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 .
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.
Claims 1-7, 10-14 & 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wu, CN 113296728 A. (The Wu reference is cited in IDS filed 03/21/2025)
Re Claim 1, Wu discloses an audio playback method, the method comprising: determining a type of an audio to be played back (abstract: audio playback device is selected from a plurality of audio devices based on determined audio type and environment/location); and determining a target playback output device or a target playback output device combination in a multi-playback output system for playing the audio to be played back, according to the type of the audio to be played back (abstract: audio playback device is selected from a plurality of audio devices based on determined audio type and environment/location; wherein target playback output device is selected from the Markush language).
Re Claim 2, Wu discloses the audio playback method according to claim 1, wherein determining a target playback output device or a target playback output device combination in a multi-playback output system for playing the audio to be played back, according to the type of the audio to be played back (abstract: audio playback device is selected from a plurality of audio devices based on determined audio type and environment/location; wherein target playback output device is selected from the Markush language), comprises: determining the target playback output device or the target playback output device combination according to the type of the audio to be played back and a pre-stored correlation between application program information and area information where a playback output device or a playback output device combination is located (abstract: audio playback device is selected from a plurality of audio devices based on determined audio type and environment/location; wherein target playback output device is selected from the Markush language).
Re Claim 3, Wu discloses the audio playback method according to claim 1, wherein determining a target playback output device or a target playback output device combination in a multi-playback output system for playing the audio to be played back, according to the type of the audio to be played back, comprises: determining the target playback output device or the target playback output device combination according to the type of the audio to be played back (abstract: audio playback device is selected from a plurality of audio devices based on determined audio type and environment/location; wherein target playback output device is selected from the Markush language) and a current state of a terminal for playing the audio to be played back (paras 0047(starting with “Step S222:..”)-0054 of ‘Specific implementation examples’ section; claim 4: device attributes/state are interpreted as the state of the terminal).
Re Claim 4, Wu discloses the audio playback method according to claim 1, wherein determining a target playback output device or a target playback output device combination in a multi-playback output system for playing the audio to be played back, according to the type of the audio to be played back (abstract: audio playback device is selected from a plurality of audio devices based on determined audio type and environment/location; wherein target playback output device is selected from the Markush language), comprises: determining the target playback output device or the target playback output device combination according to the type of the audio to be played back (abstract: audio playback device is selected from a plurality of audio devices based on determined audio type and environment/location; wherein target playback output device is selected from the Markush language), a pre-stored correlation between application program information and area information where a playback output device or a playback output device combination is located (abstract: audio playback device is selected from a plurality of audio devices based on determined audio type and environment/location), and a current state of a terminal for playing the audio to be played back (paras 0047(starting with “Step S222:..”)-0054 of ‘Specific implementation examples’ section; claim 4: device attributes/state are interpreted as the state of the terminal) and an area where the terminal is located (abstract: audio playback device is selected from a plurality of audio devices based on determined audio type and environment/location).
Re Claim 5, Wu discloses the audio playback method according to claim 1, wherein determining a target playback output device or a target playback output device combination in a multi-playback output system for playing the audio to be played back, according to the type of the audio to be played back (abstract: audio playback device is selected from a plurality of audio devices based on determined audio type and environment/location; wherein target playback output device is selected from the Markush language), comprises: determining the target playback output device or the target playback output device combination according to the audio type of the audio to be played back and an area where a terminal for playing the audio to be played back is located (abstract: audio playback device is selected from a plurality of audio devices based on determined audio type and environment/location).
Re Claim 6, Wu discloses the audio playback method according to claim 1, wherein determining a target playback output device or a target playback output device combination in a multi-playback output system for playing the audio to be played back, according to the type of the audio to be played back (abstract: audio playback device is selected from a plurality of audio devices based on determined audio type and environment/location; wherein target playback output device is selected from the Markush language), comprises: determining the target playback output device or the target playback output device combination according to the audio type of the audio to be played back (abstract: audio playback device is selected from a plurality of audio devices based on determined audio type and environment/location; wherein target playback output device is selected from the Markush language), a current state of a terminal for playing the audio to be played back (paras 0047(starting with “Step S222:..”)-0054 of ‘Specific implementation examples’ section; claim 4: device attributes/state are interpreted as the state of the terminal), and an area where the terminal is located (abstract: audio playback device is selected from a plurality of audio devices based on determined audio type and environment/location).
