Claims interpretation for US7174229

Question

In reference to the patent: US7174229

What is a simple-terms explanation of the claims from this patent?

The first claim (from Google Patents) is:

1. Apparatus for generating a delayed output digital audio signal from an input digital audio signal, the apparatus comprising:

   a first delay module adapted to apply a first amount of delay to the input digital audio signal to generate a partially delayed digital audio signal, wherein the first delay module is adapted to select the first amount of delay from a plurality of available first delay values separated from one another by increments at a first resolution level; and

   a second delay module adapted to apply a second amount of delay to the partially delayed digital audio signal to generate the delayed output digital audio signal, wherein the second delay module is adapted to select the second amount of delay from a plurality of available second delay values separated from one another by increments at a second resolution level different from the first resolution level.

Specifically, I'd like to know whether this patent covers mics that can record 3D audio. I would like to release a product that records 3D audio with 2 mics, but I'm not sure if that would be covered by this.

Answer 1

"I would like to release a product ..., but I'm not sure if [it] would be covered by this [patent]."

In other words, would the product infringe the claims of the patent?

Simplified answer: A claim is a list of elements. If every element of the claim appears in the product, then the product infringes the claim. When that happens we say the claim "reads on" the product.

Does your product have a "first delay module" and a "second delay module"?

If so, does your first delay module "apply a first amount of delay to the input digital audio signal"?

You can keep going like that to see if every single thing mentioned in the claim appears in your product. If it is not clear what a claim term means, look in the written description to find out.

It is difficult to answer the question any more precisely than that without carefully reading the patent and understanding what is in the product.

Note that the reverse question (Does every feature of my product appear in the patent?) is not relevant to whether or not your product might infringe.