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 .
Status of Application
This communication is responsive to the applicant's application filed 02/05/2025.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamabe et al (US-2022/0293082, hereinafter, Yamabe).
Regarding claim 1, Yamabe discloses an audio device (see Figs. 9-12, 18) comprising: at least one speaker (23); at least one microphone (24, 25); filter circuitry comprising a plurality of partial filter circuits (224); at least one sensor (16); and at least one processor comprising processing circuitry, operatively connected to the at least one speaker, the at least one microphone, the filter circuitry, and the at least one sensor (see Figs. 9-12, 18); wherein the at least one processor is configured to: output a first audio signal (P1 in Fig. 12) through the at least one speaker (23), receive a noise signal through the at least one microphone (25), generate a tuning signal (P2 in Fig. 12) based on the noise signal output, through the at least one speaker (23), a second audio signal in which the generated tuning signal and the first audio signal are combined (P1 + P2 by adder 222), detect an external input through the at least one sensor (16), change a gain of the filter circuitry based on the external input (see para [0111]-[0114]), generate an output signal by passing, through the filter circuitry with the changed gain (FB input of microphone 25 is passing through filters 224A, 224B) , the second audio signal (P2 in Fig. 12) received through the at least one microphone (25), and output the output signal through the at least one speaker (23).
Regarding claim 2, see filters 224A and 224B in Figs. 11, 12, and para [0093], [0097].
Regarding claim 3, Yamabe discloses the at least one processor is, to change the gain of the filter circuitry, configured to change a weight or gain of each of the plurality of partial filter circuits (see para [0087], [0097].
Regarding claims 4-5, see sensor and microphone in Figs. 1, 3A, and 5,
Regarding claim 6, sensor 16 in Fig. 5 is a touch sensor, see para [0079].
Regarding claim 7, see para [0095]-[0097].
Regarding claim 8, Yamabe discloses wherein the at least one processor is, to change the gain of the filter circuitry, configured to reduce a gain for frequencies within a designated range for howling cancelation based on a pressure of the external input (see para [0097], [0111]-[0113].
Method claims 9-16 and non-transitory CRM claims 17-20 are rejected for the same reasoning as set forth for the rejection of apparatus claims 1-8, and claims 1-4 respectively, since the apparatus claims perform the same functions as the method claims and the non-transitory CRM claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hsieh et al, Milani et al, and Merz et al disclose various ANC systems having signal filtering processing and control for a headphone
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XU MEI whose telephone number is (571)272-7523. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 10-6:30 est.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vivian Chin can be reached on 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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/XU MEI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695 09/28/2026
