DETAILED ACTION
Applicant's Submission of an RCE
Applicant’s submission of an RCE on 9/16/2025 has been received and fully considered. Claims 1, 2, 4-7, and 9-14 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
Applicant’s submission of an Information Disclosure Statement on 9/16/2025 has been received and considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1, 2, 4-7, and 9-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 is representative of the indefinite issue in this application. Since AHH appears to be a term generated by Applicant as it does not appear elsewhere in the art, Applicant was asked to define it during an Examiner requested interview on 10/14/2025. Applicant’s representative was, at the time, unable to provide any definition and requested that the Examiner submit an Office Action. Since Applicant’s representative was unable to provide a definition when given an opportunity during an Examiner Interview, the Examiner is also unable to define the scope of AHH. As set forth in the European Office Action submitted in an IDS on 9/16/2025, the Examiner agrees that the scope for AHH should be version control system or method. Clarification is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2, 4-7, and 9-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0314199 to Chapman.
With regard to claim 1, Chapman discloses a system for enabling multi-level collaboration in a game development environment (e.g., see at least paragraph 16, “database-driven collaborative game development environment”) comprising:
one or more Authoritative Hierarchy Hosts (AHH)(e.g., see Fig. 1, Master Services Server 130 appears to be equivalent to Applicant’s recited AHH) for storing a hierarchy of objects that are used in the game development environment (e.g., see at least paragraph 20, last sentence); and
a plurality of clients (e.g., see at least Fig. 1, Developer Client 112a, 112b; see also paragraph 20), in communication with the one or more AHH (e.g., see Fig. 1, Master Services Server), for hosting authoring environments for editing the game development environment (e.g., see at least paragraphs 20 and 26, “game editor”);
wherein the plurality of clients communicate with the one or more AHH to update the hierarchy of objects during development (e.g., see at least paragraphs 17 and 18, “[a] master database is updated with the changes made at each of the plurality of local database server”); and
wherein one or more AHH determines if actions performed by each of the plurality of clients require the hierarchy of objects to be updated based on permissions or results of conflict resolution logic (e.g., see at least paragraph 25, “enables resolution of resolve granular pieces of assets to both avoid merge conflicts and allow developers to work together without conflicts”);
[claim 2] wherein the one or more AHH comprise: a network layer for communicating with each of the plurality of clients (e.g., see at least paragraph 20, “first local network”; see also paragraph 51, “server-client network environment”); and a data interpretation layer for processing messages from the plurality of clients (e.g., see at least paragraph 34, “master services server 130 synchronizes 304 the received changes” and “synchronized to all of the local databases 110, the master content database 140 will store all modifications occurring during development and store these changes in a master log file”);
[claim 4] wherein each of the plurality of clients comprises: a local AHH hierarchy of objects cache for storing a local version of the hierarchy of objects (e.g., see at least Fig. 1, Local Databases 114a, 114b; see also paragraph 20); and an authoring environment control plugin (AECP) for enabling communication between the client and the one or more AHH (e.g., see Fig. 1, see diagram that shows communication between local clients/DBs and Master Services Server 130 via Wide Area Network 120);
[claim 5] wherein each of the plurality of clients comprises: an authorizing environment for editing the game development environment (e.g., see at least paragraphs 17, 18, and 26, among others that recite a game editor); and
[claim 11] wherein the at least one AHH is updated by at least one of
creating objects where one or more objects can be created as a single request (e.g., see at least paragraphs 17 and 18, “[a] master database is updated with the changes made at each of the plurality of local database server”; it is the Examiner’s position that only one of the listed elements of the AHH needs to be updated);
deleting an object whereby when an object is deleted, its children are also deleted; locking an object to reduce the likelihood of other users editing an object's properties or the properties of its descendants or ancestors;
releasing a lock on an object; detaching an object from its parent; attaching an object to a parent at a specified child index;
moving a child object to a different index in its parent's child list; setting a property or sub-property;
removing a field from a dictionary property;
inserting elements into a list property or removing elements from a list property.
With regard to claim 6, Chapman discloses a method of enabling multi-level collaboration in a game development environment (e.g., see at least paragraph 16, “database-driven collaborative game development environment”) comprising:
generating a hierarchy of objects (e.g., see at least paragraph 20, last sentence) associated with the game development environment within an authoritative hierarchy host (e.g., see Fig. 1, Master Services Server 130 appears to be equivalent to Applicant’s recited AHH); and
managing the hierarchy of objects via communications with a plurality of clients, each of the plurality of clients programming in the game development environment (e.g., see at least paragraph 20, “first local network”; see also paragraph 51, “server-client network environment”);
wherein the at least one AHH determines if actions performed by each of the plurality of clients require the hierarchy of objects to be updated based on permissions results or conflict resolution logic (e.g., see at least paragraph 25, “enables resolution of resolve granular pieces of assets to both avoid merge conflicts and allow developers to work together without conflicts”).
