Detailed Action
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim drawn to a computer readable medium typically covers forms of non-transitory tangible media and transitory propagating signals per se in view of the ordinary and customary meaning of computer readable media, particularly when the specification is silent. When the broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim covers a signal per se, the claim must be rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 101 as covering non-statutory subject matter. See MPEP § 2111.01. Examiner recommends that the recited “transitory computer-readable medium” be changed to “non-transitory computer-readable medium.”
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) A person shall be entitled to a patent unless—
(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 1-3, 5, 11-13 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamamoto et al (US 2011/0245942 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yamamoto discloses a method comprising determining a master position of a master virtual character that interacts with one or more target virtual characters in a virtual environment (Figs. 7A – 7B), determining an observation position in the virtual environment (Fig. 26A: POB), an offset of the observation position relative to the master position (Fig. 26A: QOB) being determined based on proximity of objects associated with the one or more target virtual characters to the master virtual character in the virtual environment (Figs. 26A - 26B: search range for primary object POB is extended by search range of ally object QOB), displaying a portion of the virtual environment in a graphical representation of the virtual environment from the observation position with the observation position being a center of the graphical representation (Figs. 25 – 26B: generate radar map image that indicates position of player object, position of ally object, position of enemy object within enemy search range PR, and position of enemy object within enemy search range QR), and displaying the master virtual character in a location of the graphical representation in accordance with the offset of the observation position relative to the master position (Fig. 26B: primary object PM can now see enemy EM1 due to increased search range).
Regarding claims 2 and 12, Yamamoto discloses determining whether at least one of the objects associated with the one or more target virtual characters is within a predefined or configurable range from the master position in the virtual environment, in response to that no objects associated with the one or more target virtual characters are within the predefined or configurable range, setting the offset to zero (Fig. 20: range is not increased when ally object is not within the search radius of the player object), and in response to that the at least one of the objects associated with the one or more target virtual characters are within the predefined or configurable range, setting the offset towards the at least one of the objects (Fig. 26B: search range is increased based on position of ally object).
Regarding claims 3 and 13, Yamamoto discloses wherein setting the offset towards the at least one of the objects comprises setting the offsets towards one or more quadrants centered at the master position and containing the at least one of the objects (Figs. 26A – 26B).
Regarding claim 5, Yamamoto discloses wherein the offset is bound by a predetermined maximum value (Fig. 20: maximum increase is the search range of the ally object qob).
Claims 11 and 20 recite an apparatus and a computer-readable medium, respectively, comprising substantially the same limitations as those in claim 1 above. They are accordingly rejected for the same reasons given supra. Further regarding claims 11 and 20, Yamamoto discloses a memory for storing computer instructions (170), at least one processor for executing the computer instructions (100) and a computer-readable medium for storing computer instructions (170).
Response to Arguments
Claims 4, 6-10 and 14-19 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
The prior art considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and not relied upon is made of record on the attached PTO-892 form.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVE ROWLAND whose telephone number is (469) 295-9129. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th 10-8. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor Dmitry Suhol can be reached at (571) 272-4430. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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Authorization may be perfected by submitting, on a separate paper, the following (or similar) disclaimer:
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See MPEP 502.03 for more information.
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/STEVE ROWLAND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715