www.uspto.gov
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/646,715
`
`03/12/2020
`
`Yuuki OKAMOTO
`
`070469-0966
`
`2135
`
`McDermott Will and Emery LLP
`The McDermott Building
`500 North Capitol Street, N.W.
`Washington, DC 20001
`
`CHIN, RICKY
`
`2423
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`12/07/2022
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`Thetime period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`
`mweipdocket@mwe.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`Office Action Summary
`
`Application No.
`16/646,715
`Examiner
`RICKY CHIN
`
`Applicant(s)
`OKAMOTO, Yuuki
`Art Unit
`AIA (FITF) Status
`2423
`Yes
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 8-26-22.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)() This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)02 An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4)\0) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-9 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`Cj} Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-9 is/are rejected.
`S)
`) © Claim(s)___is/are objected to.
`Cj) Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`S)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http://Awww.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) )
`
`Application Papers
`10) The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)0) The drawing(s) filedon__ is/are: a)(J accepted or b)( objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)1) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`c)Z None ofthe:
`b)() Some**
`a)C All
`1... Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1) Certified copies of the priority documents have beenreceived in Application No.
`3.1.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3)
`
`(LJ Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) (J Other:
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20221008
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2423
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
`
`1.
`
`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013,
`
`is being examined under
`
`the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`2.
`
`In view of the Pre-Appeal filed on 8-26-22, PROSECUTION IS HEREBY
`
`REOPENED. Therejections are set forth below.
`
`To avoid abandonmentof the application, appellant must exercise one of the
`
`following two options:
`
`(1) file a reply under 37 CFR 1.111 (if this Office Action is non-final) or a reply under
`
`37 CFR 1.113 (if this Office Action is final); or,
`
`(2) initiate a new appealbyfiling a notice of appeal under 37 CFR 41.31 followed by
`
`an appeal brief under 37 CFR 41.37. The previously paid notice of appeal fee and
`
`appeal brief fee can be applied to the new appeal.
`
`If, however, the appeal fees setforth
`
`in 37 CFR 41.20 have been increased since they were previously paid, then appellant
`
`must pay the difference between the increased fees and the amount previously paid.
`
`A Supervisory Patent Examiner (SPE) has approved reopening prosecution by
`
`signing below:
`
`/BENJAMIN R BRUCKART/
`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2423
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2423
`
`Page 3
`
`Response to Arguments
`
`3. Applicant's arguments filed 5-11-22 have been fully considered and are persuasive.
`
`However, as indicated below a new ground(s) of rejection(s) has been provided with a
`
`different embodiment of Stark and of newly applied prior art Patel et al., US
`
`2012/0019400.
`
`The Applicant argues that the Examiner construes the alleged controller to be that of
`
`the remote device of Fig.3B and that the alleged render device to be controlled in [0040]
`
`relates to the GUI 100 of the CM system 300 where the CM system 300 controls the
`
`devices. Therefore, Stark does not disclose a direct control from the remote device to
`
`the device to be controlled since this embodiment entails the remote device to
`
`communicate with the media center in order to control the presentation devices which
`
`applicant points out. The Applicant's arguments are persuasive with respect to the
`
`Examiner’s interpretation and mappings of the embodiment of Stark Fig.3B.
`
`However, a new ground(s) of rejection(s) has been provided.
`
`In particular, the
`
`Examiner directs the applicant to the embodimentof Fig.3A of Stark wherein the
`
`Examiner now correlates the STB/Media Center, element 350 as the renderer device,
`
`computing system 300 as the remote device for controlling a device directly, and the
`
`tv/other presentation device 370 and 380 as the devices to be controlled by the remote
`
`controlling device. For instance, Stark [0030] discloses that computing device can be a
`
`smartphone or pda which is used to control the presentation devices of the TV/other
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2423
`
`Page 4
`
`presentation devices as depicted in Fig.3A, elements 370 and 380. Moreover,
`
`[0028],
`
`[0039]-[0043],
`
`[0062], [0065], [0069], and [0072] teaches of the CM system comprising
`
`of the GUI for controlling the presentation devices whereit is clearly disclosed that the
`
`presentation devices may be controlled directly from the GUI of the CM system of
`
`element 300/controller device without intermediary devices. It is also disclosed that the
`
`methods of Fig.4 and Fig.5 relate to the embodiment of Fig.3A for implementation of
`
`using the GUI of the CM system for controlling the presentation devices. Hence,it is
`
`clear that Stark, in the embodimentof Fig.3A teachesof directly controlling the
`
`presentation devices without the STB/Media Center as an intermediary device via the
`
`CM system, element 300 which may be embodied as a pda/smartphone.
