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 .
Procedural Summary
This is responsive to the claims filed 04/16/2024.
The Examiner acknowledges the preliminary amendment filed on 04/16/2024 in which amendments were submitted.
Claims 1-16 and 18-21 are pending.
Applicant’s IDS submission is acknowledged and provided herewith.
The Drawings filed on 04/16/2024 are noted.
AIA Notice
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 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.
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.
Claims 1-16 and 18-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter because the claim(s) as a whole, considering all claim elements both individually and in combination, do not amount to significantly more than an abstract idea. Each of Claims 1-16 and 18-21 has been analyzed to determine whether it is directed to any judicial exceptions.
The examiner follows the two step-analysis, as described in MPEP 2106 (available at https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s2106.html). The following diagram is an overview of the steps involved.
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Step 1
Step 1 of the two step-analysis considers whether the claims fall into one of the four statutory categories of invention such as a process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter. The instant invention claims a method, device, and a non-transitory, computer-readable medium in claims 1-16 and 18-21. As such, the claimed invention falls into the broad statutory categories of invention. However, claims that fall within one of the four statutory categories may nevertheless be ineligible if they encompass laws of nature, physical phenomena, or abstract ideas.
Step 2A
Step 2A has been further divided into two prongs as shown in the following diagram.
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Step 2A, Prong 1
Under prong 1 of step 2A, the examiner considers whether the claim recites an abstract idea, law of nature or natural phenomenon. The term “abstract idea” is not interpreted as a layperson might. Instead, the term “abstract idea” is interpreted as described in legal opinions by courts.
According to MPEP 2106.04(a):
the Office has set forth an approach to identifying abstract ideas that distills the relevant case law into enumerated groupings of abstract ideas. The enumerated groupings are firmly rooted in Supreme Court precedent as well as Federal Circuit decisions interpreting that precedent, as is explained in MPEP § 2106.04(a)(2). This approach represents a shift from the former case-comparison approach that required examiners to rely on individual judicial cases when determining whether a claim recites an abstract idea. By grouping the abstract ideas, the examiners’ focus has been shifted from relying on individual cases to generally applying the wide body of case law spanning all technologies and claim types.
The enumerated groupings of abstract ideas are defined as:
1) Mathematical concepts – mathematical relationships, mathematical formulas or equations, mathematical calculations (see MPEP § 2106.04(a)(2), subsection I);
2) Certain methods of organizing human activity – fundamental economic principles or practices (including hedging, insurance, mitigating risk); commercial or legal interactions (including agreements in the form of contracts; legal obligations; advertising, marketing or sales activities or behaviors; business relations); managing personal behavior or relationships or interactions between people (including social activities, teaching, and following rules or instructions) (see MPEP § 2106.04(a)(2), subsection II); and
3) Mental processes – concepts performed in the human mind (including an observation, evaluation, judgment, opinion) (see MPEP § 2106.04(a)(2), subsection III).
Here, each of Claims 1-16 and 18-21 recite steps or instructions involving observations, judgements or evaluations, which are mental processes as these can be performed in the human mind under the 2019 PEG. Additionally, the claims also recite managing personal behavior or relationships or interactions such as following rules or instructions, considered certain methods of organizing human activity. Specifically, independent Claim 1 (and similarly recited Claims 18 and 20) recites “1. A method for changing a skin of a virtual item, comprising:
in response to a skin-changing touch operation for a target part, displaying a skin control of a first to-be-selected skin corresponding to the target part, wherein the virtual item comprises a plurality of parts and the target part is one of the plurality of parts, a graphical user interface is provided by a terminal device, and content displayed by the graphical user interface comprises the virtual item; and
in response to a first selection touch operation for a target skin control of a target skin in the skin control, changing a current skin of the target part into the target skin.”
As indicated above, the underlined portions of representative Independent Claim 1, and similarly recited Independent Claims 18 and 19, generally encompass the abstract ideas, for example as, each of at least one step or instruction or rule for: (i) an observation, judgement or evaluation, which is a mental process under the 2019 PEG. The claims generally encompass the steps of receiving, and in response to selection, changing…., which are steps that can be done in the human mind. Further, the dependent claims include limitations that either further define the abstract idea (and thus don’t make the abstract idea any less abstract) or amount to no more than generally linking the use of the abstract idea to a particular technological environment or field of use because they’re merely incidental or token additions to the claims that do not alter or affect how the process steps are performed. Accordingly, each of Claims 1-16, and 18-21 recites an abstract idea.
