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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) were submitted on 10/09/2024 and 01/03/2026. The submissions are 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 § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
Regarding claim 1: this claim recites steps “determining a left magnitude of the audio source (LSk) and a right magnitude of the audio source (RSk)”, “determining an amplitude difference (Dk) between the LSk and the RSk”, “calculating a temporal derivative d(Dk) of the Dk”, “determining an average of LSk and RSk to obtain a mid-channel spectrogram (MCSk)”, “normalizing the MCSk based on a sum of mid-channel spectrograms for each of the separated audio sources (MCS1+ MCS2+ … +MCSn) to obtain a normalized value (Rk)”, “dividing d(DK) by Rk to obtain a confidence map, wherein different regions of the confidence map are associated with respective likelihood values that indicate a respective likelihood that the region corresponds to a spatial artifact”, “computing a blending weight by scaling and clipping the confidence map; and combining the MCSk, the blending weight, and the Lt to obtain a left modified channel”, and “combining the MCSk, the blending weight, and the Rt to obtain a right modified channel”. The broadest reasonable interpretation of claim 1 is a method of modifying an audio stream (audio data) using a sequence of mathematical operation which falls within the mathematical concept groupings of abstract ideas. This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because these claims do not include any other element besides the mathematical operations as discussed above.
Regarding claims 2-8: these claims recite elements which provide more detailed information regarding the recited mathematical operations; recite additional mathematical operation “applying Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT)”; and recite steps of “applying a source-separation model” and “separating the original audio stream from a video” which are also mathematical algorithms to further supports the mathematical operations as discussed above in claim 1. Therefore, these additional elements present no more than additional definitions of variables within mathematical operations and are insufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception.
Claim 3 recites additional element “the left playback channel and the right playback channel are usable to output audio via a speaker”. The claimed recitation of a use does not integrate the judicial exception of claim 1 into a practical application. Therefore, this additional element presents no more than a preferable usage of the mathematical operations and are insufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception.
Regarding claims 9-15: these claims recite additional limitations “non-transitory computer-readable medium” which is the general computing storage to store software instructions that executed by a general computing processor to perform the method of claim 1-7. The additional limitation is a generic computing support device merely used as a tool for storing instructions that execute the recited mathematical operations as discussed above rather than purporting to improve the audio technology or a computer. Thus, the claims are directed to the judicial exception.
Regarding claims 16-20: these claims recite additional limitation “a computing device comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, with instructions stored thereon” which is the general computing device to perform the method of claim 1-5. The additional limitation is a generic computing device merely used as a tool to execute the recited mathematical operations as discussed above rather than purporting to improve the audio technology or a computer. Therefore, the limitations present no more than mere instructions to apply the judicial exception on a computer. Thus, the claims are directed to the judicial exception.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID L TON whose telephone number is (571)270-7839. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM (EST).
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/DAVID L TON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695
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