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 .
Response to Arguments
This communication is in response to the Amendment filed on 9/17/2026.
Rejection of Claims under 35 U.S.C. 112
Applicant’s Arguments:
Applicant argues the claim amendment overcomes the 112b rejection.
Examiner’s Response:
The claim amendment of claim 4 resolves the 112b issue and the 112b rejection is withdrawn.
Rejection of Claims under 35 U.S.C. 102
Applicant’s Arguments:
Applicant argues the amended limitations clarify that speaker identification is not performed merely by analyzing conference audio. Rather, a user device associated with a particular user indicates to the endpoint that its associated user is speaking. The endpoint then provides a corresponding signal to the conference server, and the conference server determines an identifier of the user associated with that user device.
Per claim 1, Applicant argues the citations of Craner do teach or suggest receiving, from an endpoint, a signal indicating that a user device has indicated that its associated user is speaking. Nor do the citations of Craner teach or suggest determining an identifier of a user from an associated user device. Applicant further argues Craner describes determining a speaker identity by processing speech signals, correlating speech with stored speaker information, and determining which talker produced a voice segment (see, e.g., 0038-45 and 0067-74). These disclosures rely upon analysis of speech itself to determine speaker identity and do not rely upon a user device associated with a particular user indicating that the user is speaking.
Applicant argues independent claims 21 and 30 recite limitations similar to those of claim 1 and are, therefore, allowable for at least the same reasons
Examiner’s Response:
Per amended claim1, Craner further teaches using a microphone (user device) dedicated to a user to identify the user as a speaker (¶ [0107-01080], The audio input microphone that is devoted to a particular talker will only be actuated when that talker is speaking. Therefore, an audio output speaker associated with a particular audio input microphone would only project the voice(s) received by that audio input microphone. This system can also be used in an embodiment to eliminate the need for speaker recognition (discriminator), since a unique voice to person association is made at the location of the talker and sent via data sub-band to the projection device/listener or terminal end), which implies “receiving a signal from the first endpoint indicating that a user device has indicated to the first endpoint that a user, of the plurality of users, associated with the user device is speaking; determining an identifier of the user associated with the user device.”
Further, a new secondary reference Liu (US 2014/0118472 A1) is introduced to explicitly teach these limitations, “receiving a signal from the first endpoint indicating that a user device has indicated to the first endpoint that a user, of the plurality of users, associated with the user device is speaking; determining an identifier of the user associated with the user device” (Fig.1, each user device 114a/b/c/d, respectively for each user 116a/b/c/d, sharing a first endpoint 112a, connected to a second endpoint 112b; ¶ [0023], Logic 152 may receive information from user devices 114 that allows logic 152 to identify an active speaker 154 at any given time. For example, logic 152 may receive audio energy values 156 from user devices 114. Logic 152 may compare the audio energy values 156 in order to identify the active speaker 154 at any given time. For instance, logic 152 may identify the greatest received audio energy value 156. Logic 152 may then identify the greatest audio energy value user device 114 (i.e. the user device 114 that transmitted the identified greatest audio energy value 156). Logic 152 may then identify the user 116 operating the identified user device 114 as the current active speaker 154 (i.e. based on the username submitted by device 114 in the join request 162). Logic 152 may transmit the determined active speaker 154 to the endpoints 112 and/or the user devices 114. This process may be repeated throughout the conference to identify the active speaker 154 at any given time. Thus, a user 116 (such as user 116 e) may be able to hear what is being said by users 116 at a remote location (such as users 116 a-d) and to learn the identity of the user 116 speaking at any given time, even if multiple remote users 116 are at the same location 110 (such as users 116 a-d at location 110 a); ¶ [0021], In the example of FIG. 1, logic 152 receives join requests 162 a-d from user devices 114 a-d … join requests 162 may include a username; ¶ [0025], logic 152 may be able to identify the conference location 110 where the current active speaker is located based on the audio signals 160 received from endpoints 112. Logic 152 may then need to receive and/or compare audio energy values 156 only from user devices 114 at the identified conference location 110 (e.g. proximate the corresponding endpoint 112); ¶ [0029], Logic 152 may transmit the determined active speaker 154 to the endpoints 112 and/or the user devices 114. This process may be repeated throughout the conference to identify the active speaker 154 at any given time. Thus, a user 116 (such as user 116 e) may be able to hear what is being said by users 116 at a remote location (such as users 116 a-d) and to learn the identity of the user 116 speaking at any given time, even if multiple remote users 116 are at the same location 110 (such as users 116 a-d at location 110 a); ¶ [0040], FIG. 2B may represent audio energy values 156 during a time period when a user proximate user device 114 b (e.g. user 116 b) is speaking. Accordingly, audio energy value 156 b, received from user device 114 b, is greater than audio energy values 156 a, 156 c, and 156 d. Therefore, controller 120 may identify user device 114 b as the greatest audio energy value user device and user 114 b as active speaker 154).
