DETAILED ACTION
This is a first Office Action on the merits and is responsive to the originally filed application papers. Claims filed on 03/12/2025 are being examined. Claims 1-20 are being considered and further pending examination.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS(s)) submitted on 03/12/2025, 05/06/2025, and 04/10/2026 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 11 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention. Claim 11 recites “controlling the voice state assembly to be permanently displayed on the display screen” however, it is unclear how permanently displaying on a display screen would be possible as there is no indication in the specification that the display screen uses a technology permitting permanent display of anything, as such the examiner believes that at least upon power loss, the display screen will no longer display images and therefore is incapable of permanently displaying information.
Claims 3, 5-8, 10-11, 16, and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 3 and 16 recite “determining target display area information of the voice container on the display screen and color information corresponding to the target sound zone information and/or orientation text information corresponding to the target sound zone information according to a corresponding relationship between preset display area information and the target sound zone information” however, this limitation is unclear with respect to “and/or” as it is unclear which specific limitations ‘and/or’ is to modify. For example it is at least unclear if it is to mean determining target display area information of the voice container on the display screen and either color information or orientation text information, or if it is intended to mean determining target display area information… and color information together or determining orientation text information. For the purpose of compact prosecution the examiner will interpret this limitation as “and/or” to modify determination of each recited limitation.
The term “normal” in claims 5, 7-8, 10, and 18-19 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “normal” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. The term “normal” modifies state, therefore it is unclear what constitutes and “normal state” as any state can be considered a “normal state” by virtue of being a possible state of a vehicle.
Claims 6, 10, and 19 recite “in response to that…”, however it is unclear what the further limitations to be in response to as with claim 6 and 19 it is unclear if “that” refers to receiving a click instruction from the user or a click area of the click instruction being located outside a display area of the voice container. In claim 10 it is unclear if “that” refers to controlling the voice state assembly or to the current voice interaction state being a non-wake-up-state.
Claim 11 is dependent on claim 10 and does not cure the deficiencies thereof, therefore it is rejected for the same reason.
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 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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5, 10-11, 13-16, 18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chen et al ,(Machine Translation of CN 112309395 A) henceforth referred to as Chen.
Regarding Claim 1 Chen teaches An interaction method, applicable to an in-vehicle terminal, the method comprising (pg 2 : “The invention relates to the technical field of intelligent automobile, especially relates to a human-machine conversation method applied to vehicle, a device, a robot, a computer device and a storage medium.”):
responding to an input of a first voice of a user, and determining first orientation information of a sound source of the first voice relative to in-vehicle space of a vehicle (pg 3 : “when receiving the awakening voice of the user, determining the voice orientation of the awakening voice;
receiving sound by controlling the microphone array on the voice orientation, obtaining the target orientation sound on the vehicle;”);
determining, according to the first orientation information, a first target display position of a voice container responding to the first voice in the in-vehicle terminal (pg 4 : “according to the voice direction of the awakening voice, determining the display area on the display screen;”); and
displaying the voice container on a display screen according to the first target display position (pg 4 : “and displaying a man-machine conversation interface of the man-machine conversation in the display area.”).
Regarding Claim 2 Chen teaches The interaction method according to claim 1, further Chen teaches wherein the determining, according to the first orientation information, the first target display position of the voice container responding to the first voice in the in-vehicle terminal comprises:
obtaining a sound zone parameter of the vehicle, the sound zone parameter comprising at least one of a left front sound zone, a right front sound zone, a left middle sound zone, a right middle sound zone, a left rear sound zone, or a right rear sound zone (pg 4-5 : “in one embodiment, the voice orientation comprises a main driving orientation, a secondary driving orientation, back row left side orientation, back row middle orientation and back row right side orientation of at least one of the display area comprises a left side area, at least one of the middle area and the right side area; according to the voice direction of the awakening voice, determining the display area on the display screen, comprising”);
determining, according to the sound zone parameter, target sound zone information matched with the first orientation information (pg 4-5 : “in one embodiment, the voice orientation comprises a main driving orientation, a secondary driving orientation, back row left side orientation, back row middle orientation and back row right side orientation of at least one of the display area comprises a left side area, at least one of the middle area and the right side area; according to the voice direction of the awakening voice, determining the display area on the display screen, comprising”); and
determining, according to the target sound zone information, the first target display position of the voice container responding to the first voice in the in-vehicle terminal (pg 5 : “if the voice orientation is the main driving orientation, then determining the display area is the left side area;
if the voice orientation is the auxiliary driving orientation, then determining the display area is the right area;
if the voice orientation is the back row left side orientation, the back row middle orientation or the back row right side orientation, then determining the display area is the middle area.”).
