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 .
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-20 are currently pending in the present application, with claim 1, 19, and 20 being independent.
Response to Amendments / Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Pg. 15, filed 01/21/2026, with respect to claims 1, 19, and 20 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The claim objections of claims 1, 19, and 20 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see Pg. 15, filed 01/21/2026, with respect to claim 20 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 U.S.C. 101 rejection of claim 20 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see Pg. 15-16, filed 01/21/2026, with respect to claims 1-20 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection of claims 1-20 has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed 01/21/2026 regarding rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102 and 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues: Syrekx “Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 1 Gameplay (No Commentary) [1080p60fps PC)”, Jan. 22, 2022, Published on Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdXtWvbuerA, does not disclose the authority corresponding to the virtual space, and the control level comprising at least one of the authority corresponding to the virtual space, or the ownership corresponding to the virtual character, and therefore Syrekx fails to disclose “wherein the state update information comprises a control level of the target item, and the control level of the target item comprises at least one of an ownership corresponding to the virtual character or an authority corresponding to the virtual space, and the authority of the virtual space comprises an authority corresponding to the virtual character or an authority corresponding to the server”
Examiner replies: that Syrekx discloses that the state update information includes information defining control over the target item, as evidenced by whether the item is present in the player’s inventory or exists within the game world.
(Syrekx 3:11-3:13; resources are now in player's inventory after pick up)
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(3:23; resource existing within game world that can be obtainable)
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Syrekx explicitly discloses these distinct control conditions of ownership corresponding to the virtual character (3:11-3:13; inventory display showing resource acquisition, the resource is transferred to the player’s inventory and is no longer present in the game world. Further, the resource remains associated with the player until explicitly used for building or dropped. Examiner’s note: thus, the picked-up state corresponds to ownership by the virtual character), authority corresponding to the virtual character (4:12-4:15; a player uses resources to construct a build structure, the resource is removed from the player’s inventory, while the resulting build structure remains manipulable by the player. Player can edit the build/modify the spatial configuration of the structure. Examiner’s note: thus, manipulating the resource/build corresponds to authority of the virtual character), and authority corresponding to the server (3:23-3:24, 4:05-4:08; objects present in the game world prior to interaction (e.g., environmental structures, resources nodes, spawned items) managed by the game server. Items that are not picked up or interacted with remain under server-side control. Examiner’s note: thus, these objects correspond to authority of the server).
Therefore, Syrekx discloses “wherein the state update information comprises a control level of the target item, and the control level of the target item comprises at least one of an ownership corresponding to the virtual character or an authority corresponding to the virtual space, and the authority of the virtual space comprises an authority corresponding to the virtual character or an authority corresponding to the server”.
Regarding the remaining arguments: Applicant argues with respect to the amended claim language, which is fully addressed in the prior art rejections set forth below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7-11, and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Syrekx “Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 1 Gameplay (No Commentary) [1080p60fps PC)”, Jan. 22, 2022, Published on Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdXtWvbuerA.
Regarding claim 1, Syrekx discloses a manipulation method for a virtual space, the virtual space (Fortnite online video game and game platform) is created based on a server (Fortnite servers) and at least one target terminal device communicatively connected with the server (console/PC/mobile device. Examiner's note: in the video, the title provides gameplay on a PC, but Fortnite can be ran on console, PC, or mobile device), at least one first virtual image (any rendered frame from 0:00-19:32) and at least one second object (resources (metal, wood, or brick))
(3:23; resources can be displayed as a collectible item. Examiner's note: resource that you can pick up either previously dropped by another player, from a loot chest, or upon world spawn)
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(4:05-4:08; resources can be displayed as a breakable object. Examiner's note: in the provided image, yellow square highlights a brick wall to obtain the brick resource, green square highlights a metal fence to obtain the metal resource, and the red square highlights wooden crates to obtain the wood resource)
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manipulated by the first virtual image (frame at 3:23 or 4:07) are arranged in the virtual space (Fortnite game), the manipulation method comprises:
determining a virtual character (00:00-19-32; current player's 3rd person shooter) corresponding to the target terminal device (PC) in the virtual space from the at least one first virtual image (any rendered frame from 0:00-19:32 renders the player avatar), and
in response to a control operation (00:00-19:32; mouse or keyboard interaction) on a target item in the at least one second object in the virtual space (3:23-3:24 and 4:05-4:08; when in close proximity with resources, allow interaction between user and object. 3:23-3:24; Pick up using E key. 4:05-4:08; hitting objects using mouse left click), acquiring state update information of the target item based on the control operation (3:23; when hovering near item, display amount and option to pick up the item. 4:05-4:08; when in close proximity with an object, allow player to hit the object to obtain resources. Examiner's note: The Fortnite server is responsible for spawning all items into the world, including floor loot, items from chests, and structural components. Players choose to interact with or acquire these items, and when a player wants to pick up an item, their game client sends a request to the server. The server verifies that the player is in the right position and that the item is still available. If request is successful, the server transfers ownership of the item to that player's inventory, notifies all other players of the change, and removes the item from the game world. Support can be found on Unreal Engine's Documentation (the game engine powering the base Fortnite game) https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/networking-overview-for-unreal-engine?application_version=5.0 " The clients each remote-control Pawns that they own on the server, sending procedure calls to them in order to make them perform in game actions. However, the server does not stream visuals directly to the clients' monitors. Instead, the server replicates information about the game state to each client, telling them what Actors should exist, how those Actors should behave, and what values different variables should have. Each client then uses this information to simulate a very close approximation of what is happening on the server." Release context established by: Epic Games Unreal Engine. "Unreal Engine 5 is Now Available." Unreal Engine Blog, April 5, 2022. https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog/unreal-engine-5-is-now-available . (Year: 2022)).
