DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/15/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
The Preliminary Amendment, filed 08/15/2024 has been entered. Claims 1-20 have been canceled. Claims 21-40 have been added. Claims 21-40 are pending in the Application.
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.
Claims 21-22, 25, 27, 29, 31-35, and 37-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rosenberg US 20170070702, and in view of Zhong et al US 20170309154.
Regarding claim 21, Rosenberg teaches a method comprising:
receiving audio data at an electronic device, from a network conference engine (see para 0002, one or more participant devices typically receive audio and/or video data provided by one or more other participant devices);
and communicating, to the network conference engine, a notification regarding the audio data (see para 0007, verifying receipt of audio data from the presenter video conference device; and transmitting results of said performing to said presenter video conference device).
But Rosenberg fails to teach the detail of the determination/verification process of the audio data including sampling the audio data at a frame rate; determining an amount of missing samples of audio data for a predetermined amount of time; and communicating, a notification when the amount of missing samples of audio data for the predetermined amount of time is greater than a lost sample threshold.
However, Zhong teaches a speech error detection method including sampling the audio data at a frame rate (see para 0048, the processor may monitor multiple (e.g., 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 or more) audio samples per second and provide a multi-second (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 second) delay for the time interval); determining an amount of missing samples of audio data for a predetermined amount of time (see para 0048, if a speech error is detected, the counter decrements by 1 for each consecutive audio sample in which the speech level is below the volume level threshold); and communicating, a notification when the amount of missing samples of audio data for the predetermined amount of time is greater than a lost sample threshold (see para 0048, when the counter reaches zero or a negative value, the processor provides the alert signal).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to modify the network conference system of Rosenberg and further incorporate the speech error detection of Zhong.
The motivation for doing so is to provide error detection and correction of the user’s speech during the conference.
Regarding claim 22, Zhong further teaches a specific sample of audio data is missing when the specific sample of audio data has a decibel level below an audio volume threshold (see para 0048, if a speech error is detected, the counter decrements by 1 for each consecutive audio sample in which the speech level is below the volume level threshold).
Regarding claim 25, Rosenberg further teaches receiving visual content from the network conference engine (see figure 5 and para 0036, an associated video stream is received (step 352));
receiving visual content verification data from the network conference engine that can be used to verify the received visual content (see para 0039, a copy of the current serial number, timestamp and/or metadata may be included with the verification request received in step 320);
using the visual content verification data to determine if visual content to be rendered on a display of the electronic device is the same or similar to the received visual content from the network conference engine (see para 0039, presenter verification module 165 may be configured to detect (step 354) a serial number, timestamp and/or metadata embedded in the received video stream… presenter verification module 165 may perform the comparison locally, with control proceeding to step 362 if there is no match between the detected and serial number, timestamp and/or metadata); and
communicating, to the network conference engine, a missing visual content notification when the visual content to be rendered on the display is not the same or similar to the received visual content from the network conference engine (see para 0040, presenter verification module 165 may set (step 362) the result to “FAILED” and return (step 364) the result).
Regarding claim 27, Rosenberg teaches an electronic device comprising:
an audio monitoring engine that receives audio data related to a conference call from a network conference engine (see para 0002, one or more participant devices typically receive audio and/or video data provided by one or more other participant devices), and
an audio-conference status engine that communicates a message to the network conference engine regarding the audio data (see para 0007, verifying receipt of audio data from the presenter video conference device; and transmitting results of said performing to said presenter video conference device).
But Rosenberg fails to teach the audio monitoring engine determines if at least a portion of the audio data is below an audio volume threshold; and the audio-conference status engine communicates a message to the network conference engine when at least a portion of the audio data is below the audio volume threshold.
However, Zhong teaches an audio monitoring engine determines if at least a portion of the audio data is below an audio volume threshold; and communicates a message to the network conference engine when at least a portion of the audio data is below the audio volume threshold (see para 0048, if a speech error is detected, the counter decrements by 1 for each consecutive audio sample in which the speech level is below the volume level threshold… when the counter reaches zero or a negative value, the processor provides the alert signal).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to modify the network conference system of Rosenberg and further incorporate the speech error detection of Zhong.
The motivation for doing so is to provide error detection and correction of the user’s speech during the conference.
Regarding claim 29, Zhong further teaches the received audio data is sampled at a frame rate (see para 0048, the processor may monitor multiple (e.g., 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 or more) audio samples per second and provide a multi-second (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 second) delay for the time interval).
Regarding claim 31, Zhong further teaches a decibel level of each of the sampled received audio data is compared to the audio volume threshold and if the decibel level of a specific sample of received audio data is below the audio volume threshold, the specific sample of received audio data is considered missing (see para 0048, if a speech error is detected, the counter decrements by 1 for each consecutive audio sample in which the speech level is below the volume level threshold).
