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 § 102
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Shi et al (US 20190075418 A1).
As per claims 1,11, Shi discloses a computer-implemented method (which requires software, processor and nontransitory memory in order to be implemented), comprising:
determining a first position and a first orientation of a user in an environment (para 31);
identifying a first point based on the first position and the first orientation of the user in a dimensional map (the detected location orientation and position per para 31 as identified by the processor of the device/apparatus, where the dimensional map is the shared 3d coordinate system required to identify a location and orientation as disclosed),
the dimensional map associating a plurality of transfer functions with a corresponding plurality of points corresponding to positions and orientations in a multi-dimensional space (the crosstalk cancellation filter that is adapted based on the dimensional map);
determining at least one crosstalk cancellation filter based on the plurality of transfer functions (para 89: a virtualizer circuit applies one or more different virtualization filters, such as HRTFs, and the one or more virtualization filters are selected based on information about a listener position or orientation);
generating a plurality of audio signals for a plurality of loudspeakers based on the at least one crosstalk cancelation filter (the signals derived for the speakers of any of the devices of para 10); and
transmitting the plurality of audio signals to the plurality of loudspeakers for output (para 40, the speakers need the audio transmitted to them in order to project sound).
As per claim 2, the computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first point comprises selecting a nearest point from a plurality of points in the dimensional map based on a mathematical distance from the first point to the nearest point (as the system described above is digital the coordinate system by which to render the audio and identify the position and orientation relative to must be digitally implemented where each value must be mapped/based on distance to a predefined quantization point that is nearest to it in order to be digital).
As per claim 3, the computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a second position and second orientation of the user;
identifying a second point in the dimensional map based on the second position and the second orientation; and
replacing the at least one crosstalk cancellation filter based on the second point in the dimensional map (the system can adapts/replaces the crosstalk filter depending upon the detected position and orientation, including a second position and orientation).
As per claim 4, the computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the first position and first orientation of the user in the environment comprises receiving sensor data from a plurality of sensors (the multiple frequency bands per para 44, each band is a sensor).
As per claim 5, the computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the first position and first orientation of the user in the environment comprises calculating three coordinates corresponding to position relative to a reference position and three coordinates corresponding to orientation relative to a reference orientation (the processing cited above, in view of the processing of para 68, in the 3d space).
As per claim 6, the computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the three coordinates corresponding to orientation relative to the reference orientation correspond to a roll angle, a pitch angle, and a yaw angle (para 75).
As per claim 7, the computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first point corresponding to the first position and the first orientation is based on three parameters corresponding to the first position (the coordinates of a 3d space for the position) and a reduced quantity of parameters corresponding to the first orientation (the orientation is yaw or roll per para 80).
As per claim 8, the computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the first position and first orientation of the user in the environment comprises
calculating three coordinates corresponding to position relative to a reference position (per the 3d space cited above), and
at least one of a yaw angle or a pitch angle relative to a reference orientation( as cited above).
As per claim 9, the computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the dimensional map is selected from a plurality of dimensional maps (each parameter or combination of parameters cited above have an associated dimensional maps), wherein the dimensional map is selected based on a yaw angle relative to a reference orientation that corresponds to the first orientation (the yaw angle for orientation as cited above, must select and be relative to a reference orientation as all coordinate systems require respective reference/origin points by nature.
As per claim 10, the computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of dimensional maps is associated with a range of yaw angles relative to the reference orientation (the cited yaw, and also the cited yaw in combination with any of the other cited parameters for orientation as cited above, each have an associated common coordinate system/associated dimensional map, noting that each discernable quantized point as read by the digital processor is associated with a range of yaw angles as defined by the quantization levels applied to the digital values).
As per claim 12, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the plurality of audio signals comprises a left channel signal and a right channel signal (per the television speakers in fig. 1).
As per claim 13, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the at least one crosstalk cancellation filter eliminates crosstalk between the left channel signal and the right channel signal at a left ear and right ear of the user while the user is at the first position and first orientation (the crosstalk filtering cited above in view of the use case in fig. 1).
As per claim 14, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein identifying the first point comprises selecting a nearest point from a plurality of points in the dimensional map based on a mathematical distance from the first point to the nearest point (the quantization of the digital points cited above).
As per claim 15, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the environment comprises an interior of a vehicle cabin (automotive per para 3).
As per claim 16, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the steps further comprise: determining a second position and second orientation of the user;
identifying a second point in the dimensional map corresponding to the second position and the second orientation; and
replacing the at least one crosstalk cancellation filter based on the second point in the dimensional map. (per claim 3 rejection).
As per claim 17, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein determining the first position and first orientation of the user in the environment comprises calculating three coordinates corresponding to position relative to a reference position and three coordinates corresponding to orientation relative to a reference orientation (per claim 5 rejection).
As per claim 18, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the dimensional map is selected from a plurality of dimensional maps, wherein the dimensional map is selected based on a yaw angle relative to a reference orientation that corresponds to the first orientation (per claim 9 rejection).
As per claim 19, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of dimensional maps is associated with a range of yaw angles relative to the reference orientation (per claim 10 rejection).
As per claim 20, a system comprising:
at least one sensor configured to obtain information about a user in an environment (the camera, abstract);
at least one speaker configured to play back audio within the environment (tv as shown in fig. 1);
a memory storing crosstalk cancellation application (required to implement the digital based functions cited above); and
a processor (further required to implement said functions) coupled to the memory that executes the crosstalk cancellation application by performing the steps of:
determining a first position and a first orientation of a user in an environment;
identifying a first point corresponding to the first position and the first orientation of the user in a dimensional map, the dimensional map associating a plurality of transfer functions with a corresponding plurality of points corresponding to positions and orientations in a multi-dimensional space;
determining at least one crosstalk cancellation filter based on the plurality of transfer functions;
generating a plurality of audio signals for a plurality of loudspeakers based on the at least one crosstalk cancelation filter; and
transmitting the plurality of audio signals to the plurality of loudspeakers for output.
(per claim 1 rejection)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER KRZYSTAN whose telephone number is 571-272-7498, and whose email address is alexander.krzystan@uspto.gov
The examiner can usually be reached on m-f 7:30-4:00 est.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone or email are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Carolyn Edwards can be reached on (571) 270-7136.
The fax phone numbers for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned are 571-273-8300 for regular communications and 571-273-8300 for After Final communications.
/ALEXANDER KRZYSTAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2653
Examiner Alexander Krzystan
July 22, 2026
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