wherein the state update information comprises a control level of the target item, and the control level of the target item comprises at least one of an ownership corresponding to the virtual character (3:11-3:13; resources are now in player's inventory after pick up)
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(4:05-4:08; resources are being added to the player inventory upon hitting. Green circle shows display for obtaining metal, yellow square shows hp bar of the object decreasing after each hit)
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and/or an authority corresponding to the virtual space (Fortnite is owned and developed by Epic Games; Examiner's note: Epic Games dictates the fundamental reality of the game, while the server and client manage the real-time actions within that reality), and the authority of the virtual space comprises an authority corresponding to the virtual character
(4:12-4:15; Only the player that obtained a sufficient number of resources into their inventory can interact with it (build made from wood in player's inventory, edit build option to manipulate the structure of the build))
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or an authority corresponding to the server (3:23-3:24 and 4:05-4:08; resources spawned or dropped as an item for pick up or objects (structural buildings, decorative objects, etc.) that can be breakable to obtain resources. Examiner's note: Items that are not picked up, interacted with, or within close proximity to a user have server-side authority).
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wherein the ownership of the at least one second object, corresponding to the virtual character, indicates that the at least one second object is picked up by the virtual character and is not thrown out (3:11-3:13; resources are now in player's inventory after pick up/inventory display showing resource acquisition. Examiner's note: The resource is transferred to the player's inventory and is no longer present in the game world. The resource remains associated with the player (i.e., not thrown out as there is no change to the amount resource currently in player's inventory) until explicitly used for building or dropped),
the authority of the at least one second object, corresponding to the virtual character, indicates that the at least one second object is not picked up by the virtual character and at least one piece of object feature information of the at least one second object is managed by the virtual character (4:12-4:14; current player has the authority to edit the build (Edit "G") and no longer has inventory possession of the 10 wood used to build, while build structure remains manipulable by player. 8:20-8:23; current player can be seen editing a stair build).
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the authority of the at least on second object, corresponding to the server, indicates that the at least on second object is not picked up by any virtual character and at least one piece of object feature information of the at least one second object is managed by the server (3:23-3:24 and 4:05-4:08; resources spawned or dropped as an item for pick up or objects (structural buildings, decorative objects, etc.) that can be breakable to obtain resources. Examiner's note: Items that are not picked up, interacted with, or within close proximity to a user have server-side authority), and
the at least one piece of object feature information comprises pose information (12:33-12:45; build edits are managed by the virtual character. When enough resources are obtained in inventory, enables the player to build wall, stair, floor, or pyramid and control build edits to manipulate the shape of the build. Examiner's note: provided image shows player building a wall, stairs, and floors. The red square highlights control inputs to build certain structures (wall, floor, stair, pyramid), the green square highlights control inputs to manipulate the build (edit the shape, left click to place the build down w/ the amount of resources needed, right click to switch the material between wood, brick, or metal, and R to rotate the build).
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Regarding claim 2, Syrekx discloses the manipulation method according to claim 1, and further discloses controlling pose information of the target item based on the state update information of the target item to render and display the target item
(3:12-3:13 and 4:05-4:08; pick up animation. Examiner's note: when the player is in proximity to the resources and picks up the items using designated inputs, Fortnite updates the pose information (position) from the items spawned world position to the player's inventory and hand. The rendering of the resource is updated to display in the correct inventory).