`
`With respectto the network connection information being stored in the memoryof
`
`the renderer device and used by the controller device to establish the direct connection
`
`from the controller device to a device to be controlled by the controller, the limitations
`
`have been addressed below with Yu and Patel.
`
`For the reasons stated above and detailed below, the rejections are maintained.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`4.—Thefollowing is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basisforall
`
`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
`
`A patent fora claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is
`notidentically disclosed as set forth in section 102 of this title,
`if the differences betw een the
`claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been
`obvious before the effectivefiling 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 w as made.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2423
`
`Page 5
`
`5.
`
`Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Stark et
`
`al., US 2006/0253874 in view of Yu, US 2017/0064383, and in further view of Patel et
`
`al., US 2012/0019400.
`
`Regarding claim 1, Stark teaches of a renderer device to be controlled by a
`
`controller device connected to a predetermined communication network (See Fig.3A,
`
`element 350 and [0026]-[0031],
`
`[0040], and [0065] which discloses the STB/media
`
`center which is a renderer device which is controlled via the computing
`
`system/controller device which is connected through a network communication), the
`
`renderer device comprising:
`
`a memory unit that stores information used by the controller device (See [0007],
`
`[0019], and [0024] the set-top box having a memoryfor at least epg data and menu
`
`options as well as well as for content receiving/transmitting/recording) and to establish a
`
`direct connection from the controller device to a device to be controlled by the controller
`
`device (See 0028], [0039]-[0043],
`
`[0062], [0065], [0069], and [0072] teaches of the CM
`
`system comprising of the GUI for controlling the presentation devices whereit is clearly
`
`disclosed that the presentation devices may be controlled directly from the GUI of the
`
`CM system of element 300/controller device without intermediary devices); and
`
`a detector that detects whether each of monitor devices is connected to the
`
`renderer device via the predetermined communication network (See [0021]-[0022];:
`
`[0028]-[0035];
`
`[0040]; [0051]; [0065]-[0070]; [0112]-[0119] and figs.2 which discloses of
`
`device searching and device refreshing for finding and detecting the connected devices
`
`within the network).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2423
`
`Page 6
`
`Stark is silent with respect to the stored information being that of network
`
`connection information which indicates a connection destination of the controller device
`
`to establish a connection from the controller device to a device to be controlled by the
`
`controller device; an information update unit that updates the connection destination
`
`indicated by the network connection information stored in the memory unit so that the
`
`connection destination indicates a monitor device among the monitor devices, when the
`
`detector has detected that the monitor device is connected via the predetermined
`
`communication network; and a communication unit that sends the network connection
`
`information indicating the monitor device as the connection destination stored in the
`
`memory unit to the controller device.
`
`However,
`
`in the same field of endeavor, Yu teaches the stored information being
`
`that of network connection information which indicates a connection destination of the
`
`controller device to establish a connection from the controller device to a device to be
`
`controlled by the controller device (See Fig.1; [0051]-[0065]; [0071]-[0072],
`
`[0107];
`
`[0120]-[0121];
`
`[0127], and [0133]-[0136] which discloses of storing network connection
`
`information at the hub such as a device being detected and turned on andofvirtual
`
`icon/user interface information to send to remote controller which the remote controller
`
`uses to establish a connection from the controller device to control the desired device);
`
`an information update unit that updates the connection destination indicated by the
`
`network connection information stored in the memory unit so that the connection
`
`destination indicates a monitor device among the monitor devices, when the detector
`
`has detected that the monitor device is connected via the predetermined communication
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2423
`
`Page 7
`
`network; and a communication unit that sends the network connection information
`
`indicating the monitor device as the connection destination stored in the memoryunit to
`
`the controller device, (See Fig.1; [0051]-[0065]; [0071]-[0072],
`
`[0107]; [0120]-[0121];
`
`[0127], and [0133]-[0136] which discloses of sending updated and most recent network
`
`information of the states of the display/monitor/presentation devices to the remote
`
`controller device based on the most recent and updated stored state information).
