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 § 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-7, 9-14, and 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamkovoy (US 2012/0014531 A1) in view of Metcalf (US 2005/0129256 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yamkovoy teaches a device and method for transferring digital data with an audio signal to microphones and/or acoustic drivers (see Yamkovoy, abstract and ¶ 0001).
Yamkovoy teaches “transmitting media content having a bias signal embedded therein to” a source device that transmits an audio signal with a low DC bias voltage to a speaker, such as a 2-way speaker or a set of ANR headphones (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0060-0061, 0063, and 0074, figure 3a, units 191-192 and 1500, figure 3b, figure 5a, unit 2600, and figure 5b, units 191-192b and 2600). Yamkovoy teaches that the bias signal indicates a gain control for the crossover circuit (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0062-0063, figure 3a, units 500, 540, and 590, and figure 3b), and/or provide gain control for amplifiers in the ANR headphones (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0077-0078, figure 3b, and figure 5b, units 500, 530a-b, and 590).
However, Yamkovoy does not appear to teach the features where “the bias signal indicating a current state from among a plurality of states to be activated”.
Metcalf teaches a dynamics controller that controls macro/micro relationships between playback system components, systems, and subsystems, and the dynamics controller embeds control signals into the audio signals of each signal path, where each signal path has its own loudspeaker system with one or more loudspeakers (see Metcalf, ¶ 0041-0043 and 0048, and figure 2, unit 90). Specifically, Metcalf teaches media content including an embedded control signal that is transmitted to a plurality of loudspeakers in more than one respective signal path (e.g., N≥1) (see Metcalf, ¶ 0048, 0052, 0055, and 0059, figure 2, units 60, 70, 80, and 90, and figure 3), and the embedded control signal indicates a desired state, determined by the user or automatically via the dynamics controller, chosen from a plurality of different states, such as active, inactive, etc., for each of the one or more speakers of each audio channel (see Metcalf, ¶ 0037, 0040-0043, 0048, and 0059, figure 2, units 60, 70, 80, and 90, and figure 3). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date to modify Yamkovoy with the teachings of Metcalf for the purpose of controlling various configurations and different operating modes of loudspeaker systems with an embedded control signal (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0009 and 0062 in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0042-0043 and 0048).
Therefore, the combination of Yamkovoy and Metcalf makes obvious:
“A method comprising:
transmitting media content having a bias signal embedded therein to each of a plurality of speakers, the bias signal indicating a current state from among a plurality of states to be activated” because Yamkovoy teaches a source device that transmits an audio signal with a low DC bias voltage to a speaker, such as a 2-way speaker (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0060-0063, and 0074, figure 3a, units 191-192, 500, 540, 590, and 1500, and figure 3b), and Metcalf makes obvious that the bias signal indicates a desired state, determined by the user or automatically via the dynamics controller, chosen from a plurality of different states, such as active, inactive, etc., for each of the one or more speakers of each audio channel (see Metcalf, ¶ 0037, 0040-0043, 0048, and 0059, figure 2, units 60, 70, 80, and 90, and figure 3);
“configuring each of the plurality of speakers with a respective state from among the plurality of states” because Yamkovoy teaches that the crossover circuit is configured based on the bias signal, and Metcalf makes obvious that the bias signal indicates a desired state chosen from a plurality of different states, such that the each of the speakers is configured to a state based on the bias signal (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0062 in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0040-0043, 0048, and 0059); and
“modifying an audio configuration of one or more speakers of the plurality of speakers based on the bias signal” by making obvious that the loudspeakers are configured based on the embedded bias signal, such that the audio configuration is modified (e.g., a loudspeaker is turned on from an off state or vice-versa, a loudspeaker has a different crossover gain, etc.) (see Yamkovoy ¶ 0062, in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0048 and 0059).