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(12:15; opened inventory UI displaying resources)
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Regarding claim 3, Syrekx discloses the manipulation method according to claim 2, and further discloses wherein the controlling the pose information of the target item based on the state update information of the target item to render and display the target item, comprises:
determining a controller (0:00-19:32; 3rd person shooter/current player) corresponding to the control level based on the control level of the state update information of the target item, wherein the controller comprises the virtual character (3:11-3:13; resources are now in player's inventory after pick up. 4:05-4:08; resources are being added to the player inventory upon hitting. Green circle shows display for obtaining metal, yellow square shows hp bar of the object decreasing after each hit) or the server (Examiner's note: Items that are not picked up, interacted with, or within close proximity to a user have server-side authority),
acquiring a control input for the target item based on the determined controller to acquire current pose information of the target item (12:33-12:45; once ownership is determined, control inputs are enabled for that player only. When enough resources are obtained in inventory, enables the player to build wall, stair, floor, or pyramid and control build edits to manipulate the shape of the build. Examiner's note: provided image shows player building a wall, stairs, and floors. The red square highlights control inputs to build certain structures (wall, floor, stair, pyramid), the green square highlights control inputs to manipulate the build (edit the shape, left click to place the build down w/ the amount of resources needed, right click to switch the material between wood, brick, or metal, and R to rotate the build)
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rendering and displaying the target item based on the current pose information of the target item (12:33-12:45 and Title; 1080p60fps PC).
Regarding claim 4, Syrekx discloses the manipulation method according to claim 3, and further discloses wherein the acquiring the control input for the target item based on the determined controller to acquire the current pose information of the target item, comprises:
in response to the determined controller being the virtual character, acquiring the control input for the target item (12:33-12:45; once ownership is determined (resource is in player's inventory), control inputs for resources are enabled for that player only (drop from inventory, create builds, edit builds)) based on at least a portion of the target terminal device corresponding to the determined controller (Title; PC. Examiner's note; PC gameplay includes mouse and keyboard) to acquire the current pose information of the target item.
Regarding claim 5, Syrekx discloses the manipulation method according to claim 4, and further discloses in response to the determined controller (0:00-19:31- current player's 3rd person shooter) corresponding to a first terminal device (PC) among the target terminal devices (PC/Console/Mobile Devices),
rendering and displaying the target item (3:12, 3:23, 4:07, 4:14; resources) by the first terminal device (Display or Monitor connected to PC) based on the current pose information of the target item (3:12, 3:23, 4:07, 4:14; resources can be in the form of
a dropped item (3:12, 3:23),
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virtual objects (4:07; metal fence),
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or build made from resources (4:14)),
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and rendering and displaying the target item by at least one other terminal device in the at least one target terminal device, except the first terminal device based on the current pose information of the target item (3:19; 3:25; circled in red is the current player's teammate, circled in blue is an opposing player. Examiner's note: each player can be playing on either a PC, console, or mobile device, with the rendering and displaying of target items being seen by all terminal devices. Support can be found on https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/networking-overview-for-unreal-engine?application_version=5.0#clientownership "Unreal Engine uses a client-server model. One computer in the network acts as a server and hosts a session of a multiplayer game, while all of the other players' computers connect to the server as clients. The server shares game state information with each connected client and provides a means for them to communicate with each other.")
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Regarding claim 7, Syrekx discloses the manipulation method according to claim 1, and further discloses wherein a controlling priority of the ownership of the second object corresponding to the virtual character (3:26 and 4:09; the player harvests or picks up resources. These items are added to the player's inventory and player has full ownership) is greater than a controlling priority of the authority of the second object corresponding to the virtual character (4:14; player uses those resources to build a structure. Examiner's note: a build structure (wall, floor, stair, pyramid) created using the player's resources. The resource is no longer in the inventory, but instantiated as a new object whose authority belongs to the same player. Although the player no longer has inventory ownership of the resource, the player still maintains authority to edit/manipulate the build),
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and the controlling priority of the authority of the second object corresponding to the virtual character is greater than a controlling priority of the authority of the second object corresponding to the server (3:08-3:12 and 4:03-4:05; Prior to interaction (e.g., before harvesting a tree or picking up a dropped resource), the object exists under server authority (world-spawned item). After interaction, authority transfers to the virtual character. The player can now break, pick up, drop, or build, while the server updates and replicates the state. Examiner's note; Support can be found on https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/networking-overview-for-unreal-engine?application_version=5.0 Section Client Ownership and Relevance & Priority; "Pawns in a network game are owned by a PlayerController on a specific client's machine…Pawns and PlayerControllers have a NetPriority of 3.0, which makes them the highest-priority Actors in a game, while base Actors have a NetPriority of 1.0…The current priority of an Actor is calculated using the virtual function AActor::GetNetPriority(). To avoid starvation AActor::GetNetPriority() multiplies NetPriority with the time since the Actor was last replicated. The GetNetPriority functions also consider the relative location of and distance between the Actor and the viewer).
