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 . 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.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on January 28, 2022, via a PCT application filed on November 15, 2022. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of either application as required by 37 CFR 1.55. Applicant’s attention is drawn to a priority document exchange program failure notice dated August 17, 2023. This appears to be a by-pass continuation of the PCT application so the PCT papers have not entered the US under 35 USC 371 (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
Receipt is acknowledged of a copy of the certified English translation of the application filed in China on January 28, 2022, required by 37 CFR 1.55. This certified English translation was filed December 29, 2025, and has been placed in the file. A certified copy of the originally filed application is required and has not been filed.
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendment and remarks filed December 29, 2025, are responsive to the office action mailed September 30, 2025. Claims 1-13 and 19-25 were previously pending and claims 1-2, 19-20, and 25, have been amended. Claims 1-13 and 19-25 are therefore currently pending and considered in this office action.
Pertaining to rejection under 35 USC 102 in the previous office action
Claims 1-2, 4, 6-7, 9-11, 13, 19-20, 22, 24-25, were rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gao et al. (Paper No. 20250924; CN114210068B). The certified English translation of the application filed in China on January 28, 2022, together with the accompanying statement of common ownership result in the removal of Goa as prior art. A certified copy of the originally filed application is required and has not been filed.
Pertaining to rejection under 35 USC 103 in the previous office action
Claims 3, 5, 8, 12, 21, and 23, were rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao et al. (Paper No. 20250924; CN114210068B) in view of ZHANG et al. (Paper No. 20250924; Pub. No. US 20240346755 A1). Zhang’755 was also an intervening reference and has therefore also been removed as prior art by the certified English translation of the application filed in China on January 28, 2022. A certified copy of the originally filed application is required and has not been filed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed December 29, 2025, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Claims 1-13 and 19-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. Applicant argues
“The technical problem is identified in para. [0004]-[0005] of the specification: "Often, a player may select item designs displayed in a target item list after entering a virtual mall, and perform a purchase operation after determining a selected target item to obtain the corresponding target item. The target item list usually exhibits item designs of many target items. As a result, the player spends a long time determining a desired target item, whereby human-machine interaction efficiency is low.” Remarks p.16.
On its face this does not describe a technical problem. It identifies an entirely old common sense human problem of taking a long time for a human to review a list of many items. It then declares “human-machine interaction efficiency is low.” This may be the result of a technical problem but it is not itself the problem, if there is one. Applicant then recites the claim and declares that the result of the claim is a technical solution, but again there is nothing technical identified.
Examiner has reviewed the claim and the specification and has revised the rationale accordingly. The reason for maintaining the rejection is essentially that the steps where the integration should occur between the additional elements and the abstract ideas are themselves recited in abstract terms, rather than with the detail that would be required to successfully recite the integration. Examiner suggests incorporating subject matter described in specification ¶¶0065, 0067-0068, 0082-0083, 0086, 0173, 0178, 0247, 0249-0250, 0254, into the claim recitations.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-13 and 19-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
When considering subject matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C. 101, it must be determined whether the claim is directed to one of the four statutory categories of invention (i.e., process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter) (step 1). If the claim does fall within one of the statutory categories, it must then be determined whether the claim is directed to a judicial exception (i.e., law of nature, natural phenomenon, and abstract idea) (step 2A), and if so, it must additionally be determined whether the claim is a patent-eligible application of the exception (step 2B). Alice Corp. Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank Int'l, 134 S. Ct. 2347, 189 L. Ed. 2d 296, 2014 U.S. LEXIS 4303, 110 U.S.P.Q.2D (BNA) 1976, 82 U.S.L.W. 4508, 24 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. S 870, 2014 WL 2765283 (U.S. 2014); MPEP 2106.
Step 1:
In the instant case claims 1-13 are directed to a process, claims 19-24 are directed to a manufacture, and claim 25 is directed to a machine. All claims are therefore within statutory categories. See MPEP 2106.03, Eligibility Step 1.
