CTNF 18/874,428 CTNF 81295 DETAILED ACTION In the response to this office action, the examiner respectfully requests that support be shown for language added to any original claims on amendment and any new claims. That is, indicate support for newly added claim language by specifically pointing to page(s) and line numbers in the specification and/or drawing figure(s). This will assist the examiner in prosecuting this application. Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 § 101 07-04-01 AIA 07-04 35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows: Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title. Claim 26 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claims are not to a process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter. In the state of the art, transitory signals are commonplace as a medium for transmitting computer instructions and thus, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary and given a broadest reasonable interpretation, the scope of a “computer readable storage media” covers transitory medium such as a signal per se. A transitory signal does not fall within the definition of a process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matters. The phrase “a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium” is suggested. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1-4, 7, 10-12, 16, 18, 20, 23, 26, and 27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Dol by (WO 2016/130500 A1)(see IDS of 12/12/2024) . Regarding claim 1, Dolby discloses a method for processing audio comprising: obtaining an input audio signal (figure 1, element 110, paragraph [0025]); processing the input audio signal to extract at least one height audio object from the input audio signal, wherein the at least one height audio object is extracted using a source separation module configured to extract audio objects of a predetermined height audio source type (figure 1, element 120, paragraph [0032] specifically, paragraphs [0027] to [0033], the object extractor recognizes an audio object by means of spectrum analysis determining a probability of an audio object per subband using a frequency range of a subband. For recognized audio objects of height or non-height, a metadata analysis is carried out which has high-level semantics such as speech, music, singing voice, sound effects, environmental sounds, and foley, mid-level attributes of signal characteristics, or spatial metadata such as trajectories); and rendering the input audio signal to a multi-channel presentation such that the at least one height audio object is at least included in at least one height channel of the multi-channel presentation (figure 1, element 150, paragraph [0023], an audio object such as thunder is rendered on overhead speakers, which applies to the high-level semantic metadata of audio objects, this also applies to sound effects and environmental sounds known to be elevated sound sources such as raining, helicopter, bird chirps, see paragraph [0004]). Regarding claim 2, Dolby discloses wherein the height audio source type comprises at least one of sounds made by manmade objects associated with height, sounds made by alive objects associated with height and sounds of nature associated with height (sound effects and environmental sounds known to be elevated sound sources such as raining, helicopter, bird chirps, see paragraph [0004]) . Regarding claim 3, Dolby discloses wherein the manmade sounds associated with height comprises at least one of: the sound of blade rotating in the air (helicopter, see paragraph [0004]), the sound caused by manmade objects moving through the air and the sound of combustion, and/or wherein the sounds made by alive objects associated with height comprises at least one of: sound associated with an animal using aerial locomotion and sound associated arboreal animals (bird chirps, see paragraph [0004]), and/or wherein the sounds of nature associated with height comprises at least one of sound associated with weather and sound associated with landscape features (raining, see paragraph [0004]). Regarding claim 4, Dolby discloses further comprising: processing the input audio signal to extract at least two height audio objects (figure 1, element 120, paragraph [0032] specifically, paragraphs [0027] to [0033], the object extractor recognizes an audio object by means of spectrum analysis determining a probability of an audio object per subband using a frequency range of a subband. For recognized audio objects of height or non-height, a metadata analysis is carried out which has high-level semantics such as speech, music, singing voice, sound effects, environmental sounds, and foley, mid-level attributes of signal characteristics, or spatial metadata such as trajectories), wherein the at least two height audio objects are extracted using a respective one of at least two source separation modules, each configured to extract a respective height audio object of a respective height audio source type (paragraphs [0027] to [0033]); and rendering the input audio signal to the multi-channel presentation such that the at least two height audio objects are included in at least one height channel of the multi-channel presentation (figure 1, element 150, paragraphs [0023] and [0004]). Regarding claim 7, Dolby discloses wherein each source separation module is configured to process the input audio signal with a respective frequency filter, wherein a pass band of each respective frequency filter corresponds to a characteristic frequency range of the associated height audio source type (paragraph [0029]). Regarding claim 10, Dolby discloses further comprising: identifying, with a scene classifier, an acoustic scene type of the input audio signal by processing the input audio signal (paragraph [0031], “high-level semantic attributes”, paragraphs [0023] and [0032], “By estimating the height of the audio object, the audio object can be rendered at the appropriate position”). Regarding claim 11, Dolby discloses further comprising: identifying, with a scene classifier, an acoustic scene type of the input audio signal by processing non-audio contextual, wherein the non-audio contextual data comprises at least one of: data indicating a media capture mode, a result of semantic or keyword analysis of the input audio signal, geographical position data associated with the input audio signal (paragraphs [0023] and [0032], “By estimating the height of the audio object, the audio object can be rendered at the appropriate position”), data associated with an image or video captured concurrently with the input audio signal. Regarding claim 12, Dolby discloses further comprising: controlling a gain of the at least one height audio object in the multi-channel presentation based on the acoustic scene type (paragraph [0031], loudness). Regarding claim 16, Dolby discloses further comprising: processing the input audio signal with a content separator to extract an audio signal associated with a first content type and a second content type, respectively, wherein the first content type is music and the second content type is speech (figure 1, element 120, paragraph [0031] specifically refers to music and speech, paragraphs [0027] to [0033]); processing the audio signal associated with the first content type to extract a first height audio object, wherein the first height audio object is extracted using a first source separation module associated with the first content type (paragraphs [0027] to [0033]); processing the audio signal associated with the second content type to extract a second height audio object, wherein the second height audio object is extracted using a second source separation module associated with the second content type (paragraphs [0027] to [0033]); and rendering the input audio signal to the multi-channel presentation such that the first and second height audio objects are included in at least one height channel of the multi-channel presentation (figure 1, element 150, paragraphs [0023] and [0004]). Regarding claim 18, Dolby discloses further comprising: processing the input audio signal to extract a non-height audio object from the input audio signal, wherein the non-height audio object is extracted using a source separation module configured to extract an audio object of a predetermined non-height audio source type (paragraphs [0023] and [0032], “By estimating the height of the audio object, the audio object can be rendered at the appropriate position”); and wherein rendering the input audio signal further comprises: rendering the non-height audio object to at least one non-height channel of the multi- channel presentation (figure 1, element 150, paragraphs [0023] and [0004]). Regarding claim 20, Dolby discloses further comprising: obtaining a multi-channel source audio signal, the source audio signal comprising at least one non-height channel and a height channel, wherein the at least one non-height channel is used as the input audio signal (paragraphs [0023] and [0032], “By estimating the height of the audio object, the audio object can be rendered at the appropriate position”); and rendering the input audio signal and the height channel to a multi-channel presentation such that the at least one height audio object, extracted from the input audio signal, and the height channel of the source audio signal are included in the at least one height channel of the multi-channel presentation (figure 1, element 150, paragraphs [0023] and [0004]). Regarding claim 23, Dolby discloses further comprising: obtaining non-audio contextual data (paragraphs [0030] to [0032]), wherein the non-audio contextual data comprises at least one of: data indicating a media capture mode, a result of semantic or keyword analysis of the input audio signal, geographical position data associated with the input audio signal (paragraphs [0023] and [0032], “By estimating the height of the audio object, the audio object can be rendered at the appropriate position”), data associated with an image or video captured concurrently with the input audio signal; and wherein the source separation module is configured to extract audio objects of the predetermined height audio source type based on the non-audio contextual data (figure 1, element 150, paragraphs [0023] and [0004]). Claims 26 and 27 are rejected in an analogous manner to claim 1 given the embodiments of paragraph [0086] of Dolby . Allowable Subject Matter 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim s 5, 6, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, and 24 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 DOUGLAS JOHN SUTHERS whose telephone number is (571)272-0563. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8 am -5 pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vivian Chin can be reached at 571-272-7848. 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If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /DOUGLAS J SUTHERS/ Examiner, Art Unit 2695 /PAUL KIM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695 Application/Control Number: 18/874,428 Page 2 Art Unit: 2695 Application/Control Number: 18/874,428 Page 3 Art Unit: 2695 Application/Control Number: 18/874,428 Page 4 Art Unit: 2695 Application/Control Number: 18/874,428 Page 5 Art Unit: 2695 Application/Control Number: 18/874,428 Page 6 Art Unit: 2695 Application/Control Number: 18/874,428 Page 7 Art Unit: 2695 Application/Control Number: 18/874,428 Page 8 Art Unit: 2695 Application/Control Number: 18/874,428 Page 9 Art Unit: 2695
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