Regarding claim 8, Syrekx discloses the manipulation method according to claim 1, and further discloses wherein the ownership of the target item corresponding to the virtual character comprises
an identification number of the virtual character (3rd person shooter's unique gaming tag; syrekx. Every Fortnite player is identified by a unique Epic Games account ID, the current player's unique gaming tag is shown at the top left. Examiner's note: Although specific number identification number is not explicitly shown in the video gameplay, every connected player in Unreal Engine's multiplayer architecture is assigned a unique player ID and connection identifier maintained in its Player State and associated with NetConnection. Support found on https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/API/Runtime/Engine/GameFramework/APlayerState?application_version=5.0 "A PlayerState is created for every player on a server")
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the authority of the target item corresponding to the virtual character (3:12, 3:23, 4:07, 4:14; resources obtained by current player) comprises the identification number of the virtual character (Examiner's note: when a replicated Actor (target item) is owned by a player, the engine binds its Owner field to that PlayerController, inherently associating it with the player's identification number. Support can be found on https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/actors-and-their-owning-connections-in-unreal-engine?application_version=5.0),
and the authority of the target item corresponding to the server comprises an identification number of the server (3:23-3:24 and 4:05-4:08; resources spawned or dropped as an item for pick up or objects (structural buildings, decorative objects, etc.). Examiner's note: the server operates with ROLE_Authority and a reserved connection ID, representing the identification number of the server. Support can be found on https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/actor-role-and-remoterole-in-unreal-engine?application_version=5.0)
Regarding claim 9, Syrekx discloses the manipulation method according to claim 1, and further discloses wherein in response to the determined virtual character comprising a first character (current player's 3rd person shooter; syrekx) corresponding to a first terminal device (PC) in the at least one target terminal device (PC/Console/Mobile device) and a second character (3:08; current player's teammate (Vace) or 3:02; opposing player (circled in red)) corresponding to a second terminal device (PC) in the at least one target terminal device (PC/Console/Mobile Device),
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the in response to the control operation on the target item in the at least one second object in the virtual space, acquiring the state update information of the target item based on the control operation (3:23; E to pick up item when in proximity), comprising:
in response to the first character or the second character providing a request for picking up the target item, configuring the control level in the acquired state update information of the target item to comprise a control level corresponding to the first character or a control level corresponding to the second character (3:23-3:25 and 10:08-10:10; current player (Syrekx) and current player's teammate (Vace) are both in close proximity to the dropped resources. The current player reached closer proximity and interacted with the dropped resources before the current player's teammate, and now possesses the target item (in player's inventory). Examiner's note: Fortnite uses Unreal Engine's authoritative client-server networking model, in which the server resolves completing pickup requests based on timestamp and proximity data. The server receives the input events ("E" press) from both terminals, validates the first received request, assigns the item's Owner property to that PlayerController, and replicates the new state to all clients via the owning NetConnection. Support can be found on https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/networking-overview-for-unreal-engine?application_version=5.0).
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Regarding claim 10, Syrekx discloses the manipulation method according to claim 9, and further discloses wherein the in response to the first character and/or the second character providing the request for picking up the target item (3:23-3:25 and 10:08-10:10; current player (Syrekx) and current player's teammate (Vace) are both in close proximity to the dropped resources and both intend to pick up loot),
configuring the control level in the acquired state update information of the target item to comprise the control level corresponding to the first character or the ownership level corresponding to the second character, comprising:
in response to the acquired control level of the target item comprising an ownership corresponding to the first character, configuring the control level of the target item further to comprise an authority corresponding to the first character (3:24-3:26; After current player picks up the resource first, it is removed from the world and added to current player's inventory. 4:14; Only the current player can use the resources from their inventory to build and modify structures. Examiner's note: When the server sets the Actor's owner to PlayerController for the picked up Actor, the owning connection is established, and only the owning client can send server RPCs for that Actor (e.g., drop, equip, build, edit). Support can be found on https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/actors-and-their-owning-connections-in-unreal-engine?application_version=5.0),
in response to the acquired control level of the target item comprising an ownership corresponding to the second character, configuring the control level of the target item further to comprise an authority corresponding to the second character (10:07; current player's teammate (Vace) can be seen picking up metal resource before current player (Syrekx).
