Prior art

US Patent 9734825, titled "Methods and apparatus for determining a domain based on the content and context of a natural language utterance," primarily builds upon a chain of prior applications to which it claims priority. These direct family members represent the most relevant prior art for potential anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102, as they disclose much of the same subject matter.

A detailed claim-by-claim analysis for anticipation would require reviewing the full text and claims of both US9734825 and each cited reference, which is beyond the scope of this analysis without explicit claim text for US9734825 and detailed legal interpretation. However, the principle is that if a claim in US9734825 is fully and adequately disclosed in one of these prior references (and does not introduce new matter), it could be deemed anticipated by that reference's publication date if not for the priority chain that links US9734825 back to the earlier filing dates for common subject matter.

Here are the most relevant prior art references for US9734825, identified from its "CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS" section:

Most Relevant Prior Art for US9734825

1. U.S. Patent No. 8,731,929

   • Full Citation: US8731929B2, "Agent Architecture for Determining Meanings of Natural Language Utterances," issued May 20, 2014, to Robert A. Kennewick et al., and originally assigned to Nuance Communications Inc. (Application No. 12/365,516 filed February 4, 2009).
   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued May 20, 2014.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes an agent-based system and methods for interpreting the meaning of natural language utterances, particularly focusing on the architecture for determining meaning and context. It establishes a foundational understanding of using agents for natural language processing.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): US9734825 is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/365,516, which resulted in US8731929. Therefore, the entire disclosure of US8731929 is considered to contain the subject matter claimed in US9734825. Any claims in US9734825 that are fully and directly disclosed within US8731929 would be potentially anticipated by its publication. However, due to the continuation relationship, US9734825 is generally entitled to the filing date of US8731929 for common subject matter, which typically overcomes anticipation by US8731929's own publication.

2. U.S. Patent No. 7,502,738

   • Full Citation: US7502738B2, "Systems and Methods for Responding to Natural Language Speech Utterance," issued March 10, 2009, to Robert A. Kennewick et al., and originally assigned to Nuance Communications Inc. (Application No. 11/747,547 filed May 11, 2007).
   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued March 10, 2009.
   • Brief Description: This patent provides a comprehensive framework for systems and methods designed to receive, process, and respond to natural language speech utterances, including aspects of speech recognition, parsing, domain determination, and response generation. It lays out the broader system context.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): US8731929 is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/747,547, which led to US7502738. Thus, US7502738's disclosure includes earlier iterations of the technology claimed in US9734825. Claims in US9734825 that are completely and directly disclosed in US7502738 would be potentially anticipated by its publication. The continuation chain ensures US9734825 benefits from US7502738's filing date for such common subject matter.

3. U.S. Patent No. 7,398,209

   • Full Citation: US7398209B2, "Systems and Methods for Responding to Natural Language Speech Utterance," issued July 8, 2008, to Robert A. Kennewick et al., and originally assigned to Nuance Communications Inc. (Application No. 10/452,147 filed June 3, 2003).
   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued July 8, 2008.
   • Brief Description: This patent details systems and methods for handling natural language speech utterances, specifically focusing on the process of receiving queries, processing them, and generating appropriate responses. It's a foundational patent in the family.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): US7502738 is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/452,147, which matured into US7398209. As an earlier-issued patent in the direct lineage, its disclosure is highly likely to contain subject matter that is also claimed in US9734825. Any claims in US9734825 that find full support in and are directly disclosed by US7398209 would be potentially anticipated by its publication, but the continuity of the patent family typically allows US9734825 to claim priority to US7398209's filing date for such subject matter.

4. U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/384,388

   • Full Citation: U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/384,388, "Systems and Methods for Responding to Natural Language Speech Utterance," filed June 3, 2002, to Robert A. Kennewick et al.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Filed June 3, 2002.
   • Brief Description: This provisional application serves as the earliest priority document for the entire patent family, outlining the initial concepts and broad scope of the invention related to natural language speech utterance processing and response generation.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): US7398209 claims priority from this provisional application. The disclosure within this provisional application establishes the earliest effective filing date for all subsequently claimed subject matter that is adequately supported within it. While provisional applications are generally not published as prior art in the same way as granted patents, their filing date is critical for establishing priority. Any claims in US9734825 that are fully supported by this provisional disclosure are entitled to its June 3, 2002, filing date, thus precluding any later-dated prior art from anticipating those specific claims. If any claims in US9734825 introduced new matter not disclosed in this provisional, then prior art dated between the provisional's filing date and the actual filing date of US9734825's application could potentially anticipate those claims.