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 Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
transfer characteristic setting unit in claims 1 and 9;
displacement detection unit in claims 1 and 4;
transfer characteristic updating unit in claims 2,3, 4 and 5;
input detection unit in claims 3 and 5.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, and 4-5 areobjected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 1, 4 and 5 disclose the phrase “a set filter transfer characteristic”. The phrase should read as: “a set of filter transfer characteristics” .
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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) 1-7 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bernardini et al (US 20220116713 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Bernardini discloses a speaker output characteristic correction system for correcting an output characteristic of a speaker (fig.2 “Loudspeaker”) with respect to an audio signal (fig.2 “Audio Signal”) output from a sound source device, comprising:
a filter (fig.2 “Target nonlinear filter” and “Inverse nonlinear filter”) configured to supply to the speaker an output obtained by applying a set filter transfer characteristic to the audio signal output from the sound source device (Par.[0063] The DSP in fig.2 is configured to compensate for non-linearities by setting a filter transfer characteristic);
a transfer characteristic setting unit (fig.2 “Estimator”) configured to set a filter transfer characteristic of the filter (Par.[0063] The Estimator in fig.2 is configured to receive that amplified signal from the Amplifier and estimate parameters of the non-linear filters); and
a displacement detection unit (fig.2 DSP) configured to detect a displacement of a vibration of the speaker (Par.[0080][0083] displacement is detected as analogous to the signal x[k]),
wherein the transfer characteristic setting unit is configured to set a transfer characteristic realizing an inverse transmission characteristic and a target transmission characteristic as the filter transfer characteristic of the filter, the inverse transmission characteristic being an inverse of a base transmission characteristic, and the base transmission characteristic being a transmission characteristic from the audio signal to an acoustic signal value that is observed at a sound receiving point when the audio signal output from the sound source device is directly used as an output of the filter, the sound receiving point being predetermined (Par.[0085] “The inverse non-linear digital filter receives the output of the target non-linear digital filter at its input, applies the inverse non-linear filter based on the parametric model of the speaker (“base transfer characteristic”) to produce a filtered digital signal, and outputs the pre-distorted signal with the characteristic desired non-linear, compensating for the non-linear characteristic of the transducer”),
wherein the target transfer characteristic is such that an acoustic signal value having a target acoustic signal characteristic is observed at the sound receiving point by using the target transfer characteristic as a transfer characteristic from the audio signal to an acoustic signal value at the sound receiving point when the audio signal output from the sound source device is directly used as an output of the filter (Par.[0066] “The target nonlinear digital filter receives the digital audio signal in input, applies the nonlinear filter based on the parametric model of the loudspeaker to the input signal to produce a filtered digital signal and finally outputs the pre-distorted signal with the desired non-linear characteristic”), and
wherein the transfer characteristic setting unit is configured to determine a parameter of an equivalent circuit of the speaker based on a response of the displacement detected by the displacement detection unit to the audio signal output from the sound source device, calculate the inverse transfer characteristic according to the equivalent circuit having the determined parameter, and set a transfer characteristic realizing the calculated inverse transfer characteristic and the target transfer characteristic as the filter transfer characteristic of the filter (Par.[0086-0089] the equivalent electrical circuits shown in figures 5 and 6 are used to determine the inverse transfer characteristic and set the transfer characteristic of the non-linear filters).
With respect to claim 2, Bernardini discloses the speaker output characteristic correction system according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer characteristic updating unit (fig.2 “Estimator”) configured to update the filter transfer characteristic of the filter, wherein the transfer characteristic updating unit is configured to detect a change in the parameter of the equivalent circuit of the speaker based on the displacement detected by the displacement detection unit, update the inverse transfer characteristic according to the detected changed parameter, and update the filter transfer characteristic of the filter to the transfer characteristic realizing the updated inverse transfer characteristic and the target transfer characteristic (Par.[0097] Estimator uses variation in voltage and current levels to infer variations of parameters over time, thereby updating filter parameters of the non-linear filters).
