DETAILED ACTION
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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-7, 24, and 26-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Among Us (with reliance on https://web.archive.org/web/20201024001141/https://among-us.fandom.com/wiki/Security_(ability), hereinafter Security, https://web.archive.org/web/20200919143229/https://among-us.fandom.com/wiki/Tasks, hereinafter Tasks, https://web.archive.org/web/20201026035036/https://among-us.fandom.com/wiki/Kill, hereinafter Kill, https://gamerant.com/among-us-security-cam-strategy-tips/ for images, and Sabotage | Among Us Wiki | Fandom, hereinafter Sabotage).
Re claim 1, Among Us discloses a method for controlling a virtual object comprising: determining, in response to a trigger instruction for a game skill of a first player character located in a game scene (see Security, “Security is an ability in Among Us, which can be used by anyone in the Security room to gain information about other players,” therefore usage of the ability by any player is considered a trigger instruction of a first player), a target virtual object corresponding to the trigger instruction (see section View, which outlines the various different rooms and cameras surveilling said rooms), and controlling the target virtual object to monitor a monitoring area in the game scene to locate a second player character within the monitoring area (“Cameras can be used to know where players went/come from, piece together the events preceding a murder, or even catch impostors murdering/venting on screen”); wherein a graphical user interface is provided through a first electronic terminal (“When accessed, security displays fixed parts of the maps”), and contents displayed by the graphical user interface comprise at least a part of the game scene and the first player character (see image:
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); wherein the game scene further comprises the second player in a different game camp from the first player character (see the above image wherein the cameras show players in other areas of the game), the first player character is configured with a plurality of game skills, each game skill corresponds to a virtual object (see Tasks, all players have various activities to complete during gameplay by interacting with virtual objects in areas of the map), and the second player character is controlled to destroy the target virtual object (see Sabotage, Communications, where Imposters are able to disable the security cameras via sabotage, wherein disabling is considered destroying as the object no longer performs its intended function until fixed); and displaying calibration information of the second player character located in the graphical user interface, wherein the calibration information of the second player character comprises at least one of a character identification corresponding to the second player character or a position identification corresponding to the second player character (see the above image, the other players are visible in the camera images, therefore identifying both the identity and position of the other players).
Re claim 2, Among Us discloses the game skill comprises a monitoring game skill (see Security, use of the security ability is considered a monitoring game skill as it allows players to monitor areas and players), and the monitoring game skill corresponds to a monitoring virtual object (i.e. cameras); and wherein determining the target virtual object corresponding to the trigger instruction, and controlling the target virtual object to monitor the set monitoring area in the game scene comprises: generating, in response to a trigger instruction for the monitoring game skill, a monitoring virtual object in the game scene, and displaying a first monitoring area corresponding to the monitoring virtual object (see above, players in Security are able to activate security cameras in areas of the map, therefore displaying a monitoring area viewable by the camera).
Re claim 3, Among Us discloses controlling the monitoring virtual object to monitor the first monitoring area (see the rejection to claim 2 regarding usage of the security ability); and, in response to determining that a second player character in a target state is present in the first monitoring area, adding at least one of a calibration state or an index state to the second player character in the target state, wherein the index state is a state in which the second player character is able to be identified and attacked (see Security, wherein cameras can be used to know where players went/come from, piece together the events preceding a murder, or even catch impostors murdering/venting on screen); wherein displaying calibration information of the second player character located in the graphical user interface comprises displaying, in response to detecting a second player character in the calibration state, a character identification corresponding to the second player character in the calibration state in the game scene (see the image in the rejection to claim 1, players in the monitored area are readily visible, allowing players to be identified visually).
Re claim 5, Among Us discloses: obtaining, in response to the trigger instruction for the monitoring game skill, skill information of the monitoring game skill and generating the monitoring virtual object in the game scene according to the skill information, and displaying the first monitoring area corresponding to the monitoring virtual object (see Security, wherein players use their ability to use the Security terminal and display monitoring areas corresponding to the selected camera).
