The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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 1-16 and 18-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Satongar et al. (US 2018/0091922).
Regarding claim 1, Satongar discloses a method for determining sound field rotations (see figures 1-6, for example), comprising: (a) determining an activity situation of an activity of a user (e.g., standing or sitting with minimal body movement, or running with significant body movement), wherein the activity situation comprises a characterization of a type of movement of the user while engaged in the activity (e.g., standing or sitting with minimal body movement characterized as static-use type of movement, and running with significant body movement characterized as dynamic-use type of movement; see figs. 1 & 6, step 608); (b) determining a user head orientation (e.g., headphone device 108 orientation data 504) using at least one sensor 410 of one or more sensors (see fig. 6, step 604, and para. 0047); (c) determining a direction of interest 902 (e.g., current device 108 direction) based on the activity situation and the user head orientation (see figs. 9A-9B, wherein the direction of interest 902 is determined based on the static-use type of movement and user head orientation data; see also, figs. 13A-13B, wherein the direction of interest 902 is determined based on the dynamic-use type of movement and user head orientation data); and (d) determining a rotation of a sound field used to present audio objects via headphones 108 based on the direction of interest 902 (see figs. 9B-9C, static-use type of movement, wherein the sound field is rotated from direction 710 to direction 908 based on the direction of interest 902; see also, figs. 13B-13C, dynamic-use type of movement, wherein the sound field is rotated from direction 710 to direction 908 based on the direction of interest 902).
Regarding claim 2, steps (a) – (d) are repeated such that the rotation of the sound field is updated over time based on changes in the activity situation of the user and the user head orientation. See fig. 6, for example, which teaches that the rotation of the sound field is updated over time as claimed.
Regarding claim 3, the activity situation comprises at least one of: walking, running, non-walking and non-running movement, or minimal movement. For example, standing or sitting with minimal body movement characterized as static-use type of movement, and running with significant body movement characterized as dynamic-use type of movement.
Regarding claim 4, the activity situation comprises walking or running, and wherein the direction of interest 902 is determined based on the direction in which the user is walking or running (e.g., the direction in which the user is walking or running is determined by smartphone 106 orientation direction). See, for example, figs. 15A-15B, regarding running with significant body movement (dynamic-use type of movement) wherein the direction of interest 902 is determined based on the new reference direction 1502 in which the user is running.
Regarding claims 5 and 6, the activity situation comprises non-walking and non-running movement (e.g., standing or sitting with minimal body movement characterized as static-use type of movement). The direction of interest 902 is determined based on a direction the user has been facing within a predetermined previous time window. For example, if the user is standing still and gazing straight ahead for 0.2 to 3 seconds, then the direction of interest 902 is determined based on the direction the user has been facing within this predetermined previous time window as claimed. See figures 8 (step 802) and 9A-9B, which teaches that if it is determined that the user is standing substantially still and gazing straight ahead (static-use type of movement), for any amount of time such as 0.2 to 3 seconds, then a reference direction is not significantly changed and a virtual sound source 708 is not automatically relocated.
Regarding claims 7-9, the activity situation comprises minimal movement (e.g., standing or sitting with minimal body movement characterized as static-use type of movement). The direction of interest 902 is determined based on a direction the user has been facing within a predetermined previous time window. For example, if the user is standing with minimal movement for 3 to 10 seconds, then the direction of interest 902 is determined based on the direction the user has been facing within this predetermined previous time window as claimed. See figures 8 (step 802) and 9A-9B, which teaches that if it is determined that the user is standing with minimal movement (static-use type of movement), for any amount of time such as 3 to 10 seconds, then a reference direction is not significantly changed and a virtual sound source 708 is not automatically relocated.
Regarding claim 10, the direction the user has been facing is determined using a tolerated threshold of movement, and wherein the tolerated threshold of movement is within a range of 2 degrees to 20 degrees. See fig. 7 and para. 0051-0052, regarding standing with minimal movement (static-use type of movement) characterized by “reference angular change 716 within range of motion 714, e.g., less than 20 degrees in either direction”.
Regarding claim 11, the rotation of the sound field involves an incremental rotation toward the direction of interest. See figs. 10-12, and para. 0070, regarding “adjustments to source direction 710 of virtual sound source 708 may match movements of user 706 more naturally”.
Regarding claim 12, incremental rotation is based at least in part on angular velocity measurements obtained from a user device. See para. 0068, regarding “the rate of device angular change may be analyzed in terms of angle versus time. In an embodiment, a rate 1202 of device angular change corresponds to the amount of device angular change per unit of time”.
Regarding claim 13, the user device 106 is substantially static in movement with respect to the headphones 108 worn by the user. See fig. 1, for example.
Regarding claim 14, the user device 106 provides audio content to the headphones 108. See para. 0034.
Regarding claim 15, the activity situation of the user is determined based at least upon sensor data obtained from one or more sensors 410 disposed in or on headphones 108 worn by the user. See para. 0041.
Regarding claim 16, the user head orientation is determined using at least one sensor 410 in or on headphones 108 worn by the user.
Regarding claim 18, after (d), causing the audio objects to be rendered (e.g., ‘audio output … to render the virtual sound source’ in step 610) based on the determined rotation of the sound field.
Regarding claim 19, the rendered audio objects are caused to be presented via the headphones 108.