Step 2A, Prong 1:
These claims also recite, inter alia,
“transmitting, by an application program that logged into the first account, an identifier of a first virtual room…; receiving first room data of the first virtual room … ; displaying, on a graphical user interface of the application program and based on the first room data, the first virtual room and a first virtual character in the first virtual room, the first virtual room and the first virtual character being associated with the first account; detecting a first room switching request on the graphical user interface, the first room switching request comprising an identifier of a second virtual room; displaying, on the graphical user interface of the application program and in response to the first room switching request, a second virtual room based on second room data received …, wherein the second room data comprises quantity of virtual items in the second virtual room, types of virtual items in the second virtual room, and placement locations of the virtual items in the second virtual room; controlling the first virtual character to enter the second virtual room, at least one virtual item being placed in the second virtual room; displaying a purchase interface for a target item in the second virtual room in response to detecting a selection operation on the target item; purchasing the target item by the first account in response to a purchase operation on the purchase interface; obtaining, in response to a purchase condition corresponding to the target item being satisfied, the target item as an item owned by the first account according an ownership right granted …; detecting a second room switching request on the graphical user interface, the second room switching request comprising the identifier of the first virtual room; redisplaying, in response to the first room switching request and based on updated first room data resent …, the first virtual room associated with the first account; and placing the target item in the first virtual room in response to a placement operation.” Claim 1.
With recited additional elements reserved for consideration under step 2A prong two, a careful analysis of the above limitations, each on its own and all together combined, results in the conclusion that each on its own recites an abstract idea and in combination they altogether simply recite a more detailed abstract idea. The recited abstract idea falls within the grouping of abstract ideas described as certain methods of organizing human activity, for example commercial interactions (including advertising, marketing or sales activities or behaviors; business relations). See MPEP 2106.04(a); Eligibility Step 2A1. The claims must therefore be analyzed under the second prong of Eligibility Step 2 (Step 2A2; MPEP 2106.04(d)).
Step 2A, Prong 2:
In order to address prong 2 (MPEP 2106.04(d), Eligibility Step2A2) we must identify whether there are any additional elements beyond the abstract ideas and determine whether those additional elements (if there are any) integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. MPEP 2106.04(d), Eligibility Step 2A2. The additional elements in the present claims are a terminal and a server. Claims 19-24 include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program being executed by one or more processors, and claim 25 includes an apparatus comprising at least one memory and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory. These additional elements have been considered individually, in combination, and altogether as a whole together with the functions they perform, e.g., the terminal runs an application program that transmits data to the server, receives data from the server, and displays the data from the server on a user interface. All other functions performed are recited in the abstract merely as results of undefined “operations,” e.g., displaying in response to a “selection operation,” and purchasing in response to “a purchase operation.” The server stores data, receives data from and transmits data to the terminal for display of each of two virtual rooms, a virtual character, the virtual items in each room, including the selectable target item that is purchased in the second room, and then upon a later request, redisplay of the first virtual room based on updated purchase data, and the placement of the purchased target item. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program being executed by one or more processors of a terminal, in claims 19-24, and the apparatus comprising at least one memory and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, in claim 25, are broadly and generally recited as performing all steps in terms of the intended results of functionally nonspecific activities and therefore do not alter the analysis.
Because all functions directly tied to the recited additional elements are generic data gathering, transmission, and display operations, and all other substantive operations are recited in the abstract merely by the intended results of unspecified actions, the additional elements do not integrate the abstract recitations into a practical application. The substantive process is recited by descriptions of abstract intended results of the steps without indicating particular functional acts performed by any device or structural element to perform the steps or otherwise obtain the intended results. The additional elements do not improve the functioning of any computer or other technology or technical field, they do not apply the judicial exception with or by use of a particular machine, they do not transform or reduce a particular article to a different state or thing, and they fail to apply or use the judicial exception beyond generally linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment. See MPEP 2106.05.
If the disclosure describes any improvements to the functioning of a computer or to any other technology or technical field this improvement would need to be identifiable as the subject matter appearing in the claims. An indication that the claimed invention provides an improvement can include a discussion in the specification that identifies technical improvements realized by the claim over the prior art. The disclosure must provide sufficient details such that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize the claimed invention as providing an improvement. MPEP 2106.05(a).
Claim limitations can integrate a judicial exception into a practical application by implementing the judicial exception with or using it in conjunction with a particular machine or manufacture that is integral to the claim. A general purpose computer that applies a judicial exception by use of generic computer functions does not qualify as a particular machine. Ultramercial, Inc. v. Hulu, LLC, (Fed. Cir. 2014); MPEP 2106.05(b),(f). There are no particular machines or manufactures identified in the present claims. Claimed elements that are not abstract are identified broadly and generally as applying the method, and the method itself is described only by way of the intended functional results of unidentified activities, without reference to any particular functional acts or specific functions performed by any particularly identified machines, and without reference to its use in conjunction with any particular item of manufacture.