Regarding Claim 3 Chen teaches The interaction method according to claim 2, further Chen teaches wherein the determining, according to the target sound zone information, the first target display position of the voice container responding to the first voice in the in-vehicle terminal comprises:
determining target display area information of the voice container on the display screen and color information corresponding to the target sound zone information and/or orientation text information corresponding to the target sound zone information according to a corresponding relationship between preset display area information and the target sound zone information(pg 4-5 : “in one embodiment, the vehicle is further configured with a display screen; The method further comprises:
according to the voice direction of the awakening voice, determining the display area on the display screen;
and displaying a man-machine conversation interface of the man-machine conversation in the display area.
in one embodiment, the voice orientation comprises a main driving orientation, a secondary driving orientation, back row left side orientation, back row middle orientation and back row right side orientation of at least one of the display area comprises a left side area, at least one of the middle area and the right side area; according to the voice direction of the awakening voice, determining the display area on the display screen, comprising:
if the voice orientation is the main driving orientation, then determining the display area is the left side area;
if the voice orientation is the auxiliary driving orientation, then determining the display area is the right area;
if the voice orientation is the back row left side orientation, the back row middle orientation or the back row right side orientation, then determining the display area is the middle area.”, where displaying on the display screen requires the determination of color information under the broadest reasonable interpretation as displaying requires the alteration of a visual display, where, for example an on/off signal for an led/display segment would be color information as it is displayed in a manner to be visually interpreted by a human user, as color is a frequency of light and the human eye is capable of sight only through the light, the information of on/off which ends in a displayed image/light to be sensed by a human eye is color information); and
determining the target display area information and the color information corresponding to the target sound zone information and/or the orientation text information corresponding to the target sound zone information as the first target display position of the voice container (pg 5 : “if the voice orientation is the main driving orientation, then determining the display area is the left side area;”).
Regarding Claim 5 Chen teaches The interaction method according to claim 1, further Chen teaches wherein:
the voice container comprises a voice state assembly, the voice state assembly is configured to present a current voice interaction state in the in-vehicle terminal, and the voice interaction state comprises a normal state, a listening state, a voice recognition state, and a broadcast state (pg 20 : “In another specific embodiment, the man-machine conversation interface can be displayed according to the human-machine conversation state, wherein the man-machine conversation state may include at least one of a wake-up state, a listening state, a broadcast state, a query state and a result display state.”); and
the voice container further comprises a function card, and the function card is configured to present a voice interaction result in the in-vehicle terminal when the current voice interaction state is the broadcast state (pg 21 : “FIG. 7 C is an embodiment of the main driving display state of the man-machine conversation interface effect graph. the robot after identifying the user instruction, if according to the user instruction output man-machine conversation voice, it can enter the broadcast state, VUI can display the broadcast state image, also can be the voice conversion of the robot broadcast to character to display, wherein the broadcast state image can be a static image; It also can be dynamic image. It should be noted that according to the scene need, FIG. 7 C can be displayed, also can not display.”).
