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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) were submitted on 01/10/2025, 05/28/2025, and 01/09/2026. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Soh et al. (US 20240155178 A1).
Regarding claim 1: Soh teaches an audio device (Fig. 2: Media Device 106, Fig. 3: Media Device 106 including Private Listening System 302; and Fig. 5: Computer System 500, and para [0067]) comprising:
a communication interface (Fig. 5: Communication Interface 524 and para [0076]);
at least one memory storing instructions (Fig. 5: Main Memory 508, Secondary Memory 510, and Removable Storage Unit 518 and 522; and para [0075] and [0080]); and
one or more processors connected to the communication interface and configured to control the electronic device (Fig. 5: Processor 504; and para [0068] and [0080]) wherein, by executing the instructions, the one or more processors are configured to:
identify whether a predetermined function is activated in a second electronic device based on the second electronic device being identified as connected to the electronic device through the communication interface (Fig. 4: Step 430/440: a selection of the version of the audio content for output to the first audio device314A is received/determined by the PLS 302 and Fig. 3: PLS 302 is an element of Media Device 106; also see para [0064]-[0065]), and
control the communication interface to transmit, to the second electronic device, at least one channel among a plurality of channels included in sound information based on whether the predetermined function is identified as activated (para [0057], [0063], and [0066]: audio profiles 316 and audio pairs 304 read on the claimed sound information).
Regarding claim 5: Soh teaches the device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
control the communication interface to transmit to the second electronic device, a signal for identifying whether the predetermined function is activated based on the second electronic device being identified as connected to the electronic device through the communication interface (Fig. 4: Step 420 and para [0063]), and
identify whether the predetermined function is activated based on a signal received from the second electronic device through the communication interface (Fig. 4: Step 430/440 and para [0063]-[0064]).
Regarding claim 6: Soh teaches the device as claimed in claim 5, wherein a memory among the at least one memory is storing specification information of the second electronic device (Fig. 3: Audio Pairs 304A-304B and para [0046]-[0047]; and Fig. 3: Profile 316A-316B and para [0053]-[0054] read on the claimed specification information), wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
identify whether the second electronic device is capable of the predetermined function based on the specification information (para [0046]-[0047] and [0053]-[0054]), and
control the communication interface to transmit to the second electronic device, the signal for identifying whether the predetermined function is activated in a state in which the second electronic device is identified as being capable of the predetermined function (para [0057], [0063], and [0066]).
Regarding claims 13: the device discussed in claim 1 also supports this corresponding method claim.
Regarding claim 17: Soh teaches an electronic device (Fig. 2: Media Device 106, Fig. 3: Media Device 106 including Private Listening System 302; and Fig. 5: Computer System 500, and para [0067]) comprising:
a communication interface (Fig. 5: Communication Interface 524 and para [0076]);
at least one memory storing instructions (Fig. 5: Main Memory 508, Secondary Memory 510, and Removable Storage Unit 518 and 522; and para [0075] and [0080]); and
one or more processors connected to the communication interface and configured to control the electronic device (Fig. 5: Processor 504; and para [0068] and [0080]), wherein, by executing the instructions, the one or more processors are configured to:
identify whether a second electronic device is capable of a predetermined function (para [0046]-[0047] and [0053]-[0054]: Media Device 106 storing Audio Pair 304 and Profile 316 of Audio Device 314);
identify whether the predetermined function is activated in the second electronic device based on the second electronic device (Fig. 4: Step 430/440 and para [0063]-[0064]): Media Device 106 receiving the selection of a version of the audio content from Audio Device 314);
control the communication interface to transmit, to the second electronic device, at least one channel among a plurality of channels included in sound information based on whether the predetermined function is identified as activated (para [0057], [0063], and [0066]: audio profiles 316 and audio pairs 304 read on the claimed sound information).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 7-12, 14-16, and 18-20 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID L TON whose telephone number is (571)270-7839. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM (EST).
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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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/DAVID L TON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695
