DETAILED ACTION
It would be of great assistance to the Office if all incoming papers pertaining to a filed application carried the following items:
1. Application number (checked for accuracy, including series code and serial no.).
2. Group art unit number (copied from most recent Office communication).
3. Filing date.
4. Name of the examiner who prepared the most recent Office action.
5. Title of invention.
6. Confirmation number (See MPEP § 503).
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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1 – 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Namba et al. (US 2002/0016195).
As to claim 1, Namba disclose a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer (computer of fig. 1) to execute:
processing for storing character information (storing character abilities [0038]) of a character nurtured in a nurturing game (abilities may be improved through practice [0048]), in association with unique information of a player who nurtured the character (user of the game as game player A [0050]);
processing for, based on an operation by a first player (game player A selects game player B at 77 of fig. 13 [0050]), setting a plurality of characters as a plurality of battle characters (characters will compete at 85 of fig. 13 [0050 – 0052]), the plurality of battle characters including at least one character nurtured by at least one second player other than the first player (character of game player B [0050 – 0055]);
and processing for executing a battle game in which the plurality of battle characters play a battle by using the character information of the plurality of battle characters (performing game competition according to character abilities at 85 [0052 – 0055]).
As to claim 2 (dependent on 1), Namba disclose the non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein
the processing for executing the battle game includes processing for determining the places of the plurality of battle characters (placing characters according to ranking [0032]).
As to claim 3 (dependent on 1), Namba disclose the non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein
the program further causes the computer to execute:
processing for, when all of the plurality of battle characters were nurtured by the at least one second player, managing information concerning that the battle game has been executed with using the plurality of battle characters nurtured by the at least one second player (processing results after the game completion at 87 of fig. 13 [0056]).
As to claim 4 (dependent on 1), Namba disclose the non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein the program further causes the computer to execute: processing for, for each of the plurality of characters (multiple player of fig. 7), generating posting information that makes it possible to view the character information of each of the plurality of characters, on the basis of an operation by a player who nurtured each of the plurality of characters (viewing number of games and number of wins as shown in fig. 7); processing for enabling other players to access the generated posting information; and processing for displaying the character information of the accessed posting information (Locker room screen showing result characteristics of other characters of fig. 7 is available to all players [0039]).
As to claim 5 (dependent on 4), Namba disclose the non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein the program further causes the computer to execute: processing for providing an information sharing tool that makes it possible to share information among a plurality of players and that makes it possible to post the posting information, and the processing for displaying the character information is executed by the information sharing tool (messages may be shared in the locker room of fig. 7 [0032], [0039]).
As to claim 6, Namba discloses an information processing method that is executed by a computer (computer of fig. 1), the information processing method comprising:
processing for storing character information (storing character abilities [0038]) of a character nurtured in a nurturing game (abilities may be improved through practice [0048]), in association with unique information of a player who nurtured the character (user of the game as game player A [0050]);
processing for, based on an operation by a first player (game player A selects game player B at 77 of fig. 13 [0050]), setting a plurality of characters as a plurality of battle characters (characters will compete at 85 of fig. 13 [0050 – 0052]), the plurality of battle characters including at least one character nurtured by at least one second player other than the first player (character of game player B [0050 – 0055]);
and processing for executing a battle game in which the plurality of battle characters play a battle by using the character information of the plurality of battle characters (performing game competition according to character abilities at 85 [0052 – 0055]).
As to claim 7, Namba discloses a game device including one or more computers, wherein
the one or more computers (computer terminals 1A – 1E of figs. 1 and 2) execute:
processing for storing character information (storing character abilities [0038]) of a character nurtured in a nurturing game (abilities may be improved through practice [0048]), in association with unique information of a player who nurtured the character (user of the game as game player A [0050]);
processing for, based on an operation by a first player (game player A selects game player B at 77 of fig. 13 [0050]), setting a plurality of characters as a plurality of battle characters (characters will compete at 85 of fig. 13 [0050 – 0052]), the plurality of battle characters including at least one character nurtured by at least one second player other than the first player (character of game player B [0050 – 0055]);
and processing for executing a battle game in which the plurality of battle characters play a battle by using the character information of the plurality of battle characters (performing game competition according to character abilities at 85 [0052 – 0055]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DMITRIY BOLOTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-5873. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9AM - 5PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chanh Nguyen can be reached at (571)272-7772. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/DMITRIY BOLOTIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2623