Step 2A, Prong 2
Under prong 2 of step 2A, the examiner considers whether the additional elements in the claims integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. Here, the abstract idea is not integrated into a practical application. According to 2019 PEG, a consideration indicative of integration into a practical application includes improvements to the functioning of a computer or to any other technology or technical field (MPEP 2106.05(a)) or adding a specific limitation other than what is well-understood, routine, conventional activity, or adding unconventional steps that confine the claim to a particular application (a non-conventional and non-generic arrangement of various computer components for filtering Internet content, as discussed in BASCOM Global Internet v. AT&T Mobility LLC, 827 F.3d 1341, 1350-51, 119 USPQ2d 1236, 1243 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (MPEP § 2106.05(d)). Conversely, considerations not indicative of integration include adding words “apply it” (or equivalent) with the judicial exception or mere instructions to implement the abstract idea on a computer, or merely uses a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea. (MPEP 2106.05(f)); adding insignificant extra-solution activity (MPEP 2106.05(g)), or generally linking the use of the abstract idea to a particular technological environment or field of use (MPEP 2106.05(h)).
Claims 1-16, and 18-21 further recite a graphical user interface, a terminal device, a processor, and a memory, yet these are recited so generically (no details whatsoever are provided other than in name only) that they represent no more than mere instructions to apply the judicial exception on a computer. These limitations can also be viewed as nothing more than an attempt to generally link the use of the judicial exception to the technological environment of a computer. It should be noted that because the courts have made it clear that mere physicality or tangibility of an additional element or elements is not a relevant consideration in the eligibility analysis, the physical nature of these computer components does not affect this analysis. See MPEP 2106.05(I) for more information on this point, including explanations from judicial decisions including Alice Corp. Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank Int'l, 573 U.S. 208, 224-26 (2014).
The steps in the claims are deemed to be data gathering and data presentation for the use of the judicial exception and similarly are recited at a high level of generality. Thus, these limitations are a form of insignificant extra-solution activity (See MPEP 2106.05(g), See also selecting a particular source and type of data to be manipulated where “Selecting information, based on types of information and availability of information in a power-grid environment, for collection, analysis and display, Electric Power Group, LLC v. Alstom S.A., 830 F.3d 1350, 1354-55, 119 USPQ2d 1739, 1742 (Fed. Cir. 2016)).
Even when the limitations are viewed in combination, the additional elements in this claim do no more than automate the organizing activities needed to be performed, using the one of more computer components as tools. While this type of automation is an improvement in a general sense as opposed to performance manually, there is no change to the computers and other technology that are recited in the claim as automating the abstract ideas, and thus this claim cannot improve computer functionality or other technology. See, e.g., Trading Technologies Int’l v. IBG, Inc., 921 F.3d 1084, 1093 (Fed. Cir. 2019) (using a computer to provide a trader with more information to facilitate market trades improved the business process of market trading, but not the computer) and the cases discussed in MPEP 2106.05(a)(I), particularly FairWarning IP, LLC v. Latric Sys., 839 F.3d 1089, 1095 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (accelerating a process of analyzing audit log data is not an improvement when the increased speed comes solely from the capabilities of a general-purpose computer) and Credit Acceptance Corp. v. Westlake Services, 859 F.3d 1044, 1055 (Fed. Cir. 2017) (using a generic computer to automate a process of applying to finance a purchase is not an improvement to the computer’s functionality). Furthermore, the additional elements do not serve to apply the above-identified abstract idea with, or by use of, a particular machine, effect a transformation or apply or use the above-identified abstract idea in some other meaningful way beyond generally linking the use thereof to a particular technological environment, such that the claim as a whole is more than a drafting effort designed to monopolize the exception. Accordingly, Claims 1-16, and 18-21 as a whole does not integrate the recited judicial exception into a practical application and these claims are directed to the judicial exception. Thus, Claims 1-16, and 18-21 lack the eligibility requirements of Step 2 Prong II.
