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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-3 in the reply filed on 08/04/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 4-7 are withdrawn from consideration.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: the preamble of claim 1 is inconsistent with dependent claims 2 and 3. The examiner suggests changing to “A processor for the processor comprising:” Appropriate correction is required.
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:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(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.
Claim(s) 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by the applicant’s cited reference NPL “A NOVEL STRUCTURE TO COMPENSATE FOR FREQUENCY-DEPENDENT LOUDNESS RECRUITMENT OF SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS” (Strope et al hereinafter Strope).
Regarding claim 1, Strope discloses for delivering to the ear of a user of an acoustical device an accurate hearing response to an input audio signal (Abstract), a processor comprising: a first converter receiving an audio input signal and producing a digital output signal (fig. 2, X(t)); a detector modifying said digital output signal to produce a control signal corresponding to a sound pressure level of said audio input signal (see fig. 2); a first filter (fig. 2, page 3540, filter Hmax) modifying said digital output signal to produce a first correction equalization signal corresponding to an actual measured first low level hearing response of the user ("for the quietest input", page 3540, last paragraph of first column); and a second filter (fig. 2, page 3540, filter Hmin) modifying said digital output signal to produce a second correction equalization signal corresponding to an actual measured second higher level hearing response of the user ("for the loudest input", page 3540, last paragraph of first column).
Regarding claim 2, Strope also shows a first multiplier dynamically varying the gain of said first correction equalization signal to provide a first maximum gain output signal when a corresponding said detected sound pressure level is low; and a second multiplier dynamically varying the gain of said second correction equalization signal to provide a second maximum gain output signal when a corresponding said detected sound pressure level is high (see fig. 2 page 3540).
Regarding claim 3, Strope also shows a summer combining said first and second maximum gain output signals when said detected sound pressure level is between said high and low detected sound pressure levels (see fig. 2 page 3540).
Conclusion
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/TUAN D NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2824
