Introduction- Heather Bottum was the first to invent and the first-to-file a patent application on the invention claimed by the opposing much later filed patent. Heather's invention is an unconventional "speaker system" that is very different from conventional speakers in a surround sound system. Conventional speakers perform for a single channel/signal of sound and require multiple speakers placed throughout the listening area as specified by conventional speaker formats selected from a group consisting of DOLBY, THX and DTS. Heather's invention is a "speaker system", the multi-channel/signal array, which performs for 2 channels at the location a left or right main channel speaker is specified to be placed. The first channel is a left or right main channel/signal and the second being a left or right height channel/signal or a left or right Yamaha presence channel/signal. Height channel speakers and Yamaha presence channel speakers are otherwise specified to be mounted well above a left and right main speaker in the listening area. Dolby height channel/signal speakers are also now available in the back of the listening area specified to be mounted above the left or right rear speakers in the DOLBY surround format as well. The multi-channel/signal array delivers direct-firing performance for a left or right main channel at the location specified for a front left or right main speaker selected from a group consisting of DOLBY, THX and DTS with direct-firing sound in a conventional manner in combination with performance for a DOLBY left or right height channel/signal or a Yamaha left or right presence channel/signal speaker which would otherwise require mounting well above the left or right main speakers. The multi-channel/signal array utilizes upward angled sound producing devices to cause height channel/signal effects or Yamaha presence channel/signal effects to appear as if they are coming from a source above a left or right main speaker, as specified in conventional surround sound speaker formats. The opposing much later filed patent is the same invention.      


   What follows is an illustration of the the left and right front main speakers which are specified to be place to the left and right of the TV by a group consisting of DOLBY, THX and DTS. The left and right height speakers are specified to be mounted well above the left and right main speakers either on the wall above or in the ceiling. This illustration is from DOLBY’s website and it’s use is only for placement guidelines in this chart with reference to DOLBY.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V1CC1TZyNgnV4KwXRbkf2O19RrGk440b/view?fbclid=IwY2xjawNQy_1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHlXqsAj-ZCmxHXUhyEjIwALiCqqddlmAGOrefPhF7g0GyH1AN3ntoZyE9QZc_aem_EujLEkGpSNFsopTcyKQtKA

printout in which Bernard Bottom can further verify he printed, the date of the printout is verified, 1/20/2011.
 
Heather’s homepage on her Acoustic Labs webpage which disclosed the invention was also linked to the Dolby’s new Height speakers animated demo page on Dolby’s website since 2010 with Dolby’s permission. Heather had called Dolby and asked them if she could link her webpage that disclosed her patent pending invention, the multi-channel/signal array of her claims 18 and 25, (the “speaker system” the opposing claim element refers to), to their demo page which was set up to market the advantages of the new 3D effect height speakers mounted above the left and right front main front speakers in the listening area. Pages from her website including the one that follows were printed by Heather’s dad in January 2011, Bernard Bottum Jr., which can be confirmed by him and by the print out date from the internet at the bottom of the pages in the PDF file of Heather’s Acoustic Labs printed webpage. Further confirmation the webpage was published can be found by entering a search for www.acousticlabsaudio.com in the URL box at Way Back Machine see link https://web.archive.org/