Step 2B
Finally, under step 2B, the examiner evaluates whether the additional elements:
• add a specific limitation or combination of limitations that are not well-understood, routine, conventional activity in the field, which is indicative that an inventive concept may be present (MPEP 2106.05(d)); or
• simply appends well-understood, routine, conventional activities previously known to the industry, specified at a high level of generality, to the judicial exception, which is indicative that an inventive concept may not be present (MPEP 2106.05(d) and Berkheimer Memo, April 20, 2018). Thus, the additional elements evaluated under Step 2A are re-evaluated in Step 2B to determine if they are more than what is well-understood, routine, conventional activity in the field.
Claims 1-16, and 18-21 do not recite additional elements, individually or in combination, that amount to significantly more than the abstract idea. As discussed above with respect to the lack of a practical application, the additional elements in the claim (i.e. a graphical user interface, a terminal device, a processor, a memory, etc.) amount to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using generic computer components used as tools. These additional elements are generically claimed computer components which enable a game to be conducted by performing the basic functions of: (i) receiving, processing, and storing data, (ii) automating mental tasks and (iii) receiving or transmitting data over a network, e.g., using the Internet to gather data. The courts have recognized such computer functions as well understood, routine, and conventional functions when claimed in a merely generic manner (e.g., at a high level of generality) or as insignificant extra-solution activity. See, Versata Dev. Group, Inc. v. SAP Am., Inc. , 793 F.3d 1306, 1334, 115 USPQ2d 1681, 1701 (Fed. Cir. 2015); and OIP Techs., 788 F.3d at 1363, 115 USPQ2d at 1092-93.
Further, under the 2019 PEG, a conclusion that an additional element is insignificant extra-solution activity in Step 2A should be reevaluated in Step 2B to determine if it is more than what is well-understood, routine, conventional activity in the field. Here, the steps of the claims are deemed to be data gathering and data presentation extra-solution activity. Court decisions cited in MPEP 2106.05(d)(II) indicate that these limitations are well-understood, routine, and conventional function when it is claimed in a merely generic manner (as they are here). See storing and retrieving information in memory (MPEP 2106.05(d)(II)(iv) and then to present or display said information is well known as in presenting offers and gathering statistics (MPEP 2106.05(d)(II)(iii). Accordingly, a conclusion that the step is well-understood, routine, conventional activity is supported under Berkheimer. Therefore, these limitations remain insignificant extra-solution activity even upon reconsideration, and do not amount to significantly more. Therefore, claims 1-16, and 18-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 as being directed to non-statutory subject matter. See Alice Corporation Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank International, et al., 573 U.S. 208 (2014).
Dependent Claims are ineligible and lack a practical application.
Claims 2-16 inherit the same abstract idea as Claim 1.
Claims 20-21 inherit the same abstract idea as Claim 19.
The dependent claims recite further extra-solution activities and further define the abstract idea of the independent claims.
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.
(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.
Claims 1-16 and 18-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication 2021/0197089 A1 to Wang et al. (hereinafter Wang).
Regarding Claim 1, Wang discloses a method for changing a skin of a virtual item, comprising:
in response to a skin-changing touch operation for a target part, displaying a skin control of a first to-be-selected skin corresponding to the target part, wherein the virtual item comprises a plurality of parts and the target part is one of the plurality of parts, a graphical user interface is provided by a terminal device, and content displayed by the graphical user interface comprises the virtual item (figs. 2, 8, 10-12, paras. [0034] discloses virtual items in the virtual environment, [0036] discloses skin model used for virtual items, [0041]-[0043] discloses user may customize and combine candidate skin component materials that respectively correspond to the different skin components of the same customized skin model, to obtain a variety of customized combinations…, fig. 3, 8 terminal 310, paras. [0045], [0083]-[0087] discloses a skin setting interface according to an operation of the user. The skin setting interface is an interface for configuring and personalizing a customized skin model); and
in response to a first selection touch operation for a target skin control of a target skin in the skin control, changing a current skin of the target part into the target skin (figs. 2, 3, 8, paras. [0059], [0061], [0064], [0066]-[0074], [0084]-[0094], [0180] discloses after obtaining the n target skin component materials, the target terminal displays the skin display interface. The target virtual character wearing the customized skin model is displayed on the skin display interface. In one embodiment, a three-dimensional rotating display stand is displayed on the skin display interface, and the target virtual character wearing the customized skin model stands in the three-dimensional rotating display stand. When a user performs a touch operation to rotate the three-dimensional rotating display stand, the target virtual character wearing the customized skin model rotates with the three-dimensional rotating display stand, to display the customized skin model from different angles).
