DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
1. The information disclosure statements submitted are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Interpretation
2. 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.
The following claim limitations are generic placeholders that are not preceded with sufficient structure:
“an aggregator unit”
Since these limitations invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, claims 14 and 16-20 have been interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification that achieves the claimed function and equivalents thereof.
For the 35 U.S.C 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph limitations, a review of the specification shows the aggregator unit is 104 from Figure 1. The specification further states some or all components of the conferencing system 100 may be implemented using discrete circuitry devices and/or using one or more processors (e.g., audio processor and/or digital signal processor) executing program code stored in a memory (not shown), the program code being configured to carry out one or more processes or operations described herein
If applicant wishes to provide further explanation or dispute the examiner’s interpretation of the corresponding structure, applicant must identify the corresponding structure with reference to the specification by page and line number, and to the drawing, if any, by reference characters in response to this Office action.
If applicant does not intend to have the claim limitation(s) treated under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may amend the claim so that it will clearly not invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, or present a sufficient showing that the claim recites sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function to preclude application of 35 U.S.C 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
For more information, see MPEP 2173 et seq. and Supplementary Examination Guidelines for Determining Compliance With 35 U.S.C 112 and for Treatment of Related Issues in Patent Applications, 76 FR 7162, 7167 (Feb. 9, 2011).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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.
4. Claims 1-4, 6, 9-12, 14, 15, 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Feng, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0285807 (hereinafter Feng).
Regarding claim 1, Feng discloses a method, comprising:
receiving sensor data associated with one or more talkers located in an environment (from paragraph 0045, see To control the views captured by the two cameras 50A-B, the endpoint 10 uses an audio based locator 42 and a video-based locator 44 to determine locations of participants and frame views of the environment and participants);
comparing the sensor data to a plurality of environment configuration templates, wherein each of the plurality of environment configuration templates is associated with a particular physical configuration of the environment (from abstract, see A videoconferencing apparatus automatically tracks speakers in a room and dynamically switches between a controlled, people-view camera and a fixed, room-view camera); and
when the sensor data matches one of the plurality of environment configuration templates (from paragraph 0078, see the endpoint 10 uses various decisions and rules to govern the behavior of the endpoint 10):
selecting a matching environment configuration template (from paragraph 0078, see determine which camera 50A-B to output for conference video); and
configuring one or more cameras located in the environment, based on the matching environment configuration template (from paragraph 0045, see For the people-view camera 50B, these camera commands can be implemented by an actuator or local control unit 52 having motors, servos, and the like that steer the camera 50B mechanically. For the room-view camera 50B, these camera commands can be implemented as electronic signals to be handled by the camera 50B).
Regarding claim 2, Feng discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data comprises locations of the one or more talkers in the environment (from paragraph 0045, see To control the views captured by the two cameras 50A-B, the endpoint 10 uses an audio based locator 42 and a video-based locator 44 to determine locations of participants and frame views of the environment and participants).
Regarding claim 3, Feng discloses the method of claim 2, wherein the locations of the one or more talkers in the environment are determined using a microphone and based on audio associated with the one or more talkers (from paragraph 0046, see For example and as described in more detail below, the control module 40 uses audio information processed by the audio based locator 42 from the horizontally and vertically arranged microphone arrays 60A-60B. The audio based locator 42 uses a speech detector 43 to detect speech in captured audio from the arrays 60A-60B and then determines a location of a current speaker).
Regarding claim 4, Feng discloses the method of claim 2, wherein the locations of the one or more talkers in the environment are determined using the one or more cameras (from paragraph 0046, see the control module 40 uses video information processed by the video-based location 44 from the cameras 50A-B to determine the locations of participants).
Regarding claim 6, Feng discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data is further associated with one or more objects in the environment, and the sensor data comprises locations of the one or more objects in the environment (from paragraph 0045, see To control the views captured by the two cameras 50A-B, the endpoint 10 uses an audio based locator 42 and a video-based locator 44 to determine locations of participants and frame views of the environment and participants).
Regarding claim 9, Feng discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising when the sensor data matches one of the plurality of environment configuration templates, retrieving the matching environment configuration template from a database (from abstract, see A videoconferencing apparatus automatically tracks speakers in a room and dynamically switches between a controlled, people-view camera and a fixed, room-view camera).
Regarding claim 10, Feng discloses The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the one or more cameras comprises setting one or more presets for the one or more cameras, based on the matching environment configuration template (from paragraph 0045, see For the people-view camera 50B, these camera commands can be implemented by an actuator or local control unit 52 having motors, servos, and the like that steer the camera 50B mechanically. For the room-view camera 50B, these camera commands can be implemented as electronic signals to be handled by the camera 50B).
Regarding claim 11, Feng discloses The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the one or more cameras comprises selecting at least one of the one or more cameras for capturing images of the one or more talkers, based on the matching environment configuration template (from paragraph 0078, see determine which camera 50A-B to output for conference video).
