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 .
Examiner’s Comments
Based upon the most recently submitted amendment and remarks,
Claim Objections
Claim 5 objected to because of the following informalities: Perform should be performed. Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Sen (US 20140006017 A1).
As per claim 1, Sen discloses an acoustic control device (para 121, fig. 6) comprising a processor including hardware configured to:
acquire interference sound data containing information on an interference sound that serves as noise for interfering with hearing of a target sound to which a listener is listening (the masking component via the multichannel masking signals per para 7, para 123, for the processing for the dark zones per para, 6, where the masking component/masking signal derives from the noise types per para 126 );
perform acoustic processing for interfering with the hearing of the target sound on the acquired interference sound data (any of the processing per para 123 on the acquired masking component); and
reproduce, through an output device, the interference sound data on which the acoustic processing has been performed (the loudspeaker array per fig. 6 and per fig. 11).
As per claim 2, the acoustic control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor performs, as the acoustic processing, at least one of adjustment processing of a volume in the interference sound data, adjustment processing of a frequency band, or sound image localization processing of the interference sound data (para 123).
As per claim 3, the acoustic control device according to claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to:
copy the interference sound data (as shown in fig. 12, SS10, also in fig. 10b and fig. 11); and
impart different phases and perform sound image localization processing in different directions with respect to a plurality of copies of the interference sound data, obtained through copying (via the beams of the beamforming which each define a localization and a direction, and as per the phased array processing per para 133).
As per claim 4, the acoustic control device according to claim 3 wherein the processor sequentially performs sound image localization processing in different directions with respect to same interference sound data (via the different beams of the beamforming based on the copies per the above rejection, sequential via the digital nature of the processing, also noting para 161, multiplications may be performed serially (i.e., one after another) and/or in parallel (i.e., two or more at one time)).
As per claim 5, Sen discloses an acoustic control device comprising a processor including hardware configured to perform:
acquire counter sound data containing content to which a listener is caused to listen as a counter against a target sound (per fig. 11, T600, the obfuscated speech used to make the masking signal;),
perform acoustic processing for interfering with hearing of a target to which a listener is listening on the acquired counter sound data ( (per t600 and t702 and per para 123 ); and
reproduce, through an output device, the counter sound data on which the acoustic processing has been performed (per the speaker array in fig. 6 and fig. 11).
As per claim 6, the acoustic control device according to The acoustic control device according to wherein the processor performs, as the acoustic processing, at least one of adjustment processing of a volume in the counter sound data, adjustment processing of a frequency band, or sound image localization processing of the counter sound data (per the beams and nulls in para 130, and per the zones in fig. 6).
As per claim 7, the acoustic control device according to The acoustic control device according to wherein the processor further performs processing of imparting directivity for the listener to the counter sound data (per the beams and nulls in para 130).
As per claim 8, an acoustic control device comprising a processor including hardware configured to:
acquire interference sound data containing information on an interference sound that serves as noise for interfering with hearing of a target sound to which a lister is listening (the noise types from 126 as applied to the masking signal) , and
counter sound data containing a content to which a listener is caused to listen as a counter against the target sound (masking signal from the obfuscated speech per fig. 11);
perform acoustic processing for interfering with the hearing of the target sound on the interference sound data and the counter sound data both acquired (per fig. 11, and as per T600 and para 126); and
reproduce, through an output device, the interference sound data and the counter sound data on each of which the acoustic processing has been performed (per the speakers in fig. 6 and fig. 11).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER KRZYSTAN whose telephone number is 571-272-7498, and whose email address is alexander.krzystan@uspto.gov
The examiner can usually be reached on m-f 7:30-4:00 est.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone or email 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.
/ALEXANDER KRZYSTAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2653
Examiner Alexander Krzystan
August 11, 2026
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