[claim 7] wherein managing the hierarchy of objects comprises: receiving an update from one of the plurality of clients with respect to one of the objects in the hierarchy of objects (e.g., see at least paragraphs 17 and 18, “[a] master database is updated with the changes made at each of the plurality of local database server”); and transmitting a message to each of the other of the plurality of clients to update a local hierarchy of objects with respect to the one of the objects in the hierarchy of objects (e.g., see at least paragraph 34, “master services server 130 synchronizes 304 the received changes” and “synchronized to all of the local databases 110, the master content database 140 will store all modifications occurring during development and store these changes in a master log file”);
[claim 9] wherein resolving conflicts associated with use of objects is based on an objects lock methodology (e.g., see at least paragraph 25, “enables resolution of resolve granular pieces of assets to both avoid merge conflicts and allow developers to work together without conflicts”);
[claim 10] wherein resolving conflicts associated with use of objects is based on a revisions number methodology (e.g., see at least paragraph 25, “enables resolution of resolve granular pieces of assets to both avoid merge conflicts and allow developers to work together without conflicts”); and
[claim 12] wherein the at least one AHH is updated by at least one of
creating objects where one or more objects can be created as a single request (e.g., see at least paragraphs 17 and 18, “[a] master database is updated with the changes made at each of the plurality of local database server”; it is the Examiner’s position that only one of the listed elements of the AHH needs to be updated);
deleting an object whereby when an object is deleted, its children are also deleted; locking an object to reduce the likelihood of other users editing an object's properties or the properties of its descendants or ancestors;
releasing a lock on an object; detaching an object from its parent; attaching an object to a parent at a specified child index;
moving a child object to a different index in its parent's child list; setting a property or sub-property;
removing a field from a dictionary property;
inserting elements into a list property or removing elements from a list property.
With regard to claim 13, Chapman discloses a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
generate a hierarchy of objects (e.g., see at least paragraph 20, last sentence) associated with the game development environment within at least one authoritative hierarchy host (AHH) (e.g., see Fig. 1, Master Services Server 130 appears to be equivalent to Applicant’s recited AHH); and
manage the hierarchy of objects via communications with a plurality of clients, each of the plurality of clients programming in the game development environment (e.g., see at least paragraph 20, “first local network”; see also paragraph 51, “server-client network environment”);
wherein the at least one AHH determines if actions performed by each of the plurality of clients require the hierarchy of objects to be updated based on permissions or results of conflict resolution logic (e.g., see at least paragraph 25, “enables resolution of resolve granular pieces of assets to both avoid merge conflicts and allow developers to work together without conflicts”).
[claim 14] when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive an update from one of the plurality of clients with respect to one of the objects in the hierarchy of objects (e.g., see at least paragraphs 17 and 18, “[a] master database is updated with the changes made at each of the plurality of local database server”); and transmit a message to each of the other of the plurality of clients to update a local hierarchy of objects with respect to the one of the objects in the hierarchy of objects (e.g., see at least paragraph 34, “master services server 130 synchronizes 304 the received changes” and “synchronized to all of the local databases 110, the master content database 140 will store all modifications occurring during development and store these changes in a master log file”).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's response on 9/16/2025 did not appear to provide any arguments because the claims were previously allowed. However, Applicant’s arguments on 2/3/2025 were not previously addressed because the claims were allowed. In response to the IDS submitted on 9/16/2025, the Examiner determined that the claims should not be allowed. It is noted that the Examiner contacted Applicant’s representative Mr. Jeffrey Wong to clarify the new issues addressed in the new 112 rejections, but no substantive discussion occurred by Mr. Wong’s decision.
On page 5 of the 2/3/2025 response, Applicant argues that Chapman provides “no suggestion that a hierarchy of objects is being used to resolve conflicts.” The Examiner now respectfully disagrees. In at least paragraph 25, Chapman discloses a hierarchy of objects for resolving conflicts (e.g., see at least paragraph 25, “enables resolution of resolve granular pieces of assets to both avoid merge conflicts and allow developers to work together without conflicts”). Once again, the Examiner invites Applicant to discuss the scope of AHH and the claimed objects.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES S MCCLELLAN whose telephone number is (571)272-7167. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (8:30AM-5:00PM).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kang Hu can be reached at 571-270-1344. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/James S. McClellan/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715