Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. It would be of great assistance to the office if all incoming papers pertaining to a filed application carried the following items:
i. Application number (checked for accuracy, including series code and serial no.).
ii. Group art unit number (copied from most recent Office communication).
iii. Filing date.
iv. Name of the examiner who prepared the most recent Office action.
v. Title of invention.
vi. Confirmation number (See MPEP § 503).
3. The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages, paragraph and figures may apply. Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
4. Claim interpretation: When multiple limitations are connected with “OR”, one of the limitations doesn’t have any patentable weight since both of the limitations are optional.
CLAIM OBJECTION
5. Claim 6 & 8 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. Interpreting the claims in light of the specification, examiner finds the claimed invention is patentably distinct from the prior art of record. The prior art does not expressly teach or render obvious the invention as recited in the claim (6 & 8). Claims 9, 10 & 11 are also objected since they depend on claim 8.
Claim Rejection- 35 USC § 103
6. 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 of this title, 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 1-5, 7, 12, 13 & 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moore (Pub No. 2019/0149987) and further in view of Jones et al (Pub No. 2020/00371159).
Regarding claim 1, Moore discloses a method for configuring a network, comprising: connecting a first device to a second device over the network (Para. 26: FIG. 1A, the first device 102(1) has access to a LAN in the environment 104, which enables the first device 102(1) to send/receive data to/from the remote system 108 via a wireless access point (WAP) 112 that couples the first device 102(1) to network devices of the network 110); transmitting a first audio signal via a loudspeaker associated with a third device (Para. 69 & Fig. 6: Third device-102(2) transmit audio signals to the another device 102(1)); detecting the first audio signal via a microphone associated with the second device (Para. 28-29: Voice command for device setup) & (Fig. 5); transmitting a connection request from the second device to the first device (Fig. 5 & Para. 29: Connection request and authentication device);
in response to a confirmation of connection received by the first device, transmitting a second audio signal via a loudspeaker associated with the second device, wherein the second audio signal comprises an audio signal encoded with network credentials of the network (Para. 31: Audio signals series of tones- ultrasonic communication for network credentials and authentication token for device setup) & (Fig. 9-10); detecting the second audio signal via a microphone associated with the third device; and decoding the network credentials from the second audio signal on the third device (Para. 33: device setup and authenticating to access the network & Para. 72: Decoding tones/ signals) & (Fig. 7 & 9).
Moore does not explicitly disclose the first audio signal comprises an audio signal encoded with a network address of the third device; decoding the network address from the first audio signal on the second device.
In a similar field of endeavor, Jones et al discloses the first audio signal comprises an audio signal encoded with a network address of the third device (Para. 21: Encoding WiFi credentials & Para. 44: Encode network credentials into audio) & (Para. 54 & 56);
decoding the network address from the first audio signal on the second device (Para. 48: Decodes the audio code and uses these credentials to connect to wireless network) & (Para. 54 & 56).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the device authentication system of Jones’s disclosure with the wireless device setup system, as taught by Moore. Doing so would have resulted in effectively using encoded audio signals to connect multiple wireless devices for safe and secure wireless communication.
Regarding claim 2, Moore discloses the network address of the third device comprises a MAC ID of the third device (Para. 26 & 51: Service Set Identifier).
Regarding claim 3 & 20, Moore discloses the network credentials comprise an SSID and password of the network (Para. 51: SSID and password for the wireless access point).
Regarding claim 4 & 19, Moore discloses the first and second audio signals are audible signals that contain inaudible watermarks (Para. 31: Tones inaudible).
Regarding claim 5, Moore discloses the first and second audio signals are audible signals that contain inaudible watermarks, and wherein the network address of the third device comprises a MAC ID of the third device (Para. 26 & 51: SSID & Service Set Identifier).
Regarding claim 7, Moore discloses the volume increase prompt is output to a display device associated with the first device (Para. 33 & 100: TTS output prompt). Examiner taking official notice that volume increase prompt is output is well known for modern computing devices. In this case, the volume of the device can be controlled by the volume prompt for user convenience.
Regarding claim 12, Moore discloses the first device comprises a mobile device (Fig. 1B).
Regarding claim 13 & 18, Moore discloses estimating a location of the third device (Para. 51: device location identify).
Regarding claim 17, Moore discloses a system, comprising: a first device comprising a first loudspeaker, a first microphone, and a first processor; a second device comprising a second loudspeaker, a second microphone, and a second processor; a third device comprising a third loudspeaker, a third microphone, and a third processor (Fig. 2-3: Multiple electronic computing devices with loudspeaker, microphone, and processor) (Note: computing device or wireless phone usually comprises loudspeaker, microphone, and processor); wherein the first device and the second device are connected to a network (Fig. 1B: Devices are connected to a network); wherein the third processor is configured to transmit a first audio signal via the third loudspeaker (Para. 69 & Fig. 6: Third device-102(2) transmit audio signals to the another device 102(1)), detecting the first audio signal via a microphone associated with the second device (Para. 28-29: Voice command for device setup) & (Fig. 5); transmitting a connection request from the second device to the first device (Fig. 5 & Para. 29: Connection request and authentication device); in response to a confirmation of connection received by the first device, transmitting a second audio signal via a loudspeaker associated with the second device, wherein the second audio signal comprises an audio signal encoded with network credentials of the network (Para. 31: Audio signals series of tones- ultrasonic communication for network credentials and authentication token for device setup) & (Fig. 9-10); detecting the second audio signal via a microphone associated with the third device; and decoding the network credentials from the second audio signal on the third device (Para. 33: device setup and authenticating to access the network & Para. 72: Decoding tones/ signals) & (Fig. 7 & 9).
Moore does not explicitly disclose the first audio signal comprises an audio signal encoded with a network address of the third device; decoding the network address from the first audio signal on the second device.
In a similar field of endeavor, Jones et al discloses the first audio signal comprises an audio signal encoded with a network address of the third device (Para. 21: Encoding WiFi credentials & Para. 44: Encode network credentials into audio) & (Para. 54 & 56);
decoding the network address from the first audio signal on the second device (Para. 48: Decodes the audio code and uses these credentials to connect to wireless network) & (Para. 54 & 56).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the device authentication system of Jones’s disclosure with the wireless device setup system, as taught by Moore. Doing so would have resulted in effectively using encoded audio signals to connect multiple wireless devices for safe and secure wireless communication.
Another Prior Art
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Batta et al (US 2020/0120727) discloses multiple audio devices connection by using audio signals. The second audio device receives data, sent from the third device to the first device by monitoring the second wireless connection. If the second audio device does not determine that the first audio device sent a corresponding acknowledgement, the second audio device sends the acknowledgement message and sends the packet to the first audio device.
Allowance
8. Claims 14-16 are allowed over the prior art of record.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: Interpreting the claims in light of the specification, examiner finds the claimed invention is patentably distinct from the prior art of record. Prior art does not expressly teach or render obvious the invention as recited in the independent claims 14. Prior art discloses audio devices connecting by using audio watermark signals but does not disclose each and every aspect of the limitations of claim 14.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MD K TALUKDER whose telephone number is (571)270-3222. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thur from 10 am to 6 pm.
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/MD K TALUKDER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648
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