Regarding Claim 10 Chen teaches The interaction method according to claim 5, further Chen teaches further comprising adjusting a presentation form of the voice state assembly according to the current voice interaction state, by (pg 28 : “In one embodiment, the display module is further used for determining the dialogue state of the man-machine conversation; the dialog state comprises at least one of a wake-up state, a listening state, a broadcast state, a query state and a result display state; determining the state image corresponding to the conversation state; displaying the state image in the man-machine conversation interface on the display screen.”):
controlling the voice state assembly to present a presentation form corresponding to the normal state in response to that the current voice interaction state is a non-wake-up state (pg 28 : “In one embodiment, the display module is further used for determining the dialogue state of the man-machine conversation; the dialog state comprises at least one of a wake-up state, a listening state, a broadcast state, a query state and a result display state; determining the state image corresponding to the conversation state; displaying the state image in the man-machine conversation interface on the display screen.”);
controlling the voice state assembly to present a presentation form corresponding to the listening state in response to that the current voice interaction state is a wake-up state (pg 28 : “In one embodiment, the display module is further used for determining the dialogue state of the man-machine conversation; the dialog state comprises at least one of a wake-up state, a listening state, a broadcast state, a query state and a result display state; determining the state image corresponding to the conversation state; displaying the state image in the man-machine conversation interface on the display screen.”);
controlling the voice state assembly to present a presentation form corresponding to the voice recognition state in response to that the current voice interaction state is at recognition of a discourse instruction (pg 28 : “In one embodiment, the display module is further used for determining the dialogue state of the man-machine conversation; the dialog state comprises at least one of a wake-up state, a listening state, a broadcast state, a query state and a result display state; determining the state image corresponding to the conversation state; displaying the state image in the man-machine conversation interface on the display screen.”); and
controlling the voice state assembly to present a presentation form corresponding to the broadcast state in response to that a voice interaction result needs to be presented after the recognition of the discourse instruction is completed (pg 28 : “In one embodiment, the display module is further used for determining the dialogue state of the man-machine conversation; the dialog state comprises at least one of a wake-up state, a listening state, a broadcast state, a query state and a result display state; determining the state image corresponding to the conversation state; displaying the state image in the man-machine conversation interface on the display screen.”).
Regarding Claim 11 Chen teaches The interaction method according to claim 10, further Chen teaches further comprising:
controlling the voice state assembly to be permanently displayed on the display screen (pg 25 : “Specifically, according to the human-machine conversation state display human-machine conversation interface, wherein the man-machine conversation state may include a wake state, listening state, broadcasting state, query state and result display state of at least one. the controller can determine the man-machine conversation state in the man-machine conversation process; different human-machine conversation state is corresponding to different state image; it can store the corresponding relation between the man-machine conversation state and the state image through the corresponding table; by searching the corresponding table, obtaining the state image corresponding to the man-machine conversation state; displaying the state image in the man-machine conversation interface.”, as the current state is displayed whenever it is detected, the state is understood to be displayed consistently during operation.).
Regarding Claim 13 Chen teaches A controller for performing the interaction method according to claim 1 (pg 6 : “the controller is used for when the sound is the awakening voice of the user, determining the voice orientation of the awakening voice, by controlling the microphone array receiving sound on the voice orientation, obtaining the target orientation sound on the vehicle, identifying the user instruction in the target orientation sound; generating man-machine conversation content according to the user instruction; said man-machine conversation content comprises man-machine conversation voice and man-machine conversation interface;”).
Regarding Claim 14, it recites a non-transitory storage medium with limitations substantially the same as claim 1 above, therefore it is rejected for the same reason.
Regarding Claim 15, it recites a non-transitory storage medium with limitations substantially the same as claim 2 above, therefore it is rejected for the same reason.
Regarding Claim 16, it recites a non-transitory storage medium with limitations substantially the same as claim 3 above, therefore it is rejected for the same reason.
Regarding Claim 18, it recites a non-transitory storage medium with limitations substantially the same as claim 5 above, therefore it is rejected for the same reason.
Regarding Claim 20, it recites a vehicle with limitations substantially the same as claim 1 above, therefore it is rejected for the same reason.
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.
Claim(s) 4 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen.
Regarding Claim 4 Chen teaches The interaction method according to claim 1, further Chen teaches after displaying the voice container on the display screen according to the first target display position, the method further comprising:
responding to an input of a second voice of the user, and determining whether second orientation information corresponding to the second voice is consistent with the first orientation information corresponding to the first voice ( pg 7-8 : “The man-machine conversation method, device, robot; a computer device and a storage medium; when receiving the wake-up voice of the user, determining the voice orientation of the wake-up voice; receiving the sound on the voice orientation by controlling the microphone array; obtaining the target orientation sound on the vehicle; only receiving the sound from the wake voice orientation; avoiding interference of other orientation sound, improving the anti-interference performance of the man-machine conversation, identifying the user instruction in the target orientation sound according to the user instruction and the target orientation user on the vehicle for man-machine conversation, can accurately identify the appointed orientation of the user instruction, increasing man-machine conversation reliability.”, pg 14 : “It should be noted that the controller can also simultaneously perform sound localization to multiple places in the vehicle to obtain a plurality of voice orientation of the wake-up voice, the microphone array is locked on the plurality of voice directions to receive sound, and identifying the received sound, can simultaneously identify the voice requirement of a plurality of users; at the same time, the man-machine conversation is performed with multiple users. the vehicle further can be equipped with a plurality of display screen, wherein each display screen can display human-machine conversation interface with one user.”, where it would be required of a system simultaneously performing sound localization of multiple places/users that it determines if a first and second voice orientation are consistent); and
if the second orientation information corresponding to the second voice is inconsistent with the first orientation information corresponding to the first voice, displaying the voice container at a second target display position matched with the second orientation information corresponding to the second voice (pg 5 : “if the voice orientation is the main driving orientation, then determining the display area is the left side area;
if the voice orientation is the auxiliary driving orientation, then determining the display area is the right area;
if the voice orientation is the back row left side orientation, the back row middle orientation or the back row right side orientation, then determining the display area is the middle area.”, in a case where, upon second operation of the process, the orientation is inconsistent with the first orientation, the voice container will be displayed in the new location.). However, Chen does not explicitly teach the limitations after displaying the voice container.