Claims 21-35 are directed to non-elect by original presentation and thus withdrawn from consideration. Please see details in the Election/Restriction section.
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Newly submitted claims 21-35 are directed to an invention that is independent or distinct from the invention originally claimed for the following reasons:
The elected and examined invention is Group I, claims 1-6 (see election without traverse filed on 5/20/2026), directed to a server. Specifically, claims 1-6 are regarding functionality of the server (e.g., server 126 in Fig.1) including inserting a speaker’s identifier into a conference. However, the newly added claims 21-35 are directed to a shared endpoint (e.g., endpoint 118 in Fig.1). Specifically claims 21-35 are regarding functionality of the shared endpoint including indicating/providing a speaker identifier (e.g., to the server 128). Therefore, the elected and examined invention and the newly added claims are subcombination useable together. Claims 21-35 are directed to claims non-elect by original presentation.
Further, claims 29 and 30 recite non-elected species. Applicant elected species 1 (annotate a conference by speech/audio) and species 3 (identify a user in a conference by audio detection) (see election without traverse filed on 5/20/2026). However, claim 29 recites “inserting a visual indication of the identifier into a conference interface presented at the second communication endpoint,” which is directed to non-elected species 2 (annotate a conference by video). Claim 30 recites “facial recognition, detection of user input,” which is directed to non-elected species 4 (identify a user in a conference by video/image detection) and species 5 (identify a user in a conference by button-pressing detection).
Since applicant has received an action on the merits for the originally presented invention, this invention has been constructively elected by original presentation for prosecution on the merits. Accordingly, claims 21-35 are withdrawn from consideration as being directed to a non-elected invention. See 37 CFR 1.142(b) and MPEP § 821.03.
To preserve a right to petition, the reply to this action must distinctly and specifically point out supposed errors in the restriction requirement. Otherwise, the election shall be treated as a final election without traverse. Traversal must be timely. Failure to timely traverse the requirement will result in the loss of right to petition under 37 CFR 1.144. If claims are subsequently added, applicant must indicate which of the subsequently added claims are readable upon the elected invention.
Should applicant traverse on the ground that the inventions are not patentably distinct, applicant should submit evidence or identify such evidence now of record showing the inventions to be obvious variants or clearly admit on the record that this is the case. In either instance, if the examiner finds one of the inventions unpatentable over the prior art, the evidence or admission may be used in a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) of the other invention.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 1-6 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 written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 1 recites “receiving a signal from the first endpoint indicating that a user device has indicated to the first endpoint that a user, of the plurality of users, associated with the user device is speaking.” A closest disclosure is ¶ [0081] of the specification regarding a server registering a user device associated with a participant and a user device associated with the current speaker reporting the current speaker. However, there is no written description for a signal from a first endpoint to a server would indicate the claimed sequence of prior indication, namely a user device indicating to the first endpoint that a user, of the plurality of users, associated with the user device is speaking. In other words, there is no written description that a prior indication of the speaking user from the user device to the first endpoint would be indicated in a subsequent indication from the first endpoint to the server.