Regarding claim 32, Zhong further teaches the message is communicated to a network conferencing engine when a total number of missing samples of audio data is equal to or greater than a lost sample threshold (see para 0048, when the counter reaches zero or a negative value, the processor provides the alert signal).
Regarding claim 33, Zhong further teaches an audio decoder; and audio out logic, wherein the received audio data is converted to analog audio data and the audio data is sampled after the analog audio data has been processed by the audio out logic (see para 0037, The input signal 122 may be formatted as a digital signal, an analog signal, or a combination thereof, also see para 0039, The processor may be further configured to process the input signal 122 using the at least one reconfigurable rule).
Regarding claim 34, Zhong further teaches an audio decoder; and audio out logic, wherein the audio data is digital audio data and the audio data is sampled after the audio data has been processed by the audio decoder and before the audio data has been processed by the audio out logic (see para 0037, The input signal 122 may be formatted as a digital signal, an analog signal, or a combination thereof, also see para 0039, The processor may be further configured to process the input signal 122 using the at least one reconfigurable rule).
Regarding claim 35, Rosenberg further teaches a display; and a visual content monitoring engine, wherein the visual content monitoring engine receives visual content verification data that can be used to verify received visual content related to the conference call (see para 0039, presenter verification module 165 may be configured to detect (step 354) a serial number, timestamp and/or metadata embedded in the received video stream… presenter verification module 165 may perform the comparison locally, with control proceeding to step 362 if there is no match between the detected and serial number, timestamp and/or metadata).
Regarding claim 37, Zhong further teaches a context engine to convert a phrase spoken by a user to a code, wherein the code is used to initiate a determination that indicates if any audio data is missing and/or is below an audio volume threshold or a determination that verifies visual content of received data (see para 0039, The processor may be further configured to process the input signal 122 using the at least one reconfigurable rule and to provide an alert signal 124).
Regarding claim 38, Rosenberg teaches a network conference call system comprising:
a receiving electronic device in communication with a transmitting electronic device using a network conferencing engine (see para 0002, one or more participant devices typically receive audio and/or video data provided by one or more other participant devices);
an audio monitoring engine in the receiving electronic device that receives audio data from the transmitting electronic device (see figure 2, verification module 165); and
an audio conference status engine that communicates a message to the network conferencing engine regarding the received audio data (see figure 2, video conference client 160, see para 0007, verifying receipt of audio data from the presenter video conference device; and transmitting results of said performing to said presenter video conference device).
But Rosenberg fails to teach the message including a determination of whether or not any audio data received by the receiving electronic device is missing and/or is below an audio volume threshold.
However, Zhong teaches an audio monitoring engine communicates a message including a determination of whether or not any audio data received by the receiving electronic device is missing and/or is below an audio volume threshold (see para 0048, if a speech error is detected, the counter decrements by 1 for each consecutive audio sample in which the speech level is below the volume level threshold… when the counter reaches zero or a negative value, the processor provides the alert signal).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to modify the network conference system of Rosenberg and further incorporate the speech error detection of Zhong.
The motivation for doing so is to provide error detection and correction of the user’s speech during the conference.
Regarding claim 39, Zhong further teaches the message is communicated to the network conferencing engine when a total number of missing samples of audio data and/or a total number of samples of audio data below the audio volume threshold is equal to or greater than a lost sample threshold (see para 0048, if a speech error is detected, the counter decrements by 1 for each consecutive audio sample in which the speech level is below the volume level threshold… when the counter reaches zero or a negative value, the processor provides the alert signal).
Regarding claim 40, Rosenberg further teaches a visual content monitoring engine in the receiving electronic device to verify visual content received from the transmitting electronic device (see para 0039, presenter verification module 165 may be configured to detect (step 354) a serial number, timestamp and/or metadata embedded in the received video stream… presenter verification module 165 may perform the comparison locally, with control proceeding to step 362 if there is no match between the detected and serial number, timestamp and/or metadata).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 23-24, 26, 28, 30 and 36 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.
Dorenbosch US Patent. No. 9,401,150 discloses a method to detect audio frame losses over a link to a device under test
Sanaullah et al US 20150085064 discloses managing a mute state of a participant in a teleconference may include detecting, based on analysis of at least one characteristic of audio data
Ramaswamy US 20070192782 discloses methods and apparatus to monitor audio/visual content from various sources
Suzuki US 20040264390 discloses a television conference system includes a speech quantity information obtaining system
Kahn US 20020128822 discloses detecting and skipping audio frames having an amplitude value less than a threshold value
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHONG H DANG whose telephone number is (571)272-0470. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:30AM - 6:00PM.
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/PHONG H DANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2184
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