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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claims 1, 10, 15 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Carrigan et al. (US Pub. 20240078079).
Regarding claim 1, Carrigan discloses an electronic device (see fig. 3B; abstract) comprising:
communication circuitry (see paragraph 9);
memory storing one or more computer programs (see paragraph 9); and
one or more processors communicatively coupled to the communication circuitry and the memory (see paragraph 9),
wherein the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:
communicate with a wireless audio device outside the electronic device through the communication circuitry (see fig. 5BT; portable multifunction device 100 communicates with wireless audio device 301),
identify an activation or a deactivation of a noise canceling function of the wireless audio device based on a request to transmit audio data to the wireless audio device (see fig. 5BT, items 5211, 5212 and 5214),
in case that the activation of the noise canceling function is identified, transmit a control signal for the activation of the noise canceling function and the audio data to the wireless audio device (see fig. 5BT, item 5212; paragraph 268), and
in case that the deactivation of the noise canceling function is identified, transmit a control signal for the deactivation of the noise canceling function and the audio data to the wireless audio device (see fig. 5BT, item 5214; paragraph 268).
Regarding claim 10, Carrigan discloses a wireless audio device (see fig. 3B; title; abstract) comprising:
communication circuitry (see paragraph 9);
audio circuitry (see abstract; “audio output device”);
noise canceling circuitry (see fig. 5BT, item 5212; paragraph 268);
memory storing one or more computer programs (see paragraph 9); and
one or more processors communicatively coupled to the communication circuitry, the audio circuity, the noise canceling circuitry, and the memory (see paragraph 9),
wherein the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause wireless audio device to:
perform communication with an electronic device outside the wireless audio device through the communication circuitry (see fig. 5BT; portable multifunction device 100 communicates with wireless audio device 301),
receive audio data from the electronic device (see fig. 5N, item 531 and 533),
receive a control signal from the electronic device (see fig. 5BT, items 5211, 5212 and 5214),
in case that the control signal is a noise canceling function activation control signal, control the noise canceling circuitry to activate a noise canceling function when the audio data is played (see fig. 5BT, item 5212; paragraph 268), and
in case that the control signal is a noise canceling function deactivation control signal, control the noise canceling circuitry to deactivate the noise canceling function (see fig. 5BT, item 5214; paragraph 268).
Regarding claims 15 and 19, the claimed limitations are a method performed by an electronic device of controlling a noise cancelling function of a wireless audio device and one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing one or more computer programs including computer-executable instructions directly corresponding the electronic device of claim 1. Therefore, claims 15 and 19 are rejected for the significantly the similar reasons as claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Independent claim 11 is allowed along with dependent claims 12-14, based at least on their dependency on the allowed independent claim and the following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding independent claim 11, the closest prior art of record, Carrigan et al. (US Pub. 20240078079) discloses an electronic device comprising: communication circuitry; memory storing one or more computer programs; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the communication circuitry and the memory, wherein the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to: transmit a noise cancelling function activation control signal to a wireless audio device connected to the electronic device by using the communication circuitry, and transmit a noise cancelling deactivation control signal or an ambient sound listening control signal to the wireless audio device connected to the electronic device by using the communication circuitry.
However, Carrigan fails to teach the combination of an electronic device comprising: communication circuitry; memory storing one or more computer programs; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the communication circuitry and the memory, wherein the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to: activate a virtual reality (VR) function based on a request for performing the VR function, while performing an augmented reality (AR) function, or activate the AR function based on a request for performing the AR function, while performing the VR function, and in case that the VR function is activated, transmit a noise cancelling function activation control signal to a wireless audio device connected to the electronic device by using the communication circuitry, or in case that the AR function is activated, transmit a noise cancelling deactivation control signal or an ambient sound listening control signal to the wireless audio device connected to the electronic device by using the communication circuitry.
Claims 2-9, 16-18 and 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Prior art, Meade et al. (US Pat. 11523244) teaches activating active noise canceling function based on VR session mode.
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/PAUL KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695