Regarding claim 20, Satongar discloses an apparatus comprising one or more processors 402 and a memory 404 storing software configured to be executed by the one or more processors 402, the software including instructions for performing a method (see figures 1-6, for example, and para. 0036), the method comprising: (a) determining an activity situation of an activity of a user (e.g., standing or sitting with minimal body movement, or running with significant body movement), wherein the activity situation comprises a characterization of a type of movement of the user while engaged in the activity (e.g., standing or sitting with minimal body movement characterized as static-use type of movement, and running with significant body movement characterized as dynamic-use type of movement; see figs. 1 & 6, step 608), wherein the type of movement indicates whether the user is engaged in forward-motion movement, minimal movement, or non-forward-motion movement (e.g., dynamic-use type of movement (fig. 2, for example) indicates that the user is engaged in forward-motion movement such as running around a corner; static-use type of movement (fig. 1, for example) indicates that the user is engaged in minimal movement or non-forward-motion movement such as sitting still with minimal movement); (b) determining a user head orientation (e.g., headphone device 108 orientation data 504) using at least one sensor 410 of one or more sensors (see fig. 6, step 604, and para. 0047); (c) determining a direction of interest 902 (e.g., current device 108 direction) based on the activity situation and the user head orientation (see figs. 9A-9B, wherein the direction of interest 902 is determined based on the static-use type of movement and user head orientation data; see also, figs. 13A-13B, wherein the direction of interest 902 is determined based on the dynamic-use type of movement and user head orientation data), wherein the direction of interest is a first direction (e.g., new direction when the user runs around a corner) if the user is engaged in forward-motion movement (see fig. 2, for example), and wherein the direction of interest is a second direction (e.g., looking straight ahead), different from the first direction, if the user is engaged in minimal movement or non-forward-motion movement (see fig. 1, for example); and (d) determining a rotation of a sound field used to present audio objects via headphones 108 based on the direction of interest 902 (see figs. 9B-9C, static-use type of movement, wherein the sound field is rotated from direction 710 to direction 908 based on the direction of interest 902; see also, figs. 13B-13C, dynamic-use type of movement, wherein the sound field is rotated from direction 710 to direction 908 based on the direction of interest 902).
Regarding claim 21, Satongar discloses one or more non-transitory media having software stored thereon, the software configured to be executed by one or more processors 402 and including instructions for performing a method (see figs. 1-6, for example, and para. 0036), the method comprising: (a) determining an activity situation of an activity of a user (e.g., standing or sitting with minimal body movement, or running with significant body movement), wherein the activity situation comprises a characterization of a type of movement of the user while engaged in the activity (e.g., standing or sitting with minimal body movement characterized as static-use type of movement, and running with significant body movement characterized as dynamic-use type of movement; see figs. 1 & 6, step 608); (b) determining a user head orientation (e.g., headphone device 108 orientation data 504) using at least one sensor 410 of one or more sensors (see fig. 6, step 604, and para. 0047); (c) determining a direction of interest 902 (e.g., current device 108 direction) based on the activity situation and the user head orientation (see figs. 9A-9B, wherein the direction of interest 902 is determined based on the static-use type of movement and user head orientation data; see also, figs. 13A-13B, wherein the direction of interest 902 is determined based on the dynamic-use type of movement and user head orientation data), wherein the direction of interest is a target azimuthal direction of a sound field (e.g., direction 710/908 of a virtual sound source 708) that is determined dependent on the type of movement indicated in the activity situation (see figs. 9A-9B, for example, regarding direction of interest 710 is target azimuthal direction 710 of sound field 708 when user has minimal body movement); and (d) determining a rotation of a sound field used to present audio objects via headphones 108 based on the direction of interest 902 (see figs. 9B-9C, static-use type of movement, wherein the sound field is rotated from direction 710 to direction 908 based on the direction of interest 902; see also, figs. 13B-13C, dynamic-use type of movement, wherein the sound field is rotated from direction 710 to direction 908 based on the direction of interest 902).
Applicant's arguments filed April 21, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant argues that “Satongar does not determine a ‘direction of interest,’ as recited in claim 1”. The examiner respectfully disagrees. Satongar discloses determining a direction of interest 902 (e.g., current device 108 direction) based on the activity situation and the user head orientation. See figs. 9A-9B, wherein the direction of interest 902 is determined based on the static-use type of movement (e.g., user is sitting with little to no body movement) and user head orientation data from sensor 410. See also, figs. 13A-13B, wherein the direction of interest 902 is determined based on the dynamic-use type of movement (e.g., user is running around a corner with significant body movement) and the user head orientation data 410.
The applicant further argues that “Satongar’s use case is not an ‘activity situation … comprising a characterization of a type of movement of the user’”. The examiner respectfully disagrees. Santangar discloses that standing or sitting with minimal body movement is characterized as static-use type of movement, and that running with significant body movement is characterized as dynamic-use type of movement.
The applicant further argues that Satongar does not disclose “claim 1 [which] recites ‘(c) determining a direction of interest,’ and then ‘(d) determining a rotation of the sound field … based on the direction of interest.’” The examiner respectfully disagrees. Satongar discloses: (c) determining a direction of interest 902 (e.g., current device 108 direction) based on the activity situation and the user head orientation. See figs. 9A-9B, wherein the direction of interest 902 is determined based on the static-use type of movement and user head orientation data. See also, figs. 13A-13B, wherein the direction of interest 902 is determined based on the dynamic-use type of movement and user head orientation data. Satongar further discloses: (d) determining a rotation of a sound field used to present audio objects via headphones 108 based on the direction of interest 902. See figs. 9B-9C, static-use type of movement, wherein the sound field is rotated from direction 710 to direction 908 based on the direction of interest 902. See also, figs. 13B-13C, dynamic-use type of movement, wherein the sound field is rotated from direction 710 to direction 908 based on the direction of interest 902.
Regarding amended claims 20 and 21, see the rejections above which explains how Satongar discloses the new limitations as claimed.
Accordingly, since Satongar discloses the invention as claimed, the rejections are deemed correct and are maintained.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL W HUBER whose telephone number is (571)272-7588. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Duc Nguyen, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-7503. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL W HUBER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691
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May 15, 2026
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