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 § 103
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.
Claims 1, 3-8, 10-15 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Squanchy (NPL) in view of Jia et al. (US PG pub 2024/0161412) and Piranha (NPL)
Squanchy shows all of the limitations of the claims except for specifying a unique identifier for at least one player variable and parameters found in the hideout.
Squanchy shows,
In regards to claims 1, 8, and 15,
A method for persisting player state for a player across multiple sessions (page 1, raids) in a peer-to-peer application environment (page 3, threat of player characters), the method comprising:
receiving, during a first session, at least one player state parameter for at least one player variable (page 4, the amount of loot is a parameter), the at least one player variable being identified by a unique identifier; (user name)
storing the at least one player state parameter for the at least one player variable in a key-value store (pages 7-9, the metagame is where you manage your inventory and interact with traders. The hideout provides a safe area for a player), wherein the at least one player state parameter (proceeds from looting and trading) is a value associated with the unique identifier;
receiving a request for player state parameters in association with an initiation of a second session; (going out on another raid)
Jia et al. teaches, paragraph [0020], the use of a unique user name for identification in a virtual world.
Based on the teaching of Jia et al., it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the Squanchy reference to specify that each user would have a unique user name in order to identify the user and the parameters related to the user in a virtual world.
Piranha teaches, pages 1-4, storage for ammunition magazines, body armor, water, and passive abilities to be used in futures raids.
Based on the teaching of Piranha, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the Squanchy reference to specify more details (including retrieving the stored at least one player state parameter matching the at least one player variable available in the second session; (use proceeds in hideout) applying the at least one player state parameter for the at least one player variable available in the second session) about the hideout including stored items collected for future raids in order to progress to more difficult levels of the game.
In regards to claims 3, 10, and 17,
wherein the at least one player variable that affects state of an object in a world occupied by the player. (upgrades, body armor for example)
In regards to claims 4, 11 and 18,
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the key-value store persistently stores the player state parameter for the at least one player variable, wherein newer versions of the player state parameter are stored over time (the hideout provides a home base to improve the user or “new version” as a fighter), wherein the retrieving the stored at least one player state parameter matching the at least one player variable available in the second session from the key-value store includes identifying a most recent version of the player state parameter.
In regards to claims 5, 12, and 19,
determining that a conflict exists between the at least one player state parameter for the at least one player variable available in the second session and an existing state for the at least one player variable in the second session; applying conflict rules from the second session to resolve the conflict. (page 3, threat of player characters)
In regards to claims 6, 13, and 20,
wherein the second session occurs when a player accesses a virtual environment at a second time, wherein the second session occurs when the player accesses a second virtual environment where the second virtual environment uses the at least one player variable from a first virtual environment, wherein the first virtual environment and the second virtual environment are part of a world group. (Extraction from first raid with loot to metagame/hideout, regroup and re-tool, go out on another raid at a different map point and quest.)
In regards to claims 7 and 14,
receiving a request to export the player state parameters associated with a particular player variable; applying the player state parameters that were exported to a new player variable in a new virtual environment, whereby the player state parameters are imported into the new virtual environment. (Extraction from first raid with loot to metagame/hideout, regroup and re-tool, go out on another raid at a different map point and quest.)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 9 and 16 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 2, 9 and 16 recite a very specific unique identifier that is not shown or taught by the cited prior art. The unique identifier is derived from a hash of a string that identifies the at least one player variable and a container name, wherein the container name identifies a world in which the at least one player variable exists, an avatar to which the at least one player variable is associated, or a user account to which the at least one player variable is associated.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL A CUFF whose telephone number is (571)272-6778. 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, 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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/MICHAEL A CUFF/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
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