generate ambient sound, surround effects, and bass or sub-bass spatial surround sound for outputting to the plurality of speakers or audio rendering devices.
Regarding claim 9, Bleacher discloses the plurality of speakers or audio rendering devices for generating the 3D, 5:1, 7:1 or 9:1 spatial surround sound is including a bass (the “.1” bass or sub-bass channel) associated with at least one of the first speaker/audio rendering device or the second speaker/audio rendering device.
Regarding claim 10, Bleacher discloses the headrest apparatus is used in a car, a train, a bus or other vehicle, and the headrest apparatus is generally detachable attached to a seating apparatus of the car.
Regarding claim 11, Bleacher discloses the headrest apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determined plurality of audio channel signals further comprises a third set of audio channel signals, and wherein the third set of audio channel signals corresponds to a set of center audio channel signals (the 3D, 5:1, 7:1 or 9:1 spatial surround sound is generally including a set of center audio channel signals).
Method claims 12-19, and 20 are rejected for the same reasoning as set forth for the rejection of apparatus claims 1-6, 11, and 7 since the apparatus claims perform the same functions as the method claims. Regarding claim 20, Bleacher in para [0084] discloses a non-transitory CRM for storing computer-executable instructions executed by the headrest apparatus of claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Boothe et al, Laury et al, Kim, Riopel, House, Oswald, Oswald et al, Yokota, Holmi et al, Hufnagel, and Nordskog disclose various headrest apparatus for spatial audio sound reproduction.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XU MEI whose telephone number is (571)272-7523. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 10-6:30 est.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vivian Chin can be reached on 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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/XU MEI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695 06/17/2026
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