Dependent claims 2-6 fail to cure the deficiencies and thus are rejected for the same reason.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites “receiving a signal from the first endpoint indicating that a user device has indicated to the first endpoint that a user, of the plurality of users, associated with the user device is speaking.” It is unclear how a subsequent indication from the first endpoint to the server would indicate a prior indication sequence, from a user device indicating to the first endpoint of the speaking user. In other words, it is unclear how the indication from the first endpoint to the server would indicate anything from the prior indication such as the user device as the source of the prior indication and the first endpoint as the destination of the prior indication. Further, the prior indication from the user device to the first endpoint is nonfunctional description material regarding the functionalities of the server (see MPEP 2111.05). It is unclear how the prior indication would limit the structure/functionality of the claimed server of claim 1. Dependent claims 2-6 fail to cure the deficiencies and thus are rejected for the same reason. For examination purposes, the limitations above are interpreted to be “receiving a signal from the first endpoint indicating that a user, of the plurality of users, associated with a user device is speaking.”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
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.
Claims 1, 4, and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Craner (US 2004/0013252 A1, in view of Liu (US 2014/0118472 A1), hereinafter Craner-Liu.
Per claim 1, Craner teaches “A conference server, (Fig.1, element 23; Fig.2; ¶ [0036], The voice communication system 10 of FIG. 1 … conference participants being able to simultaneously speak and hear other talkers, the talker indicator of this invention can be present and active on both or a plurality of locations which are conferenced together; ¶ [0038-0039], FIG. 2 shows the block diagram of one embodiment of talker identifier system 16 included in the voice communication system as shown in FIG. 1. Portions of the talker identifier system 16 may be located in … the voice projecting device 23 … The controller 39 may be configured as … a server) comprising: a network interface to a network; (¶ [0023], The network 12 is configured to be any type of network that can convey voices from a voice capture device 14 to the voice projecting device 23; ¶ [0037], transmit the voices as voice information over the network to the voice-projecting device 23) and at least one processor coupled to a computer memory comprising instructions that, when read by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform: (¶ [0039], The controller 39 includes a programmable central processing unit (CPU) 82 that is operable with a memory (e.g., RAM, ROM, hard disk and/or removable storage) and well-known support circuits such as power supplies, clocks, cache, input/output (I/O) 86 and the like. By executing software stored in the memory 84) accessing a conference between a first endpoint (Fig.1, element 14; ¶ [0036], The voice communication system 10 of FIG. 1 … conference participants being able to simultaneously speak and hear other talkers … the voice capture device 14 … a plurality of talkers may share a single voice capture device 14) and a second endpoint, (Fig, 1, element 24; ¶ [0059], The listener 24 receives and transmits his/her voice communication via, e.g., an integral telephone or audio device) the first endpoint being shared between a plurality of users (¶ [0036], a plurality of talkers may share a single voice capture device 14; ¶ [0005], It is difficult to identify the current remote talker if two or more talkers are using the same telephone; ¶ [0007], The talker can be one of a group of talkers, all of who are located proximate to one voice capture device) wherein speech from any one or more of the plurality of users is received by the first endpoint, converted to electronic signals, and provided to the second endpoint as an audio portion of the conference; (¶ [0037], The voice capture device 14 (or a plurality of voice capture devices) is configured to capture voices from one or more talkers, and transmit the voices as voice information over the network to the voice-projecting device 23) receiving a signal from the first endpoint indicating … the user device is speaking; determining an identifier of the user associated with the user device; and in response to receiving the signal, inserting an identifier into the conference for presentation by the second endpoint” (Figs, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7; ¶ [0051], Certain embodiments of talker indicators 32, as shown relative to FIGS. 5, 6A, and 6B, provide some type of announcement or indication of the identity of the speaker that can be heard or detected by the listener. These announcements or indications may vary from an announcement of the name of each talker inserted prior to the actual sound