However, as the system of Chen is a vehicle system is meant for use, it would be obvious that this systems method/process would be able to operate at least a second time. Therefore, upon a second operation it would occur after a voice container was displayed and render obvious the claimed limitations.
Regarding Claim 17, it recites a non-transitory storage medium with limitations substantially the same as claim 4 above, therefore it is rejected for the same reason.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen and further in view of Mishra et al (US 20180144746 A1) henceforth referred to as Mishra.
Regarding Claim 12 Chen teaches The interaction method according to claim 1, further Chen teaches further comprising:
determining a target display identifier corresponding to the voice information according to a preset voice display identifier (pg 5 : “if the voice orientation is the main driving orientation, then determining the display area is the left side area;
if the voice orientation is the auxiliary driving orientation, then determining the display area is the right area;
if the voice orientation is the back row left side orientation, the back row middle orientation or the back row right side orientation, then determining the display area is the middle area.”, pg 10 : “controller 104 after receiving the sound signal, the sound signal for noise reduction and identification, and judging whether the identified sound signal is matched with the preset wake-up voice template, if not matched, it can determine that the wake-up voice is not received, if matching, it can be determined to receive the wake-up voice;”); and
displaying the voice container in a display form corresponding to the target display identifier (pg 5 : “displaying the state image in the man-machine conversation interface on the display screen.”). However Chen does not explicitly teach recognizing timbre information of the first voice and determination of the target display identifier corresponding to the timbre information according to a preset timbre display identifier.
However, in a similar field of endeavor (voice recognition) Mishra teaches recognizing timbre information of the first voice (para [0046] : “The analyzing the first voice for features can include evaluation of timbre. Timbre can include a tone color, a tone quality, or other psychoacoustic or perceived sound quality.”, further as Chen teaches voice recognition and determining a target display identifier corresponding to the voice information according to preset voice display identifier, the combination of recognition of timbre explicitly with voice recognition, would teach as timbre as the voice information and the present voice display identifier.).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to modify the system of Chen with the timbre recognition of Mishra to improve functionality of voice recognition.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8 and 19 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Cipoletta et al (US 20210232224 A1) teaches A user interface to a machine such as a computer or computer-controlled device, is implemented by a combination of a user interface device and a responsive device. The user interface device includes at least a biopotential sensor and a location sensor. The user interface device is constructed to be worn by a person so that a biopotential sensor is positioned at least at the top of the wrist. The responsive device receives data based on the outputs from the biopotential sensor and the location sensor, and performs actions based on the received data. The responsive device is responsive to the received data to perform operations based on primitive gestures detected in the received data. A primitive gesture can be based on a pose of the hand or location of the wrist or both. The operation performed also can be based on any other information from other sensors on the user interface device. The selected operation also can be based on any context information available to the responsive device.
Waller et al (US 20110022393 A1) teaches method for multimode information input and/or adaptation of the display of a display and control device, input signals of different modality are detected which are supplied via the device to a voice recognition unit, thus initiating a desired function and/or display as an output signal, which are displayed on the device and/or output by voice output. Touch and/or gesture input signals are provided on or to the device for selection of an object intended for interaction and activation of the voice recognition unit and for the vocabulary which is provided for interaction to be restricted with the selection of the object and/or activation of the voice recognition unit as a function of the selected object, on the basis of which a voice command from the restricted vocabulary is added to the selected object as an information input and/or for adaptation of the display, via the voice recognition unit.
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/D.H./Examiner, Art Unit 3668
/IMRAN K MUSTAFA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3668
6/25/2026
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