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 .
Double Patenting
2. The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the "right to exclude" granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. See In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and, In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969). A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321 (c) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the conflicting application or patent is shown to be commonly owned with this application. See 37 CFR 1.130(b). Effective January 1, 1994, a registered attorney or agent of record may sign a terminal disclaimer. A terminal disclaimer signed by the assignee must fully comply with 37 CFR 3.73(b).
Claims 1-20 rejected on the ground of nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over independent claims of the following: U.S. Patent No. 11,503,163. Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because independent claims of U.S. Patent No. 11,503,163, and independent claims of the present application share the following:
Pending Application 19/018,858
U.S. Patent No. 11,503,163
A method comprising: accessing, by a computer device, audio data during a networked conference,
wherein the computer device is one of a plurality of computer devices connected to
the networked conference;
detecting, by the computer device, a first group sound in the audio data;
generating, by the computer device, a first group sound identifier that identifies the first group sound;
transmitting, by the computer device, the first group sound identifier to a network server;
and
receiving, by the computer device, a control signal from the network server, wherein the network server is configured to receive multiple group sound identifiers from the plurality of computer devices, generate the control signal based on the multiple group sound identifiers, transmit the control signal to the plurality of computer devices, the multiple group sound identifiers comprising the first group sound identifier from the computer device and a second group identifier from one or more computer devices of the plurality of computer devices, the control signal comprising the second group sound identifier;
and
reproducing, by the computer device, a second group sound based on the second group sound identifier
A method for group sound enhancement in a network conference, the method comprising: generating a respective audio signal at one or more of user equipment (UEs) accessing a networked conference meeting, the networked conference meeting further currently accessed by an additional user equipment (additional UE);
detecting, by the one or more UEs, a group sound in the audio signal;
generating, by the one or more UEs, a group sound indicator that identifies the detected group sound;
transmitting, by the one or more UEs, the group sound indicator to a network server;
receiving from the network server, at the additional UE, a control signal that identifies a selected group sound, the control signal determined by the network server due a total number of the UEs transmitting a respective instance of the group sound indicator within a selected time interval upon the network server determining that a total number of UEs exceeding a designated UE number threshold have detected the group sound within a selected time interval;
and
reproducing, at the additional UE, the selected group sound indicated by the control signal
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Amal Zenati whose telephone number is 571-270-1947. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00 -5:00 M-F.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ahmad Matar can be reached on 571- 272- 7488. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571- 273-8300.
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/AMAL S ZENATI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2693
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