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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`17/154,585
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`01/21/2021
`
`Hiroyuki Matsumoto
`
`731156.534C1
`
`4072
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic
`701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`KARWAN,SIHAR A
`
`3664
`
`11/04/2022
`
`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):
`USPTOeAction @ SeedIP.com
`
`pairlinkdktg @seedip.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-6 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`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.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) 1-6 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)[VM. 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) 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)
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`(LJ Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) (J Other:
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`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20221019
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`17/154,585
`Matsumotoetal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`SIHAR A KARWAN
`3664
`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
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`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 1/21/2021.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
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`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.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/154,585
`Art Unit: 3664
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`Page 2
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`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the
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`first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`Claims 1-6 are pending. Claims 1-6 are rejected.
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
`(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or moreclaims particularly pointing out
`and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the
`invention.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AlA), second paragraph:
`The specification shall conclude with one or moreclaims particularly pointing out and distinctly
`claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
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`Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AlA), second paragraph,
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`as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter
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`which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 112, the
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`applicant), regards as the invention.
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`Claim 3 read “wherein the camera and the microphone array are coaxially disposed”.
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`Applicant’s specifications and figures recite and show a microphone array that are coaxially
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`disposed around a camerain a housing. The claims as presented would lead one of ordinary
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`skill in the art to understand that the camerais also coaxially disposed; i.e. a camera being in
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/154,585
`Art Unit: 3664
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`Page 3
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`the opposing side of the microphone array; where as the drawings show a camera
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`surrounded by microphones. Both setupsare “wherein the camera and the microphone array
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`are coaxially disposed” as there is always a coaxial center [common axis] point between two
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`distinct bodies [camera and microphone array] even if one of the bodiesis a set [microphone
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`array]. Coaxial [twin axial (twinax) vs single axial (singleax)] wire such as RG108A/U vs RG71
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`b/U.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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`In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35
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`U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction
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`of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the
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`prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under
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`either status.
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`(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 effectivefiling date of the claimed invention.
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`Claims 1-3 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Birchfield US
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`2002/0097885.
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`1. Birchfield teaches a monitoring system, comprising:
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`a camera; (Birchfield Fig.3#346 and para 72)
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/154,585
`Art Unit: 3664
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`Page 4
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`a microphone array configured to collect sound in a monitoring area; and (Birchfield Fig.3# 304
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`Microphone Array and para 72)
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`a signal processor configured to determine whether or not the sound in the monitoring area
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`exceeds a sound source detection threshold value, (Birchfield para 7-8; Hyperbolic equation,
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`microphone 110 compared with the acoustic path length, L2, from acoustic source 102 to
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`microphone 105. The difference in acoustic path length, .DELTA.L=L2-L1, leads, in turn, to an
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`offset in the time of arrival of the two acoustic signals received by each of the microphones
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`105 and 110.) It is noted that the threshold valueis the delta value, if ether of the L1 or L2 is
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`greater than the adjustmentwill be towards that location until the L1 and L2 are equal i.e.
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`facing the sound source. This is used to detect direction of sound as clearly described in the
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`next limitation.
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`perform, in response to the sound in the monitoring area exceeding the sound source detection
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`threshold value, an operation that adjusts a position of the camera to be directed at a source of
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`the sound in the monitoring area. (Birchfield Fig.3 and para 72, direction information
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`generated by acoustic source direction module 340 maybe usedasan input by a real-time
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`camera control module 344 to adjust the operating parameters of one or more cameras 346,
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`such as panning the camera towards the speaker.)
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`2. The monitoring system of Claim 1, further comprising:
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/154,585
`Art Unit: 3664
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`Page 5
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`a recorder including a controller configured to control data recording, wherein, subsequent to
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`the adjustment of the position of the camera, the recorder starts a data recording. (Birchfield
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`para 72, Additionally, a bearing direction may be stored in an offline video display module
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`348 as metadata for use with stored video data 352.) it is noted that this recordingis
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`subsequent to the adjustmentof the position of the camera see para 72 as the adjustment of
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`the camerais recorded once adjusted.
