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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to the rejections of the claims under 35 U.S.C. 102 and 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that the cited prior art fails to disclose the amended limitation “after the first target action is released, the second target action is performed in the same direction as the first target action” (Remarks, filed 05/26/26, pp. 11-12). Examiner respectfully disagrees. Bayesic discloses pressing “ZR” resulting in a hop and a first target action of moving the joystick left or right to enter a drift, where taking your thumb off of the joystick (releasing the first target action) while drifting results in a neutral drift, and wherein during the drift (i.e., the neutral drift), the player can move the joystick left or right to enter a wider or tighter drift (second target action which can be performed in the same direction as the first target action (left or right)) (2:00-2:25), as presented below. Accordingly, the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102 and 35 U.S.C. 103 are maintained, as discussed in detail below.
Examiner Notes
The cited prior art, “Everything You Need to Know About Drifting in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe”, 20 pages, uploaded on Feb. 16, 2021 by user “Bayesic”, as well as “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Three stages of turbo boost (Nintendo Switch)”, 2 pages, uploaded on May 14, 2017 by user “Nintendo UK” and Screenshot of “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in-game statistics”, Super Mario Wiki, 1 page (Dec. 27, 2025), are evidence of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which is noted to have a release date of 04/28/17 (see Screenshot of “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe”, Super Mario Wiki, 1 page (Jan. 16, 2017), used as evidence of the release data in the rejections below; see also Screenshot of “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Announced for Nintendo Switch”, IGN, 1 page (Jan. 13, 2017), noting that Nintendo’s official site announced Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s release date of April 28, 2017).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-5, 8-12, and 15-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as evidenced by “Everything You Need to Know About Drifting in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe”, 20 pages, uploaded on Feb. 16, 2021 by user “Bayesic” (hereinafter “Bayesic”) and Screenshot of “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe”, Super Mario Wiki, 1 page (Jan. 16, 2017) (hereinafter “Super Mario Wiki”).
Regarding claim 1, Bayesic discloses a method for controlling an object (1:39-2:43, controlling a vehicle (first target object)), the method comprising:
detecting, by a device comprising a memory storing instructions and a processor in communication with the memory, a second slip angle caused by a first target action and a second target action performed by a first target object (1:39-2:43, while performing a drift (after a first target action) in a video game (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe), a player can perform a second target action (i.e., moving the joystick to adjust the drift angle of the vehicle) (second target action and second slip angle)), wherein
the first target action causes the first target object to have a first slip angle (1:39-2:43, wherein pressing ZR and holding the joystick left or right (first target action) causes a drift (first slip angle)),
after the first target action is released, the second target action is performed in the same direction as the first target action (2:00-2:25, where taking your thumb off of the joystick (releasing the first target action) while drifting results in a neutral drift, and wherein during the neutral drift, the player can move the joystick left or right to enter a wider or tighter drift (second target action which can be performed in the same direction as the first target action (left or right))), and
the second target action increases the first slip angle to the second slip angle (1:39-2:43, where the second target action (moving the joystick to adjust the drift angle of the vehicle) can cause a tighter drift (increase of the first slip angle to the second (tighter) slip angle)), and
the first and second slip angles are angles between an advancing direction and a sliding direction of the first target object (1:39-2:43); and
in response to the second slip angle reaching a trigger threshold, adjusting, by the device, the first target object from a first movement state to a second accelerated state (4:16-4:42; 5:35-6:20; 7:05-7:25, wherein, based on the angle (faster charging angle/second slip angle), an accelerated state (e.g., via ultimate mini turbo) is activated in 2.92 seconds).
Regarding claim 2, Bayesic further discloses wherein adjusting the first target object comprises: obtaining, by the device, a first parameter value, the first parameter value being a value of acting force the first target object suffers; and adjusting, by the device, the first parameter value to a second parameter value, the second parameter value being a value of the acting force the first target object suffers (4:16-4:42; 5:35-6:20; 7:05-7:25, wherein in the accelerated state, the value of the acting force the vehicle suffers is adjusted such that the vehicle moves faster).
Regarding claim 3, Bayesic further discloses wherein adjusting the first parameter value to the second parameter value comprises at least one of: in response to the acting force comprising advancing power, the first parameter value comprising a first power parameter value, and the second parameter value comprising a second power parameter value, increasing, by the device, the first power parameter value to the second power parameter value according to a first target proportion; or in response to the acting force comprising friction, the first parameter value comprising a first friction parameter value, and the second parameter value comprising a second friction parameter value, decreasing, by the device, the first friction parameter value to the second friction parameter value according to a second target proportion (4:16-4:42; 5:35-6:20; 7:05-7:25).
Regarding claim 4, Bayesic further discloses wherein before adjusting the first parameter value to the second parameter value, the method further comprises: determining a quantity of times that the first or the second target action is performed in an action combination; and determining a target proportion according to the quantity, the target proportion being used for adjusting the first parameter value to the second parameter value (1:39-2:43; 4:16-4:42; 5:35-6:20; 7:05-7:25).