Regarding claim 12, Feng discloses the method of claim 2, wherein configuring the one or more cameras comprises transmitting the locations of the one or more talkers to the one or more cameras to cause the one or more cameras to point towards the locations of the one or more talkers, based on the matching environment configuration template (from paragraph 0045, see For the people-view camera 50B, these camera commands can be implemented by an actuator or local control unit 52 having motors, servos, and the like that steer the camera 50B mechanically. For the room-view camera 50B, these camera commands can be implemented as electronic signals to be handled by the camera 50B).
Regarding claim 14, Feng discloses a system, comprising:
a microphone configured to determine locations of one or more talkers in an environment, based on audio sensed by the microphone and associated with the one or more talkers (from paragraph 0046, see For example and as described in more detail below, the control module 40 uses audio information processed by the audio based locator 42 from the horizontally and vertically arranged microphone arrays 60A-60B. The audio based locator 42 uses a speech detector 43 to detect speech in captured audio from the arrays 60A-60B and then determines a location of a current speaker); and
an aggregator unit in communication with the microphone and one or more cameras, the aggregator unit configured to (from paragraph 0045, see To control the views captured by the two cameras 50A-B, the endpoint 10 uses an audio based locator 42 and a video-based locator 44 to determine locations of participants and frame views of the environment and participants):
determine a physical configuration of the environment, based on the locations of the one or more talkers (from abstract, see A videoconferencing apparatus automatically tracks speakers in a room and dynamically switches between a controlled, people-view camera and a fixed, room-view camera); and
configure the one or more cameras in the environment to capture images of the one or more talkers, based on the determined physical configuration (from paragraph 0045, see For the people-view camera 50B, these camera commands can be implemented by an actuator or local control unit 52 having motors, servos, and the like that steer the camera 50B mechanically. For the room-view camera 50B, these camera commands can be implemented as electronic signals to be handled by the camera 50B).
Regarding claim 15, Feng discloses the system of claim 14, wherein the one or more cameras are configured to determine the locations of the one or more talkers (from paragraph 0046, see the control module 40 uses video information processed by the video-based location 44 from the cameras 50A-B to determine the locations of participants).
Regarding claim 18, Feng discloses the system of claim 14, wherein the aggregator unit is configured to configure the one or more cameras by setting one or more presets for the one or more cameras (from paragraph 0045, see For the people-view camera 50B, these camera commands can be implemented by an actuator or local control unit 52 having motors, servos, and the like that steer the camera 50B mechanically. For the room-view camera 50B, these camera commands can be implemented as electronic signals to be handled by the camera 50B).
Regarding claim 19, Feng discloses the system of claim 14, wherein the aggregator unit is configured to configure the one or more cameras by transmitting the locations of the one or more talkers to the one or more cameras to cause the one or more cameras to point towards the locations of the one or more talkers (from paragraph 0045, see For the people-view camera 50B, these camera commands can be implemented by an actuator or local control unit 52 having motors, servos, and the like that steer the camera 50B mechanically. For the room-view camera 50B, these camera commands can be implemented as electronic signals to be handled by the camera 50B).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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, 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.
6. Claims 13 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Feng in view of McCaskill, U.S. Patent No. 6,980,485 (hereinafter McCaskil).
Regarding claim 13, although Feng discloses when the sensor data matches one of the plurality of environment configuration templates, configuring a coverage area of a device located in the environment, based on the matching environment configuration template (from abstract, see A videoconferencing apparatus automatically tracks speakers in a room and dynamically switches between a controlled, people-view camera and a fixed, room-view camera), Feng does not explicitly teach that the device is a microphone. All the same, McCaskill discloses that the device is a microphone (from abstract, see microphone). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Feng wherein the device is a microphone as taught by McCaskill. This modification would have improved the listening experience by reducing noise as suggested by McCaskill.
Claim 20 is rejected for the same reasons as claim 13.
7. Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Feng in view of Bran, U.S. Patent No. 10,992,907 (hereinafter Bran).
Regarding claim 8, although Feng discloses the environment is physically divisible (from abstract, see room), Feng does not explicitly teach the sensor data is further associated with a state of the physically divisible environment. All the same, Bran discloses the sensor data is further associated with a state of the physically divisible environment (from abstract, see The processing circuitry is configured to determine if a change in the layout of the meeting room has occurred, using at least one of the camera and the microphone). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Feng wherein the sensor data is further associated with a state of the physically divisible environment as taught by Bran. This modification would have improved the system’s flexibility by optimizing room utilization as suggested by Bran.
Allowable Subject Matter
8. Claims 5, 7, 16 and 17 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
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OLISA ANWAH whose telephone number is 571-272-7533. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday from 8.30 AM to 6 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone 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.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is 571-272-2600.
/OLISA ANWAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2692
Olisa Anwah
Patent Examiner
July 17, 2026
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