bite corresponding to that talker; ¶ [0073-0074], The selected talker's announcement is then transmitted to the mixer 508 shown in FIG. 5. The mixer 508 projects the selected talker's announcement in temporal sequence with the temporarily compressed talker voice … FIG. 6B shows the compressed voice output signal transmission. The transmission includes a 2-second time period for the announcement of Tom's name requires that Tom's voice transmission sound bite be compressed to 18 seconds. The transmission further includes a 2-second time period for the announcement of Jen's name and a compressed 19-second voice transmission. The required period of time to complete the transmission of both Jen's and Tom's voices including both of their announcements thus remains at 41 seconds; ¶ [0065], sounds or audio talker identification announcements can be inserted prior to each spoken voice segment to identify the specific talkers … An announcement is added to the beginning of each sound bite to indicate the identity of the talker associated with that sound bite. The announcement and the temporally compressed sound bite are then played to the listener; ¶ [0067-0068], FIG. 5 shows one embodiment of talker indicator 32 … The announcement storage or generator 502 can store, or generate, the brief announcement of the identity of a talker who is the most likely to have spoken a particular voice segment. That is, the announcement storage or generator generates or retrieves actual announcement voice segment provided by the voice rate compression element 504, forwarded to the mixer 506. The voice rate compression element 504 allows a voice segment to be projected by the voice projection and identification device 260 at a faster rate to allow for the amount of time necessary for the insertion of the announcement, but still while maintaining the regenerated voice as a continual flow of speech. The voice rate compression element 504 acts to temporarily compress the speech rate of the voice signal while maintaining the pitch of the speech to retain the normal sound of the voice. ¶ [0007], Talker identification information is generated in the talker indicator that can be used to indicate the identity of each talker to the listener. The talker indicator can transmit the voice signal from each talker to the listener. In different aspects, the talker identification information can include such varied indicators as audio, video, or an announcement combined with a temporally compressed voice signal).
Craner further teaches using a microphone (user device) dedicated to a user to identify the user as a speaker (¶ [0107-01080], The audio input microphone that is devoted to a particular talker will only be actuated when that talker is speaking. Therefore, an audio output speaker associated with a particular audio input microphone would only project the voice(s) received by that audio input microphone. This system can also be used in an embodiment to eliminate the need for speaker recognition (discriminator), since a unique voice to person association is made at the location of the talker and sent via data sub-band to the projection device/listener or terminal end), which implies “receiving a signal from the first endpoint indicating that a user device has indicated to the first endpoint that a user, of the plurality of users, associated with the user device is speaking; determining an identifier of the user associated with the user device.”
In analogous teaching of speaker identification, Liu explicitly teaches “receiving a signal from the first endpoint indicating that a user device has indicated to the first endpoint that a user, of the plurality of users, associated with the user device is speaking; determining an identifier of the user associated with the user device” (Fig.1, each user device 114a/b/c/d, respectively for each user 116a/b/c/d, sharing a first endpoint 112a, connected to a second endpoint 112b; ¶ [0023], Logic 152 may receive information from user devices 114 that allows logic 152 to identify an active speaker 154 at any given time. For example, logic 152 may receive audio energy values 156 from user devices 114. Logic 152 may compare the audio energy values 156 in order to identify the active speaker 154 at any given time. For instance, logic 152 may identify the greatest received audio energy value 156. Logic 152 may then identify the greatest audio energy value user device 114 (i.e. the user device 114 that transmitted the identified greatest audio energy value 156). Logic 152 may then identify the user 116 operating the identified user device 114 as the current active speaker 154 (i.e. based on the username submitted by device 114 in the join request 162). Logic 152 may transmit the determined active speaker 154 to the endpoints 112 and/or the user devices 114. This process may be repeated throughout the conference to identify the active speaker 154 at any given time. Thus, a user 116 (such as user 116 e) may be able to hear what is being said by users 116 at a remote location (such as users 116 a-d) and to learn