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective
`
`filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Stark to have
`
`incorporated the teachings of Yu for the mere benefit of providing bi-directional
`
`information from the renderer device and controller device as to better provide
`
`synchronization and control functionality.
`
`The combination of Stark and Yu is silent with respect to the network information
`
`used by the controller device to establish a direct connection from the controller device
`
`to a device to be controlled by the controller device and of sending the network
`
`connection information when receiving a request.
`
`However,
`
`in the same field of endeavor, Patel teaches of the network information
`
`used by the controller device to establish a direct connection from the controller device
`
`to a device to be controlled by the controller device and of sending the network
`
`connection information when receiving a request (See Fig.3 [0038]-[0039];
`
`[0054];[0064]-[0065]; and [0077]-[0085] which disclosesof the network information
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2423
`
`Page 8
`
`being of information that is used for the controller device to establish a direct connection
`
`which is provided by the hub/second device such that the remote controller can control
`
`the other devices/know what other devices exist and know how to communicate with
`
`them without the hub/second device. Moreover,
`
`it is disclosed that the information may
`
`be provided upon request from the remote control to request the information about
`
`target device from the second media device in order to communicate with the target
`
`device).
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective
`
`filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Stark and Yu to
`
`have incorporated the teachings of Patel for the mere benefit of being able to more
`
`quickly control a device by bypassing the hub/intermediary device to control the devices
`
`directly.
`
`Regarding claim 2, the combination teaches the renderer device according to claim
`
`1, where the detector performs communication that follows a specified procedure with
`
`each of the monitor devices to detect that the monitor device has been connected to the
`
`renderer device (See Stark, [0021]-[0022]; [0028]-[0035];
`
`[0040]; [0051]; [0065]-[0070);
`
`[0112]-[0119] and figs.2 ;Yu,Fig.1; [0053]-[0065]; [0121]; [0127], and [0134]-[0136]
`
`which discloses the detection process of the monitor devices which are connected
`
`through the instructed procedures; Patel, See Fig.3 [0038]-[0039]; [0054]:[0064]-[0065];
`
`and [0077]-[0085}).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2423
`
`Page 9
`
`Regarding claim 3, the renderer device according to claim 2, wherein the detector
`
`detects whether each of the monitor devices connected through the communication that
`
`follows the specified procedure is in a playback available state (See analysis of claim 1;
`
`See Stark, [0021]-[0022]; [0028]-[0035];
`
`[0040]; [0051]; [0065]-[0070]; [0112]-[0119] and
`
`figs.2-3B which discloses detecting the states/status of the presentation devices based
`
`on the search functionality; Yu,Fig.1; [0053]-[0065]; [0121]; [0127], and [0134]-[0136]
`
`which discloses of detecting the states and transmitting the state device information to
`
`the controller device for controlling the presentation devices), and
`
`when receiving the request from the controller device, the communication unit:
`
`(1) sends the network connection information on one of the monitor devices stored
`
`in the memory unit to the controller device when the detector has detected that the
`
`monitor device is in the playback state (See analysis of claim 1; See Stark, [0021]-
`
`[0022]; [0028]-[0035];
`
`[0040]; [0051]; [0065]-[0070]; [0112]-[0119] and figs.2-3B which
`
`discloses of searching for the connected devices with search criteria such as status and
`
`location when the devices are detected and being able to refresh and update the
`
`statuses upon command; Yu,Fig.1; [0053]-[0065]; [0121]; [0127], and [0134]-[0136]
`
`which discloses of dynamically updating the device state and of hot plug detect for
`
`detecting the states of the devices and of transmitting the device state from the hub to
`
`the controller device; Patel, See Fig.3 [0038]-[0039]; [0054];[0064]-[0065]; and [0077]-
`
`[0085]); and
`
`(2) does not send the network connection information on any of the monitor devices
`
`stored in the memory unit to the controller device when the detector has detected that
`
`none of the monitor devicesis in the playback available state (See analysis of claim 1;
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2423
`
`Page 10
`
`See Stark, [0021]-[0022]; [0028]-[0035];
`
`[0040]; [0051]; [0065]-[0070]; [0112]-[0119] and
`
`figs.2-3B which discloses of the search functionality of finding only active playback
`
`devices andlisting only those in the search result; Patel, See Fig.3 [0038]-[0039];
`
`[0054] ;[0064]-[0065]; and [0077]-[0085], based upon request such that information is not
`
`sent unless its requested which would read on device states of being off; Yu,Fig.1;
`
`[0053]-[0065];
`
`[0121]; [0127], and [0134]-[0136] which discloses detecting the device
`
`states of the monitors and transmitting the device states to the controller device and
`
`whether or not a device is on/off where off would not be in a playback state. Moreover,
`
`it
`
`is disclosed of device state information comprising of power-on-power-off states of the
`
`entertainment devices. It would therefore have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in
`
`the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Stark
`
`and the teachings of displaying only active playback devices or devicesthatfit a desired
`
`criteria to have incorporated the teachings of Yu to only transmit device states of
`
`desired states suchasactive only in order to save bandwidth in transmitting only
`
`pertinent information of the device states useful and desired by the user).
