Prior art — US Patent 9602649

Analysis of Prior Art Cited in U.S. Patent 9,602,649

Based on the patent details available from the USPTO, the following patent documents were cited as prior art during the examination of US Patent 9,602,649. This analysis outlines each reference and its potential relevance to the claims of the '649 patent.

1. US6819220B1: Apparatus and method for exchanging message between portable devices of the same kind

Full Citation: US Patent 6,819,220 B1
Publication Date: November 16, 2004
Filing Date: February 2, 1998
Brief Description: This patent describes a method for two portable devices, such as pagers, to exchange messages when one device receives a message intended for the other. The devices use a "bumping" or physical contact action to trigger the exchange of information. The sound or vibration from this contact is detected, initiating a data transfer protocol.
Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference appears relevant to the core concept of using a physical interaction to trigger an action between two devices.
- Claim 1 & 11: The "bumping" action in US6819220B1 is a direct physical analog to "tapping the devices together" as described in claim 11 of the '649 patent. The sound or vibration of this bump serves as the "sensory identifier" that triggers the process, as recited in claim 1. However, US6819220B1 does not appear to teach the subsequent step of recording and comparing ambient audio samples during a common time interval to confirm proximity. It relies solely on the initial trigger event. Therefore, it may anticipate the initial trigger concept but likely not the full method of disambiguation using ambient audio.
- Claim 18: Similarly, this reference describes a device with a detection unit for the "bumping" event, which is analogous to the "sensory identifier" in claim 18. However, it does not describe a "comparison unit" for comparing ambient audio samples or a "decision unit" that decides proximity based on the similarity of those audio samples.

2. WO2001081885A1: Method and installation for detecting and locating a source of noises and vibrations

Full Citation: World Intellectual Property Organization Publication No. WO 2001/081885 A1
Publication Date: November 1, 2001
Filing Date: April 26, 2000
Brief Description: This patent application, filed by Metravib R.D.S., discloses a method for detecting and locating noise sources, such as leaks, in a pipe system. It uses multiple sensors at known distances to capture a noise signal. The captured signals are then intercorrelated to analyze the noise. The '649 patent's description explicitly distinguishes itself from this reference, noting it relates to a different field (locating defects in pipes) and does not address the problem of device pairing or event disambiguation in that context.
Potential Anticipation of Claims: The '649 patent itself argues that this reference is from an entirely different field of technology.
- Claim 1 & 18: While WO2001081885A1 involves analyzing and comparing audio/vibration signals captured by multiple sensors, its purpose and method are distinct. It uses signal correlation to locate a single source within a fixed system (a pipe). It does not teach using a "sensory identifier" as a trigger for device pairing, nor does it use the similarity of the "audio background" to confirm that multiple, independent devices are proximate to each other. The comparison serves to locate a source, not to verify a shared environment between the listening devices. Therefore, it is unlikely to anticipate the claims of the '649 patent.

3. WO2004062131A1: Method and apparatus for data transfer

Full Citation: World Intellectual Property Organization Publication No. WO 2004/062131 A1
Publication Date: July 22, 2004
Filing Date: December 31, 2002
Brief Description: This Motorola patent application describes a method for transferring data between two electronic devices. The method is initiated by a "trigger event," which can be the simultaneous press of a button on both devices. After the trigger, the devices exchange authentication information and then proceed with data transfer.
Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference is relevant for its disclosure of a trigger event initiating communication.
- Claim 1: The simultaneous button press is a form of "sensory identifier" that acts as a trigger. This is similar to the triggering step in claim 1. However, like US6819220B1, this reference does not appear to teach the crucial subsequent steps of recording ambient audio, selecting a common time interval based on the trigger, and comparing those audio samples to confirm proximity. The trigger itself is considered sufficient proof of the users' intent to pair the devices.
- Claim 18: The device described would have a "detection unit" for the button press. However, it lacks the "comparison unit" for ambient audio and the "decision unit" that relies on the audio similarity for a final determination of proximity.

4. US20060282649A1: Device pairing via voice commands

Full Citation: US Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0282649 A1
Publication Date: December 14, 2006
Filing Date: June 10, 2005
Brief Description: This application describes a system for pairing two or more devices using synchronized voice commands. A user speaks a command which is received by all devices intended to be paired. The devices analyze the audio signal of the voice command. If the signals are determined to be substantially identical across the devices, they are considered paired.
Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference is highly relevant as it involves comparing audio signals to establish a relationship between devices.
- Claim 1 & 5: This reference teaches recording an audio signal (the voice command), which serves as the "sensory identifier" (as per claim 5). It also teaches comparing these audio signals. However, a key distinction from the '649 patent is that US20060282649A1 compares the sensory identifier itself (the voice command) rather than the ambient background audio in a separate time interval relative to the identifier. The '649 patent's claimed invention is using the background audio as a secondary check to disambiguate the event, especially when the identifier itself might be ambiguous (like an echo). This reference seems to use the identifier as the sole basis for the audio comparison.
- Claim 18: The device in this reference would possess a recording unit, a detection unit (for the voice command), and a comparison unit. The "decision unit" makes a proximity decision based on the similarity of the voice command signals, not the ambient background audio in a pre-trigger interval. This difference in what is being compared (the trigger vs. the background) is a critical distinction from the '649 patent's claims.

5. WO2009014438A1: Identification of proximate mobile devices

Full Citation: World Intellectual Property Organization Publication No. WO 2009/014438 A1
Publication Date: January 29, 2009
Filing Date: July 20, 2007
Brief Description: This application, from the same original assignee as the '649 patent (TNO), describes a method for identifying proximate mobile devices using a "sensory identifier," such as a sound from tapping the devices together. The devices detect this identifier and use its characteristics to find a match with other nearby devices. The '649 patent explicitly references this application as the prior art it seeks to improve upon by solving the problem of "false matches" caused by echoes or other devices picking up the sensory identifier.
Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference lays the direct groundwork for the '649 patent.
- Claim 1 & 18: This application teaches nearly all the initial steps of claim 1: recording an audio signal, detecting a sensory identifier (like a tap), and using that identifier for matching. However, the '649 patent's key contribution and novel step is the addition of the disambiguation check: "comparing the audio samples during a common interval defined relative to the trigger" and "deciding that the devices are proximate only if the respective audio samples are sufficiently similar." WO2009014438A1 focuses on matching the sensory event itself, while the '649 patent adds the crucial check of the shared ambient audio background to solve the ambiguity problems inherent in the method of WO2009014438A1. Therefore, this reference anticipates the preliminary steps but not the complete claimed method or device of the '649 patent.