DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is responsive to the Amendment filed 3 August 2026. Claims
1-23 are now pending. The Examiner acknowledges the amendments to claims 1, 3, 4,
7-9, 11, 12, 17 and 19, as well as the addition of claims 21-23. Claims 17 and 18 remain
withdrawn from consideration.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Drawings
The drawings were received on 3 August 2026. These drawings are accepted.
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: at line 2, “group of” should apparently read --group of:-- for greater clarity in the claim language. Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-16 and 21-23 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 at line 6 recites the limitation "the one or more multimedia content pages". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 3 at lines 2-3 recites the limitation "the one or more live broadcast platforms associated with the one or more tipping graphical elements". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11 at lines 5-6 recites the limitation "the signals". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 12 at lines 5-6 recites the limitation "the at least one tip operation from the user device". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-8, 10, 16 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liu (U.S. Pub. No. 2020/0276504). Liu qualifies as art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as the effective filing date of the instant application is that of this application (22 September 2022) as the parent applications do not support at least the displaying of tipping graphical elements as required in the independent claims. Regarding claim 1, Liu discloses a system, comprising: one or more processors; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors ([0044], [0067], [0081] and Fig. 1), cause the one or more processors to:
cause one or more tipping graphical elements (“game characters”; “graphical elements” or “graphical objectives” 2001/2002 or 2201-2204 such as “game ball” as described in [0076]-[0080]) to be displayed on a user interface of a user device ([0044], [0051], [0070]-[0073]), the one or more tipping graphical elements associated with one or more multimedia content pages (Figs. 16-17; and [0076]-[0080]), wherein the one or more multimedia content pages are displayed on the user interface of the user device ([0044], [0051], [0070]-[0073]) and are associated with one or more live broadcast platforms ([0068], [0076]-[0077] and [0081])
and
cause at least one tip operation (vibration) to be executed on the one or more live broadcast platforms responsive to a trigger instruction (game ball falling off the table) of any of the one or more tipping graphical elements [0079],
wherein the trigger instruction is generated responsive to a selective operation of any of the one or more tipping graphical elements (the “game ball” graphical element is selectively operated by a user [0078]-[0079]).
Regarding claim 2, the trigger instruction includes at least one selected from the group of a touch trigger instruction, a button trigger instruction, a sound trigger instruction, an operation trigger instruction, a gesture trigger instruction, a human biometric recognition trigger instruction, and combinations thereof ([0078]-[0079]).
Regarding claim 3, the at least one tip operation (vibration) is executed on the one or more live broadcast platforms, which is associated with the one or more tipping graphical elements according to at least one of a preset script or a preset interface ([0067]-[0071] and [0074]-[0076]: such as a predetermined instruction) (or predetermined game parameter [0079]: “When the game has ended, the exemplary accessory (e.g., accessory 330 or 331, which may be an adult toy) of the losing player (e.g., user 324 or model 335) may vibrate from a strong level to a weak level (e.g., or make any other actions or movements as described for example herein) until stopping, and the exemplary accessory (e.g., accessory 330 or 331, which may be an adult toy) of the winning player (e.g., user 324 or model 335) may vibrate from a weak level to a strong level (e.g., or make any other actions or movements as described for example herein) for a predetermined period of time (e.g., a time that may be set by system 2200)).
Regarding claim 4, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:
before the one or more tipping graphical elements are displayed on the user interface, determine whether the preset script or the preset interface is associated with the one or more live broadcast platforms; and if the preset script or the preset interface is associated with the one or more live broadcast platforms, display the one or more tipping graphical elements on the user interface ([0045] and [0067]).
Regarding claim 5, different live broadcast platforms of the one or more live broadcast platforms are configured to have different preset scripts or preset interfaces (different games are possible as shown in Figs. 16-17 and disclosed at [0077]-[0078] and may be broadcast live [0068]).
Regarding claim 6, the at least one tip operation (vibration) includes at least one selected from the group of tipping a specified amount of virtual currency, tipping a specified virtual gift, tipping specified information, and combinations thereof (user may add credits or tips to obtain additional energy for their virtual game characters to further actuate/vibrate the adult toy [0075]-[0076]).
Regarding claim 7, causing the one or more tipping graphical elements to be displayed on the user interface includes causing an interactive panel to be displayed on the user interface, wherein the one or more tipping graphical elements are configured to displayed on the interactive panel (as shown in Figs. 16-17 and disclosed at [0077]-[0078]).