Regarding Claim 2, Wang discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein in response to the skin-changing touch operation for the target part, displaying the skin control of the first to-be-selected skin corresponding to the target part comprises:
in response to a first skin-changing touch operation for the virtual item, displaying respective first skin-changing controls corresponding to the plurality of parts in the virtual item (figs. 3, 7-8, 10 paras. [0083]-[0094], [0106] discloses customizable regions of n skin components of the customized skin model are displayed on the skin setting interface. Each skin component is provided with one or more candidate skin component materials for selection by a player); and
in response to a second skin-changing touch operation for a target first skin-changing control of the target part in the respective first skin-changing controls, displaying the skin control of the first to-be-selected skin corresponding to the target part (figs. 3, 7-8, 10 paras. [0083]-[0094], [0106] discloses customizable regions of n skin components of the customized skin model are displayed on the skin setting interface. Each skin component is provided with one or more candidate skin component materials for selection by a player).
Regarding Claim 3, Wang discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein in response to the first skin-changing touch operation for the virtual item, displaying the respective first skin-changing controls corresponding to the plurality of parts in the virtual item comprises:
in response to the first skin-changing touch operation for the virtual item, jumping a current display interface to a modification interface of the virtual item (figs. 3, 8, and 10 depicts the skin setting interface upon which modifications of the virtual item is made); and
displaying, in the modification interface, the respective first skin-changing controls corresponding to the plurality of parts (figs. 3, 7-8, and 10 depicts the skin setting interface upon which modifications of the virtual item is made).
Regarding Claim 4, Wang discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises: displaying a guide component configured to indicate a correspondence between a part in the virtual item and a first skin-changing control (figs. 3, 7-8, and 10 depicts the skin setting interface upon which modifications of the virtual item is made).
Regarding Claim 5, Wang discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:
in response to a second selection touch operation for a skin recommendation control, displaying a skin control of a recommendation skin of the target part (figs. 3, 7-8, and 10 depicts the skin setting interface upon which modifications of the virtual item is made, paras. [0083]-[0094]).
Regarding Claim 6, Wang discloses the method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:
determining current skin theme information of the virtual item (paras. [0161]-[0163]); and
determining, as the recommendation skin, a part skin whose matching degree with the current skin theme information is greater than a preset matching degree in a part skin library of the target part (paras. [0052], [0075], [0145] discloses a skin component material library 327 is disposed in the server 326. A client on the terminal may load n target skin component materials of the target virtual character from the skin component material library 327 [0161]-[0163]) .
Regarding Claim 7, Wang discloses the method according to claim 5, wherein sizes of skin controls of respective recommendation skins are positively related to corresponding matching degrees; or,
the skin controls of the respective recommendation skins are arranged in order according to magnitudes of the corresponding matching degrees (paras. [0081]-[0082], [0181]).
Regarding Claim 8, Wang discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein displaying the skin control of the first to-be-selected skin corresponding to the target part comprises:
determining an account level of an account to which the virtual item belongs (paras. [0097]-[0099] discloses user account having to have permission to use skin component material);
selecting, according to the account level, at least one part skin corresponding to the account level from a part skin library of the target part as the first to-be-selected skin (figs. 3, 7-8, paras. [0097]-[0099] discloses user account having to have permission to use skin component material); and
displaying the skin control of the first to-be-selected skin (paras. [0097]-[0099] discloses user account having to have permission to use skin component material).
Regarding Claim 9, Wang discloses the method according to claim 8, wherein selecting, according to the account level, the at least one part skin corresponding to the account level from the part skin library of the target part as the first to-be-selected skin comprises:
selecting, according to the account level, the at least one part skin corresponding to the account level from the part skin library of the target part as an initial first to-be-selected skin (figs. 3, 7-8, paras. [0097]-[0099] discloses user account having to have permission to use skin component material, paras. [0147]-[0150]); and
in response to a first purchase operation for a part skin in the initial first to-be-selected skin, determining the part skin corresponding to the first purchase operation as a target first to-be-selected skin (paras. [0086]-[0087] discloses being able to purchase a component for skin customization).