Re claim 6, Among Us discloses the skill information comprises a skill state (see Security, Usage, wherein security is accessible unless communication sabotage disables it, therefore the skill state is whether security is sabotaged or not); and wherein generating the monitoring virtual object in the game scene according to the skill information, and displaying the first monitoring area corresponding to the monitoring virtual object comprises: generating, in response to determining that the skill state of the monitoring skill is a ready state, the monitoring virtual object in the game scene, and displaying the first monitoring area corresponding to the monitoring virtual object (see above, when security is not sabotaged, players may access it to see camera viewpoints as discussed above).
Re claim 7, Among Us discloses: obtaining a character orientation and a current position of the first player character; and, displaying, on the current position, a monitoring virtual object with the character orientation as a target orientation and a first monitoring area corresponding to the target orientation (see Security, players must be in the security room to monitor areas, and must be oriented in range of the security terminal, therefore the target orientation being in front of and towards the security terminal, with the player’s choice of camera based on inputs made by the player).
Re claim 24, Among Us discloses the game skill comprises an attacking game skill, the attacking game skill corresponds to a virtual object for attack (see Sabotage and the rejection to claim 1 regarding Communications and security camera disabling): determining, in response to a trigger instruction for the attacking game skill, a second player character, and controlling the virtual object for attack to perform an attacking operation for the second player character (performing a sabotage action in order to disable security cameras is considered an attack on the security cameras); wherein determining the second player character, and controlling the virtual object for attack to perform the attacking operation for the second player character, comprises: triggering, in response to determining that a second player character is present within a target range of the first player character, the attacking game skill; and controlling the virtual object for attack to perform the attacking operation for the second player character (see above, the security cameras are disabled in response to the Communications sabotage).
Re claim 26, Among Us discloses triggering, in response to detecting that a second player character in the index state and/or a second player character in the calibration state is present within the target range of the first player character, the attacking game skill (see Kill, players must be within a certain range of other players to initiate a kill).
Re claim 27, Among Us discloses: obtaining a relative distance between the first and second player character located in the game scene; wherein, triggering, in response to detecting that a second player character in the index state and/or a second player character in the calibration state is present within the target range of the first player character, the attacking game skill, comprises: determining a second player character in the index state and/or the calibration state in the game scene; and triggering, in response to determining that the relative distance between the first and second player character in the index state and/or the second player character in the calibration state is less than or equal to the preset distance threshold, the attacking game skill (see Kill, “and the kill distance can be short, medium, or long, depending on the settings of the server”).
Re claim 28, Among Us discloses triggering the attacking game skill, in response to determining that the relative distance between the first and second player character in the index state is less than or equal to the preset distance threshold, and no obstacle is present between the first and second player character in the index state (see Kill, “The ability cannot bypass through walls/obstructions as it works for a given distance in a straight line of sight, such that if there is an object between the crewmate and Impostor, the kill option will be deactivated”).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Among Us in view of Best (US 7,445,549).
Re claim 9, Among Us has disclosed monitoring areas, but does not explicitly disclose a searching game skill and controlling the searching virtual object to search for the second player character in the game scene to locate the second player character within the second monitoring area. Best teaches a gaming system with multiple cameras wherein players are able to direct the camera to search for objects (col. 17:59-67 and 18:1-6). It would have been obvious to utilize cameras to search for objects in a game in order to allow players the ability to use multiple cameras to gather as much information about their surroundings.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-12, 14, 17-19, and 21-22 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/27/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In response to the amended limitations, further aspects of Among Us have been cited, specifically regarding the Sabotage action usable by Imposters. As the disabling of security cameras is considered to be destruction, the Examiner considers the limitation to be taught by Among Us.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 Kevin Y Kim whose telephone number is (571)270-3215. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Xuan Thai can be reached at (571) 272-7147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN Y KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
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