Regarding claim 8, each of the one or more tipping graphical elements is configured with a control layout on the interactive panel (as shown in games of Figs. 16-17 and disclosed at [0077]-[0078]);
and the selective operation includes a selective operation of a control of any of the one or more tipping graphical elements on the interactive panel ([0078: “As illustrated in FIG. 17, graphical elements 2201 and 2202 may be baffles for blocking one or more “game balls” such as graphical elements 2203 and 2204 at both ends of a “game table.” Users (e.g., user 324 and model 335) may control respective graphical elements 2201 and 2202 (e.g., baffles) to move up and down via control of respective accessories (e.g., accessories 330 and 331). Also for example, a speed of movement of graphical elements 2201, 2202, 2203, and/or 2204 may be controlled via control by the users of respective accessories 330 and 331. For example, the deeper a body part (e.g., a penis) of user 324 may be inserted into accessory 331 (e.g., a penis sleeve), the faster a speed of graphical elements 2201, 2202, 2203, and/or 2204 (e.g., one or more baffles and/or one or more game balls) may be. Also for example, the deeper accessory 330 (e.g., a dildo) may be inserted into a body part (e.g., a vagina) of model 335, the faster a speed of graphical elements 2201, 2202, 2203, and/or 2204 (e.g., one or more baffles and/or one or more game balls) may be.”).
Regarding claim 10, the one or more tipping graphical elements include at least one selected from the group of a target number of the at least one tip operation, an interval time of the at least one tip operation, a total time of the at least one tip operation, a resource of the at least one tip operation, a total resource of the at least one tip operation, and combinations thereof (“a target number of the at least one tip operation” such as [0081]: “The exemplary disclosed apparatus, system, and method may also be used for a “number disappearing game” in a broadcast platform such as a model setting up a range of numbers (for example 1-120); when a number disappears, the exemplary adult toy will vibrate based on that number;”); and data of the one or more tipping graphical elements is set via the user device or based on a preset algorithm (based on a preset algorithm which is a virtual/video game as described at [0078]-[0083]).
Regarding claim 16, the one or more tipping graphical elements is received from the one or more live broadcast platforms ([0068]: “The game between the model (e.g., model 335) and the customer (e.g., user 324) may be broadcast live in the chat room…”), the receiving including receiving a tip rule correlating to the one or more multimedia content pages or receiving data from the one or more multimedia content pages (receiving data for playing the game as shown in Figs. 16 and 17).
Regarding claim 21, the one or more tipping graphical elements (“game characters”; “graphical elements” or “graphical objectives” 2001/2002 or 2201-2204 such as “game ball” as described in [0076]-[0080]) include one or more fixed values that include a preset fixed value or a customized value set by the user device ([0076]: “A given virtual game character (e.g., game character 2001 or 2002) maybe related to a given user (e.g., an account of a given user 324 or model 335 active on system 300), and that user may add credits (e.g., purchase credits or value for use on system 300 via paying currency or “tips”) to obtain additional energy for one or more virtual game characters (e.g., one or more game characters 2001 and/or 2002) controlled by that user.”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, 11-15, 22 and 23 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 19 and 20 are allowable over the prior art of record. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: regarding claims 19 and 20, while the prior art teaches a system comprising: a user device having a user interface; a model device; and at least one adult toy;
wherein the user device is configured to display one or more multimedia content pages on the user interface, the one or more multimedia content pages associated with one or more live broadcast platforms;
wherein the user device is configured to display a plurality of tipping graphical elements on the user interface, the plurality of tipping graphical elements associated with the one or more multimedia content pages;
wherein at least one tip operation is executed on the one or more live broadcast platforms, responsive to a trigger instruction of any of a plurality of tipping graphical elements,
wherein the model device is configured to receive a tip based on the at least one tip operation; and
wherein the model device is configured to send a control signal, responsive to the received tip, to the at least one adult toy to drive the at least one adult toy to execute a predefined action, the prior art of record does not teach or fairly suggest a system as claimed by Applicant, wherein for each of the plurality of tipping graphical elements, the at least one tip operation is executed, and wherein the trigger instruction is generated responsive to a selective operation of any of the plurality of tipping graphical elements.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 3 August 2026 with respect to the objections to the drawings have been fully considered and are persuasive in light of the amendments to the Drawings and the Specification.
Applicant’s arguments filed 3 August 2026 with respect to the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) have been fully considered and are persuasive with respect to claims 19 and 20, however a new rejection has been presented above to claim 9 in light of the amendments.
Applicant’s arguments filed 3 August 2026 with respect to the rejection of claims 1-8, 10 and 16 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) citing Liu have been fully considered and are not persuasive. The amendments warranted a new rejection under Liu, which is outlined in the 102 section above. Namely, “at least one tip operation” is now construed as vibration, which is a result of tipping; see rejection supra.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTINE HOPKINS MATTHEWS whose telephone number is (571)272-9058. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm.
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/CHRISTINE H MATTHEWS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3791
