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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the pending claims have been considered but are moot because of the new ground of rejection below.
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 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) 1, 3, 8-11, 13, 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Harmon (US 2018/0108218 A1) in view of Brown (US 2014/0278853 A1).
1. Harmon discloses a system for providing rewards to a user for in-game achievements across multiple third-party game platforms (Abstract), the system comprising:
a user account module configured to store a user profile for the user ([0062]; reward account 620);
an Application Programming Interface (API) module independently integrated with each one of the multiple third-party game platforms and in communication with the SDK module to receive information about defined in-game achievements, the API module configured to generate an achievement signal including identification of the completed in-game achievement and identification of the corresponding third-party game platform in response to the user completing at least one of the defined one or more in-game achievements ([0018], [0042], [0065]); and
a processing module in communication with the user account module, the SDK module and the API module of each one of the multiple third-party game platforms, the processing module configured to: receive, via the API module corresponding to the third-party game platform on which the in-game achievement was completed, the achievement signal; determine the one or more rewards correspondingly associated with the completed in-game achievement; and configure the user account module to cause the one or more rewards to be associated with the user profile ([0015], [0020], [0040]-[0049], [0065]).
Harmon further discloses that the rewards are redeemable for in-game assets (e.g., computer game expansions, specialty character skins, and in-game items) configured for use within gameplay of the corresponding platforms ([0044]).
Brown discloses an in-engine rewards module (implemented as SDK code 204) integrated directly into the respective third-party game platform/engine that tracks user progress toward milestones/events, determines eligibility for rewards based on defined rules/frequency, and produces an internal eligibility determination ([0025]-[0030], [0040]-[0046]; FIGS. 5-6); an SDK module independently integrated with the game platform and integrated with the corresponding in-engine rewards logic that defines event/achievement types and the associated rewards ([0025]-[0028]); the SDK generating an internal signal/notification upon eligibility that is consumed by the system’s reporting/API layer ([0035]-[0040]); the SDK module configured to define the one or more rewards in a form of one or more in-game assets configured for use within gameplay ([0025], [0027], [0045]); and immediate, direct allocation of those in-game assets into the player’s inventory or for immediate use within gameplay upon the eligibility signal (e.g., adding items, updating inventory/level data without a separate redemption transaction) ([0025], [0027], [0032]-[0046], [0055]). Brown further discloses an API and SDK are both used to allow third-party developers to generate gaming parameters for providing rewards to the player [0026]-[0028].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Harmon’s multi-platform achievement and reward system with the in-engine SDK teachings of Brown. The motivation is to enable immediate, gameplay-integrated rewards directly inside each third-party game engine rather than relying solely on Harmon’s centralized points-and-redemption model. This reduces player frustration, increases retention and engagement, and provides seamless asset utilization without intermediary steps (Brown [0005]-[0010], [0055]; Harmon [0015]).
3. Harmon and Brown disclose the system of claim 1, wherein the user account module is configured to allow the user to convert the one or more rewards available in the user profile thereof into one or more assets, from a list of available assets provided to the user, for utilization in the corresponding one of the multiple third-party game platforms, Harmon [0015], [0044], [0055].
8. Harmon and Brown disclose the system of claim 1, wherein the SDK module is configured to provide an interface to be implemented for selecting one or more milestones in a game play in one of games of the corresponding one of the multiple third-party game platforms to be defined as the one or more in-game achievements therefor, Harmon [0020], [0058].
9. Harmon and Brown disclose the system of claim 1, wherein the user account module is configured to allow the user to link the multiple third-party game platforms to the user profile thereof, Harmon [0015], [0019].
10. Harmon and Brown disclose the system of claim 1, wherein the user account module is configured to provide a user interface for allowing the user to check the one or more rewards and one or more assets available in the user profile thereof, Harmon [0062].
11, 13, 18-20. Harmon and Brown disclose a method for providing rewards to a user for in-game achievements across multiple third-party game platforms, the method comprising: storing a user profile for the user in a user account module; for each respective one of the multiple third-party game platforms, tracking, via an in- engine rewards module integrated into the respective third-party game platform, user progress toward one or more milestones and determining eligibility for completion of one or more in-game achievements; defining, via a Software Development Kit (SDK) module independently integrated with each one of the multiple third-party game platforms and integrated with a corresponding in-engine rewards module, one or more in-game achievements and one or more rewards associated with completing each of the one or more in-game achievements for a corresponding one of the multiple third-party game platforms; generating, via an Application Programming Interface (API) module integrated independently with each one of the multiple third-party game platforms and in communication with the SDK module to receive information about the defined in-game achievements, an achievement signal by consuming an eligibility determination from the in-engine rewards module, the achievement signal including identification of a completed in-game achievement and identification of a corresponding third-party game platform in response to the user completing at least one of the defined one or more in-game achievements; receiving, via the API module corresponding to the third-party game platform on which the in-game achievement was completed, the achievement signal; determining, via the SDK module and based on the achievement signal, the one or more rewards correspondingly associated with the completed in-game achievement[s], wherein the one or more rewards are defined, by the SDK module, in a form of one or more in-game assets configured for use within gameplay of the corresponding one of the multiple third-party game platforms; and causing the one or more in-game assets to be at least one of: added to a player inventory of the corresponding one of the multiple third-party game platforms, or unlocked for immediate use within gameplay of the corresponding one of the multiple third-party game platforms as similarly discussed above.
Claim(s) 4-7, 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harmon (US 2018/0108218 A1) and Brown (US 2014/0278853 A1) as applied above and further in view of Aronowitz (US 2014/0274311 Al).
4-7, 14-17. Harmon and Brown disclose the invention above, but does not expressly disclose wherein the user account module comprises information about a subscription status of the user, wherein the SDK module is configured to define the one or more in-game achievements and/or the one or more rewards associated with completing each of the one or more in-game achievements for the corresponding one of the multiple third-party game platforms based on the subscription status of the user, wherein the user account module is configured to define the list of available assets provided to the user based on the subscription status of the user nor wherein the user account module is configured to define a conversion ratio for converting the one or more rewards into the one or more assets based on the subscription status of the user. However, such method of provide better benefits for a premium membership level or subscription level is notoriously well known in the art as evidenced by Aronowitz [0024]. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art to modify Harmon with Aronowitz and would have been motivated to do so to implement a subscription model to generate more revenue.
Filing of New or Amended Claims
The examiner has the initial burden of presenting evidence or reasoning to explain why persons skilled in the art would not recognize in the original disclosure a description of the invention defined by the claims. See Wertheim, 541 F.2d at 263, 191 USPQ at 97 (“[T]he PTO has the initial burden of presenting evidence or reasons why persons skilled in the art would not recognize in the disclosure a description of the invention defined by the claims.”). However, when filing an amendment an applicant should show support in the original disclosure for new or amended claims. See MPEP § 714.02 and § 2163.06 (“Applicant should specifically point out the support for any amendments made to the disclosure.”). Please see MPEP 2163 (II) 3. (b)
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SENG H LIM whose telephone number is (571)270-3301. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (9-5).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David L. Lewis can be reached at (571) 272-7673. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Seng H Lim/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
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