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 filing dated 4/23/2025, claims 1-15 are currently pending in the application.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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)(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) 1-2, 4, 7-8, 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Vilkamo et al (WO 2021069794 A1) hereinafter Vilkamo.
Regarding claim 1, Vilkamo teaches Audio signal processor for generating a two-channel audio signal (123 in Fig. 3), comprising: an input interface for providing single-channel acoustic data describing an acoustic environment (124 in Fig. 3 and 401 in Fig. 4); a two-channel synthesizer for synthesizing two-channel acoustic data from the single-channel acoustic data using a listener position or rotation (Steps 403 to 406 in Fig. 4); and a sound generator for generating the two-channel audio signal from an audio signal and the two-channel acoustic data (steps 407 to 411 in Fig. 4), wherein the two-channel synthesizer is configured to separate the single-channel acoustic data into at least two parts comprising a direct sound part and at least one of an early reflection part and a late reverberation part (“Figure 5 shows an example early - late part divider according to some embodiments” in page 12, lines 9-10), and to individually process the at least two parts for generating two-channel acoustic data for each part ( steps 405 to 406 in Fig. 4), to determine a separation time instant in the single-channel acoustic data between the direct sound part and the early reflection part or between the early reflection part and the late reverberation part (“Secondly design window functions. An example design window function is shown in Figure 5. Figure 5 shows, for example, a window function which comprises a first window 551 , for extracting the early part, which is unity until a defined offset 503 time after the time of maximum energy 501 . The first window 551 function decreases through a crossover 505 time until it is zero afterwards” on page 21, lines 24-28), to extend at least one of the two parts of the separation time instant by a certain number of samples, so that an overlap at the separation time instant is achieved, and to window the at least one extended part using a certain window function accounting for the sample extension (“The window function further comprises a second window 553, for extracting the late part, which has a zero value up to the start of the crossover 505 time. The second window 553 function value increases through the crossover 505 time up to unity and it is unity afterwards. This is an example only of a suitable function and other functions may be employed. In some embodiments the offset time could, for example, be 5 ms and the crossover time, for example, 2 ms” on Page 21, lines 29-32).
Regarding claim 2, Vilkamo teaches the method of claim 1, Vilkamo further teaches the method further comprising wherein the number of samples for the overlap are taken from the respective other part (see 505 in Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 4, Vilkamo teaches the method of claim 1, Vilkamo further teaches the method further comprising wherein the two-channel synthesizer is configured to determine the separation time instant between the direct sound part and the early reflection part, so that the distance of the separation time instant is substantially centered between a direct sound peak and a first early reflection peak or to determine the separation time instant between the early reflection part and the late reverberation part as a perceptual mixing time of the acoustic environment or at a predetermined amount of time before the perceptual mixing time (“An example design window function is shown in Figure 5. Figure 5 shows, for example, a window function which comprises a first window 551 , for extracting the early part, which is unity until a defined offset 503 time after the time of maximum energy 501 . The first window 551 function decreases through a crossover 505 time until it is zero afterwards. The window function further comprises a second window 553, for extracting the late part, which has a zero value up to the start of the crossover 505 time. The second window 553 function value increases through the crossover 505 time up to unity and it is unity afterwards. This is an example only of a suitable function and other functions may be employed. In some embodiments the offset time could, for example, be 5 ms and the crossover time, for example, 2 ms.” on Page 21, lines 24-32).
Regarding claim 7, Vilkamo teaches the method of claim 1, Vilkamo further teaches the method further comprising wherein the acoustic data describing the acoustic environment is a room impulse response or a room transfer function, or wherein the two-channel acoustic data is a binaural two-channel head related impulse response or a binaural two-channel head related transfer function (126 and 392 in Fig. 3 and “In some embodiments the synthesis processor also contains pre-defined early data 300 and pre-defined late data 392, which could have been generated with the equivalent steps as described above, based on pre-defined HRIR, BRIR, etc. responses. In these embodiments where the data set does not contain a late part, then the pre-defined late part 392 is an indication only that the late part does not exist.” In some embodiments the synthesis processor 123 comprises a late part rendering data combiner 305. The late part rendering data combiner 305 may be configured to receive the pre-defined late part data 392 and the loaded late part data 304 and generate a combined late part rendering data 312 which is output to the late part Tenderer 309” on page 28, lines 4-8).
