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 .
This office action is in response to applicant’s amendment dated 1/31/2025, claims 1-21 are currently pending in the application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. (includes computer readable storage device)
Claim 21 describes a “computer readable medium”.
Further, Applicant's specification, at paragraph ¶[0095], fails to explicitly define the scope of “a computer readable medium”. Thus, in giving the term its plain meaning (see MPEP 2111.01), the claimed “computer readable medium” is considered to include data signals per se. Data signals per se are not statutory as they fail to fall into one of the four statutory categories of invention.
As an additional note, a non-transitory computer readable medium having executable programming instructions stored thereon is considered statutory as non-transitory computer readable media excludes transitory data signals.
Claim Objections
Claims 2-4, 8, 11, 18, are objected to because of the following informalities: claims are dependent on claim “0”. For the purpose of expediting the examination of the application, Examiner will assume that claim “0” meant to be claim “1”, Appropriate correction is required.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-20 would be allowed if the claim objections are overcome.
Most relevant prior art of record is Tsingos et al. (US 10255027 B2) hereinafter Tsingos.
Regarding claim 1, Tsingos teaches A method for enhancing audio content, the method comprising: receiving a multi-channel audio signal from an audio capture device and a binaural audio signal from an audio capture device (“the audio content from authoring tool 102 includes stereo or channel based audio (e.g., 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound) in addition to object-based audio” in Col. 6, Lines 20-21); extracting one or more objects from the multi-channel audio signal (“The object-based content 222 is separately input to this component as well” in Col. 8, lines 4-5); generating spatial information associated with the one or more objects (“the binaural rendering stage 114 generally combines and processes the metadata associated with the channel and object components of the audio and generates a binaural stereo or multi-channel audio output with binaural stereo” in Col. 6, Lines 32-36); Tsingos further teaches and generating output binaural audio signal based on the enhanced binaural audio signal (214 in Fig. 2A), Tsingos does not specifically disclose the method further comprising the multi channel and the binaural audio are collected from two different audio capture devices, nor does Tsingos specifically disclose generating a special enhancement mask, nor does Tsingos teach the method further comprising applying the spatial enhancement mask to the binaural audio signal to enhance spatial characteristics of the binaural audio signal to generate an enhanced binaural audio signal.
The following is the reason for allowance of claim 1:
Tsingos alone or in combination with any other prior art of recor4d does not specifically disclose, suggest nor render obvious the limitations wherein the method further comprises the multi channel and the binaural audio are collected from two different audio capture devices, nor does Tsingos specifically disclose generating a special enhancement mask, nor does Tsingos teach the method further comprising applying the spatial enhancement mask to the binaural audio signal to enhance spatial characteristics of the binaural audio signal to generate an enhanced binaural audio signal, therefore the claim is allowed for the limitations above in combination with all the other limitations of the claim.
Regarding claims 2-18, claims are allowed for their dependency on allowed claim 1.
Regarding claim 19, claim is allowed for being the method comprising at least the same elements and performing at least the same functions performed by the method of allowed claim 1 (see claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 20, claim is allowed for being the system comprising at least the same elements and performing at least the same functions performed by the method of allowed claim 1 (see claim 1 above).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMMAR T HAMID whose telephone number is (571)272-1953. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5, Eastern time.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vivian Chin can be reached at (571) 272-7848. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
AMMAR T. HAMID
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2695
/AMMAR T HAMID/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695
Prosecution Insights