`
`Regarding claim 4, the combination teaches the rendered device according to
`
`claim 1,
`
`wherein the detector detects a power state of each of the monitor devices detected
`
`as being connectedto the rendered device (See analysis of claim 1; See Stark, [0021]-
`
`[0022]; [0028]-[0035];
`
`[0040]; [0051]; [0065]-[0070]; [0112]-[0119] and figs.2-3B which
`
`discloses of detecting whether the presentation devices are powered on andactive for
`
`the computing system to detect and output the status in the userinterface; Yu,Fig.1;
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2423
`
`Page 11
`
`[0053]-[0065];
`
`[0121]; [0127], and [0133]-[0136] which discloses of detecting the states
`
`of the presentation devices to the hub and of detecting the states which include power-
`
`on and poweroff states of the entertainment devices), and
`
`when receiving the request from the controller device, the communication unit
`
`sends to the controller device the network connection information on one of the monitor
`
`devices, the power state of which detected by the detector is a power-onstate, out of
`
`items of the network connection information on the monitor devices (See analysis of
`
`claim 1; See Stark, [0021]-[0022]; [0028]-[0035]; [0040]; [0051]; [0065]-[0070]; [0112]-
`
`[0119] and figs.2-3B; Yu,Fig.1; [0053]-[0065]; [0121]; [0127], and [0133]-[0136] which
`
`discloses of sending the device state information to the controller device of the active
`
`presentation devices which includes power state of power on or power off states; Patel,
`
`See Fig.3 [0038]-[0039]; [0054];[0064]-[0065]; and [0077]-[0085)).
`
`Regarding claim 5, the combination teaches the renderer device according to claim
`
`1, further comprising:
`
`an output unit that outputs at least one of a video signal or an audio signal to a
`
`predetermined device by communication that is different from communication that uses
`
`the predetermined communication network (See analysis of claim 1; See Stark, [0021]-
`
`[0022]; [0028]-[0035];
`
`[0040]; [0051]; [0065]-[0070]; [0112]-[0119] and figs.2-3B which
`
`discloses of the content being transmitted through different connections and form
`
`different types of presentation devices; Yu,Fig.1; [0053]-[0065];
`
`[0121]; [0127], and
`
`[0134]-[0136] which discloses of different protocols and different network
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2423
`
`Page 12
`
`communication for each of the devices; Patel, See Fig.3 [0038]-[0039]; [0054];[0064]-
`
`[0065]; and [0077]-[0085] different target devices using different protocols),
`
`wherein the communication unit determines, as network connection information to
`
`send to the controller device, one of the network connection information on the monitor
`
`device and the network connection information on the renderer device, based on a
`
`detection result obtained by the detector and a state of the output unit, and send the
`
`network connection information determined to the controller device (See analysis of
`
`claim 1; See Stark, [0021]-[0022]; [0028]-[0035]; [0040]; [0051]; [0065]-[0070]; [0112]-
`
`[0119] and figs.2-3B which discloses; Yu,Fig.1; [0053]-[0065];
`
`[0121]; [0127], and
`
`[0134]-[0136] which discloses of transmitting the device state information to the
`
`controller device from the hub device based on detecting the state; Patel, See Fig.3
`
`[0038]-[0039]; [0054];[0064]-[0065]; and [0077]-[0085] which discloses of sending the
`
`network information to the remote controller upon request upon new devices being
`
`detected and/or changes/updates to the media devices and being in a pluggedin state).