The claims do not affect the transformation or reduction of a particular article to a different state or thing. Changing to a different state or thing means more than simply using an article or changing the location of an article. A new or different function or use can be evidence that an article has been transformed. Purely mental processes in which data, thoughts, impressions, or human based actions are "changed" are not considered a transformation. MPEP 2106.05(c).
The claims do not apply or use the judicial exception in any other meaningful way beyond generally linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment. As a result the claim as a whole appears to be a drafting effort designed to monopolize the exception. MPEP 2106.05(e),(h).
The additional elements have not been found to integrate the abstract idea into a practical application.
Step 2B:
Although the additional elements have not been found to integrate the abstract idea into a practical application the claims could still be eligible if they recite additional elements that amount to an inventive concept (“significantly more” than the judicial exception). MPEP 2106.05, Eligibility Step 2B.
The claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements of the claim are merely support implementing the abstract idea on a computer. MPEP 2106.05(f). The claims invoke computers or other machinery merely as tools to perform an abstract process. Simply adding a general purpose computer or computer components after the fact to an abstract idea does not provide significantly more. MPEP 2106.05(f)(2); see also OIP Techs., Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc., 788 F.3d 1359, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 9721, 115 U.S.P.Q.2D (BNA) 1090 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (“relying on a computer to perform routine tasks more quickly or more accurately is insufficient to render a claim patent eligible.”). The elements fail to present a technical solution to a technical problem created by the use of the surrounding technology. Limitations that amount to merely indicating a field of use or technological environment in which to apply a judicial exception do not amount to significantly more than the exception itself. See Ret. Capital Access Mgmt. Co. v. U.S. Bancorp, 611 Fed. Appx. 1007, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 14351 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (“It may be very clever; it may be very useful in a commercial context, but they are still abstract ideas,” said Circuit Judge Alan Lourie.). MPEP 2106.05(h).
Finally, it is reiterated that the remaining dependent claims 2-13 and 20-24 do not contribute any additional elements other than those already discussed and do not add "significantly more" to establish eligibility because they merely add additional abstract details to the claimed abstract ideas. A more detailed abstract idea is still abstract. PricePlay.com, Inc. v. AOL Adver., Inc., 627 Fed. Appx. 925, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 611, 2016 WL 80002 (Fed. Cir. Jan. 7, 2016) (in addressing a bundle of abstract ideas stacked together during oral argument, U.S. Circuit Judge Kimberly Moore said, "All of these ideas are abstract…. It’s like you want a patent because you combined two abstract ideas and say two is better than one.").
All of the above leads to the conclusion that additional claim elements do not provide meaningful limitations to transform the claimed subject matter into significantly more than an abstract idea. MPEP 2106.05; Eligibility Step 2B. As a result the claims are rejected under 35 USC 101 as being directed to non-statutory subject matter because they recite an abstract idea without being directed to a practical application, and they do not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea. MPEP 2106.05, supra..
The preceding analysis applies to all statutory categories of invention. Accordingly, claims 1-13 and 19-25 are rejected as ineligible for patenting under 35 USC 101 based upon the same analysis.
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 1-13 and 19-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by FEKETE et al. (Pub. No.: US 2014/0132633 A1).