Regarding claim 2, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 1 above. The combination makes obvious the “method of claim 1, wherein the audio configuration comprises one or more of the following: an output status of the speaker, a cross-over status of the speaker, one or more audio features of the speaker, a sound mode of the speaker, a movie mode of the speaker, a music mode of the speaker, or a reproduction mode of the speaker” because Yamkovoy teaches the crossover gain configuration and Metcalf makes obvious that a speaker is turned off or on based on the embedded control signal, and this reads on at least an output status of the speaker, one or more audio features of the speaker, a sound mode of the speaker, and/or a reproduction mode of the speaker (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0062, in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0059).
Regarding claim 3, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 1 above. The combination makes obvious the “method of claim 1, wherein the bias signal comprises a direct current (DC) bias signal transmitted over two channels of each of the plurality of speakers” (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0061, 0063, and 0066, figure 3a, units 191-192 and 1500, and figure 3b).
Regarding claim 4, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 3 above. The combination makes obvious the “method of claim 3, wherein the DC bias signal comprises a positive bias, a negative bias, or a zero bias” because Yamkovoy teaches various different DC bias voltages, such as no bias voltage, and multiple bias voltages, such as no bias voltage, a first positive DC bias voltage, and a second DC bias voltage of an opposite polarity (i.e., a second negative DC bias voltage) (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0026, 0044, 0061, 0063, and 0065-0066, figure 1b, and figure 3b).
Regarding claim 5, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 1 above. The combination makes obvious the “method of claim 4, wherein the number of states comprises nine states” because the combination makes obvious an audio signal with an embedded DC bias voltage that has different bias levels, and it is obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that 9 different states could be indicated using the multiple DC bias levels with each loudspeaker (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0026 and 0061, figure 3b, in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0048).
Regarding claim 6, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 1 above. The combination makes obvious the “method of claim 1, further comprising configuring each of the plurality of speakers to adjust its audio configuration based a state of at least another one of the plurality of speakers” because a group of loudspeakers and/or amplifiers are automatically controlled based on power levels, directivity characteristic, etc. through user control and/or a feedback system, where the feedback system is understood as a system that monitors the output and automatically adjusts the output accordingly (see Metcalf, ¶ 0039, 0048 and 0059 and figure 2).
Regarding claim 7, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 1 above. The combination makes obvious the “method of claim 1, further comprising mastering the media content to embed the bias signal into the media content” (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0043-0044 and 0061, figure 1b, and figure 3b, in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0048).
Regarding claim 9, Yamkovoy teaches a device and method for transferring digital data with an audio signal to microphones and/or acoustic drivers (see Yamkovoy, abstract and ¶ 0001), but does not appear to teach the features where “the bias signal indicating a current state from among a plurality of states to be activated”. For the same reasons as stated above with respect to claim 1, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date to modify Yamkovoy with the teachings of Metcalf for the purpose of controlling various configurations and different operating modes of loudspeaker systems with an embedded control signal (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0009 and 0062 in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0042-0043 and 0048).
Therefore, the combination of Yamkovoy and Metcalf makes obvious:
“A system, comprising:
one or more memories” (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0062 and figure 3a, unit 590), and
“at least one processor coupled to at least one of the one or more memories and configured to perform operations comprising:
transmitting media content having a bias signal embedded therein to each of a plurality of speakers, the bias signal indicating a current state from among a plurality of states to be activated” because Yamkovoy teaches a source device that transmits an audio signal with a low DC bias voltage to a speaker, such as a 2-way speaker (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0060-0063, and 0074, figure 3a, units 191-192, 500, 540, 590, and 1500, and figure 3b), and Metcalf makes obvious that the dynamics controller, or processor, automatically determines a desired state chosen from a plurality of different states, such as active, inactive, etc., for each of the one or more speakers of each audio channel, where the desired state is indicated by the bias signal (see Metcalf, ¶ 0037, 0040-0043, 0048, and 0059, figure 2, units 60, 70, 80, and 90, and figure 3);
“configuring each of the plurality of speakers with a respective state from among the plurality of states” because Yamkovoy teaches that the crossover circuit is configured based on the bias signal, and Metcalf makes obvious that the bias signal indicates a desired state chosen from a plurality of different states, such that the each of the speakers is configured to a state based on the bias signal (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0062 in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0040-0043, 0048, and 0059); and
“modifying an audio configuration of one or more speakers of the plurality of speakers based on the bias signal” by making obvious that the loudspeakers are configured based on the embedded bias signal, such that the audio configuration is modified (e.g., a loudspeaker is turned on from an off state or vice-versa, a loudspeaker has a different crossover gain, etc.) (see Yamkovoy ¶ 0062, in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0048 and 0059).