With respect to claim 3, Bernardini discloses the speaker output characteristic correction system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a transfer characteristic updating unit (fig.2 “Estimator”) configured to update the filter transfer characteristic of the filter; and
an input detection unit (fig.2 “Estimator”) configured to detect an input current and an input voltage of the speaker,
wherein the transfer characteristic updating unit is configured to detect a change in the parameter of the equivalent circuit of the speaker based on an impedance of the speaker found from the input current and the input voltage detected by the input detection unit, update the inverse transfer characteristic according to the equivalent circuit having a detected changed parameter, and update the filter transfer characteristic of the filter to the transfer characteristic realizing the updated inverse transfer characteristic and the target transfer characteristic (Par.[0097] Estimator uses variation in voltage and current levels to infer variations of parameters over time, thereby updating filter parameters of the non-linear filters).
With respect to claim 4, Bernardini discloses a speaker output characteristic correction system for correcting an output characteristic of a speaker (fig.2 “Loudspeaker”) with respect to an audio signal (fig.2 “Audio Signal”) output from a sound source device, comprising:
a filter (fig.2 “Target nonlinear filter” and “Inverse nonlinear filter”) configured to supply to the speaker an output obtained by applying a set filter transfer characteristic to the audio signal output from the sound source device (Par.[0063] The DSP in fig.2 is configured to compensate for non-linearities by setting a filter transfer characteristic);
a transfer characteristic updating unit (fig.2 “Estimator”) configured to update a filter transfer characteristic of the filter (Par.[0063] The Estimator in fig.2 is configured to receive that amplified signal from the Amplifier and estimate parameters of the non-linear filters); and
a displacement detection unit (fig.2 DSP) configured to detect a displacement of a vibration of the speaker (Par.[0080][0083] displacement is detected as analogous to the signal x[k]),
wherein the filter transfer characteristic is a transfer characteristic realizing an inverse transmission characteristic and a target transmission characteristic, the inverse transmission characteristic being an inverse of a base transmission characteristic, and the base transmission characteristic being a transmission characteristic from the audio signal to an acoustic signal value that is observed at a sound receiving point when the audio signal output from the sound source device is directly used as an output of the filter, the sound receiving point being predetermined (Par.[0085] “The inverse non-linear digital filter receives the output of the target non-linear digital filter at its input, applies the inverse non-linear filter based on the parametric model of the speaker (“base transfer characteristic”) to produce a filtered digital signal, and outputs the pre-distorted signal with the characteristic desired non-linear, compensating for the non-linear characteristic of the transducer”),
wherein the target transfer characteristic is such that the acoustic signal value having a target acoustic signal characteristic is observed at the sound receiving point by using the target transfer characteristic as a transfer characteristic from the audio signal to an acoustic signal value at the sound receiving point when the audio signal output from the sound source device is directly used as an output of the filter (Par.[0066] “The target nonlinear digital filter receives the digital audio signal in input, applies the nonlinear filter based on the parametric model of the loudspeaker to the input signal to produce a filtered digital signal and finally outputs the pre-distorted signal with the desired non-linear characteristic”), and
wherein the transfer characteristic updating unit is configured to detect a change in a parameter of an equivalent circuit of the speaker based on the displacement detected by the displacement detection unit, update the inverse transfer characteristic according to the equivalent circuit having a detected changed parameter, and update the filter transfer characteristic of the filter to the transfer characteristic realizing the updated inverse transfer characteristic and the target transfer characteristic (Par.[0086-0089] the equivalent electrical circuits shown in figures 5 and 6 are used to determine the inverse transfer characteristic and set the transfer characteristic of the non-linear filters).
