US 9804819

US Patent 9804819, titled "Receiving apparatus and control method," was issued to JVCKenwood Corp as the original assignee and is currently assigned to Soundclear Technologies LLC as of September 21, 2023. The inventors are Kazuomi Tachigi, Kanji Kuroiwa, and Hiroshi Nakamura. The patent was filed on December 1, 2016, and issued on October 31, 2017.

The abstract describes a receiving apparatus that includes an audio output unit, a volume operating unit, a lock controller, and a volume controller. The lock controller manages a non-locked state where audio volume can be varied and a locked state where it is fixed by a "lock value." The volume controller outputs audio based on the operating value in the non-locked state and on the lock value in the locked state. A key feature is that when a predetermined operating part is activated in the locked state, the system temporarily switches to the non-locked state to allow volume adjustment, specifically when the operating value falls within a predetermined range of the lock value. When this operating part is then released, the lock value is updated with the current operating value, and the system returns to the locked state.

A search for CAFC 2026 dockets for US9804819 did not yield any specific results within the provided search snippets.

Here is a plain-language overview of each independent claim:

• Independent Claim 1: Receiving Apparatus
  This claim describes a device that outputs audio. It has a volume control (volume operating unit) that takes user input to set a volume level (operating value). A "lock controller" can switch the device between two states: a "non-locked state" where the volume changes with the user's input, and a "locked state" where the volume is fixed at a pre-set "lock value." A "volume controller" ensures the audio output matches the user's input in the non-locked state, or the fixed lock value in the locked state. Crucially, the lock controller also has a specific function for updating the locked volume: if a designated button (predetermined operating part) is pressed while the volume is locked, the device will temporarily switch to the non-locked state. This temporary switch only happens when the user adjusts the volume knob (operating value) to be close to (within a "predetermined range" of) the current lock value. While in this temporary non-locked state, the user can adjust the volume freely. Once the designated button is released, the system updates the "lock value" to whatever the volume knob is currently set to and then returns to the locked state.

• Independent Claim 8: Control Method for a Receiving Apparatus
  This claim outlines a method for controlling a receiving apparatus with similar components: an audio output unit, a volume operating unit, and a volume controller that handles both non-locked and locked volume states. The method details the same process as Claim 1 for updating the locked volume: when a "predetermined operating part" is activated while the device is in the locked state, the system switches to the non-locked state. This non-locked period starts when the user's volume input (operating value) comes within a "predetermined range" of the current fixed "lock value" and ends when the predetermined operating part is released. Upon the release of the operating part, the method includes updating the "lock value" with the current "operating value" and then switching the device back to the locked state.