Detailed Action
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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) A person shall be entitled to a patent unless—
(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
Claims 1, 2, 8, 12-14, 16, 17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pryzby et al (US 2005/0277469 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Pryzby discloses a method comprising receiving, by a processing system including a processor and a memory (Fig. 2), a live game output audio stream (¶ [0037]: inputted first audio signal) of a gaming application currently being played by a plurality of gamers (¶ [0030]: multiplayer game), the live game output audio stream comprising a plurality of audio streams (128 – 134), presenting, by the processing system, on a user interface, a configuration selector for receiving from a gamer of the plurality of gamers a selection of an audio stream of interest of the plurality of audio streams for applying a predetermined audio profile (Figs. 5-8), retrieving, by the processing system, a stored configuration file corresponding to the audio stream of interest, the stored configuration file including data defining stored live audio processing settings (322), modifying, by the processing system, the live game output audio stream of the gaming application according to the stored live audio processing settings (Figs. 5-8), forming modified gaming audio, and providing, by the processing system, the modified gaming audio to one or more gamers of the plurality of gamers (Abstract).
Regarding claim 2, Pryzby discloses separating, by the processing system, the live game output audio stream of the gaming application into a plurality of audio streams (128 – 134), identifying, by the processing system, a selected audio stream associated with the stored configuration file and modifying by the processing system, the selected audio stream according to the stored live audio processing settings (Figs. 5-8).
Regarding claim 8, Pryzby discloses receiving, by the processing system, user identification information of the gamer of the plurality of gamers (¶ [0054]), and retrieving, by the processing system, a user configuration file, wherein the retrieving the user configuration file is based on the user identification information of the gamer of the plurality of gamers (¶ [0054]).
Regarding claim 12, Pryzby discloses a device, comprising a processing system including a processor and a memory (Fig. 2) that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations comprising: receiving a live game output audio stream of a gaming application (¶ [0037]: inputted first audio signal) currently being played by a plurality of gamers (¶ [0030]: multiplayer game), the live game output audio stream comprising a plurality of audio streams (128 – 134), retrieving a stored configuration file corresponding to an audio stream of interest to a gamer of the plurality of gamers (Figs. 5-8), the stored configuration file including information defining stored live audio processing settings of the gamer (322), modifying the live game output audio stream of the gaming application according to the stored live audio processing settings (Figs. 5-8), forming modified gaming audio, and providing the modified gaming audio to the gamer (Abstract).
Regarding claim 13, Pryzby discloses wherein the operations further comprise: receiving user identification information associated with the gamer of the plurality of gamers (¶ [0054]) and retrieving, by the processing system, a user configuration file, wherein the retrieving the user configuration file is based on the user identification information of the gamer of the plurality of gamers (¶ [0054]).
Regarding claim 14, Pryzby discloses wherein the operations further comprise: providing, on a user interface to the gamer of the plurality of gamers, a prompt to select a selected user configuration file of a set of user configuration files, wherein the prompting the gamer is based on the user identification information of the gamer of the plurality of gamers (Figs. 5-8).
Regarding claim 16, Pryzby discloses a non-transitory machine-readable medium (Fig. 2) comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor (Fig. 2), facilitate performance of operations comprising: initiating a gaming application for a gamer of a plurality of gamers (¶ [0030]: multiplayer game), receiving user identification information for the gamer of the plurality of gamers accessing the gaming application (¶ [0054]), providing a user interface to the gamer for selection by the gamer of a gamer configuration file associated with the gamer among a plurality of available gamer configuration files (Figs. 5-8), receiving, from the gamer a selection of a selected gamer configuration file, retrieving the selected gamer configuration file (Figs. 5-8), receiving a live game output audio stream from the gaming application during game play of the gaming application (¶ [0037]: inputted first audio signal), wherein the live game output audio stream comprises a plurality of audio streams (128 – 134), applying audio modifications specified by the selected gamer configuration file to the live game output audio stream, forming a modified gaming audio stream, and providing the modified gaming audio stream to one or more gamers including the gamer (Abstract).
Regarding claim 17, Pryzby discloses wherein the operations further comprise separating the live game output audio stream of the gaming application into the plurality of audio streams (Fig. 4), identifying a selected audio stream associated with the gamer configuration file, and modifying the selected audio stream according to one or more settings of the gamer configuration file (Figs. 5-8).
Regarding claim 20, Pryzby discloses wherein the providing a user interface to the gamer comprises: providing on the user interface a configuration selector for selecting by the gamer of the gamer configuration file (¶ [0054]) and providing on the user interface a menu for selecting by the gamer of the gamer configuration file (Fig. 8).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7, 9-11, 15, 18 and 19 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
The prior art considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and not relied upon is made of record on the attached PTO-892 form.
Kotteri et al (US 20200097312 A1) discloses virtual machine audio configuration.
Keilwert et al (US 20200043282 A1) discloses automatic control of gaming audio.
Loose et al (US 20150302684 A1) discloses a gaming machine with enhanced audio interfacing.
Bowney et al (US 20100261523 A1) discloses a gaming machine with surround sound.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVE ROWLAND whose telephone number is (469) 295-9129. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th 10-8. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor Dmitry Suhol can be reached at (571) 272-4430. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300. The fax number for the examiner is (571) 270-8844. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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/STEVE ROWLAND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
