DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statements
Applicant’s submission of an Information Disclosure Statements on 2/12/2024 and 4/17/2025 have been received and considered.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Honor of Kings video game (NPL cited in 2/12/2024 IDS, citation No. 3, English language translation, dated 9/20/2021)(NPL English language translation paragraph provided below for convenience).
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As an initial matter, this rejection is based on the Honor of Kings video game that was published on or before September 20, 2021 (date of published online article that provides evidence of Honor of Kings game features, including small window video functionality).
With regard to claim 1, Honor of Kings discloses a video playing method, performed by a terminal, the method comprising: displaying a windowed playing control in an out-battle scene interface (e.g., see English translation, “optimization of the video player is disclosed” and “small window video content, which can be used in multiple scenarios including the waiting scene in the team room”, wherein the waiting scene is equivalent to an out-battle scene), the out-battle scene interface being a scene interface of a game other than a battle interface of the game (e.g., see English translation that distinguished between “main process of the game” which is the battle scene, as compared to the “waiting scene in the team room” which is the out-battle scene”); displaying, in response to a trigger operation on the windowed playing control in the out-battle scene interface (e.g., see English translation that discusses “King’s small window video is native to the game” and “Small window playback is a common way for various applications to deliver lightweight content”), a video playing window on an upper layer of the out-battle scene interface (e.g., see English translation that discusses “it will not appear on the upper layer of other applications”, which implies that the video playing window appears on the upper layer of the waiting scene in the team room; additionally, the window viewer would not serve its intended purposes if it is not viewable on the upper), a first video being played in the video playing window; and closing the video playing window when switching from the out-battle scene interface to the battle interface (e.g., see English translation that discloses “the small window video…will automatically closed when entering the matching page or watching the game”);
[claim 2] wherein the closing the video playing window when switching from the out-battle scene interface to the battle interface comprises: in response to that a battle instruction is received, displaying a battle participating interface and closing the video playing window (e.g., see English translation that discloses “the small window video…will automatically closed when entering the matching page or watching the game”);
[claim 3] further comprising: obtaining a playing progress of the first video in the video playing window in response to that the battle instruction is received; and in response to that a battle exit instruction is received, opening the video playing window, and playing the first video in the video playing window according to the playing progress (e.g., see English translation that discusses “the ability to play videos in small windows”);
[claim 4] wherein the closing the video playing window when switching from the out-battle scene interface to the battle interface comprises: in response to that a battle spectating instruction is received, displaying a battle spectating interface, and closing the video playing window (e.g., see English translation that discloses “the small window video…will automatically closed when entering the matching page or watching the game”, wherein watching the game appears to be battle spectating);
[claim 5] further comprising: obtaining a playing progress of the first video in the video playing window in response to that the battle spectating instruction is received; and in response to that a battle spectating exit instruction is received, opening the video playing window, and playing the first video in the video playing window according to the playing progress (e.g., see English translation that discusses “the ability to play videos in small windows”);
[claim 6] wherein the displaying, in response to a trigger operation on the windowed playing control in the out-battle scene interface, a video playing window on an upper layer of the out-battle scene interface comprises: obtaining, in response to the trigger operation on the windowed playing control in the out-battle scene interface, through a video calling interface, a first video stream and first video related information corresponding to the first video (e.g., see English translation that discusses “the ability to play videos in small windows”); and playing the first video in the video playing window based on the first video stream and the first video related information (e.g., see English translation that discusses “the event TV station” that appears to be a video stream”);
[claim 7] further comprising: in response to a trigger operation in the video playing window, displaying a video switching control; and switching and playing a second video in the video playing window in response to a trigger operation on the video switching control (e.g., see English translation that discusses “the video title and control buttons for pausing and switching videos can also be displayed in the small window video”);
[claim 8] wherein the switching and playing a second video in the video playing window in response to a trigger operation on the video switching control comprises: transmitting, in response to the trigger operation on the video switching control, a video switching instruction through a video calling interface (e.g., see English translation that discusses “the video title and control buttons for pausing and switching videos can also be displayed in the small window video”), the video switching instruction being used for obtaining a second video stream and second video related information corresponding to the second video (e.g., see English translation that discusses “the video title and control buttons for pausing and switching videos can also be displayed in the small window video”); obtaining the second video stream and the second video related information through the video calling interface (e.g., see English translation that discusses “the video title and control buttons for pausing and switching videos can also be displayed in the small window video”); and playing the second video in the video playing window based on the second video stream and the second video related information (e.g., see English translation that discusses “the ability to play videos in small windows”);
[claim 9] wherein the displaying, in response to a trigger operation on the windowed playing control in the out-battle scene interface (e.g., see English translation that discusses “the video title and control buttons for pausing and switching videos can also be displayed in the small window video”), a video playing window on an upper layer of the out-battle scene interface comprises: determining, in response to the trigger operation on the windowed playing control in the out-battle scene interface, a first window size and a first window position of the video playing window, different display screen sizes corresponding to different first window sizes, and the first window size being smaller than the display screen size (e.g., see English translation that discusses “The position of the small window supports one-finger dragging and the four corners of the position are absorbed, and the size supports two-finger zooming to adjust the size”); and displaying the video playing window on the upper layer of the out-battle scene interface based on the first window size and the first window position (e.g., see English translation that discusses “it will not appear on the upper layer of other applications”, which implies that the video playing window appears on the upper layer of the waiting scene in the team room; additionally, the window viewer would not serve its intended purposes if it is not viewable on the upper layer);