the identity of the user 116 speaking at any given time, even if multiple remote users 116 are at the same location 110 (such as users 116 a-d at location 110 a); ¶ [0021], In the example of FIG. 1, logic 152 receives join requests 162 a-d from user devices 114 a-d … join requests 162 may include a username; ¶ [0025], logic 152 may be able to identify the conference location 110 where the current active speaker is located based on the audio signals 160 received from endpoints 112. Logic 152 may then need to receive and/or compare audio energy values 156 only from user devices 114 at the identified conference location 110 (e.g. proximate the corresponding endpoint 112); ¶ [0029], Logic 152 may transmit the determined active speaker 154 to the endpoints 112 and/or the user devices 114. This process may be repeated throughout the conference to identify the active speaker 154 at any given time. Thus, a user 116 (such as user 116 e) may be able to hear what is being said by users 116 at a remote location (such as users 116 a-d) and to learn the identity of the user 116 speaking at any given time, even if multiple remote users 116 are at the same location 110 (such as users 116 a-d at location 110 a); ¶ [0040], FIG. 2B may represent audio energy values 156 during a time period when a user proximate user device 114 b (e.g. user 116 b) is speaking. Accordingly, audio energy value 156 b, received from user device 114 b, is greater than audio energy values 156 a, 156 c, and 156 d. Therefore, controller 120 may identify user device 114 b as the greatest audio energy value user device and user 114 b as active speaker 154).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine of identifying a speaking user based on a user device associated with the user of Liu into identifying a speaker user of Craner. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to do so because this is combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results, specifically, combining a known method of how to identify a speaking user (based on an associated user device) as taught by Liu and another known method of identifying a speaking user and inserting an identifier of the speaking user as taught by Craner to yield predictable results, especially given that Craner and Liu are in the same field of endeavor of identifying a speaking user in a conference with a shared endpoint (KSR(A), MPEP 2143).
Per claim 4, Craner further teaches “wherein inserting the identifier into the conference for presentation by the second endpoint comprises generating speech comprising the identifier” (Figs, 5, 6B, 7; ¶ [0073-0074], The selected talker's announcement is then transmitted to the mixer 508 shown in FIG. 5. The mixer 508 projects the selected talker's announcement in temporal sequence with the temporarily compressed talker voice … FIG. 6B shows the compressed voice output signal transmission. The transmission includes a 2-second time period for the announcement of Tom's name requires that Tom's voice transmission sound bite be compressed to 18 seconds. The transmission further includes a 2-second time period for the announcement of Jen's name and a compressed 19-second voice transmission. The required period of time to complete the transmission of both Jen's and Tom's voices including both of their announcements thus remains at 41 seconds; ¶ [0065], sounds or audio talker identification announcements can be inserted prior to each spoken voice segment to identify the specific talkers … An announcement is added to the beginning of each sound bite to indicate the identity of the talker associated with that sound bite. The announcement and the temporally compressed sound bite are then played to the listener; ¶ [0067-0068], FIG. 5 shows one embodiment of talker indicator 32 … The announcement storage or generator 502 can store, or generate, the brief announcement of the identity of a talker who is the most likely to have spoken a particular voice segment. That is, the announcement storage or generator generates or retrieves actual announcement voice segment provided by the voice rate compression element 504, forwarded to the mixer 506. The voice rate compression element 504 allows a voice segment to be projected by the voice projection and identification device 260 at a faster rate to allow for the amount of time necessary for the insertion of the announcement, but still while maintaining the regenerated voice as a continual flow of speech. The voice rate compression element 504 acts to temporarily compress the speech rate of the voice signal while maintaining the pitch of the speech to retain the normal sound of the voice. ¶ [0007], Talker identification information is generated in the talker indicator that can be used to indicate the identity of each talker to the listener. The talker indicator can transmit the voice signal from each talker to the listener. In different aspects, the talker identification information can include such varied indicators as audio, video, or an announcement combined with a temporally compressed voice signal).