Re Claim 7, Wu discloses the audio playback method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: displaying an interface of a playback output device distribution diagram (paragraph 0006 of ‘Contents of The Invention’ section: user can manually select output playback device; wherein a user interface is required to make manual selection), and providing an option of selecting a playback output device or a playback output device combination (paragraph 0006 of ‘Contents of The Invention’ section: user can manually select output playback device; wherein a user interface is required to make manual selection); and performing the audio playback according to the playback output device or the playback output device combination selected by a user (paragraph 0006 of ‘Contents of The Invention’ section: user can manually select output playback device; wherein a user interface is required to make manual selection).
Claims 10-12 have been analyzed and rejected according to claim 1.
Re Claim 13, Wu discloses the method for audio playback according to claim 1, wherein the type of the audio to be played back comprises at least one of: a normal call audio type, a non-call audio type, a conference audio type, a network call audio type, an entertainment application audio type and an educational application audio type (para 0012 of ‘Specific implementation examples’ section: call audio, where call audio is selected from the Markush language).
Re Claim 14, Wu discloses the method for audio playback according to claim 1, wherein the type of the audio to be played back can be determined according to an application program for playing back the audio to be played back (abstract: audio playback device is selected from a plurality of audio devices based on determined audio type and environment/location).
Re Claim 16, Wu discloses the method for audio playback according to claim 3, wherein the current state of the terminal comprises at least one of: a call state, a non-call state (para 0024 of ‘Specific implementation examples’ section).
Re Claim 17, Wu discloses the method for audio playback according to claim 1, the method further comprises: sending the audio to be played back to the target playback output device or the target playback output device combination by a communication channel with the target playback output device or the target playback output device combination (abstract: audio playback device is selected from a plurality of audio devices based on determined audio type and environment/location; wherein each audio playback device represents a channel).
Claim 18 has been analyzed and rejected according to claim 2.
Claim 19 has been analyzed and rejected according to claim 3.
Claim 20 has been analyzed and rejected according to claim 4.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu, CN 113296728 A as applied to claim 7 above, in view of McKinnon et al, US Patent Pub. 20180220235 A1.
Re Claim 8, Wu discloses the audio playback method according to claim 7, but fails to disclose wherein before displaying the interface of the playback output device distribution diagram, the method further comprises: acquiring area information of two or more playback output devices in the multi-playback output system in a multi-playback output environment; and generating the playback output device distribution diagram according to the area information. However, McKinnon et al discloses a system that teaches the concept of a user being able to select areas for sound output control where the areas include respective loudspeakers (McKinnon et al, paras 0021-0022; paras 0028-0029: multiple loudspeakers represent multiple playback output systems). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to modify the Wu reference such that a user can select the desired area/environment via a user interface to control the loudspeakers or playback output devices of respective selected areas for optimized sound output as taught in McKinnon et al for the purpose of enabling a user to optimize the sounds in particular areas.
Re Claim 9, Wu discloses the audio playback method according to claim 1, wherein after determining a target playback output device or a target playback output device combination in a multi-playback output system for playing the audio to be played back, according to the type of the audio to be played back (abstract: audio playback device is selected from a plurality of audio devices based on determined audio type and environment/location; wherein target playback output device is selected from the Markush language), but fails to disclose the method further comprises: storing a correlation between application program information corresponding to the audio to be played back and area information of an area where the target playback output device or the target playback output device combination is located. However, McKinnon et al discloses a system that teaches the concept of a user being able to select areas for sound output control where the areas include respective loudspeakers (McKinnon et al, paras 0021-0022; paras 0028-0029: multiple loudspeakers represent multiple playback output systems). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to modify the Wu reference such that a user can select the desired area/environment via a user interface to control the loudspeakers or playback output devices of respective selected areas for optimized sound output as taught in McKinnon et al for the purpose of enabling a user to optimize the sounds in particular areas.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 15 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter for claim 15: The prior art does not teach or moderately suggest the following limitations:
Wherein determining the target playback output device or the target playback output device combination according to the pre-stored correlation comprises at least one of: in a case that area information corresponding to application program information corresponding to the audio to be played back is found in the correlation, determining the target playback output device or the target playback output device combination as a playback output device in an area corresponding to the found area information; and in a case that area information corresponding to application program information corresponding to the audio to be played back cannot be found in the correlation, determining the target playback output device or the target playback output device combination as all playback output devices in the multi-playback output system.
Limitations such as these may be useful in combination with other limitations of claim 2 and ultimately claim 1.
Contact
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GEORGE C MONIKANG whose telephone number is (571)270-1190. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. - Fri., 9AM-5PM, ALT. Fridays off.
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/GEORGE C MONIKANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2692 08/25/2026
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