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 .
Status of Application
This communication is responsive to the applicant's application filed 12/06/2024.
Claims 1-15 are pending.
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.
Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al (CN 113438574, hereinafter, Zhang; cited in IDS filed 01/17/2025) in view of Kjolerbakken et al (US-2008/0247567, hereinafter, Kjolerbakken)..
Regarding claim 1, Zhang discloses a computing device comprising:
a microphone (microphone 4);
an infrared device (2) to receive signals providing positioning information; and a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processing resource to (program executed by microcontroller 1): receive positioning information from the infrared device (position of teacher judged by infrared sensor 2, see para [0036]);
calculate a position of a receiver of the microphone based on the positioning information (see par. [0042] and [0043]); and
adjust the position of the receiver of the microphone towards a direction determined by the calculated positioning information (see par. [0047]).
However, Zhang does not disclose an antenna to receive signals providing positioning information.
Kjolerbakken discloses a directional audio capturing device including an antenna to receive signals providing positioning information (see Figs. 1, 2, and para [0013], [0058]) to enable wireless and remote tracking of sound source.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effect filing date of the claimed invention to modify the computing device of Zhang with an antenna to receive signals providing positioning information, as taught by Kjolerbakken, in order to provide improvement for the computer device that enable wireless and remote tracking of sound source.
Regarding claim 2, see para [0042] of Kjolerbakken.
Regarding claim 3, see para [0051] of Kjolerbakken that discloses changing of side lobes’ level and beam width of the sound beam that is changing the volume of the sound beam at different distances, as claimed.
Regarding claim 4, see Figs. 1 and 2 of Kjolerbakken.
Regarding claim 5, see Fig. 5 of Zhang.
Regarding claim 6, Zhang discloses a stepping motor to adjust the position of the shaft, setting an initial angle, which means that the angle is adjusted in certain steps or increment (see para [0043]). It would have been obvious design choice to one of ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that adjusting the position of the shaft at a different angle, or at a 15 degree increment, to obtain a desired shaft angle for detecting the teacher’s movement.
Claims 7-10 recite “a non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions executable by a processing resource” to implement “the computer device” process as recited in claims 1-5. Claims 7-10 are rejected for the same reasoning as set forth in apparatus claims 1-5 above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-15 are allowed over prior art of record.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Avigni discloses a system for determining sound of a moving object including an antenna to receive signals providing positioning information.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XU MEI whose telephone number is (571)272-7523. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 10-6:30 est.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vivian Chin can be reached on 571-272-7848. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/XU MEI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695 06/27/2026
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