FEKETE teaches all the limitations of claims 1-13 and 19-25. For example FEKETE discloses a method for decorating virtual rooms performed by a terminal that logs into a first account, and teaches pertaining to
Claim 1. A method for decorating a virtual room, performed by a terminal that logs into a first account, and the method comprising: ● transmitting, by an application program that logged into the first account, an identifier of a first virtual room to a server (see at least FEKETE ¶0038 “allows the user to (i) manage their profile, (ii) access rooms that may have been created previously, (iii) edit rooms, (iv) view their "collection," ¶0039 “user profile manager receives information from the user and also may be configured to find and log other information regarding users to the relevant user profile”);
● receiving first room data of the first virtual room from the server (see at least FEKETE ¶¶ 0027-0028 “a computer networking environment is provided that allows one or more users to compose a virtual physical environment by (a) selecting one or more attributes related to a virtual physical environment (such as for example one or more attributes for a virtual "room") …. [0028] The computer networking environment may be defined by a computer system …. The computer system may consist of one or more computers, a server computer or a server farm” ¶0088 “Central database engine 70 can also be based on a server-type computing environment, … described in relation to central server 54. Central database engine 70 is configured to store subscriber accounts 94 including configuration data … which includes graphical data representation of a room and its furnishings”);
● displaying, on a graphical user interface of the application program and based on the first room data, the first virtual room and a first virtual character in the first virtual room, the first virtual room and the first virtual character being associated with the first account (see at least FEKETE ¶0032 “design objects may be created as photorealistic 3D objects. … they present on a computer display in a way that simulates how the physical object design item would appear in a physical room corresponding to the virtual physical environment,” ¶0137 “virtual rooms 104 may be created, at least one for each account,” ¶0203 “”an avatar can also be provided as designed by the account holder which can virtually habit the virtual room”);
● detecting a first room switching request on the graphical user interface, the first room switching request comprising an identifier of a second virtual room (see at least FEKETE ¶0053 “user clicks on a room thumbnail that relates to a room accessible to them (either as a registered user in their own area, or as a user with whom another user has shared another room),” ¶0141 “Users may have several rooms active and saved at one time, …. They can switch between these rooms at any time,” ¶0186 “A door can be a portal in room, which an account holder can go through to enter another one of their rooms or a specified friends room. When the door is clicked on, it can be configured to open and a list of the account holders rooms and/or a list of friends appears who have allowed you to visit”); ● displaying, on the graphical user interface of the application program and in response to the first room switching request, a second virtual room based on second room data received from the server, wherein the second room date comprises quantity of virtual items in the second virtual room, types of virtual items in the second virtual room, and placement locations of the virtual items in the second virtual room (see at least FEKETE figs. 4-8 (indicating that all items are designated by type), figs. 11-15, ¶0020 “FIG. 12 is an example of certain available furnishings from the tool bar area of FIG. 11 having been placed within the virtual room shown in FIG. 11. [0021] FIG. 13 is an example of one of the furnishings from FIG.11 having been moved and rotated to a different location than the location and rotation shown in FIG. 12”. Please note: as can be clearly understood from the reference, all items in all rooms are designated in the same ways, by item type, placement, and quantity.);
● controlling the first virtual character to enter the second virtual room, at least one virtual item being placed in the second virtual room (see at least FEKETE ¶0141 “Users may have several rooms active and saved at one time, …. They can switch between these rooms at any time,” ¶0186 “A door can be a portal in room, which an account holder can go through to enter another one of their rooms or a specified friends room. When the door is clicked on, it can be configured to open and a list of the account holders rooms and/or a list of friends appears who have allowed you to visit”); ● displaying a purchase interface for a target item in the second virtual room in response to detecting a selection operation on the target item (see at least FEKETE ¶0057 “user may visit for example public rooms of another user, a featured room on a main page associated with the platform (which may consist of a branded room or a highly ranked room that its creator has agreed to share), or a room that has been shared with them by another user. In one aspect, the registered user may at any time "LIKE" a brand or a product or a manufacturer. In another aspect, a user may click on for example a thumbnail of a product and select "PUT IN MY COLLECTION" or equivalent,” ¶0059 “Once the relevant parameters have been selected by the user, the selection is complete and the registered user clicks "OK" or equivalent and … this is integrated to the virtual physical environment,” ¶0131 “The "Buy Now" sub-menu item on social networking menu 130 can invoke a page on the display of client machine 86 leading a virtual checkout, … that sells physical instances of the selected furnishing 108”); ● purchasing the target item by the first account in response to a purchase operation on the purchase interface (see at least FEKETE ¶0131, claim 11 “a link to a financial transaction to purchase or compare said at least one furnishing,” depending from claim 5 “first unique account”);