Regarding claim 10, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 9 above. The combination makes obvious the “system of claim 9, wherein the audio configuration comprises one or more of the following: an output status of the speaker, a cross-over status of the speaker, one or more audio features of the speaker, a sound mode of the speaker, a movie mode of the speaker, a music mode of the speaker, or a reproduction mode of the speaker” because Yamkovoy teaches the crossover gain configuration and Metcalf makes obvious that a speaker is turned off or on based on the embedded control signal, and this reads on at least an output status of the speaker, one or more audio features of the speaker, a sound mode of the speaker, and/or a reproduction mode of the speaker (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0062, in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0059).
Regarding claim 11, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 9 above. The combination makes obvious the “system of claim 9, wherein the bias signal comprises a direct current (DC) bias signal transmitted over two channels of each of the plurality of speakers” (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0061, 0063, and 0066, figure 3a, units 191-192 and 1500, and figure 3b).
Regarding claim 12, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 11 above. The combination makes obvious the “system of claim 11, wherein the DC bias signal comprises a positive bias, a negative bias, or a zero bias” because Yamkovoy teaches various different DC bias voltages, such as no bias voltage, and multiple bias voltages, such as no bias voltage, a first positive DC bias voltage, and a second DC bias voltage of an opposite polarity (i.e., a second negative DC bias voltage) (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0026, 0044, 0061, 0063, and 0065-0066, figure 1b, and figure 3b).
Regarding claim 13, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 9 above. The combination makes obvious the “system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise configuring each of the plurality of speakers to adjust its audio configuration based a state of at least another one of the plurality of speakers” because a group of loudspeakers and/or amplifiers are automatically controlled based on power levels, directivity characteristic, etc. through user control and/or a feedback system, where the feedback system is understood as a system that monitors the output and automatically adjusts the output accordingly (see Metcalf, ¶ 0039, 0048 and 0059 and figure 2).
Regarding claim 14, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 9 above. The combination makes obvious the “system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise mastering the media content to embed the bias signal into the media content” (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0043-0044 and 0061, figure 1b, and figure 3b, in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0048).
Regarding claim 16, Yamkovoy teaches a device and method for transferring digital data with an audio signal to microphones and/or acoustic drivers (see Yamkovoy, abstract and ¶ 0001), but does not appear to teach the features where “the bias signal indicating a current state from among a plurality of states to be activated”. For the same reasons as stated above with respect to claim 1, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date to modify Yamkovoy with the teachings of Metcalf for the purpose of controlling various configurations and different operating modes of loudspeaker systems with an embedded control signal (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0009 and 0062 in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0042-0043 and 0048).