[claim 10] further comprising: determining, in response to a gesture operation for the video playing window, a window scaling ratio based on the gesture operation (e.g., see English translation that discusses “The position of the small window supports one-finger dragging and the four corners of the position are absorbed, and the size supports two-finger zooming to adjust the size”); determining a second window size based on the first window size and the window scaling ratio (e.g., see English translation that discusses “The position of the small window supports one-finger dragging and the four corners of the position are absorbed, and the size supports two-finger zooming to adjust the size”); and displaying the video playing window on the upper layer of the out-battle scene interface based on the second window size and the first window position (e.g., see English translation that discusses “it will not appear on the upper layer of other applications”, which implies that the video playing window appears on the upper layer of the waiting scene in the team room; additionally, the window viewer would not serve its intended purposes if it is not viewable on the upper layer);
[claim 11] wherein at least one function control corresponding to the first video is displayed in the video playing window (e.g., see English translation that discusses “the video title and control buttons for pausing and switching videos can also be displayed in the small window video”); and the method further comprises: determining a control size of a function control based on the second window size, the control size being positively correlated with the second window size; and displaying, in response to a trigger operation in the video playing window, the function control in the video playing window based on the control size (e.g., see English translation that discusses “The position of the small window supports one-finger dragging and the four corners of the position are absorbed, and the size supports two-finger zooming to adjust the size”);
[claim 12] further comprising: determining, in response to a dragging operation for the video playing window, a second window position of the video playing window based on the dragging operation (e.g., see English translation that discusses “The position of the small window supports one-finger dragging and the four corners of the position are absorbed, and the size supports two-finger zooming to adjust the size”); and displaying the video playing window on the upper layer of the out-battle scene interface based on the second window position and the first window size (e.g., see English translation that discusses “it will not appear on the upper layer of other applications”, which implies that the video playing window appears on the upper layer of the waiting scene in the team room; additionally, the window viewer would not serve its intended purposes if it is not viewable on the upper layer);
[claim 13] wherein the determining, in response to a dragging operation for the video playing window, a second window position of the video playing window based on the dragging operation comprises: determining, in response to the dragging operation for the video playing window, central position coordinates of the video playing window in response to that the dragging operation stops, the video playing window moving with the dragging operation (e.g., see English translation that discusses “The position of the small window supports one-finger dragging and the four corners of the position are absorbed, and the size supports two-finger zooming to adjust the size”); and determining, based on a display area at the central position coordinates, the second window position corresponding to the video playing window, the second window position being located at a screen corner position corresponding to the display area (e.g., see English translation that discusses “The position of the small window supports one-finger dragging and the four corners of the position are absorbed, and the size supports two-finger zooming to adjust the size”; the website that is provided in the NPL shows the small window in the corner of the GUI, as shown below for convenience); and
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[claim 14] further comprising: stopping displaying the video playing window in response to that a target application switches from a foreground running state to a background running state, the target application being a program that displays the out-battle scene interface (e.g., see English translation that discusses “the video title and control buttons for pausing and switching videos can also be displayed in the small window video”); and continuing to play the first video through the video playing window, in response to that the target application switches from the background running state to the foreground running state (e.g., see English translation that discusses “the ability to play videos in small windows”).
Claims 15-19 are anticipated by Honor of Kings based on the analysis set forth above for claims 1-5, which are similar in claim scope. Likewise, claim 20 is anticipated by Honor of Kings based on the analysis set forth above for claims 1, which is similar in claim scope.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0357246 to Nelson a gaming screen with multiple adjustable windows including a live video window (e.g., see at least Fig. 4A).
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0322714 to Lee discusses a method and apparatus for multiscreen management (e.g., see at least Fig. 1).
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0046385 to Hsiao discusses a method and system for coordinating game sessions including a video window (e.g., see at least Fig. 1A).
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0072424 to Lee discusses a method for providing game using switching between continuous and automatic battle and manual battle screens (e.g., see at least paragraph 71 for discussion of PIP).
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0176479 to Wardenaar discusses peeking at a second video content by temporarily replacing one video window space with another (e.g., see Figs. 15 and 16a-d).
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0135206 to Reisman discusses a GUI that displays both interactive content, a menu dropdown, and a video window (e.g., see Fig. 3).
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0304605 to Hartman discusses an interactive video system (e.g., see at least Fig. 3).
U.S. Patent No. 10,617,945 to George discusses a game video analysis and information system including a video window (e.g., see at least Fig. 13B).
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0168049 to Nelson discusses a combined interactive gaming device and live video window (e.g., see at least Figs. 4E-F).
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0310610 to Yamamoto discusses context-based user interface menu with a video window adjacent a game scene (e.g., see at least Fig. 9).
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).
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/James S. McClellan/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715