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 § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 56-62, 67, 68, and 70 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pub. 20190262705 to Trombetta et al (Trombetta) in view of US Pub. 20120014553 to Bonanno, US Pub. 20180117469 to Ilse et al (Ilse), and Jabra software programs as evidence provided by YouTube video, “Jabra Direct & Jabra Xpress | Webinar 2021” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAMIqbiR6pQ&t=50s to VoIP Supply (herein referred to as Jabra).
Claims 56 and 70. Trombetta discloses an e-sport system (Fig. 1, ¶¶7-9) comprising
a plurality of gaming headset systems (¶¶58, 95) each comprising
a headset to be worn by a gamer (¶¶58, 95),
and
a referee system (¶¶60, 89 “administrator”, “tournament organizer”) arranged for connection to the plurality of gaming headset systems,
wherein the referee system comprises
a processor configured to execute a control algorithm,
a display arranged to notify a referee of an e-sport event, and
a user interface configured to allow the referee to control a function of the referee system,
wherein the referee system is configured to monitor (¶¶60, 89, 90).
However, Trombetta fails to explicitly disclose:
wherein the headset comprises right and left ear cups each with a loudspeaker unit inside, an internal microphone inside at least one of the ear cups, and a mouth microphone serving to capture speech from the gamer wearing the headset, optionally also a feedforward microphone outside at least one of the ear cups, and
an ambient noise and speech suppression system arranged to attenuate and suppress intelligibility of ambient speech sound reaching the gamer when wearing the headset,
a processor configured to execute a control algorithm,
a display arranged to notify a referee of an e-sport event about a functional status of each of the plurality of gaming headset systems, and
a user interface configured to allow the referee to control a function of the referee system,
wherein the referee system is configured to monitor at least two parameters of the functional status for each of the plurality of gaming headset systems, and
wherein the referee system is configured to generate a visual output on the display, optionally also an audible output, to notify the referee about the functional status of each of the plurality of gaming headset systems in response to said monitored at least two parameters for each of the plurality of gaming headsets.
Bonanno teaches wherein the headset comprises right and left ear cups each with a loudspeaker unit inside, and a mouth microphone serving to capture speech from the gamer wearing the headset, optionally also a feedforward microphone outside at least one of the ear cups (Fig. 1a, ¶¶4, 36-38), and an ambient noise and speech suppression system arranged to attenuate and suppress intelligibility of ambient speech sound reaching the gamer when wearing the headset (¶¶47, 56). The headsets of Trombetta would have motivation to use the teachings of Bonanno in order to shield game participants from environment noise which would improve the gaming experience for participants of an e-sports event.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the headsets of Trombetta with the teachings of Bonanno in order to shield game participants from environment noise which would improve the gaming experience for participants of an e-sports event.
Ilse teaches an internal microphone inside at least one of the ear cups (¶25). The headsets of Trombetta in view of Bonanno would have motivation to use the teachings of Ilse in order to allow sounds from varying sources to transfer to other electronic devices within the gaming environment through the headset.
It would have been further obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the headsets of Trombetta in view of Bonanno with the teachings of Ilse in order to allow sounds from varying sources to transfer to other electronic devices within the gaming environment through the headset.
Jabra teaches wherein the referee system comprises
a processor configured to execute a control algorithm,
a display arranged to notify a referee about a functional status of each of the plurality of headset systems, and
a user interface configured to allow the referee to control a function of the referee system,
wherein the referee system is configured to monitor at least two parameters of the functional status for each of the plurality of headset systems, and
wherein the referee system is configured to generate a visual output on the display, optionally also an audible output, to notify the referee about the functional status of each of the plurality of headset systems in response to said monitored at least two parameters for each of the plurality of headsets (see VoIP Supply YouTube video herein referred to as Jabra at 4:36, 12:58-13:10 Jabra Xpress to manage all the devices, at 14:33 home screen, analytics, dashboard, at 15:42-15:46 “Xpress Administration”, at 17:12-17:53 “Manage device”, at 19:24-19:33 “Device configuration”, at 19:35-20:22 “Package settings”, at 22:23-23:08 “Analytics”, “Dashboard”). The e-sports system of Trombetta would have motivation to use the teachings of Jabra in order to allow a remote administrator to monitor and modify headset settings upon observation of technical issues in doing so provides a convenient way for administrators to correct and ensure headsets are operating properly.
It would have been further obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the headsets of Trombetta with the teachings of Jabra in order to provide a quick and easy way for administrators to correct any technical issues that arise during an e-sporting event.
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Claim 57. Trombetta in view of Bonanno and Jabra teaches wherein the referee system is configured to monitor a parameter indicative of a function of the ambient noise and speech suppression system for each of the plurality of gaming headset systems (see Bonanno ¶¶47, 56, see Jabra at 22:23-23:08).
Claim 58. Trombetta in view of Bonanno and Jabra teaches wherein the referee system is configured to monitor at least three parameters of a functional status for each of the plurality of gaming headset systems (see Jabra at 17:53, 19:26 “Device configuration”, at 22:23-23:08 “Analytics”, “Dashboard”).
Claim 59. Trombetta in view of Bonanno and Jabra teaches wherein the referee system is configured to generate a visual output comprising a graphical representation indicative of at least one of:
1) a parameter indicative of function of the mouth microphone for each of the plurality of gaming headset systems,
2) a function of the ambient noise and speech suppression system for each of the plurality of gaming headset systems, and
3) a parameter indicative of whether game sound is present in the headset for each of the plurality of gaming headset systems, for all of the gaming headset systems (see Bonanno ¶¶47, 56, see Jabra at 22:23-23:08).
Claim 60. Trombetta in view of Jabra teaches wherein the referee system is configured to notify a referee of an e-sport event (see Trombetta ¶7) if each of the plurality of gaming headset systems is functioning properly, by determining, if each of at least two parameters fulfil predetermined test criteria (see Jabra at 22:23-23:08).
Claim 61. Trombetta in view of Bonanno teaches wherein the referee system is configured to record audio captured by a microphone of a plurality of the gaming headset systems (see Bonanno ¶45).
Claim 62. Trombetta in view of Bonanno teaches wherein the referee system is configured to enable playback of the recorded audio from a selected one of the gaming headset systems, and wherein the referee system is configured to enable playback of the record audio at a selected time period from the selected one of the gaming headset systems (see Bonanno ¶45).
Claim 67. Trombetta in view of Bonanno and Jabra teaches wherein each of the gaming headset systems comprises an active noise cancellation system (see Bonanno ¶¶47, 56), and wherein each of the gaming headset systems is configured to transmit a signal indicative of a function of the active noise cancellation system to the referee system (see Jabra at 22:23-23:08).
Claim 68. Trombetta disclose wherein the referee system comprises a camera (¶24).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 63-66 and 69 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAMON J PIERCE whose telephone number is (571)270-1997. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm.
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/DAMON J PIERCE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
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