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.
Claim(s) 19, 20, 23-25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, and 36-38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaminkow (U.S. PGPUB 2007/0167217) .
Re claim 19, 33, 36: Kaminkow discloses a gaming system comprising a link controller (see Fig. 2B: a central controller) and electronic gaming devices (see Fig. 2B: gaming devices), wherein:
each of the electronic gaming devices comprise a display, a processor, and memory storing electronic gaming device instructions which (see Fig, 3D, objects 102a-102c: game machine), when executed, cause the processor of the electronic gaming device to perform operations comprising:
conducting a game, including controlling display of a game outcome on the display of the electronic gaming device (see Fig. 3D, objects 106: displaying a game);
responsive to a defined winning condition being met in the game, communicating occurrence of the defined winning condition being met to the link controller (see Fig. 3D, object 108, and paragraph [0018, 0040]: responsive to a winning condition at the time of an evaluation condition, wherein the winning condition is a particular winning pattern, said information is transmitted to a display for indicating the winner; claim 2; and paragraph [0007]: “The gaming machine also sends a signal to the central controller to indicate which component the gaming machine generated.”); and
responsive to receipt of a win celebration command from the link controller, controlling output of a win celebration at the electronic gaming device (see Fig. 3d: a winner is indicated on the overhead display; and paragraph [0185]: wherein any aspect of the game system including the overhead display can be controlled by the central server); and
the link controller comprises a processor and memory storing link controller instructions which, when executed, cause the processor of the link controller to perform operations comprising, responsive to receipt of a communication of the occurrence of the defined winning condition at one of the electronic gaming devices, communicating the win celebration command to at least one other electronic gaming device of the electronic gaming devices (see Fig. 3D, object 108, claim 2, paragraphs [0007,0185]).
Re claim 20: Kaminkow discloses with respect to the gaming system of claim 19, wherein the win celebration command is sent to all of the electronic gaming devices (see Fig. 3d: by displaying the winner on the overhead display, the win celebration is sent to all the connected electronic gaming devices).
Re claim 23: Kaminkow discloses with respect to the gaming system of claim 19, further comprising a sign connected to the link controller (paragraph [0185]: wherein any aspect of the game system including the overhead display can be controlled by the central server, and therefore, the sign is connected to the central server).
Re claim 24: Kaminkow discloses with respect to the gaming system of claim 23, wherein the electronic gaming devices are arranged in proximity to one another and in proximity to the sign (see Fig. 3A).
Re claim 25: Kaminkow discloses with respect to the gaming system of claim 23, wherein the sign comprises an overhead sign (see Fig. 3A).
Re claim 26: Kaminkow discloses with respect to the gaming system of claim 23, wherein the sign is operable to control output of the win celebration at the sign responsive to receipt of the win celebration command from the link controller (see Fig. 3D, object 108, and paragraph [0018, 0040]: responsive to a winning condition at the time of an evaluation condition, wherein the winning condition is a particular winning pattern, said information is transmitted to a display for indicating the winner; claim 2; and paragraph [0007]: “The gaming machine also sends a signal to the central controller to indicate which component the gaming machine generated.”).
Re claim 28: Kaminkow discloses with respect to the gaming system of claim 23, wherein the sign is configured in an attract loop (see paragraph [0061]).
Re claim 30: Kaminkow discloses with respect to the gaming system of claim 19, wherein the defined winning condition comprises at least one of a category of win or a win above a threshold amount (see Fig 3d: a particular symbol is produced)
Re claim 31: Kaminkow discloses with respect to the gaming system of claim 19, wherein the processor of the electronic gaming device further executes the electronic gaming device instructions to output an attract sequence upon determining that the game is no longer being conducted (see paragraph [0061]).
Re claim 32: Kaminkow discloses with respect to the gaming system of claim 19, wherein the link controller comprises a jackpot controller (see paragraph [0083]: “In different such embodiments, the central server is a progressive controller.”).
Re claim 37: Kaminkow discloses with respect to the method of claim 36, further comprising using the link controller to:
control a sign to play an animation sequence (Fig, 3D: when the game is being played, the sign is providing an animation sequence as said game is one long animation process); and
after the animation sequence completes, revert to controlling the sign to output an attract sequence (see [0061]: after said game is completed, an attract mode begins).
Re claim 38: Kaminkow discloses with respect to the method of claim 37, wherein the attract sequence has a defined duration (see paragraph [0061]: an attract mode last, until a new game begins).
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 21 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaminkow in view of Greenberg (U.S. PGPUB 2012/0178523).
Re claim 21 and 22: Kaminkow fails to discloses with respect to the gaming system of claim 20, wherein the win celebration command comprises data to enable the electronic gaming devices to synchronize the output of the win celebration. However, Greenberg teaches “In some embodiments, the system can present a "chase" light-effects that include a light cluster that chases another light cluster around a wagering game machine, or around a bank of wagering game machines, for various wagering game purposes (e.g., as an attract show, as a game celebration, as specific game play elements, etc.)” (see paragraph [0079]) thus synchronizing output of a winning celebration at said gaming machines. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed, to modify the gaming machines of Kaminkow with the synchronized win celebration of Greenberg, for the purpose of adding excitement to winning event.
Claim 27 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaminkow in view of Gauselmann (U.S. PGPUB 2006/0116201).
Re claim 27: Kaminkow fails to disclose with respect to the gaming system of claim 26, wherein the sign controls output of the win celebration at the sign by outputting a win celebration sound via an associated speaker. However, Gaulseman teaches such, stating “When an award is won, the win may be celebrated by sounds, lights, and graphics on an overhead display and on the winning machine, informing all players of the linked machines that the award for the current level has been won by a player.” It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed, to modify the overhead display of Kaminkow to incorporate sounds during celebration features, for the purpose of adding excitement to the gaming environment.
Claim 29 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaminkow in view of Kelly (U.S. Patent No. 6,015,344).
Re claim 29: Kaminkow fails to disclose with respect to the gaming system of claim 28, wherein the attract loop comprises displaying at least one of:
a name of the game; information about the game; or graphics related to the game.
However, Kelly discloses an attract mode on a screen that includes information about the game (see column 50, lines 3-10: “Like message window 534, window 536 preferably displays messages in as text words that scroll by in the window in the direction of arrow 537. The messages of window 536 can provide information concerning the specific prizes available and how to win those prizes. These messages can be provided before a game process begins during an "attract mode" to inform a potential player what can be won on the game apparatus 500.)” It would have been obvious to modify the attract mode of Kaminkow with the detailed messages providing game information during an attract mode as taught by Kelly, for the purpose of enticing players to play said game.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 34 and 35 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to REGINALD A RENWICK whose telephone number is (571)270-1913. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 11am-7pm.
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REGINALD A. RENWICK
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3714
/REGINALD A RENWICK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715