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 1-12 and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jiang (CN-115412751. An English translation is provided for the Applicant’s convenience).
Regarding claim 1, Jiang discloses a display device comprising:
a display (display device; see at least Fig. 1 and page 5, paragraph 3); and
a processor configured to control the display (control/CPU; see at least page 7, paragraphs 2-3),
wherein the processor is configured to configure and output an external audio device information menu (interactive menu interface associated with external sound device, such as a sound bar; see at least page 10, paragraph 2 and page 11, paragraph 1-page 13, paragraph 6), when a first user input for the external audio device information menu is received, receive audio device information collected from an external audio device according to the first user input (after the user input, the display detect the external device menu subset supported by the external device/the external device reports the menu subset; see at least page 10, paragraph 2 and page 11, paragraph 1-page 13, paragraph 6. Furthermore, transmitting adjusting parameter to the display device to modify the menu item; see at least page 16, paragraph 3), and configure and output a user interface including at least one of current status information of the external audio device and control information for the external audio device based on the audio device information (displaying the interactive menu with control information; see at least page 10, paragraph 2 and page 11, paragraph 1-page 13, paragraph 6)).
Regarding claim 2, Jiang discloses the display device of claim 1, wherein the audio device information includes at least one of information on a volume of the external audio device, connection status information of the external audio device, status information of a device for wireless connection of the external audio device, and equalizer information of the external audio device, and wherein the processor is configured to generate the current status information and the control information for each external audio device based on the audio device information (volume information; see at least page 10, paragraph 2 and page 15, paragraphs 4-7).
Regarding claim 3, Jiang discloses the display device of claim 2, wherein when the first user input is received, the processor is configured to transmit a request signal of the audio device information to the external audio device (the detection and reporting after establishing connection; as in the rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 4, Jiang discloses the display device of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to receive a second user input for control information in the user interface, generate an external audio device control command corresponding to the second user input, and transmit the external audio device control command to the external audio device (sending setting instructions; see at least page 10, paragraph 2 and page 16, paragraph 1).
Regarding claim 5, Jiang discloses the display device of claim 4, wherein the external audio device is configured to include a main audio device and an auxiliary audio device (external audio device such as a sound bar; see at least the rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 6, Jiang discloses the display device of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to transmit at least one of the request signal of the audio device information and the external audio device control command to the main audio device using an HDMI-CEC protocol (see at least page 9, last paragraph).
Regarding claim 7, Jiang discloses the display device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to use vendor command information in the HDMI-CEC protocol (inherently from the HDIM-CES protocol; see at least page 9, last paragraph).
Regarding claim 8, Jiang discloses the display device of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to receive, from the main audio device, volume level information set according to the second user input, and output the volume level information through the display (volume information; see at least page 10, paragraph 2 and page 15, paragraphs 4-7).
Regarding claim 9, Jiang discloses the display device of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to output the volume level information, received from the main audio device, to the display, and wherein the processor is configured to convert and output a volume level range and the set volume level information of the main audio device to be matched with a volume level range of the display device (volume information; see at least page 10, paragraph 2 and page 15, paragraphs 4-7).
Regarding claim 10, Jiang discloses the display device of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to receive, from the main audio device, connection status information between the main audio device and the auxiliary audio device requested according to the second user input, and output the connection status information through the display (through establishing communication connection with the external device; see at least page 13, paragraph 5-page 14, paragraph 4).
Regarding claim 11, Jiang discloses the display device of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to receive dongle and wireless connection status information for wireless connection between the display device and the external audio device requested according to the second user input, and output the dongle and wireless connection status information for wireless connection between the display device and the external audio device on a main display (through establishing communication connection with the external device; see at least page 13, paragraph 5-page 14, paragraph 4).
Regarding claim 12, Jiang discloses the display device of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to receive equalizer setting information for the external audio device requested according to the second user input, and output the equalizer setting information through the display on a main display (see at least page 2, paragraph 3, page 9, paragraph 3, page 11, paragraph 1 and page 12, last paragraph).
Claim 14 is rejected on the same grounds as claim 1, wherein the remote control device is met by controller 100; see at least Fig. 1.
Claim 15 is rejected on the same grounds as claim 1.
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 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jiang in view of Jeon (US 2017/0134567).
Regarding claim 13, Jiang discloses the display device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to pre-store information on a status of a preferred external audio device based on at least one of visual information and spatial information to which the display device belongs on the basis of a user logged into the display device (the menu set stored in the display device includes a sound mode, a high tone adjustment, a bass adjustment, a surround switch, a brightness adjustment…etc. when the display of course is on; see at least page 17, paragraph 5), when providing the user interface, obtain information on at least one of the current visual information, the user currently logged into the display device, and the spatial information to which the display device belongs (the display device can display different content on interaction menus for different external device; see at least page 13, paragraph 4), and discloses the user interface; as above, but is not clear about provide recommended information when the pre-stored information on the status of an external device and the current status information are different from each other.
Jeon discloses the above missing limitation; stored status information are obtained and the current status information are determined and then the status information are updated and displayed; see at least the Abstract and paragraphs 0097 and 0129-0130.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Jiang by the teachings of Jeon by having the above limitations so to be able to update the status information of an external device and display it on a specific region; see at least the Abstract.
Conclusion
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/YASSIN ALATA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2426
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