Therefore, the combination of Yamkovoy and Metcalf makes obvious:
“A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that” because the combination makes obvious a dynamic controller to configure the loudspeaker system (see Metcalf, ¶ 0037, 0040-0043, 0048, and 0059, figure 2, units 60, 70, 80, and 90), “when executed by at least one computing device cause the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:
transmitting media content having a bias signal embedded therein to each of a plurality of speakers, the bias signal indicating a current state from among a plurality of states to be activated” because Yamkovoy teaches a source device that transmits an audio signal with a low DC bias voltage to a speaker, such as a 2-way speaker (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0060-0063, and 0074, figure 3a, units 191-192, 500, 540, 590, and 1500, and figure 3b), and Metcalf makes obvious that the bias signal indicates a desired state, determined by the user or automatically via the dynamics controller, chosen from a plurality of different states, such as active, inactive, etc., for each of the one or more speakers of each audio channel (see Metcalf, ¶ 0037, 0040-0043, 0048, and 0059, figure 2, units 60, 70, 80, and 90, and figure 3);
“configuring each of the plurality of speakers with a respective state from among the plurality of states” because Yamkovoy teaches that the crossover circuit is configured based on the bias signal, and Metcalf makes obvious that the bias signal indicates a desired state chosen from a plurality of different states, such that the each of the speakers is configured to a state based on the bias signal (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0062 in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0040-0043, 0048, and 0059); and
“modifying an audio configuration of one or more speakers of the plurality of speakers based on the bias signal” by making obvious that the loudspeakers are configured based on the embedded bias signal, such that the audio configuration is modified (e.g., a loudspeaker is turned on from an off state or vice-versa, a loudspeaker has a different crossover gain, etc.) (see Yamkovoy ¶ 0062, in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0048 and 0059).
Regarding claim 17, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 16 above. The combination makes obvious the “non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the audio configuration comprises one or more of the following: an output status of the speaker, a cross-over status of the speaker, one or more audio features of the speaker, a sound mode of the speaker, a movie mode of the speaker, a music mode of the speaker, or a reproduction mode of the speaker” because Yamkovoy teaches the crossover gain configuration and Metcalf makes obvious that a speaker is turned off or on based on the embedded control signal, and this reads on at least an output status of the speaker, one or more audio features of the speaker, a sound mode of the speaker, and/or a reproduction mode of the speaker (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0062, in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0059).
Regarding claim 18, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 16 above. The combination makes obvious the “non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the bias signal comprises a direct current (DC) bias signal transmitted over two channels of each of the plurality of speakers, and wherein the DC bias signal comprises a positive bias, a negative bias, or a zero bias” because Yamkovoy teaches various different DC bias voltages, such as no bias voltage, and multiple bias voltages, such as no bias voltage, a first positive DC bias voltage, and a second DC bias voltage of an opposite polarity (i.e., a second negative DC bias voltage) (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0026, 0044, 0061, 0063, and 0065-0066, figure 1b, figure 3a, units 191-192 and 1500, and figure 3b).
Regarding claim 19, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 16 above. The combination makes obvious the “non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise configuring each of the plurality of speakers to adjust its audio configuration based a state of at least another one of the plurality of speakers” because a group of loudspeakers and/or amplifiers are automatically controlled based on power levels, directivity characteristic, etc. through user control and/or a feedback system, where the feedback system is understood as a system that monitors the output and automatically adjusts the output accordingly (see Metcalf, ¶ 0039, 0048 and 0059 and figure 2).
Claim(s) 8, 15, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Yamkovoy and Metcalf as applied to claims 7, 14, and 16 above, and further in view of Scheirer et al., US 2015/0237454 A1 (hereinafter Scheirer).
Regarding claim 8, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 7 above. The combination makes of Yamkovoy and Metcalf obvious the method of claim 7, but does not appear to teach the features comprising “filtering the media content using a filter” and “normalizing the media content”.