With respect to claim 5, Bernardini discloses a speaker output characteristic correction system for correcting an output characteristic of a speaker (fig.2 “Loudspeaker”) with respect to an audio signal (fig.2 “Audio Signal”) output from a sound source device, comprising:
a filter (fig.2 “Target nonlinear filter” and “Inverse nonlinear filter”) configured to supply to the speaker an output obtained by applying a set filter transfer characteristic to the audio signal output from the sound source device (Par.[0063] The DSP in fig.2 is configured to compensate for non-linearities by setting a filter transfer characteristic);
a transfer characteristic updating unit (fig.2 “Estimator”) configured to update a filter transfer characteristic of the filter (Par.[0063] The Estimator in fig.2 is configured to receive that amplified signal from the Amplifier and estimate parameters of the non-linear filters); and
an input detection unit (fig.2 DSP) configured to detect an input current and an input voltage (Par.[0080][0083] displacement is detected as analogous to an input current and voltage signal x[k]),
wherein the filter transfer characteristic is a transfer characteristic realizing an inverse transmission characteristic and a target transmission characteristic, the inverse transmission characteristic being an inverse of a base transmission characteristic, and the base transmission characteristic being a transmission characteristic from the audio signal to an acoustic signal value that is observed at a sound receiving point when the audio signal output from the sound source device is directly used as an output of the filter, the sound receiving point being predetermined (Par.[0085] “The inverse non-linear digital filter receives the output of the target non-linear digital filter at its input, applies the inverse non-linear filter based on the parametric model of the speaker (“base transfer characteristic”) to produce a filtered digital signal, and outputs the pre-distorted signal with the characteristic desired non-linear, compensating for the non-linear characteristic of the transducer”),
wherein the target transfer characteristic is such that an acoustic signal value having a target acoustic signal characteristic is observed at the sound receiving point by using the target transfer characteristic as a transfer characteristic from the audio signal to an acoustic signal value at the sound receiving point when the audio signal output from the sound source device is directly used as an output of the filter (Par.[0066] “The target nonlinear digital filter receives the digital audio signal in input, applies the nonlinear filter based on the parametric model of the loudspeaker to the input signal to produce a filtered digital signal and finally outputs the pre-distorted signal with the desired non-linear characteristic”), and
wherein the transfer characteristic updating unit is configured to detect a change in a parameter of an equivalent circuit of the speaker based on an impedance of the speaker found from the input current and the input voltage detected by the input detection unit, update the inverse transfer characteristic according to the equivalent circuit having the detected changed parameter, and update the filter transfer characteristic of the filter to the transfer characteristic realizing the updated inverse transfer characteristic and the target transfer characteristic (Par.[0086-0089] the equivalent electrical circuits shown in figures 5 and 6 are used to determine the inverse transfer characteristic and set the transfer characteristic of the non-linear filters).
With respect to claim 6, Bernardini discloses the speaker output characteristic correction system according to claim 1, wherein the target acoustic signal characteristic is a sound pressure level frequency characteristic, and the acoustic signal value is a sound pressure level (Par.[0066] It is implied that the target acoustic signal characteristic is a target frequency response comprising sound pressure levels at different frequency bands).
With respect to claim 7, Bernardini discloses the speaker output characteristic correction system of claim 6, wherein the base transfer characteristic, which is the transfer characteristic from the audio signal to the sound pressure level that is the acoustic signal value at the sound receiving point, is a transfer characteristic determined by a function configured to determine a relation between the transfer characteristic from the audio signal to the displacement of the vibration of the speaker found by the equivalent circuit of the speaker and the displacement of the vibration of the speaker and the sound pressure level at the sound receiving point (Par.[0083] physical displacement of the loudspeaker coil is a time variant function based on an equivalent electrical circuit and physical parameters of the loudspeaker).
With respect to claim 10, Bernardini discloses an acoustic system comprising the speaker output characteristic correction system of claim 1, the speaker, and the sound source device (see fig.2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9 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.
Conclusion
Saito et al (US 20230276185 A1) discloses a speaker distortion compensation device and speaker unit.
Thyssen (US 20170347190 A1) disclose a system and method for loudspeaker protection.
Klippel (US 5815585) discloses an adaptive arrangement for correction the transfer characteristics of an electrodynamic transducer.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON R KURR whose telephone number is (571)270-5981. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vivian Chin can be reached at (571-272-7848. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JASON R. KURR
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2695
/JASON R KURR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695
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