DETAILED ACTION
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 05/04/2026 regarding the 35 USC 103 rejections with respect to the amended limitations of claims 1-3, 5-10, 12-17, 19-20 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The Applicant argues in page 9 RE the limitation “creating groups and mapping the plurality of the viewing users to the groups, wherein at least one of the groups has multiple of the viewing users placed in the at least one of the groups;” with a conclusory statement without any evidence that “The cited references do not appear to disclose or suggest the amended features. For instance, the cited references do not appear to disclose or suggest "... wherein at least one of the groups has multiple of the viewing users placed in the at least one of the groups," recited in amended independent claims, in combination with the rest of the recited features. The cited references do not appear to disclose or suggest "groups" into which "viewing users" are "placed" where "at least one of the groups has more than one viewing user placed in the at least one of the groups." For instance, as shown in paragraph [0058] in Table 1A of the specification, multiple different viewing users can be placed into one same group, among multiple groups, e.g., in building groups and mappings associated with the virtual representations of the at least one user.”. The Examiner contests that Dawson [0034]-[0041] etc at least teaches the limitation, wherein the viewed user can create multiple groups/roles manually eg., organization/employer, Kids, any etc; and “place one or more of the plurality of viewers into one or more of the plurality of groups” by assigning the viewing users to the created keys in [0020], [0041] etc. wherein the group/role created by the user request are recognized the associated group/key upon meeting on the VE for associating the effectively displaying the distinct avatars based on the group id in Figs 1-2, [0019] -[0021].
However the amended limitation of “receiving requests from a plurality of viewing users for rendering the virtual world, each of the plurality of viewing users requesting to view avatars within viewable range in the virtual world rendered for said each of the plurality of viewing users” necessitated a new ground of rejection and addressed in the current rejection.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-3, 7-10, 13-17, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dawson et al (US 20100083140 A1), in view of Eatedali et al (US 20200078689 A1), and Terrano (US 20230109386 A1) and further in view of Rosales et al (US 20160358188 A1).
RE claim 1, Dawson teaches A computer-implemented method comprising:
rendering a virtual world in a computing environment that mimics a real world, wherein at least one user appears in the virtual world (Fig 1, [0019]);
for each of the plurality of viewing users, determining from a plurality of groups, a group to which a viewing user belongs (Fig 1S106, [0020], [0030], [0035]-[0040] wherein each of the associated key is a group);
determining a virtual representation of the at least one user that is mapped to the group among multiple virtual representations of the at least one user (Fig 1S108, [0021], [0025]-[0027], [0035]-[0040]); and
rendering the virtual representation of the at least one user in the virtual world to a device associated with the viewing user; wherein based on the determined mapping of the group to the virtual representation, the virtual representation of the at least one user in the virtual world rendered on the device associated with the viewing user appears at the same time differently from the virtual representation of the at least one user in the virtual world rendered on another device associated with another viewing user of the plurality of viewing users (Fig 1S108-110, [0021], [0035]-[0042]);
based on a request from an owner of the virtual representation of the at least one user: creating groups and mapping the plurality of the viewing users to the groups, wherein at least one of the groups has multiple of the viewing users placed in the at least one of the groups; associating each of the groups to at least one virtual representation among the multiple representations of the at least one user, wherein a group among the groups is associated with a different virtual representation of the at least one user from another group among the groups; and storing in a database the mapping of the plurality of the viewing users to the groups and the associations of the groups to the virtual representations of the at least on user ([0025]-[0026], [0034]-[0041]).
Dawson is silent RE: receiving requests from a plurality of viewing users for rendering the virtual world, each of the plurality of viewing users requesting to view avatars within viewable range in the virtual world rendered for said each of the plurality of viewing users.
However Eatedali teaches each of the plurality of viewing users requesting to view avatars within viewable range in the virtual world rendered for said each of the plurality of viewing users in Figs 5, 11-13, abstract, [0055]- [0056], [0077]-[0078], [0080], [0083] in order to determine and display all the visible objects and participants within a point-of-view of each individual in the VW. In addition Terrano teaches render a webpage based on user request in [0167] and providing visualization object based on user authorization in [0199]. This is readily available or can be equally applied in Dawson in order to effectively render and display the VW in response to the viewer request along with the avatars within viewable range of each individual in the VW.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include in Dawson a system and method of receiving requests from a plurality of viewing users for rendering the virtual world, each of the plurality of viewing users requesting to view avatars within viewable range in the virtual world rendered for said each of the plurality of viewing users, as set forth above applying the teachings of Eatedali and Terrano, to effectively render and display the VW in response to the viewer request along with the avatars within viewable range of each individual in the VW such that the users can meet in the VW and thereby ensuring system effectiveness and user experience.