Scheirer teaches an audio system using an audio processor to control the spatial presentation of audio signals (see Scheirer, abstract and ¶ 0003). Similar to the combination of Yamkovoy and Metcalf, where an embedded signal to control the acoustic output of loudspeakers (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0026 and 0061-0063, in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0042-0044 and 0048), Scheirer teaches the use of metadata to control the spatial presentation of audio signals (see Scheirer, ¶ 0004-0007). Specifically, Scheirer teaches that the loudspeakers have an integrated audio processor to perform the disclosed methods (see Scheirer, ¶ 0003 and 0013-0014 and figure 1, units 108 and 102-L, 102-C, 102-R, 102-SR, and 102-SL). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date to modify the combination of Yamkovoy and Metcalf with the teachings of Scheirer for expanding a loudspeaker system with different types of types of loudspeakers including loudspeakers with a combination of features integrated processors, integrated amplification, wired connections, wireless connections, and/or one or more speakers in one enclosure (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0043 and 0060, in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0036 and 0058, and further in view of Scheirer, ¶ 0013-0014).
Therefore, the combination of Yamkovoy, Metcalf, and Scheirer makes obvious the “method of claim 7, wherein mastering the media content comprises: filtering the media content using a filter; normalizing the media content; and combining the normalized media content with the control signal” where the combination teaches embedding control signals in multiple channels of recorded audio (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0026 and 0061-0063, in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0033, 0035, and 0059), and the recorded audio is mastered based on different content (see Scheirer, ¶ 0015-0018), such that the mastering of the prior art makes obvious the features of using a filter and normalizing (e.g., changing the levels through amplification and/or attenuation of the recorded audio to provide the desired output levels when reproduced).
Regarding claim 15, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 14 above. The combination of Yamkovoy and Metcalf makes obvious the system of claim 14, but does not appear to teach the features comprising “filtering the media content using a filter” and “normalizing the media content”.
For the same reasons as stated above with respect to claim 8, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date to modify the combination of Yamkovoy and Metcalf with the teachings of Scheirer for expanding a loudspeaker system with different types of types of loudspeakers including loudspeakers with a combination of features integrated processors, integrated amplification, wired connections, wireless connections, and/or one or more speakers in one enclosure (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0043 and 0060, in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0036 and 0058, and further in view of Scheirer, ¶ 0013-0014).
Therefore, the combination of Yamkovoy, Metcalf, and Scheirer makes obvious the “system of claim 14, wherein mastering the media content comprises: filtering the media content using a filter; normalizing the media content; and combining the normalized media content with the bias signal” where the combination teaches embedding control signals in multiple channels of recorded audio (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0026 and 0061-0063, in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0033, 0035, and 0059), and the recorded audio is mastered based on different content (see Scheirer, ¶ 0015-0018), such that the mastering of the prior art makes obvious the features of using a filter and normalizing (e.g., changing the levels through amplification and/or attenuation of the recorded audio to provide the desired output levels when reproduced).
Regarding claim 20, see the preceding rejection with respect to claim 16 above. The combination of Yamkovoy and Metcalf makes obvious the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, but does not appear to teach the features comprising “filtering the media content using a filter” and “normalizing the media content”.
For the same reasons as stated above with respect to claim 8, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date to modify the combination of Yamkovoy and Metcalf with the teachings of Scheirer for expanding a loudspeaker system with different types of types of loudspeakers including loudspeakers with a combination of features integrated processors, integrated amplification, wired connections, wireless connections, and/or one or more speakers in one enclosure (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0043 and 0060, in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0036 and 0058, and further in view of Scheirer, ¶ 0013-0014).
Therefore, the combination of Yamkovoy, Metcalf, and Scheirer makes obvious the “non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise mastering the media content to embed the bias signal into the media content, wherein mastering the media content comprises: filtering the media content using a filter; normalizing the media content; and combining the normalized media content with the bias signal” where the combination teaches embedding control signals in multiple channels of recorded audio (see Yamkovoy, ¶ 0026 and 0061-0063, in view of Metcalf, ¶ 0033, 0035, and 0059), and the recorded audio is mastered based on different content (see Scheirer, ¶ 0015-0018), such that the mastering of the prior art makes obvious the features of using a filter and normalizing (e.g., changing the levels through amplification and/or attenuation of the recorded audio to provide the desired output levels when reproduced).
Conclusion
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/Daniel R Sellers/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2694
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