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 § 102
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:
Claim(s) 1, 2-8, 10, 11, 15-19, 20, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mahlmeister (U.S. PGPUB 20230068527).
Re claims 1, 15-19, and 21: Mahlmeister discloses a method, comprising:
retrieving in-game audio from game content generated during gameplay of a video game, the game content generated by applying game inputs provided by a user during the gameplay, the game content used to determine a current game state and current game context of the video game (see paragraphs [0161-0163]);
receiving non-game audio generated during the gameplay of the video game, the non-game audio received from one or more communication channels, wherein each of the in-game audio and the non-game audio includes at least one audio signal (see paragraphs [0154, 0161-0163]: here non-game audio is reflected in player voices and player conversations using its own audio signal, while in-game audio is reflected in actual game audio such as footsteps and other game sounds, reflected in another audio signal);
assigning a priority to each audio signal included in the in-game audio and the non-game audio, based on the current game context of the video game and preferences of the user (see paragraph [0243]: “A set of canned profiles may be available for a gamer to select and download over a network. In another example, the gamer may develop custom profiles using trial and error to enhance, suppress or otherwise modify specific sounds in a gaming audio stream” & [0163]: “In response to detecting the predetermined audio event, the audio processing system may take further steps to enhance or adjust the audio corresponding to the predetermined audio event. In an example, the audio processing system may automatically adjust a parametric equalizer to emphasize spectral components of the predetermined audio event. For example, if a footstep is detected, the spectrum may be adjusted in the parametric equalizer to emphasize to the listener, the player, the sound of the footstep.”), the priority used in identifying a specific one of the audio signal included in one of the in-game audio and the non-game audio that needs to be modified (see paragraphs [0163]);
modifying a specific audio signal identified from one of the in-game audio and the non-game audio to generate a modified audio while remaining ones of the audio signals included in the in-game audio and the non-game audio are maintained as unmodified audio (see paragraphs [0154]: the non-game audio reflected in player communications is modified to be louder, while the rest of the in-game audio is normal. See paragraph [0163]: in-game sounds are also prioritized when particular events occur); and
forwarding the modified audio with the unmodified audio for rendering at one or more audio channels associated with the user, such that the modified audio is distinguishably rendered over the unmodified audio (see paragraph [0154, 0236, 0241, 0285]: the audio signals are then rendered and played to the user wherein the prioritized sounds are made more distinct than the other sounds);
wherein operations of the method are performed by an audio shunting logic executing on a server computing device (see paragraph [0057, 0166]: a system is stored on a server server).
Re claim 2: Mahlmeister discloses with respect to the method of claim 1, wherein the priority assigned to each audio signal in the in-game audio and the non-game audio changes based on changes to the game context detected during gameplay of the video game ([0154, 0236, 0241, 0285]).
Re claim 3: Mahlmeister discloses with respect to the method of claim 1, wherein the in-game audio includes audio signals associated with any one or a combination of game music, audio generated from interactions between players within a game scene, audio generated by a game character, audio generated by a non-player character, and audio generated in response to an action performed in the video game (see [0154, 0220, 0236, 0241, 0285]: music, dialog, character sounds, voice chat).
Re claim 4: Mahlmeister discloses with respect to the method of claim 1, wherein modifying includes adjusting one or more characteristics of the specific audio signal to generate the modified audio, the one or more characteristics includes any one of at least audio characteristics, temporal characteristics, and linguistic characteristics. (see paragraphs [0154, 0220, 0236, 0241, 0285]: clearer dialogue, i.e. speech).
Re claim 5: Mahlmeister discloses with respect to the method of claim 4, wherein adjusting the audio characteristics includes adjusting at least one of frequency, volume, and voice related characteristics of the specific audio signal (see paragraph [0154, 0220, 0236, 0241, 0285]).
Re claim 6: Mahlmeister discloses with respect to the method of claim 4, wherein modifying the specific audio signal includes adjusting the temporal characteristics, the adjustment to the temporal characteristics is based on the game context of the video game and is customized in accordance to preferences specified for the user. (see paragraph [0246]: user profiles can be modified to adjust temporal characteristics of the game that are triggered within the context of the game).
Re claim 7: Mahlmeister discloses with respect to the method of claim 6, wherein the adjustment to the temporal characteristics is triggered automatically by the audio shunting logic, based on the current game context of the video game ([0246]: adjusting temporal characteristics is automatically determined and triggered within the context of the game).
Re claim 8. Mahlmeister discloses with respect to the method of claim 6, wherein adjusting the temporal characteristics includes any one of (b) dynamically time-shifting the specific audio signal, so as to cause the specific audio signal to render with a delayed start (see paragraph [0247]: the temporal characteristics includes creating an echo to produce an audio signal that works on a delay to produce the effect).
Re claim 10: Mahlmeister discloses with respect to the method of claim 1, wherein modifying the specific audio signal to generate the modified audio includes changing a frequency characteristic of the specific audio signal from a first frequency to a second frequency, the second frequency is specified by the user or selected by the audio shunting logic executing on the server computing device (see paragraphs [0036, 0154 and claim 1]: users can adjusts the frequencies of particular audio signals from one frequency to another).
Re claim 11: Mahlmeister discloses with respect to the method of claim 1, wherein modifying the specific audio signal to generate the modified audio includes compressing the specific audio signal using an audio compressor, the audio compressor configured to identify a portion of the specific audio signal that is indiscernible and enhancing audio in the portion to make the portion of the specific audio signal discernable (see paragraph [0154]: “The user may choose to add effects such as compression to remove relatively high frequencies or relatively low frequencies.”).
Re claim 12: Mahlmeister fails to specifically discloses with respect to the method of claim 1, wherein modifying the specific audio signal to generate the modified audio includes compressing the specific audio signal using a language model compressor, the language model compressor generating the modified audio by converting the specific audio signal from a first language to a second language, wherein the second language is user-specific (see paragraph [0069]: the system converts the received data, i.e. a first language, from a microphone, into a second language comprising of macros, i.e. computer instructions ).
Re claim 20: Mahlmeister discloses with respect to the method of claim 1, wherein the priority is specified by the user or determined by the audio shunting logic, and
wherein the audio shunting logic is communicatively coupled to game logic of the video game through an application programming interface (see paragraph [0077]: it is inherent that the system uses an API in order to send API messages).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, 13, 14, and 17 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. The prior art of record and the prior art in general fails to disclose the limitations of the aforementioned claims, and fails to provide a basis for obviousness as to why one of ordinary skill in the art would modify the references with the stated limitations. For example, the prior acts the limitations of claims 9, which states “modifying the specific audio signal includes generating a summary of audio included in the specific audio signal and presenting the summary in a visual format in accordance to notification preferences specified by the user.” Additionally, it would have been hindsight reasoning for one to modify the base reference to incorporate said limitations. For these reasons, the claims are allowable if rewritten in independent form.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to REGINALD A RENWICK whose telephone number is (571)270-1913. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 11am-7pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kang Hu can be reached at (571)270-1344 . The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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REGINALD A. RENWICK
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3714
/REGINALD A RENWICK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
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