`
`Regarding claim 6, the combination teaches a renderer playback system
`
`comprising:
`
`the renderer device according to claim 1;
`
`the controller device, and
`
`the monitor devices, wherein at least one of the monitor devices that is connected
`
`to the predetermined communication network is unresponsive to a search request that
`
`specifies the renderer device, when receiving the search request from the controller
`
`device (See analysis of claim 1; See Stark, [0021]-[0022]; [0028]-[0035];
`
`[0040]; [0051];
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2423
`
`Page 13
`
`[0065]-[0070]; [0112]-[0119] and figs.2 which discloses the CM system being connected
`
`to the presentation devices and of the controller being able to execute the search
`
`command wherein the search commandonly results in specified devicesfitting criteria
`
`in order to be responsive to the search;Yu,Fig.1; [0053]-[0065]; [0121]; [0127], and
`
`[0134]-[0136] which discloses of the presentation devices connected to the hub for
`
`control by the remote controller and wherein the search request/user interface/icons
`
`only presents devices according to the particular states of the devices matching a
`
`threshold of at least hot plug detect).
`
`Regarding claim 7, the combination teaches a renderer playback system
`
`comprising:
`
`the renderer device according to claim 1;
`
`the monitor devices connected to the predetermined communication network
`
`(See Stark, Fig.3A, 370; Yu, Fig.1 and [0051]); and
`
`acontroller device that (i) sends a search request specifying the renderer device,
`
`to receive network connection information from the renderer device and network
`
`connection information from the monitor device, and (ii) determines a device to be
`
`controlled based on the network information received from the renderer device, out of
`
`the network connection information received from the renderer device and the network
`
`connection information received from the monitor device (See analysis of claim 1; See
`
`Stark, [(0021]-[0022]; [0028]-[0035];
`
`[0040]; [0051]; [0065]-[0070]; [0112]-[0119] and
`
`figs.2-3B which discloses the CM system being connected to the presentation devices
`
`and of the controller being able to execute the search command wherein the search
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2423
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`Page 14
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`commandresults in the list of active devices or of devices in a particular group to be
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`controlled; Yu,Fig.1; [0053]-[0065]; [0121]; [0127], and [0133]-[0136] which discloses of
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`transmitting the device state of the playback devices to the hub and the hub can
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`communicate the device states to the controller device such that the controller device
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`can execute commandsfor the desired playback devices in the network; Patel, See
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`Fig.3 [0038]-[0039]; [0054]:[0064]-[0065]; and [0077]-[0085] which discloses of
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`communication protocol information sent to the remote controller which provide the
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`information of how to communicate with the target devices which use different
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`communication and types of networks for each target device).
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`Regarding claim 8, the combination teaches a renderer playback system
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`comprising:
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`the renderer device according to claim 3 (See analysis of claim 3); and
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`the monitor device that is connected to the predetermined communication network,
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`and sends state information to the renderer device via the predetermined
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`communication network, the state information indicated that the monitor deviceis in a
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`playback available state (See analysis of claim 1; See Stark, [0021]-[0022]; [0028]-
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`[0035]; [0040]; [0051]; [0065]-[0070]; [0112]-[0119] and figs.2 which discloses the CM
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`system being connected to the presentation devices and of communicating the states of
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`the presentation device to the computing system of at least active/powered
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`on/off/current location; Yu,Fig.1; [0053]-[0065];
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`[0121]; [0127], and [0133]-[0136] which
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`discloses communicating the presentation device states to the hub which include
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`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2423
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`Page 15
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`playback/active/on states; Patel, See Fig.3 [0038]-[0039]; [0054];[0064]-[0065]; and
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`[0077]-[0085]).
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`Regarding claim 9, the claim has been analyzed and rejected for the same reasons
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`set forth in the rejection of claim 1.
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`Contact
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`6.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to Ricky Chin whose telephone numberis 571-270-3753.
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`The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:30-6:00.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
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`supervisor, Benjamin Bruckart can be reached on 571-272-3982. The fax phone
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`number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 703-
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`872-9306.
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`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
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`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
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`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
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`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
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`For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should
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`you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic
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`Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
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`/Ricky Chin/
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`Application/Control Number: 16/646,715
`Art Unit: 2423
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`Page 16
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`Primary Examiner
`AU 2423
`(571) 270-3753
`Ricky.Chin@uspto.gov
`
`/BENJAMIN R BRUCKART/
`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2423
`
`