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13:37; Vace has the authority to create builds from harvested resources.
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11:58-12:06; Opposing player's build shown in red (current player does not have that authority to edit the opposing player's build). 12:02; opposing player can be seen editing their build).
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Regarding claim 11, Syrekx discloses the manipulation method according to claim 10, and further discloses the first character or the second character is informed of the state update information of the target item (3:22-3:24; Syrekx's pickup animation and 10:07-10:08; Vace's pickup animation. At 3:24, The server assigns the item's owner to Syrek's PlayerController and inventory and removes the item from world replication (picked up item is no longer visible and accessible to others), similarly at 10:08, the server assigns the item's owner to Vace's PlayerController and inventory and removes the items from world replication (picked up item is no longer visible and accessibly to current player and others).
Regarding claim 19, claim 19 is the system claim (Title; PC) of method claim 1 and is accordingly rejected using substantially similar rationale as to that which is set for with respect to claim 1.
Regarding claim 20, claim 20 is the CRM claim (Title; PC) of method claim 1 and is accordingly rejected using substantially similar rationale as to that which is set for with respect to claim 1.
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 (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.
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) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Syrekx “Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 1 Gameplay (No Commentary) [1080p60fps PC)”, Jan. 22, 2022, Published on Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdXtWvbuerA, in view of Unreal Engine “Virtual Reality and OpenXR in UE5 | Unreal Fest 2022,” Nov. 29, 2022, Published on Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD95BklloHk.
Regarding claim 6, Syrekx discloses the manipulation method according to claim 1, but does not disclose in response to the first terminal device in the target terminal device being a wearable virtual reality device and the wearable virtual reality device comprising a control part, synchronizing motion information of the control part of the first terminal device to at least one of the server or the at least one other terminal device in the at least one target terminal device except the first terminal device, wherein the control part is configured to control the control operation of the virtual character corresponding to the first terminal device on the target item, and the motion information of the control part corresponds to the control input.
With the same system that runs the video game Fortnite, Unreal Engine discloses further comprising: in response to the first terminal device in the target terminal device being a wearable virtual reality device (14:11-15:11; OpenXR) and the wearable virtual reality device comprising a control part (21:40-23:05; VR headset and controllers. 53:58-55:39; Motion Controller Right and Motion Controller Left),
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synchronizing motion information of the control part of the first terminal device to at least one of the server or the at least one other terminal device in the at least one target terminal device except the first terminal device, wherein the control part is configured to control the control operation of the virtual character corresponding to the first terminal device on the target item (1:05:37-1:08:06 and 1:34:00-1:35:05; live demonstration),
and the motion information of the control part corresponds to the control input (1:05:37-1:08:06 and 1:34:00-1:35:05; live demonstration).
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It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the multiplayer object-manipulation techniques as shown in Syrekx’s gameplay to implement them on a wearable virtual-reality (VR) device comprising a control part as taught by Unreal Engine. Unreal Engine 5 already provides unified runtime environment supporting both traditional multiplayer games (e.g., Fortnite) and XR/VR projects through its OpenXR framwork. Using the same server-based manipulation and ownership/authority synchronization techniques described in Syrekx to execute in a VR context simply by substituting standard game-controller inputs with motion-controller inputs is a straightforward design choice that yields predictable results of allowing users with a wearable virtual reality device to perform the same item pickup, resource gathering, and object interaction operations as a mouse or console controller, but in an XR experience. The motivation lies in the advantage of achieving immersive user experiences and precise manipulation of motion-based virtual objects, while retaining the same server-synchronized ownership framework already proven in multiplayer video games such as Fortnite.
Claim(s) 12-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Syrekx “Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 1 Gameplay (No Commentary) [1080p60fps PC)”, Jan. 22, 2022, Published on Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdXtWvbuerA, in view of Griffin et al. (US 20020161869), hereinafter referred to as “Griffin”.
