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
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)(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 1-6, 11, 12, and 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sharif-Ahmadi et al. (2013/0024901) [Sharif-Ahmadi].
Regarding claims 1, 15, and 16, Sharif-Ahmadi discloses a method, comprising:
at a first device (fig. 2 ASN 150): receiving an input corresponding to a request to route first content (paragraph 0122);
in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to route the first content, routing, to a second device external to the first device, the first content (fig. 2, content is routed to user device 180);
after receiving the input corresponding to the request to route the first content, receiving an input corresponding to a request to route second content different from the first content; and in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to route the second content, routing, to a third device external to the first device and the second device, the second content while routing, to the second device, the first content (plural users can use system simultaneously, as shown by the plurality of available user devices 180 in fig. 2 and fig. 3, see paragraphs 0154-0158 and fig. 24).
Regarding claim 2, Sharif-Ahmadi discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the first device is a user device (ASN 150 comprises customer premises equipment, paragraph 0068).
Regarding claim 3, Sharif-Ahmadi discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the input corresponding to the request to route the second content is received while routing, to the second device, the first content (usage is concurrent among a plurality of users, see paragraphs 0154-0158 and fig. 24).
Regarding claim 4, Sharif-Ahmadi discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the first content is a first type of content, wherein the second content is a second type of content, and wherein the first type of content is different from the second type of content (content is received and distributed from multiple sources in multiple formats, paragraph 0071).
Regarding claim 5, Sharif-Ahmadi discloses the method of claim 4, wherein the first type of content is audio content (paragraph 0024).
Regarding claim 6, Sharif-Ahmadi discloses the method of claim 4, wherein the second type of content is video content (paragraph 0024).
Regarding claim 11, Sharif-Ahmadi he method of claim 1 further comprising: after routing, to the second device, the first content, receiving an input corresponding to a request to stop routing the first content; and in response to detecting the input corresponding to the request to stop routing the first content, ceasing route of, to the second device, the first content to the second device while routing, to the third device, the second content (usage is concurrent among a plurality of users, see paragraphs 0154-0158, and terminating use by a first user does not affect use by the second user, see also fig. 24).
Regarding claim 12, Sharif-Ahmadi discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: after ceasing route of, to the second device, the first content, receiving an input corresponding to a request to route the first content; and in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to route the first content, routing, to the second device, the first content while routing, to the third device, the second content (usage is concurrent among a plurality of users, see paragraphs 0154-0158, terminating and restarting usage by a first user does not affect use by the second user, see also fig. 24).
Regarding claim 14, Sharif-Ahmadi discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the first device is outputting fifth content while routing, to the second device, the first content (system can concurrently serve multiple streams of content to multiple devices, see also fig. 9 and fig. 24).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 7-10 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sharif-Ahmadi in view of Gattis (2017/0300289).
Regarding claim 7, Sharif-Ahmadi discloses the method of claim 1, but fails to discloses before routing, to the third device, the second content and in response to receiving an input corresponding to a request to route third content: in accordance with a determination that the third content satisfies a first set of one or more criteria, routing, to a fourth device external to the first device and the second device, the third content while routing, to the second device, the first content; and in accordance with a determination that the third content satisfies a second set of one or more criteria, routing, to a fifth device external to the fourth device, the first device, and the second device, the third content while routing, to the second device, the first content, wherein the second set of one or more criteria is different from the first set of one or more criteria.
In an analogous art, Gattis discloses automatically selecting an appropriate destination device for requested content based on satisfaction of criteria associated with requested content and possible destination devices for the benefit of optimizing a user experience (paragraph 0043).
It would have been obvious at the time of effective filing to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the method of Sharif-Ahmadi to include before routing, to the third device, the second content and in response to receiving an input corresponding to a request to route third content: in accordance with a determination that the third content satisfies a first set of one or more criteria, routing, to a fourth device external to the first device and the second device, the third content while routing, to the second device, the first content; and in accordance with a determination that the third content satisfies a second set of one or more criteria, routing, to a fifth device external to the fourth device, the first device, and the second device, the third content while routing, to the second device, the first content, wherein the second set of one or more criteria is different from the first set of one or more criteria as suggested by Gattis, for the benefit of optimizing a user experience, such as choosing the correct speakers for the output of different audio types.
Regarding claim 8, Sharif-Ahmadi and Gattis disclose the method of claim 7, wherein the first set of one or more criteria includes a criterion that is satisfied based on usage information corresponding to previous content routing (when the previous content routing was of the same type, for example a news or sports program that uses internal speakers, see Gattis paragraph 0043).
Regarding claim 9, Sharif-Ahmadi and Gattis disclose the method of claim 7, wherein the first set of one or more criteria includes a criterion that is satisfied when the fourth device has first capabilities, and wherein the second set of one or more criteria includes a criterion that is satisfied when the fifth device has second capabilities different from the first capabilities (such as external speakers having a wider acoustic range than speakers internal to a display device, see Gattis paragraph 0043).
Regarding claim 10, Sharif-Ahmadi and Gattis disclose the method of claim 7, wherein the first set of one or more criteria includes a criterion that is satisfied based on the routing of the first content (satisfied when the first and third content are of the same type, such as both being TV channels received by tuners, see Sharif-Ahmadi paragraphs 0154-0155).
Regarding claim 13, Sharif-Ahmadi discloses the method of claim 1, but fails to disclose when receiving an input corresponding to a request to route fourth content; and in response to detecting the input corresponding to the request to route the fourth content and without detecting selection of a particular device: in accordance with a determination that a third set of one or more criteria is satisfied, automatically routing, to a fourth device external to the first device and the second device, the fourth content; and in accordance with a determination that a fourth set of one or more criteria is satisfied, forgoing automatically route of the fourth content, wherein the fourth set of one or more criteria is different from the third set of one or more criteria.
In an analogous art, Gattis discloses automatically selecting an appropriate destination device for requested content based on satisfaction of criteria associated with requested content and possible destination devices for the benefit of optimizing a user experience (paragraph 0043).
It would have been obvious at the time of effective filing to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the method of Sharif-Ahmadi to include when receiving an input corresponding to a request to route fourth content; and in response to detecting the input corresponding to the request to route the fourth content and without detecting selection of a particular device: in accordance with a determination that a third set of one or more criteria is satisfied, automatically routing, to a fourth device external to the first device and the second device, the fourth content; and in accordance with a determination that a fourth set of one or more criteria is satisfied, forgoing automatically route of the fourth content, wherein the fourth set of one or more criteria is different from the third set of one or more criteria. as suggested by Gattis, for the benefit of optimizing a user experience, such as choosing the correct speakers for the output of different audio types.
Conclusion
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/DOMINIC D SALTARELLI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2421
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