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 pending claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LAPALME (US 2019/0102975 A1) in view of Lee (US 2019/0392669 A1).
1. LAPALME discloses an electronic gaming system comprising:
a main display including a main screen (200: Fig. 1, 2) and operable for displaying a first set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content, the main display having a top, a bottom, and sides [0057];
a plurality of side display panels (220: Fig. 1, 2) arranged vertically and adjacent to and flush with only the sides of the main display such that no side display panels are situated adjacent to and flush with the top and the bottom of the main display [0060], wherein each side display panel of the plurality of side display panels includes a screen and is operable to display: (i) a second set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content, (ii) a third set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content, or (iii) the second set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content and the third set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content [0088]; and
a game controller including a processor and memory storing program code including instructions executable to cause the game controller to (Fig. 7): control display of the first set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content on the main display, and coordinate display of the first set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content on the main display with (i) the second set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content, (ii) the third set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content, or (iii) the second set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content and the third set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content on the plurality of side display panels as a visual output [0057], [0088].
LAPALME does not expressly disclose wherein the main screen and side display panels has identical curvature. Lee disclose wherein the main screen and secondary display panels (i.e. ring area 1310) has identical curvature (Fig. 13, 14), [0231]. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art to modify LAPALME with Lee’s two identical curved displays as it’s a matter of design choice and would yield predictable results.
2. LAPALME and Lee discloses the electronic gaming system of claim 1, wherein the visual output is the first set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content synchronized with (i) the second set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content, (ii) the third set of dynamic graphics or multimedia contents, or (iii) the second set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content and the third set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content, LAPALME [0015], [0088].
3. LAPALME and Lee discloses the electronic gaming system of claim 1, further an accessory display framed by one or more accessory side display panels, wherein the instructions are executable to cause the game controller to control display of the visual output on the one or more accessory side display panels, LAPALME , [0061], [0102], [0117].
4. LAPALME and Lee discloses the electronic gaming system of claim 1, further comprising an integrated candle, LAPALME [0102].
5. LAPALME and Lee discloses the electronic gaming system of claim 1, further comprising a light emitting diode (LED) controller configured to synchronize the visual output with the game controller, LAPALME [0087].
6. LAPALME and Lee discloses the electronic gaming system of claim 5, wherein the LED controller is configured to convert the first set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content, the second set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content, the third set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content, or the second set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content and the third set of dynamic graphics or multimedia content to a form that is displayable on the main display and the plurality of side display panels, LAPALME [0088].
7. LAPALME and Lee discloses the electronic gaming system of claim 6, wherein the LED controller is further configured to individually control LEDs on the main display and the plurality of side display panels, LAPALME [0087]-[0088].
8. LAPALME and Lee discloses an electronic gaming machine comprising: a curved main display having a top, a bottom, and sides; a plurality of side display panels adjacent to and flush with only the sides of the curved main display such that no side display panels are situated adjacent to and flush with the top and the bottom of the curved main display; a light emitting diode (LED) controller; and a gaming controller configured to control the LED controller to coordinate a display of multimedia content across the curved main display and the plurality of side display panels based on one or more characteristics of the multimedia content and one or more characteristics of the curved main display and the plurality of side display panels as similarly discussed above.
9. LAPALME and Lee discloses the electronic gaming machine of claim 8, further comprising a virtual button deck (VBD) and a VBD controller, wherein the gaming controller is further configured to control the VBD controller and the LED controller to synchronize an activation of touch inputs via the virtual button deck with the display of multimedia content across the curved main display and the plurality of side display panels, LAPALME (262, 264, 266, 268: Fig. 1), [0055], [0119] or Lee [0098], [0192], [0253].
10. LAPALME and Lee discloses the electronic gaming machine of claim 9, wherein the gaming controller is further configured to control the VBD controller to synchronize output sound to a sound bar with the activation of touch inputs via the virtual button deck and the display of multimedia content across the curved main display and the plurality of side display panels, LAPALME [0112], [0119] or Lee [0098], [0192], [0253].
11. LAPALME and Lee discloses the electronic gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the gaming controller is further configured to control the VBD controller and the LED controller to synchronize an activation of touch inputs via the VBD with the display of multimedia content across the curved main display and the plurality of side display panels, LAPALME [0112], [0119] or Lee [0098], [0192], [0253].
12. LAPALME and Lee discloses the electronic gaming machine of claim 8, further comprising an accessory display and a plurality of accessory side display panels, LAPALME [0061], [0102], [0117].
13. LAPALME and Lee discloses the electronic gaming machine of claim 8, wherein the plurality of side display panels includes a first set of LEDs adjacent to the curved main display and a second set of LEDs perpendicular to the curved main display, LAPALME (Fig. 1-3), [0102], [0117].
14. LAPALME and Lee discloses a method of operating an electronic gaming device comprising: providing dynamic graphics or multimedia content to a controller; determining one or more displays from a main display and one or more side lighting displays to present the dynamic graphics or multimedia content, the main display having a top, a bottom, and sides, the one or more side lighting displays adjacent to and flush with only one or more of the sides of the main display such that no side lighting displays are situated adjacent to and flush with the top and the bottom of the main display; transmitting the dynamic graphics or multimedia content to a light emitting diode (LED) controller; and controlling synchronization of a presentation of the dynamic graphics or multimedia content across the one or more displays by displaying a first portion of the dynamic graphics or multimedia content on the main display and displaying a second portion of the dynamic graphics or multimedia content on the one or more side lighting displays as similarly discussed above.
15. LAPALME and Lee discloses the method of claim 14, further comprising coordinating the presentation of the dynamic graphics or multimedia content with an activation of touch inputs at a virtual button deck (VBD), LAPALME [0088], [0093]-[0101].
16. LAPALME and Lee discloses the method of claim 14, further comprising determining to control the main display or the one or more side lighting displays based on one or more characteristics of the dynamic graphics or multimedia content and one or more characteristics of the main display and the one or more side lighting displays, LAPALME [0088], [0093]-[0101].
17. LAPALME and Lee discloses the method of claim 16, wherein the one or more characteristics of the dynamic graphics or multimedia content includes at least one of a format type, a minimum resolution, a minimum display size, or a message type, LAPALME [0088].
18. LAPALME and Lee discloses the method of claim 17, wherein the one or more characteristics of the main display and the one or more side lighting displays includes at least one of a position, a size, or a resolution of the main display and the one or more side lighting displays, LAPALME [0088].
19. LAPALME and Lee discloses the method of claim 14, further comprising coordinating the presentation of the dynamic graphics or multimedia content with sound at a sound bar, LAPALME [0112].
20. LAPALME and Lee discloses the method of claim 14, further comprising coordinating the presentation of the dynamic graphics or multimedia content with an accessory display, LAPALME [0088], [0102], [0016], [0117].
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see attached USPTO form PTO-892.
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