Dawson as modified by Eatedali is silent RE the method further including setting priority ranking to the virtual representations of the at least one user for rendering, and using the priority ranking of the virtual representations responsive to determining that the viewing user belongs to more than one of the plurality of groups, to associate the group with the viewing user.
However Terrano teaches setting priority ranking to the virtual representations of the at least one user for rendering, and using the priority ranking of the virtual representations to display the virtual representations to a user belonging to one of the plurality of groups in Fig 3,5,7, abstract, [0006], [0093]-[0095], [0182] wherein the users are assigned a virtual representation associated with a group (relationship type) based on a range of social relevancy score. In addition Rosales teaches each user group may be associated with priority data that indicates which user group has a higher priority than another user group while choosing the appropriate version for content presentation to assist in selecting a user group in case a user belongs to multiple user groups [0046]. This is readily available or can be equally applied in Dawson to resolve conflict in choosing the appropriate user representation as Dawson readily teaches resolve conflict based on preference or other criteria in [0031], with the group/relevance specific priorities taught by Terrano and Rosales.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include in Dawson as modified by Eatedali a system and method setting priority ranking to the virtual representations of the at least one user for rendering, and using the priority ranking of the virtual representations responsive to determining that the viewing user belongs to more than one of the plurality of groups, to associate the group with the viewing user, as set forth above applying Terrano and Rosales, for effectively choosing the appropriate user representation resolving conflict within the multiple groups and thereby ensuring system effectiveness and user experience.
RE claim 2, Dawson teaches wherein the determining of the group to which the viewing user belongs includes, responsive to determining that the viewing user does not belong to any group, determining that the viewing user belongs to a default group ([0041]).
RE claim 3, Dawson as modified by Eatedali, Terrano and Rosales teaches wherein the determining of the group to which the viewing user belongs includes, responsive to determining that the viewing user belongs to a plurality of groups, determining that the viewing user belongs to a group associated with the virtual representation having a highest priority among the virtual representations of the at least one user, which are associated with the plurality of groups (Rosales [0046]).
RE claim 6, Dawson as modified by Eatedali, Terrano and Rosales teaches wherein responsive to determining that the viewing user belongs to a plurality of groups, determining that the viewing user belongs to a group associated with the virtual representation having a highest priority among the virtual representations of the at least one user, which are associated with the plurality of groups (Rosales [0046]).
RE claim 7, Dawson teaches wherein for each of the plurality of viewing users, the determining of the virtual representation of the at least one user that is mapped to the group and the rendering of the virtual representation of the at least one user in the virtual world to the device associated with the viewing user, are performed with respect to all users in viewing range of the viewing user in the virtual world ([0019], [0024], [0030]-[0031] wherein avatar for each user entering the viewing user’s display screen areas will be presented according to the defined grouping).
Claims 8-10, 13-14 recite limitations similar in scope with limitations of claims 1-3, 6-7 and therefore rejected under the same rationale. In addition Dawson teaches A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith ([0050]).
Claims 15-17, 20 recite limitations similar in scope with limitations of claims 1-3, 6 and therefore rejected under the same rationale. In addition Dawson teaches A system comprising: at least one computer processor; and at least one memory device coupled with the at least one computer processor ([0045]).
Claims 5, 12 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dawson as modified by Eatedali, Terrano and Rosales, and further in view of Weaver et al (US 20050108329 A1).
RE claim 5, Dawson teaches wherein the mapping of the plurality of the viewing users to the groups and the associations of the groups to the virtual representations of the at least on user are updated ([0008], [0023], [0034]-[0035]).
Dawson as modified by Eatedali, Terrano and Rosales is silent RE updating periodically. However Weaver teaches in [0056].
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include in Dawson as modified by Eatedali, Terrano and Rosales a system and method of the updating periodically, as set forth above applying Weaver, as a system/application choice and thereby ensuring system effectiveness and user experience.
Claims 12 and 19 recite limitations similar in scope with limitations of claim 5 and therefore rejected under the same rationale.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure (See attached 892).
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 SULTANA MARCIA ZALALEE whose telephone number is (571)270-1411. The examiner can normally be reached Monday- Friday 8:00am-4:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kent Chang can be reached at (571)272-7667. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Sultana M Zalalee/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2614
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