Regarding claim 12, Syrekx discloses the manipulation method according to claim 1, and further discloses determining pending state update information of the target item to be verified based on the state update information of the target item (3:23-3:25 and 10:08-10:10; current player (Syrekx) and current player's teammate (Vace) are both in close proximity to the dropped resources, and both are intending to obtain ownership of dropped resources. Examiner's note: Players choose to interact with or acquire items, and when a player wants to pick up an item, their game client sends a request to the server. The server verifies that the player is in the right position and that the item is still available. If request is successful, the server transfers ownership of the item to that player's inventory, notifies all other players of the change, and removes the item from the game world. Support can be found on Unreal Engine's Documentation (the game engine powering the base Fortnite game) https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/networking-overview-for-unreal-engine?application_version=5.0 " The clients each remote-control Pawns that they own on the server, sending procedure calls to them in order to make them perform in game actions. However, the server does not stream visuals directly to the clients' monitors. Instead, the server replicates information about the game state to each client, telling them what Actors should exist, how those Actors should behave, and what values different variables should have. Each client then uses this information to simulate a very close approximation of what is happening on the server…the server does not stream visuals directly to client monitors to display, the server sends state information to client game instances so the client machines can re-create the visuals inside their own game instances. Unreal Engine provides the Pixel Streaming system to pre-render frames and audio for display on mobile and web browsers. For more information, see the Pixel Streaming documentation),
current target state information of the target item (3:23-3:25 and 10:08-10:10; item still has server-authority, server has to verify before transferring ownership to current player) to verify the pending state update information (3:23-3:25 and 10:08-10:10; compares timestamp and proximity data to verify pending state update information),
acquiring a verification success result in response to the pending state update information being verified as effective state update information (3:23-3:25 and 10:08-10:10; request to pick up success, resource is now in current player's inventory)
acquiring a verification failure result in response to the pending state update information being verified as ineffective state update information (10:07; current player's teammate (Vace) can be seen picking up metal resource, current player (Syrekx) can no longer pick up resource. 11:58-12:06; current player does not have authority to edit an opposing player's build/edit build request failed)
Syrekx does not disclose wherein the state update information of the target item further comprises a change order corresponding to the control level of the target item, comparing a change order in the pending state update information with a change order in current target state information of the target item.
In the same art of object ownership, Griffin discloses wherein the state update information of the target item further comprises a change order corresponding to the control level of the target item, and comparing a change order in the pending state update information with a change order in current target state information of the target item (Par. 0028; object configuration parameter such as an ownership transfer count (OTC) maintained in each cluster object, which may optionally be used in connection with a cluster object identifier. Par. 0053; for example, an object ID 64 associated with the cluster object, as well as an Ownership Transfer Count (OTC) 66 for that object. Moreover, the owned resources associated with that cluster object may include various virtual address ranges, as well as the object number for the cluster object).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate a change order in the state update information of a target item as taught by Griffin into Fornite gameplay’s system as taught by Syrekx. The motivation lies in the advantage of version control, synchronization accuracy, and verification of ownership transfers. In systems managing shared virtual objects, such as Syrekx’s multiplayer game environments as or Griffin’s distributed databases, it is well known to maintain increasing identifiers or counters to distinguish newer state updates from older ones, preventing conflicting updates from being accepted. Implementing a change order in connection with object ownership would have been a predictable and routine application of these data synchronization techniques, ensuring that the server or authoritative system can efficiently verify whether a received ownership change request correspond to the latest valid state of the object.
Regarding claim 13, Syrekx in view of Griffin discloses the manipulation method according to claim 12, and further discloses wherein the target item refers to at least one target item, and in response to the target item being a plurality of target items (Syrekx 4:13; resources (wood, brick, or metal))
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and the plurality of target items comprising a first item (Syrekx 4:13; wood resource)
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and a second item (Syrekx 4:13; stair build. R control input to rotate which resource to use between wood, brick, or metal),
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the in response to the control operation on the target item in the at least one second object in the virtual space (Syrekx 4:13; 1 key to begin a pending build), acquiring the state update information of the target item based on the control operation, comprises:
in response to the first item contacting with the second item, acquiring at least one of state update information of the first item or state update information of the second item (Syrekx 4:12-4:14; stair needs wood resources to create build structure).
Syrekx and Griffin are combined for the reason set forth above with respect to claim 12.