Per claim 5, Craner further teaches “wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to buffer the audio portion of the conference to accommodate presentation of the identifier by the second endpoint and, upon completion of the presentation of the identifier, resume presentation of the audio portion of the conference” (Figs, 5, 6B, 7; ¶ [0073-0074], The selected talker's announcement is then transmitted to the mixer 508 shown in FIG. 5. The mixer 508 projects the selected talker's announcement in temporal sequence with the temporarily compressed talker voice … FIG. 6B shows the compressed voice output signal transmission. The transmission includes a 2-second time period for the announcement of Tom's name requires that Tom's voice transmission sound bite be compressed to 18 seconds. The transmission further includes a 2-second time period for the announcement of Jen's name and a compressed 19-second voice transmission. The required period of time to complete the transmission of both Jen's and Tom's voices including both of their announcements thus remains at 41 seconds; ¶ [0065], sounds or audio talker identification announcements can be inserted prior to each spoken voice segment to identify the specific talkers … An announcement is added to the beginning of each sound bite to indicate the identity of the talker associated with that sound bite. The announcement and the temporally compressed sound bite are then played to the listener; ¶ [0067-0068], FIG. 5 shows one embodiment of talker indicator 32 … The announcement storage or generator 502 can store, or generate, the brief announcement of the identity of a talker who is the most likely to have spoken a particular voice segment. That is, the announcement storage or generator generates or retrieves actual announcement voice segment provided by the voice rate compression element 504, forwarded to the mixer 506. The voice rate compression element 504 allows a voice segment to be projected by the voice projection and identification device 260 at a faster rate to allow for the amount of time necessary for the insertion of the announcement, but still while maintaining the regenerated voice as a continual flow of speech. The voice rate compression element 504 acts to temporarily compress the speech rate of the voice signal while maintaining the pitch of the speech to retain the normal sound of the voice.) [Comment: In Fig.6B, Tom’s/Jen’s voice is buffered to insert Tom’s/Jen’s name announcement at the beginning and then the Tom’s/Jen’s voice is resumed upon completion of the Tom’s/Jen’s name accountment. In Fig.5, conference audio/voice is temporarily buffered in element 504 and combined with an announcement of a speaker’s identity from 502 to generate audio output 508. See additional teachings in ¶¶ [0070-0073].]
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.
Claims 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Craner-Liu, in view of Tadesse (US 2022/0385758 A1).
Per claim 2, Craner further teach “a storage device” (¶ [0039], a memory (e.g., RAM, ROM, hard disk and/or removable storage); ¶ [0067], an announcement storage).
However, Craner-Liu does not teach “wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform: appending a transcript of the conference with the identifier; and storing the appended transcript in the storage device.”
In analogous teaching of conferencing, Tadesse teaches “wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform: (¶ [0013], The computer program product may include a computer readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention) appending a transcript of the conference with the identifier; and storing the appended transcript in the storage device.” (¶ [0029], In a written transcript of a conference call (e.g., teleconference meeting, videoconference), the conversation, as heard, may be transcribed and may be annotated by the name of the speaker. In at least one embodiment, the unheard portion of the conversation (e.g., that spoken by the person who was either interrupted or that which was spoken but could not be added into the conversation) may be added to the written transcript and may be annotated by an identifier associated with the speaker. The conference call participants may benefit from reading a time-stamped and contextualized transcript from this full conversation; ¶ [0027], The conference program may time-stamp audio streams and chat activities and map those activities with the corresponding participant(s); ¶ [0046], the conference program 110 a, 110 b may record the individual audio content on a local device (e.g., data storage device 106) and/or a remote server (e.g., database 114). In one embodiment, the conference program 110 a, 110 b may time-stamp the individual audio content and associate the individual audio content with the name of the respective participant; ¶ [0048], the conference program 110 a, 110 b may also generate a full transcript of the conference call based on the full audio stream) [Comment: See additional teachings in ¶¶ [0038], [0044], [0052] regarding that conference programs 110a/110b generate/store and send transcripts.]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine of a timestamped transcript with a speaker identifier of Tadesse into rendering a conference with a speaker identifier of Craner-Liu. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to do so because Tadesse recognizes that it would have been advantageous for conference participants to read a timestamped and contextualized transcript (¶ [0029] of Tadesse, In a written transcript of a conference call (e.g., teleconference meeting, videoconference), the conversation, as heard, may be transcribed and may be annotated by the name of the speaker. In at least one embodiment, the unheard portion of the conversation (e.g., that spoken by the person who was either interrupted or that which was spoken but could not be added into the conversation) may be added to the written transcript and may be annotated by an identifier associated with the speaker. The conference call participants may benefit from reading a time-stamped and contextualized transcript from this full conversation; ¶ [0024] of Tadesse, It may also be advantageous to transcribe the contents of a conference call by utilizing both heard and unheard audio streams from all the participants …) (KSR(G), TSM, MPEP 2143). Additionally, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to do so because this is combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results, specifically, combining known methods of a conference to yield predictable results, especially given that Tadesse, Liu, and Craner are in the same field of endeavor of identifying a speaker identifier in a conference (KSR(A), MPEP 2143).