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`3. The monitoring system of Claim 1, wherein the camera (Birchfield para 72; a real-time
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`camera control module 344 to adjust the operating parameters of one or more cameras 346,
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`such as panning the camera towards the speaker.) and the microphone array (Birchfield Fig.3
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`#302A-Dalso Fig.6) are coaxially disposed. It is noted that that if there are two camerasthere
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`is a coaxially center [see 112 rejection above]. Additionally, applicant para 91 described
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`coaxially as composed around an image. Examiner notesthat the rejection of Birchfield can
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`be simply overcome by amendingthe claims as described in para 28 camera and microphone
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`array are coaxially disposed in a housing 5.
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`6. is rejected using the same rejections made to claim 1.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`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-AlA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction
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`of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/154,585
`Art Unit: 3664
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`Page 6
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`prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under
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`either status.
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness
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`rejections set forth in this Office action:
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`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 ordinaryskill in the art to which the
`claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention
`was made.
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`Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Birchfield as applied to
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`claim above, and further in view of Charlier US 20030160862.
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`Claim 3 does not recite a housing.
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`In practicing compact prosecution the art of Charlier is used
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`to address a housing as described in the specifications.
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`3. AlthoughBirchfield teachesall of the limitations of claim 1, Charlier teaches a more explicit
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`teaching of monitoring system of Claim 1, wherein the camera and the microphone array are
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`coaxially disposed. Charlier US 20030160862 Fig.2-3 para 43-44.
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`Therefore it was well known at the time the invention was filed and would have been
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`obvious to one of ordinaryskill in the art to combine the teachings of Birchfield in view of
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`Charlier for the purpose of incorporating a camera and microphone arrayin a housing 100
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`such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/154,585
`Art Unit: 3664
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`Page 7
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`Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Birchfield as applied to
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`claim above, and further in view of Vaidya US 20150167956.
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`4. Birchfield teachesall of the limitations of claim 1 but does not teach, further comprising: a
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`lighting device, wherein the signal processor is configured to trigger, prior to the adjustmentof
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`the position of the camera, the lighting device to light the monitoring area. However Vaidya
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`teaches para 20; Lighting devices 106 in each of the microphone and lighting device units 102
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`may emit a light beam 108 that can illuminate the area of each of the audio sources. Thelight
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`beams 108 mayserve the purposesofilluminating the audio source.
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`Therefore it was well known at the time the invention was filed and would have been
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`obvious to one of ordinaryskill in the art to combine the teachingsof Birchfield in view of
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`Vaidya for the purpose of integrating a light source into a microphone array such that the
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`claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious.
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`Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Birchfield and Vaidya as
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`applied to claim 4 above,and further in view of Duraiswami 20090028347.
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`5. Birchfield and Vaidya teachall of the limitations of claim 4 but do not explicitly teach,
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`further comprising: a display, wherein the signal processor is configured to trigger, subsequent
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`to the lighting device lighting the monitoring area, the display to display an image data
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`captured by the camera. However Duraiswami teachesFig. 5a and para 14; FIGS. 5a and 5b
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`show an imagetransfer example of a person speaking. The spherical array image (FIG. 5a)
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`Application/Control Number: 17/154,585
`Art Unit: 3664
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`Page 8
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`showsa bright spot at the location corresponding to the mouth. This spot is automatically
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`transferred to the video image (FIG. 5b) (where the spot is much bigger, since the pixel
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`resolution of video is higher), identifying the noise location as the mouth.
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`Therefore it was well known at the time the invention was filed and would have been
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`obvious to one of ordinaryskill in the art to combine the teachingsof Birchfield and Vaidya in
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`view of Duraiswami for the purpose displaying on a display a bright spot of the sound source
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`such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious.
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`Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
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`The prior art made of record and notrelied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's
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`disclosure.
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`For claim 4 Also see Nakajima 20050246167 para 73
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`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to SIHAR A KARWAN whosetelephone number is (571)272-2747.
`
`The examiner can normally be reached on M-F; 11-7pm.
`
`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing
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`using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is
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`encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request(AIR) at
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`http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/154,585
`Art Unit: 3664
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`Page 9
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Jeffrey Burke can be reached on 469-295-9067. The fax phone number for the
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`organization wherethis application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent
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`
`/SIHAR A KARWAN/
`Examiner, Art Unit 3664
`
`/JEFF A BURKE/
`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3664
`
`