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 action is in response to the Preliminary Amendment filed on March 3, 2025.
Claims 1-8, 12-22, and 24 are pending in this action. Claims 8, 16, 19, and 21-22 have been amended. Claims 9-11, 23, and 25-30 have been canceled.
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) 1-4, 12-15, 21-22, and 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhou et al. (CN108766446A).
As per claim 1, Zhou discloses, a method of processing audio, comprising:
obtaining first audio information from a user using an audio sensor of a user device (Fig. 1, element110, “obtaining the voice information of the user, firstly obtaining the voice information of the user through the audio device, specifically capable of real-time acquiring the voice information of the user according to the microphone through the audio device”);
determining whether the first audio information includes audio corresponding to a detected keyword that configures the user device to receive or process one or more commands from the user (“120, detecting whether the voice information comprises awakening term, if said voice information comprises awakening term, then enters an awake state, at the same time, obtaining the voice information of the voice print characteristic information. …if the matching is successful, it indicates that the user has the authority of the user, the following after receiving the operation instruction of the user performing the operation according to the operation command”.);
based on the first audio information including the audio corresponding to the detected keyword, determining a similarity between the first audio information corresponding to the detected keyword and a model of an authenticated user (“130, the voice print characteristic information with the pre-stored vocal print model information, if the matching is successful, then receiving control instructions and to operate according to the control instruction, the voice print characteristic information with the pre-stored vocal print model information, if the matching is successful, it indicates that the user has the authority of the user, the following after receiving the operation instruction of the user performing the operation according to the operation command”); and
determining whether to authenticate the user as the authenticated user based on a first comparison of the similarity between the first audio information and the model of the authenticated user to a first threshold (“133, from the plurality of matching value selected as the target with the highest matching value matching value; 134, if the target match value is greater than the preset threshold, it is judged that the matching is successful”).
As per claim 2, Zhou discloses, further comprising: obtaining second audio information from the user using the audio sensor of the user device; and providing the second audio information to an audio processing system for processing based on whether the user is authenticated as the authenticated user (element110, “obtaining the voice information of the user, firstly obtaining the voice information of the user through the audio device, specifically capable of real-time acquiring the voice information of the user according to the microphone through the audio device”).
As per claim 3, Zho discloses, wherein the second audio information includes a command (“if the matching is successful, it indicates that the user has the authority of the user, the following after receiving the operation instruction of the user performing the operation according to the operation command”).
As per claim 4, Zho discloses, wherein the command does not include the keyword (“if the matching is successful, it indicates that the user has the authority of the user, the following after receiving the operation instruction of the user performing the operation according to the operation command”).
As per claim 21, Zho discloses, wherein the model of the authenticated user is based on speech including the detected keyword from the authenticated user (“after obtaining the voice information of the user, detecting whether the voice message comprises a wake-up word”).
As per claim 22, Zho discloses, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: receive user input corresponding to selection of text associated with the detected keyword in the user device (131. The voice information word corresponding to starting point and ending point, obtain the wake-up word”).
As per claims 12-15 and 24, they are analyzed and thus rejected for the same reasons set forth in the rejection of claims 1-4, because the corresponding claims have similar limitations.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-8 and 16-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including 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.
Coucke et al. (US 2026/0038486) discloses, woke wordless voice quick starts.
Chen (US 12,562,159) discloses, localizing and verifying utterances by audio fingerprinting.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Abul K. Azad whose telephone number is (571) 272-7599. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Bhavesh Mehta, can be reached at (571) 272-7453.
Any response to this action should be mailed to:
Commissioner for Patents
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Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
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August 1, 2026
/ABUL K AZAD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2656
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