Per claim 3, Tadesse further teaches “appending the transcript of the conference with the identifier and a timestamp of the occurrence of the signal” (¶ [0013], The computer program product may include a computer readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention) appending a transcript of the conference with the identifier; and storing the appended transcript in the storage device.” (¶ [0029], In a written transcript of a conference call (e.g., teleconference meeting, videoconference), the conversation, as heard, may be transcribed and may be annotated by the name of the speaker. In at least one embodiment, the unheard portion of the conversation (e.g., that spoken by the person who was either interrupted or that which was spoken but could not be added into the conversation) may be added to the written transcript and may be annotated by an identifier associated with the speaker. The conference call participants may benefit from reading a time-stamped and contextualized transcript from this full conversation; ¶ [0027], The conference program may time-stamp audio streams and chat activities and map those activities with the corresponding participant(s); ¶ [0046], the conference program 110 a, 110 b may record the individual audio content on a local device (e.g., data storage device 106) and/or a remote server (e.g., database 114). In one embodiment, the conference program 110 a, 110 b may time-stamp the individual audio content and associate the individual audio content with the name of the respective participant; ¶ [0048], the conference program 110 a, 110 b may also generate a full transcript of the conference call based on the full audio stream) [Comment: the combination/motivation is the same as that of claim 2]
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Craner-Liu, in view of Yamada (US 2014/0067957 A1).
Per claim 6, Craner-Liu does not teach “wherein the network interface further comprises a Bluetooth wireless interface and the signal further comprises a Bluetooth signal.”
In analogous teaching of a conference server, Yamada teaches “wherein the network interface further comprises a Bluetooth wireless interface and the signal further comprises a Bluetooth signal.” (Figs.1, 7, ¶ [0237], connection between each conference terminal 3′ and conference server 2′ may be via wireless communication using, for example, Bluetooth; ¶ [0066-0067], The PC 2 is an information processing apparatus that functions as a host (server) … The PC 2 is connected to the tablet computers 3-1 through 3-3 via cables 1 a-1 through 1 a-3 … the cable 1 a may be replaced by wireless communication confirming to, for example, Bluetooth; ¶ [0158], As illustrated in FIG. 7, the PC 2 and the respective tablet computers 3 of this modification communicate via wireless communication 1 a′-1 through 1 a′-3 conforming to Bluetooth; ¶ [0078], The I/ Fs 20 d and 30 d are interfaces that control communication of the PC 2 …).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Bluetooth in a conference server of Yamada into a communication interface in a conference server of Craner-Liu. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to do so because this is combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results, specifically, combining a known type of communication protocol in a conference server (Bluetooth) as taught by Yamada and another known method of a conference server as taught by Craner-Liu to yield predictable results (KSR(A), MPEP 2143).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kardos (US 2005/0135583 A1) discloses identifying a speaker in a conference based on a registered user device associated with the speaker.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
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/HANNAH S WANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2631
