Appeal No. 2000-0546
Application 08/509,228
that audio signals propagate from a point in space to a
microphone and “without knowing the coordinates for a point in
space of the speaker,” steering cannot work. Examiner’s Answer,
page 14, line 8-14.
Upon consideration, we fail to find that this section of
Baker discloses speaker position data representing a position of
the speaker as coordinates for a point in space. This portion of
Baker describes an alternative arrangement that steers the camera
to a point between the microphones, rather than at the
microphone. The steering location, whether at the microphone or
at a point between the microphones, in Baker remains predefined
by a correlation process and does not relate to the position of
the speaker.
Lastly, the Examiner argues that Baker discloses the use of
three-dimensional cameras to obtain three dimensional images,
establishing the desirability for the speaker’s location in
three-dimensions. Examiner’s Answer, page 15, lines 4-7. We
find this argument misguided for several reasons. First, there
is no discussion in Baker to generate speaker position as
coordinates in three dimensions in order to assist in the three
dimensional imaging taught by Baker. Second, speculating that
the three dimensional camera requires that the beamformer in
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