Regarding claim 14, Syrekx in view of Griffin discloses the manipulation method according to claim 12, and further discloses wherein in response to the determined virtual character comprising a first character (Syrekx; Syrekx player) corresponding to a first terminal device (Syrekx Title; PC) in the at least one target terminal device (Syrekx; PC/Console/Mobile device) and a second character (Syrekx; Vace or Opposing Player) corresponding to a second terminal device in the at least one target terminal device (second player can be on PC, Console, or Mobile device), the in response to the first item contacting with the second item, acquiring at least one of the state update information of the first item and/or the state update information of the second item (Syrekx 4:12-4:14; stair needs wood resources to create build structure), comprises:
in response to the first item having an ownership corresponding to the first character (Syrekx 4:13; wood resource in player's inventory) and the second item having the authority of the virtual space (Syrekx 4:13; stair build placed into world), controlling to make the first item contact with the second item (Syrekx 4:13; left click on mouse to take 10 wood out of inventory to confirm creation of stair build), so that a control level of the second item is changed to comprise an authority corresponding to the first character, to acquire the state update information of the second item (Syrekx 4:12-4:14; current player has the authority to edit the build (Edit "G") and no longer has inventory possession of the 10 wood used to build. 8:20-8:23; current player can be seen editing a stair build).
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Syrekx and Griffin are combined for the reason set forth above with respect to claim 12.
Regarding claim 15, Syrekx in view of Griffin discloses the manipulation method according to claim 14, and further discloses in response to the control level of the second item being changed to comprise the authority corresponding to the first character and the state update information of the second item being acquired,
treating the state update information corresponding to the second item as the pending state update information to be verified to verify the pending state update information (Syrekx 4:12-4:14 and 8:20-8:23; pending build and pending build edit), wherein the current target state information of the target item comprises current target state information of the second item (Syrekx 4:12-4:14 and 8:20-8:23; resources used for builds is taken out of player's inventory, losing player ownership)
wherein in response to acquiring the verification success result, other characters (Syrekx 3:08; current player's teammate (Vace) or 3:02 and 13:03; opposing player) corresponding to the at least one other terminal device (Syrekx; PC/Console/Mobile Device) except the first terminal device in the at least one target terminal device in the virtual space are informed that the control level of the second item is changed to comprise the authority corresponding to the first character and pose information of the second item is synchronized with other characters (Syrekx 15:57-16:15; other players can see the current player's build the same way the current player can see other character's builds. Examiner's Note: Support can be found https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/replication-graph-in-unreal-engine?application_version=5.0 "The Replication Graph Plugin is a system for network replication in multiplayer games that is designed to scale well with large numbers of players and replicated Actors. As an example, Epic's own Fortnite Battle Royale starts each game with 100 connected players and about 50,000 replicated Actors…If characters in your game can pick up and carry items, update those items with their carriers. When a player pulls out an item or weapon and carries it around, or wears a piece of clothing or armor, add the Actor representing the item (assuming it is a separate Actor and not merely a Component) to a special group that always gets updated when the owning player updates"),
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in response to acquiring the verification failure result, the current target state information is used as updated state update information of the second item (Syrekx 11:58-12:06; current player does not have authority to edit an opposing player's build/edit build request failed).
Syrekx and Griffin are combined for the reason set forth above with respect to claim 12.
Regarding claim 16, Syrekx in view of Griffin discloses the manipulation method according to claim 13, and further discloses wherein, in response to the determined virtual character comprising a first character (Syrekx; Syrekx player) corresponding to a first terminal device (Syrekx Title; PC) in the at least one target terminal device (Syrekx; PC/Console/Mobile Device) and a second character (Syrekx; Vace or Opposing player) corresponding to a second terminal device in the at least one target terminal device (Syrekx; second player can be on PC, Console, or Mobile device), the in response to the first item contacting with the second item,
acquiring at least one of the state update information of the first item or the state update information of the second item, comprises:
in response to the first item losing an ownership corresponding to the first character (Syrekx 4:13 and 12:35-12:45; resource taken out of player's inventory to create build structures. Examiner's note: amount of wood resource in the current player's inventory, shown on the bottom right, can be seen decreasing as wood contacts with a pending build)
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and the first item having an authority corresponding to the first character (Syrekx 4:12-4:14; current player has the authority to create and edit builds (Edit G). 8:20-8:23; current player can be seen editing a stair build), controlling to make the first item contact with the second item (Syrekx; match wood resources to pending build structure, left click to confirm contact), and acquiring at least one of a control level of the first item or a control level of the second item to acquire at least one of the state update information of the first item or the state update information of the second item (Syrekx 4:12-4:14; wood resource is reduced from player's inventory and player no longer is in possession of the amount of wood needed to create a build structure, but has the authority to edit/manipulate second item).