Regarding Claim 10, Wang discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:
in response to a skin acquisition operation for the target part of the plurality of parts, storing a skin corresponding to the skin acquisition operation as a to-be-selected skin in a part skin library to which the target part belongs (paras. [0147], [0175]-[0177], [0207]-[0208] discloses storing customization in library).
Regarding Claim 11, Wang discloses the method according to claim 10, wherein in response to the skin-changing touch operation for the target part of the plurality of parts, displaying the skin control of the first to-be-selected skin corresponding to the target part comprises:
in response to the skin-changing touch operation for the target part of the plurality of parts, selecting from the part skin library a skin corresponding to the target part as the first to-be-selected skin (figs. 3, 7-8, 10, paras. [0083]-[0094], [0106]); and
displaying the skin control of the first to-be-selected skin (figs. 3, 7-8, 10, paras. [0083]-[0094], [0106]).
Regarding Claim 12, Wang discloses the method according to claim 10, wherein in response to the skin acquisition operation for the target part of the plurality of parts, storing the skin corresponding to the skin acquisition operation as the to-be-selected skin in the part skin library to which the target part belongs comprises:
in response to a second purchase operation for a skin of the target part of the plurality of parts, storing the skin corresponding to the second purchase operation as the to-be-selected skin in the part skin library to which the target part belongs (figs. 3, 7-8, 10, paras. [0086]-[0087] discloses being able to purchase a component for skin customization).
Regarding Claim 13, Wang discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the skin control of the first to-be-selected skin is associated with a skin purchase control of the first to-be-selected skin; and
in response to the first selection touch operation for the target skin control of the target skin in the skin control, changing the current skin of the target part into the target skin comprises:
in response to a third purchase operation for the skin purchase control, determining the first to-be-selected skin corresponding to the third purchase operation as an initial target skin (figs. 3, 7-8, 10, paras. [0086]-[0087] discloses being able to purchase a component for skin customization); and
in response to the first selection touch operation for the target skin control of the target skin in the initial target skin, changing the current skin of the target part into the target skin (figs. 3, 7-8, 10, paras. [0086]-[0087] discloses being able to purchase a component for skin customization).
Regarding Claim 14, Wang discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein in response to the second skin-changing touch operation for the target first skin-changing control of the target part in the respective first skin-changing controls, displaying the skin control of the first to-be-selected skin corresponding to the target part comprises:
in response to the second skin-changing touch operation for the target first skin-changing control of the target part in the respective first skin-changing controls, displaying, in a first display area of a current display interface, the skin control of the first to-be-selected skin corresponding to the target part (figs. 3, 7-8, 10, paras. [0066]-[0074], [0084]-[0094], [0180]); and
displaying, in a second display area of the current display interface, a second skin-changing control corresponding to a changeable part, wherein the changeable part is a part that is available for being changed at an installation position of the target part in the virtual item (figs. 3, 7-8, 10, paras. [0066]-[0074], [0084]-[0094], [0180]).
Regarding Claim 15, Wang discloses the method according to claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:
in response to a third selection touch operation for a target second skin-changing control of a target changing part in the second skin-changing control, displaying a second to-be-selected skin corresponding to the target changing part (figs. 3, 7-8, 10, paras. [0066]-[0074], [0084]-[0094], [0180]).
Regarding Claim 16, Wang discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:
in response to an overall skin-changing operation for the virtual item, displaying an item skin control of an item skin corresponding to the virtual item (figs. 3, 7-8, 10, paras. [0066]-[0074], [0084]-[0094], [0180]); and
in response to a fourth selection touch operation for a target item skin control of a target item skin in the item skin control of the item skin, changing a current overall item skin of the virtual item into the target item skin (figs. 3, 7-8, 10, paras. [0066]-[0074], [0084]-[0094], [0180]).
