CTNF 18/906,872 CTNF 64668 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. Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statements filed 10/4/24 and 8/29/25 have been considered. Drawings The drawings filed 10/4/24 are acceptable to the examiner. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-01 AIA The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a): (a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention. The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112: The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. 07-31-02 AIA Claim s 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention. Each of the claims 1 and 8 set forth either a method of acoustic processing or a corresponding processing system that forms first and second sound signals that are composited together to output a sound signal. The written disclosure provides overviews of a circuit block arrangement (figures 2-4) that is used to achieve this desired audio output; however, the written disclosure does not provide any specifics of the circuitry provided in each of the circuit blocks that is necessary to achieve the desired audio output. Without such specifics one of ordinary skill in the art would have to guess the circuitry of the blocks in the circuit block arrangement. For example, block (13) figure 3 receives at least sound information as an input and generates a first sound signal Sig1 that is expressed as a sound image localization enhancement reflected sound; however, the circuitry within block (13) that allows for this action to be performed has not been provided in the written specification. The limitations of claims 2-7 depend upon these features as provided in claim 1 . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 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 and 6-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Flaks et al. (US 2012/0093320 A1), cited by applicant . Re claims 1 and 8: Flaks et al. teaches an acoustic processing method/system comprising: obtaining (i) sound information related to a sound including a predetermined sound and (figure 10 (1002)) (ii) metadata including information related to a space in which the predetermined sound is reproduced (figure 10, (1030) along with figure 3, paragraph [0044]); performing, based on the sound information and the metadata, sound image localization enhancement processing of generating a first sound signal expressing a sound including a sound image localization enhancement reflected sound for localization as a sound arriving from a predetermined direction (figure 10, elements (1006, 1008) directed to processing of sound from a direct path to the listener; performing, based on the sound information and the metadata, acoustic processing of generating a second sound signal expressing a sound including a sound other than a direct sound that reaches a user directly from a sound source object (figure 10, elements of filters (1006) and HRTF (1008) corresponding to the various reflections from blocks (1004) along with paragraph [0083]; and outputting an output sound signal obtained by compositing the first sound signal and the second sound signal (output formed by the SUM, figure 10 receiving inputs from each of HRTF (1008), wherein at least one of the sound image localization enhancement processing or the acoustic processing is performed with reference to a parameter (such as a reflectivity of an object), discussed in relation to figure 3, paragraphs [0044-0047] used in an other of the sound image localization enhancement processing or the acoustic processing. Re claim 6: see figure 5 along with paragraphs [0058 and 0059] in which both the position/location of the sound source and the position/location of the user are determined for the processing Re claim 7: see teachings in paragraphs [0042, 0106 and 0108] in which mediums with recorded program (instructions) are used by a computer (processor) to execute the acoustic processing Allowable Subject Matter 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim 2-5 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. 13-03-01 AIA The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The claimed method including those features of claim 1 wherein the acoustic processing includes initial reflected sound generation processing of generating the second sound signal expressing a sound including an initial reflected sound that reaches the user after the direct sound, and in the performing of the acoustic processing, a parameter (sound pressure as disclosed in paragraph [0109]) of at least one of the sound image localization enhancement reflected sound or the initial reflected sound is adjusted based on a timing at which the sound image localization enhancement reflected sound is generated and a timing at which the initial reflected sound is generated as set forth in claim 2 is neither taught by nor an obvious variation of the art of record. The claimed method including those features of claim 1 wherein the acoustic processing includes later reverberation sound generation processing of generating the second sound signal expressing a sound including a later reverberation sound that reaches the user after the direct sound as a reverberation, and in the performing of the acoustic processing, a parameter of at least one of the sound image localization enhancement reflected sound or the later reverberation sound is adjusted based on a sound pressure of the later reverberation sound as set forth in claim 3 is neither taught by nor an obvious variation of the art of record. The claimed method including those features of claim 1 wherein the acoustic processing includes diffracted sound generation processing of generating the second sound signal expressing a sound including a diffracted sound caused by an obstacle located between the user and the sound source object in the space, and in the performing of the acoustic processing, a parameter of at least one of the sound image localization enhancement reflected sound or the diffracted sound is adjusted as set forth in claim 4 is neither taught by nor an obvious variation of the art of record. The claimed method including those features of claim 1 wherein the metadata includes information indicating which of the sound image localization enhancement processing or the acoustic processing is to be prioritized as set forth in claim 5 is neither taught by nor an obvious variation of the art of record . Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Koppens teaches a related audio processing apparatus that takes into account audio objects in a space that changes the path produces by an audio source . Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW SNIEZEK whose telephone number is (571)272-7563. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:00 AM-3:30 PM EST. 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, Ahmad Matar can be reached at 571-272-7488. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /ANDREW SNIEZEK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2693 /A.S./Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2693 3/31/26 Application/Control Number: 18/906,872 Page 2 Art Unit: 2693 Application/Control Number: 18/906,872 Page 3 Art Unit: 2693 Application/Control Number: 18/906,872 Page 4 Art Unit: 2693 Application/Control Number: 18/906,872 Page 5 Art Unit: 2693 Application/Control Number: 18/906,872 Page 6 Art Unit: 2693 Application/Control Number: 18/906,872 Page 7 Art Unit: 2693
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