Syrekx and Griffin are combined for the reason set forth above with respect to claim 12.
Regarding claim 17, Syrekx in view of Griffin discloses the manipulation method according to claim 16, and further discloses wherein the controlling to make the first item contact with the second item, and acquiring at least one of the control level of the first item or the control level of the second item, comprises:
controlling to make the first item contact with the second item, and in response to the second item having an ownership corresponding to the second character (Syrekx 10:07; current player's teammate (Vace) can be seen picking up metal resource before current player (Syrekx). 8:25-8:30 and 9:08-9:10; Current player's teammate (Vace) can be seen harvesting resources by hitting structural objects). Examiner's note: resources obtained by Vace are now in Vace's inventory), controlling the control level of the first item to be changed to comprise an authority corresponding to the second character (Syrekx 13:37; Vace has the authority to create builds from harvested resources),
controlling to make the first item contact with the second item, and in response to the second item having the authority corresponding to the server (Syrekx 3:23-3:24 and 4:05-4:08; resources spawned or dropped as an item for pick up or objects (structural buildings, decorative objects, etc.) that can be breakable to obtain resources. Examiner's note: Items that are not picked up, interacted with, or within close proximity to a user have server-side authority), controlling the control level of the second item to be changed to comprise the authority corresponding to the first character (Syrekx 3:23 and 4:05-4:08; current player uses control inputs to interact with item to obtain ownership, and further, 4:12-4:15; authority of the object when creating a build),
controlling to make the first item contact with the second item, and in response to the second item having the authority corresponding to the second character, controlling the control level of the second item and the control level of the first item to remain unchanged (Syrekx 11:58-12:06; Opposing player's build shown in red (current player does not have that authority to edit the opposing player's build). 12:02; opposing player can be seen editing their build). Examiner's note: In the case that a second character is an opposing player, the authority of a build created by the opposing player is the enemy player's ID, therefore, when the current player is in proximity or attempts to edit the build, the build is shown red, meaning they have no authority to edit the build. Ownership and authority stay unchanged because only the placer retains edit rights)
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Syrekx and Griffin are combined for the reason set forth above with respect to claim 12.
Regarding claim 18, Syrekx in view of Griffin discloses the manipulation method according to claim 17, and further discloses in response to controlling the control level of the second item to be changed to comprise the authority corresponding to the first character and acquiring the state update information of the second item (8:20-8:23; authority to edit/manipulate builds),
treating the state update information corresponding to the second item as the pending state update information to be verified to verify the pending state update information (4:12-4:14 and 8:20-8:23; pending build and pending build edit), wherein the current target state information of the target item comprises the current target state information of the second item (4:12-4:14 and 8:20-8:23; resources used for builds is taken out of player's inventory, losing player ownership);
wherein in response to acquiring the verification success result, other characters (3:08; current player's teammate (Vace) or 3:02 and 13:03; opposing player) corresponding to the at least one other terminal device (PC/Console/Mobile Device) except the first terminal device in the at least one target terminal device in the virtual space are informed that the control level of the second item is changed to comprise the authority corresponding to the first character and pose information of the second item is synchronized with other characters (15:57-16:15; other players can see the current player's build the same way the current player can see other character's builds. Examiner's Note: Support can be found https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/replication-graph-in-unreal-engine?application_version=5.0 "The Replication Graph Plugin is a system for network replication in multiplayer games that is designed to scale well with large numbers of players and replicated Actors. As an example, Epic's own Fortnite Battle Royale starts each game with 100 connected players and about 50,000 replicated Actors…If characters in your game can pick up and carry items, update those items with their carriers. When a player pulls out an item or weapon and carries it around, or wears a piece of clothing or armor, add the Actor representing the item (assuming it is a separate Actor and not merely a Component) to a special group that always gets updated when the owning player updates"),
in response to acquiring the verification failure result, the current target state information of the second item is used as updated state update information of the second item (11:58-12:06; current player does not have authority to edit an opposing player's build/edit build request failed).
Syrekx and Griffin are combined for the reason set forth above with respect to claim 12.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. “Release context established by: Epic Games Unreal Engine. "Unreal Engine 5 is Now Available." Unreal Engine Blog, April 5, 2022. https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog/unreal-engine-5-is-now-available. (Year: 2022)”.
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 JENNY NGAN TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-6888. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alicia Harrington can be reached at (571) 272-2330. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JENNY N TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2615 /ALICIA M HARRINGTON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2615
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