Regarding claim 5, Bayesic further discloses controlling, by the device, the first target object in the second accelerated state to perform a game task, wherein a first time duration consumed by the first target object in the first movement state to complete the game task is longer than a second time duration consumed by the first target object in the second accelerated state to complete the game task (4:16-4:42; 5:35-6:20; 7:05-7:25, wherein in the accelerated state, when a type of mini turbo is activated, the vehicle is controlled to perform a game task, such as navigate around a bend in a track, more quickly than in the first movement state (e.g., wherein no mini turbo has been activated)).
Regarding claim 8, claim 8 is an apparatus of claim 1, and is thereby rejected for like reasoning as claim 1.
Regarding claim 9, claim 9 is an apparatus of claim 2, and is thereby rejected for like reasoning as claim 2.
Regarding claim 10, claim 10 is an apparatus of claim 3, and is thereby rejected for like reasoning as claim 3.
Regarding claim 11, claim 11 is an apparatus of claim 4, and is thereby rejected for like reasoning as claim 4.
Regarding claim 12, claim 12 is an apparatus of claim 5, and is thereby rejected for like reasoning as claim 5.
Regarding claim 15, claim 15 is a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the limitations of claim 1, and is thereby rejected for like reasoning as claim 1.
Regarding claim 16, claim 16 is a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the limitations of claim 2, and is thereby rejected for like reasoning as claim 2.
Regarding claim 17, claim 17 is a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the limitations of claim 3, and is thereby rejected for like reasoning as claim 3.
Regarding claim 18, claim 18 is a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the limitations of claim 4, and is thereby rejected for like reasoning as claim 4.
Regarding claim 19, claim 19 is a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the limitations of claim 5, and is thereby rejected for like reasoning as claim 5.
Claims 6, 13, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as evidenced by Bayesic and Super Mario Wiki, and further evidenced by “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Three stages of turbo boost (Nintendo Switch)”, 2 pages, uploaded on May 14, 2017 by user “Nintendo UK” (hereinafter “Nintendo UK”).
Regarding claim 6, Bayesic further discloses wherein controlling the first target object to perform the game task in the second accelerated state comprises: determining, by the device, a trigger time point that the second slip angle reaches the trigger threshold; and controlling, by the device, the first target object in the second accelerated state to perform the game task from the trigger time point to a target time point (4:16-4:42; 5:35-6:20; 7:05-7:25). Bayesic further discloses action combinations having varying action difficulty coefficients (4:16-4:42; 5:35-6:20; 7:05-7:25, wherein the first or second target actions are performed to achieve a mini turbo, the action combination having an action difficulty coefficient corresponding to a type of mini turbo to be activated (e.g., wherein the ultimate mini turbo requires a tighter, longer-lasting drift angle, thus having a higher action difficulty coefficient)). While Bayesic may not further explicitly disclose the target time point being determined according to the action difficulty coefficient in performing the action combination, Nintendo UK teaches this limitation (0:02; 1:05, wherein the mini turbo boost duration varies based on the type of mini turbo (i.e., regular, super, or ultimate)). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to determine a target time point based on an action difficulty coefficient in performing an action combination, as taught by Nintendo UK, wherein for example an ultimate mini turbo requires the drift to be held at a tighter, longer-lasting drift angle and thus has a higher action difficulty, thereby rewarding the player for activating a higher-level mini turbo (e.g., the ultimate mini turbo versus the regular or super mini turbo).
Regarding claim 13, claim 13 is an apparatus of claim 6, and is thereby rejected for like reasoning as claim 6.
Regarding claim 20, claim 20 is a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the limitations of claim 6, and is thereby rejected for like reasoning as claim 6.
Claims 7 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as evidenced by Bayesic and Super Mario Wiki, and further evidenced by Screenshot of “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in-game statistics”, Super Mario Wiki, 1 page (Dec. 27, 2025) (hereinafter “Statistics”).
Regarding claim 7, Bayesic may not further explicitly discloses wherein: a second target object is in the game task; and the controlling the first target object in the second accelerated state to perform the game task comprises: in response to the first target object being in the second accelerated state and the first target object being detected to collide with the second target object, controlling, by the device, the first target object to generate a first collision force to the second target object, the first collision force being greater than second collision force, and the second collision force being generated when the first target object is in the first movement state and collides with the second target object. However, Statistics teaches where a collision may occur (e.g., with a second target object/other opponent), and wherein relative speed and boosts play a role during collisions (p. 1). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to determine that a collision force from a collision while a player (first target object) is boosting (accelerated state) will differ from a second collision force from a collision while the player is not boosting, as taught by Statistics, and the first collision force will inherently be greater than the second collision force due to increased speed in the accelerated state.
Regarding claim 14, claim 14 is an apparatus of claim 7, and is thereby rejected for like reasoning as claim 7.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Pub. 2021/0187393 A1 – This reference discusses where the release of buttons may cause the vehicle to enter a short drift state.
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 ALYSSA N BIANCAMANO whose telephone number is (571)272-4280. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8:30am-5:00pm.
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/ALYSSA N BIANCAMANO/Examiner, Art Unit 3715
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