Regarding claim 8, Vilkamo teaches the method of claim 1, Vilkamo further teaches the method further comprising wherein the sound generator is configured to aggregate the two-channel acoustic data for each part to acquire a full two-channel acoustic data and to combine the full two-channel acoustic data and an input audio signal to acquire the two-channel audio signal, or to combine the two-channel acoustic data for each part and the input audio signal to acquire a partial two-channel audio signal for each part and to aggregate the partial two-channel audio signals to acquire the two-channel audio signal (combiner 311 in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 13, Vilkamo teaches the method of claim 1, Vilkamo further teaches the method further comprising wherein the two-channel analyzer is configured to store an early generated two-channel acoustic data for the early reflection part and the late reverberation part in which the window function is applied, and to retrieve the stored two-channel acoustic data for the propose of an overlap-add operation of the channels with a newly updated other part of the two-channel acoustic data (300 and 392 in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 14, claim is rejected for being the method comprising at least the same elements and performing at least the same functions performed by the method of rejected claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 15, claim is rejected for being the non-transitory digital storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, said computer program is run by a computer performing at least the same functions and comprising at least the same elements comprised in the method of rejected claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 above).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vilkamo et al (WO 2021069794 A1) hereinafter Vilkamo in view of Bryan (US 20210142815 A1) hereinafter Bryan.
Regarding claim 3, Vilkamo teaches the method of claim 1, Vilkamo does not specifically disclose the method further comprising wherein the window function is a Tukey window having lobes with a width of 2n, wherein n is the certain number of samples and the two parts are extended by n samples each however,
Since it is known in the art as evidenced by Bryan for a method to further comprise wherein the window function is a Tukey window having lobes with a width of 2n, wherein n is the certain number of samples and the two parts are extended by n samples each in (“While a Hann window is used, in other embodiments, the impulse response system utilizes other types of windows (i.e., window functions), such as a utilizing a boxcar window, a rectangle window, a triangle window, a cosine window, a sine window, a Hamming window, a Blackman window, a B-spline window, a flat-top window, a Tukey window, a Welch window, a Gaussian window, a hybrid window, or another type of window. In addition, the direct path window 404 can vary in duration, such as being shorter or longer in time.” in ¶[0077]),
An ordinary skilled in the art would be motivated to modify the invention of Vilkamo with the teachings of Bryan for the benefit of improving the accuracy of the method, therefore it would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Vilkamo with Bryan.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vilkamo et al (WO 2021069794 A1) hereinafter Vilkamo.
Regarding claim 5, Vilkamo teaches the method of claim 1, Vilkamo does not specifically disclose the method further comprising wherein the two-channel synthesizer is configured, subsequent to the individual processing of the corresponding parts, to perform an overlap-add operation with the first channel of the two-channel acoustic data for the direct sound part with a first channel of the two-channel acoustic data for the early reflection part and with a first channel of the two-channel acoustic data for the late reverberation part, and wherein the two-channel synthesizer is configured, subsequent to the individual processing of the corresponding parts, to perform an overlap-add operation with a second channel of the two-channel acoustic data for the direct sound part, with a second channel of the two-channel acoustic data for the early reflection part, and with a second channel of the two-channel acoustic data for the late reverberation part however,
Since Vilkamo teaches separating the early and late components (see rejection of claim 1 above), it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to modify Vilkamo to use the overlap-add operation for the benefit of smoothing the output sound, especially since overlap-add is well known operation in audio processing.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vilkamo et al (WO 2021069794 A1) hereinafter Vilkamo in view of Morell et al. (US 20140355794 A1) hereinafter Morell.
Regarding claim 6, Vilkamo teaches the method of claim 1, Vilkamo does not specifically disclose the method further comprising wherein the two-channel synthesizer is configured to pre-process the single-channel acoustic data by detecting a direct sound index in a time representation of the single-channel acoustic data and to cut or extend by zero valued samples a start portion of the time representation of the single-channel acoustic data, so that the detected time index coincides with a predefined sample index offset from a beginning of the single-channel acoustic data however,
Since it is known in the art as evidenced by Morell for a method to further comprise wherein the two-channel synthesizer is configured to pre-process the single-channel acoustic data by detecting a direct sound index in a time representation of the single-channel acoustic data and to cut or extend by zero valued samples a start portion of the time representation of the single-channel acoustic data, so that the detected time index coincides with a predefined sample index offset from a beginning of the single-channel acoustic data (‘’ In some examples, residual room response unit 110 may receive, from BRIR conditioning unit 106, a value for an onset time of the common residual room response segments. Residual room response unit 110 may zero-pad or otherwise delay the outputs signals 134A, 134B in anticipation of combination with earlier segments for the BRIR filters 108” in ¶[0074]),
An ordinary skilled in the art would be motivated to modify the invention of Vilkamo with the teachings of Morrell for the benefit of improving the quality of the signal output, therefor eit would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Vilkamo with Morrell.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-12 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
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.
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AMMAR T. HAMID
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2695
/AMMAR T HAMID/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2695
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