● obtaining, in response to a purchase condition corresponding to the target item being satisfied, the target item as an item owned by the first account according an ownership right granted by the server (see at least FEKETE ¶0131 “The "Buy Now" sub-menu item on social networking menu 130 can invoke a page on the display of client machine 86 leading a virtual checkout, whereby a financial account associated with account 94-2 is debited via financial service clearing infrastructure, which in turn remits funds to an entity or enterprise ( e.g. an entity or enterprise that hosts a content server 78, or even the entity or enterprise that hosts central server 54 itself) that sells physical instances of the selected furnishing 108, such remitting satisfying funds necessary to transfer ownership in a physical instance of the selected furnishing 108 to the owner of the relevant account 94-2”);
● detecting a second room switching request on the graphical user interface, the second room switching request comprising the identifier of the first virtual room (see at least FEKETE ¶0141 “Users may have several rooms active and saved at one time, …. They can switch between these rooms at any time”);
● redisplaying, in response to the first room switching request and based on updated first room data resent by the server, the first virtual room associated with the first account (see at least FEKETE figs. 12-17, ¶0032 “design objects may be created as photorealistic 3D objects. … they present on a computer display in a way that simulates how the physical object design item would appear in a physical room corresponding to the virtual physical environment,” ¶0088 “graphical data representation of a room and its furnishings, where such graphical data can be modified via client machines 86 that satisfy credential authentications to perform modifications of subscriber accounts”);
● placing the target item in the first virtual room in response to a placement operation (see at least FEKETE ¶0103 “FIG. 6 shows various movable furnishings that can be used to fill the living space of room 104-2. Note that chair furnishing 108-7 and coffee table furnishing 108-8 would be placed on the floor space of room 104-2, while lamp furnishing 108-9 would be placed on table furnishing 108-8. Database 97 can be further configured to include dependencies, such as by making lamp furnishing 108-9 dependent on table furnishing 108-8, such that lamp furnishing 108-9 could only be selected if table furnishing 108-8 was selected”).Claim 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying a second virtual room comprises: ● displaying a virtual room entry to at least one recommended virtual room, the second virtual room being one of the at least one recommended virtual room (see at least FEKETE ¶0052 “A "share" button may allow the registered user to share each room, and this button may access a further screen that allows the user to select sharing preferences for the particular room. For example, a registered user may feel that a particular room with its design choices is suited to share with a particular friend,” ¶0186 “A door can be a portal in room, which an account holder can go through to enter another one of their rooms or a specified friends room. When the door is clicked on, it can be configured to open”); and ● detecting the first room switching request in response to a virtual room entry to the second virtual room being selected (see at least FEKETE ¶0053 “user clicks on a room thumbnail that relates to a room accessible to them (either as a registered user in their own area, or as a user with whom another user has shared another room),” ¶0141 “Users may have several rooms active and saved at one time, …. They can switch between these rooms at any time,” ¶0186 “When the door is clicked on, it can be configured to open”).Claim 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one recommended virtual room comprises at least one of the following types of virtual rooms: ● a sample virtual room provided by public account, the public account providing information push services (see at least FEKETE ¶0051 “rooms may be "private" or "public",” ¶0069 “API may also push sales leads to vendors”); ● a virtual room customized by a second account, the second account and the first account having a friend relationship (see at least FEKETE ¶0186 “A door can be a portal in room, which an account holder can go through to enter another one of their rooms or a specified friends room. When the door is clicked on, it can be configured to open and a list of the account holders rooms and/or a list of friends appears who have allowed you to visit”); and ● a virtual room customized by a third account, the third account and the first account having no friend relationship (see at least FEKETE ¶0057 “user may visit for example public rooms of another user, a featured room on a main page associated with the platform”).Claim 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first virtual room belongs to a target room combination, and the target room combination comprises at least two virtual rooms (see at least FEKETE ¶0052 “The registered user's landing page present multiple rooms that the registered user has created”); and ● the first virtual room is a virtual room where a second virtual character controlled by a homeowner account is in the target room combination, or the first virtual room is a virtual room with most third virtual characters controlled by a visitor account in the target room combination (see at least FEKETE fig. 17, ¶0057. Please note: the claim language consisting of optional or alternative limitations separated by “or” does not result in further limitation beyond a single alternative because beyond the presence of any single alternative it merely represents contingencies that are not required. Applicant is reminded that optional or conditional elements do not narrow the claims because they can always be omitted. See e.g. MPEP §2111.04 "Claim scope is not limited by claim language that suggests or makes optional but does not require steps to be performed, or by claim language that does not limit a claim to a particular structure."; and In re Johnston, 435 F.3d 1381,77 USPQ2d 1788, 1790 (Fed. Cir. 2006) ("As a matter of linguistic precision, optional elements do not narrow the claim because they can always be omitted.")).Claim 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the displaying a purchase interface for a target item comprises (Please note: the claim language consisting of optional or alternative limitations separated by “or” does not result in further limitation beyond a single alternative because beyond the presence of any single alternative it merely represents contingencies that are not required. Applicant is reminded that optional or conditional elements do not narrow the claims because they can always be omitted. See e.g. MPEP §2111.04 "Claim scope is not limited by claim language that suggests or makes optional but does not require steps to be performed, or by claim language that does not limit a claim to a particular structure."; and In re Johnston, 435 F.3d 1381,77 USPQ2d 1788, 1790 (Fed. Cir. 2006) ("As a matter of linguistic precision, optional elements do not narrow the claim because they can always be omitted.")): ● displaying, in a case that one target item is selected, item description of the target item and a first purchase interface, or displaying, in a case that the selected target item is an item combination of at least two matching virtual items, item description of the item combination and a second purchase interface, the item description comprising at least one of an item name, a quantity of purchase resources, and an ownership of the target item by the first account (see at least FEKETE ¶0131 “The "Buy Now" sub-menu item on social networking menu 130 can invoke a page on the display of client machine 86 leading a virtual checkout, … that sells physical instances of the selected furnishing 108”).Claim 6. The method according to claim 5, the method further comprising: ● displaying an item configuration for the target item (see at least FEKETE ¶0059 “user may be presented with a range of options for navigating between design items such as manufacturers, product lines, products, and so on. The user picks design items, and may select features related to design items such as colour and other parameters”); and ● changing item parameters of the target item in response to a selection operation on the item configuration, the item parameters comprising at least one of color, style, model, size, and material (see at least FEKETE ¶0059. See previous comment concerning optional or alternative limitations.).Claim 7. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising: ● displaying movement of the first virtual character in the first virtual room in response to a first movement control operation on the first virtual character (see at least FEKETE ¶0033 “enabling real-time movement and increased fidelity of the user experience,” ¶0203 “”an avatar can also be provided as designed by the account holder which can virtually habit the virtual room. The avatar can be configured can "walk" around their rooms, interact with the furnishings items in the room as well as with other account holders”); or ● displaying movement of the first virtual character in the second virtual room in response to a second movement control operation on the first virtual character (see at least FEKETE ¶0141 “Users may have several rooms active and saved at one time, …. They can switch between these rooms at any time,” ¶0203 ”an avatar can also be provided as designed by the account holder which can virtually habit the virtual room. The avatar can be configured can "walk" around their rooms, interact with the furnishings items in the room as well as with other account holders”).Claim 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the displaying a purchase interface for a target item in response to a selection operation on the target item among the at least one virtual item comprises (Please note: see previous comment concerning optional or alternative limitations.): ● displaying the purchase interface for the target item in response to a click operation on the target item, or displaying the purchase interface for the target item in response to the distance between the first virtual character and the target item being less than a threshold (see at least FEKETE ¶0151 “When an item is in the room, each item is clickable. When the item is selected in the room, a pop-up will appear giving the account holder options unique to the type of item. … [0152] Furniture options can include: 1) Rotate right or left-using icons, 2) Swap-a drop-down menu appears for different finishes or upholstery if available, …Items can include an "Add to Wishlist" menu option in the pop-up associated with that item. … [0153] When an account holder clicks on a TV in their room they have the following options: …2) Play-This drop-down menu shows all the available videos for each unique account holder, which the account holder may choose from by clicking on their selection,” ¶0165 “wall furnishings, can also be interchangeable and branded. Wallpaper and paint enterprises can provide wallpapers and paint colours to database 97. When the account holder clicks on the wall, a pop-up appears with the brand website, the colour and/or pattern name. … The account holder may purchase 'premium' wallpapers to place in their virtual room”).Claim 9. The method according to claim 7, the method further comprising: ● displaying user experience of the target item by the first virtual character in the second virtual room in response to a second control operation on the first virtual character (see at least FEKETE ¶0033 “enabling real-time movement and increased fidelity of the user experience,” ¶0058 “A skilled reader will understand that various intelligent and automated features may be incorporated into the platform that improve the user experience and