Regarding Claim 18, Wang discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, implements:
in response to a skin-changing touch operation for a target part, displaying a skin control of a first to-be-selected skin corresponding to the target part, wherein the virtual item comprises a plurality of parts and the target part is one of the plurality of parts, a graphical user interface is provided by a terminal device, and content displayed by the graphical user interface comprises the virtual item (figs. 2, 8, 10-12, paras. [0034] discloses virtual items in the virtual environment, [0036] discloses skin model used for virtual items, [0041]-[0043] discloses user may customize and combine candidate skin component materials that respectively correspond to the different skin components of the same customized skin model, to obtain a variety of customized combinations…, fig. 3, 8 terminal 310, paras. [0045], [0083]-[0087] discloses a skin setting interface according to an operation of the user. The skin setting interface is an interface for configuring and personalizing a customized skin model); and
in response to a first selection touch operation for a target skin control of a target skin in the skin control, changing a current skin of the target part into the target skin (figs. 2, 3, 8, paras. [0059], [0061], [0064], [0066]-[0074], [0084]-[0094], [0180] discloses after obtaining the n target skin component materials, the target terminal displays the skin display interface. The target virtual character wearing the customized skin model is displayed on the skin display interface. In one embodiment, a three-dimensional rotating display stand is displayed on the skin display interface, and the target virtual character wearing the customized skin model stands in the three-dimensional rotating display stand. When a user performs a touch operation to rotate the three-dimensional rotating display stand, the target virtual character wearing the customized skin model rotates with the three-dimensional rotating display stand, to display the customized skin model from different angles).
Regarding Claim 19, Wang discloses an electronic device, comprising:
a processor (figs. 2-3, paras. [0261]-[0262]); and
a memory (figs. 2-3, paras. [0263]), configured to store executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to:
in response to a skin-changing touch operation for a target part, display a skin control of a first to-be-selected skin corresponding to the target part, wherein the virtual item comprises a plurality of parts and the target part is one of the plurality of parts, a graphical user interface is provided by a terminal device, and content displayed by the graphical user interface comprises the virtual item (figs. 2, 8, 10-12, paras. [0034] discloses virtual items in the virtual environment, [0036] discloses skin model used for virtual items, [0041]-[0043] discloses user may customize and combine candidate skin component materials that respectively correspond to the different skin components of the same customized skin model, to obtain a variety of customized combinations…, fig. 3, 8 terminal 310, paras. [0045], [0083]-[0087] discloses a skin setting interface according to an operation of the user. The skin setting interface is an interface for configuring and personalizing a customized skin model); and
in response to a first selection touch operation for a target skin control of a target skin in the skin control, change a current skin of the target part into the target skin (figs. 2, 3, 8, paras. [0059], [0061], [0064], [0066]-[0074], [0084]-[0094], [0180] discloses after obtaining the n target skin component materials, the target terminal displays the skin display interface. The target virtual character wearing the customized skin model is displayed on the skin display interface. In one embodiment, a three-dimensional rotating display stand is displayed on the skin display interface, and the target virtual character wearing the customized skin model stands in the three-dimensional rotating display stand. When a user performs a touch operation to rotate the three-dimensional rotating display stand, the target virtual character wearing the customized skin model rotates with the three-dimensional rotating display stand, to display the customized skin model from different angles).
Regarding Claim 20, Wang discloses the method according to claim 9, wherein a purchase amount corresponding to the initial first to-be-selected skin is displayed on a current display interface through a display component or a payment component (figs. 3, 7-8, 10, paras. [0066]-[0074], [0084]-[0094], [0180]).
Regarding Claim 21, Wang discloses the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein the computer program stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, further implements:
in response to a first skin-changing touch operation for the virtual item, displaying respective first skin-changing controls corresponding to the plurality of parts in the virtual item (figs. 3, 7-8, 10, paras. [0066]-[0074], [0084]-[0094], [0180]); and
in response to a second skin-changing touch operation for a target first skin-changing control of the target part in the respective first skin-changing controls, displaying the skin control of the first to-be-selected skin corresponding to the target part (figs. 3, 7-8, 10, paras. [0066]-[0074], [0084]-[0094], [0180]).
Conclusion
Claims 1-16 and 18-21 are examined above.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAUNA-KAY HALL whose telephone number is (571)270-1419. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00AM-5:00PM.
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/S.N.H/Examiner, Art Unit 3715 /DAVID L LEWIS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3715