provide valuable suggestions to users”).Claim 10. The method according to claim 7, the method further comprising: ● displaying the second virtual character controlled by the homeowner account in the second virtual room, the homeowner account being an owner account of the second virtual room (see at least FEKETE fig. 17, ¶0057); and ● displaying chat information of interaction between the first virtual character and the second virtual character for the virtual item in the second virtual room in response to a third control operation on the first virtual character (see at least FEKETE ¶0129 “The "Discuss" sub-menu item on social networking menu 130 can invoke a discussion or chat page hosted by central server 54 (or elsewhere on network 74) whereby ongoing chats, comments and textual threads as provided via different accounts 94 can be viewed, and also supplemented via the present account 94-2,” ¶0203 “an avatar can also be provided as designed by the account holder which can virtually habit the virtual room. The avatar can be configured can … interact with the furnishings items in the room as well as with other account holders. … These virtual people will also be able to have conversations through the account holders own voices”).Claim 11. The method according to claim 7, the method further comprising: ● displaying a third virtual character controlled by a fourth account in the second virtual room, the fourth account being a visitor account that enters the second virtual room (see at least FEKETE fig. 17, ¶0057. Please note: a person of ordinary skill would understand that the disclosure is clearly intended to replicate accounts, characters, and rooms, indefinitely.); and ● displaying chat information of interaction between the first virtual character and the third virtual character for the virtual item in the second virtual room in response to a fourth control operation on the first virtual character (see at least FEKETE ¶0129 “The "Discuss" sub-menu item on social networking menu 130 can invoke a discussion or chat page hosted by central server 54 (or elsewhere on network 74) whereby ongoing chats, comments and textual threads as provided via different accounts 94 can be viewed, and also supplemented via the present account 94-2,” ¶0203 “an avatar can also be provided as designed by the account holder which can virtually habit the virtual room. The avatar can be configured can … interact with the furnishings items in the room as well as with other account holders. … These virtual people will also be able to have conversations through the account holders own voices”. Please note: see previous comment.).Claim 12. The method according to claim 7, the method further comprising: ● displaying a virtual item bag held by the first virtual character in a case that the target item is successfully purchased by the first account, the virtual item bag being used for indicating packaging of the target item (see at least FEKETE ¶0131 “”Buy Now" function can also be associated with a function that arranges for shipping of the physical instance of the selected furnishing 108 to a physical address associated with the relevant account 94-2”. Please note: shipping requires packaging.).Claim 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the placing the target item in the first virtual room in response to a placement operation on the target item comprises: ● controlling, in response to a placement operation on the target item, the first virtual character to place the target item in a specified location of the first virtual room or a default position, the specified location being a location specified for placement in the first virtual room, and the default position being a placement location of the target item in the second virtual room (see at least FEKETE figs. 11-15, ¶0020 “FIG. 12 is an example of certain available furnishings from the tool bar area of FIG. 11 having been placed within the virtual room shown in FIG. 11. [0021] FIG. 13 is an example of one of the furnishings from FIG.11 having been moved and rotated to a different location than the location and rotation shown in FIG. 12,” ¶0103 “FIG. 6 shows various movable furnishings that can be used to fill the living space of room 104-2. Note that chair furnishing 108-7 and coffee table furnishing 108-8 would be placed on the floor space of room 104-2, while lamp furnishing 108-9 would be placed on table furnishing 108-8. Database 97 can be further configured to include dependencies, such as by making lamp furnishing 108-9 dependent on table furnishing 108-8, such that lamp furnishing 108-9 could only be selected if table furnishing 108-8 was selected”. Please note: see previous comments concerning optional or alternative limitations.).
Pertaining to medium claims 19-24 and apparatus claim 25
Rejection of claims 19-25 is based on the same rationale noted above. In addition FEKETE discloses pertaining toClaim 19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the storage medium storing a computer program, and the computer program being executed by one or more processors of a terminal (see at least FEKETE ¶¶0065, 0086, 0097); andClaim 25. An apparatus for decorating a virtual room, comprising: ● at least one memory (see at least FEKETE ¶0086); and ● at least one processor (see at least FEKETE ¶0086) coupled to the at least one memory.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
● Chen et al., CN 107979628 B: teaches obtaining virtual item for virtual indoor position, locating item from first indoor position location to second indoor position location in second chamber.
Applicant's amendment and submission necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a) and § 714.13. 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 ADAM LEVINE whose telephone number is (571)272-8122. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 9am-7:30pm.
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/ADAM L LEVINE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3689 April 4, 2026
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