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 Objections
Claims 8, 9, 13, 14, and 17-20 are objected to because of the following informalities: each of the listed claims include the phrase “cause a display, by the display device, cause a display, by the display device.” It would appear that Applicant has mistakenly copied the phrase twice. Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim(s) recite(s) a gaming system comprising: a processor; and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: cause a display, by a display device, of an indication of a hand; cause a display, by the display device, of indications of different runs of the hand, and for each run, a tile application area associated with that run and an indication of tiles required to complete the run; cause a display, by the display device, of a tile accumulation area; cause a display, by the display device, of symbol display elements; cause a display, by the display device, of activations of the symbol display elements; cause a display, by the display device, of tiles associated with the activations of the symbol display elements; cause a display, by the display device, for each of the displayed tiles, of an indication of whether the tile is accumulated and displayed in the tile accumulation area or the tile is discarded; cause a display, by the display device, for the displayed tiles in the tile accumulation area, of indications of tiles placed in the tile application areas associated with the runs; cause a display, by the display device, for each of the runs, an indication of a completion of the run based on the tiles placed in the tile application area associated with the run and that are required to complete the run; and cause a display, by the display device, of an indication of a completion of the hand after all of the indications of the completions of all of the runs. Each of the underlined elements above are certain methods of organizing human activity as they are merely rules for managing a game. This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because merely displaying the game via a display device does not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application, but rather are extra solution activity. The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements of a processor, memory, and a display device are generic computing parts which the Supreme Court in Alice determine is not sufficient to bring the claim into patent eligibility. Additionally, as mentioned above, the fact that the various abstract ideas are incorporated into a display device that displays the game are extra solution activity that does not bring the claim elements into patent eligibility.
All dependent claims have been analyzed but do not cure the deficiencies of the independent claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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 1-3, 8-11, and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0018059 to Chen.
With regard to claim 1, Chen discloses a gaming system comprising: a processor; and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to (0020 these things are understood with the computers that are listed, including a display): cause a display, by a display device, of an indication of a hand (fig. 5; 0025); cause a display, by the display device, of indications of different runs of the hand, and for each run, a tile application area associated with that run and an indication of tiles required to complete the run (fig. 5; 0025 as understood by one who plays Mahjong this would be included since Mahjong has sets and runs); cause a display, by the display device, of a tile accumulation area (fig. 5; 0025); cause a display, by the display device, of symbol display elements (fig. 5; 0025); cause a display, by the display device, of activations of the symbol display elements; cause a display, by the display device, of tiles associated with the activations of the symbol display elements (fig. 5; 0025); cause a display, by the display device, for each of the displayed tiles, of an indication of whether the tile is accumulated and displayed in the tile accumulation area or the tile is discarded (fig. 5; 0025); cause a display, by the display device, for the displayed tiles in the tile accumulation area, of indications of tiles placed in the tile application areas associated with the runs (fig. 5; 0025); cause a display, by the display device, for each of the runs, an indication of a completion of the run based on the tiles placed in the tile application area associated with the run and that are required to complete the run (fig. 5; 0025); and cause a display, by the display device, of an indication of a completion of the hand after all of the indications of the completions of all of the runs (fig. 5; 0025).
With regard to claim 2, Chen discloses that the tile are mahjong tiles (0019).
With regard to claim 3, Chen discloses that the runs are all different (0019 as understood by one that plays Mahjong).
With regard to claim 7, Chen discloses wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to cause a display, by the display device, of an indication of an award associated with the hand (0028).
With regard to claim 8, Chen discloses wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to cause a display, by the display device, cause a display, by the display device, of the indications of whether the tiles are accumulated and displayed in the tile accumulation area or the tiles are discarded based on received player inputs (0025).
With regard to claim 9, Chen discloses wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to cause a display, by the display device, cause a display, by the display device, of the indications of the tiles in the tile accumulation placed in the tile application areas associated with the runs based on received player inputs (0025).
With regard to claim 10, Chen discloses a gaming system comprising: a processor; and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: cause a display, by a display device, of an indication of a hand comprising different runs, and for each run an indication of tiles required to complete the run; cause a display, by the display device, of symbol display elements; cause a display, by the display device, of activations of the symbol display elements; cause a display, by the display device, of tiles associated with the activations of the symbol display elements; cause a display, by the display device, for each of the displayed tiles, of an indication of whether the tile is accumulated or the tile is discarded; cause a display, by the display device, for the accumulated tiles, of placements of the tiles in association with the runs; cause a display, by the display device, for each of the runs, an indication of a completion of the run based on the tiles associated with the run and that are required to complete the run; and cause a display, by the display device, of an indication of a completion of the hand after all of the indications of the completions of all of the runs (each of the limitations above is addressed similarly to claim 1 in fig. 5; 0019; 0025).
With regard to claim 11, Chen discloses that the tiles are mahjong tiles (0019).
With regard to Claim 13, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to cause a display, by the display device, cause a display, by the display device, of the indications of whether the tiles are accumulated or the tiles are discarded based on received player inputs (0025).
With regard to claim 14, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to cause a display, by the display device, cause a display, by the display device, of the indications of the tiles placed in the tile application areas associated with the runs based on received player inputs (fig. 5; 0025).
With regard to claim 15, Chen discloses a gaming system comprising: a processor; and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: cause a display, by a display device, of an indication of a hand comprising different runs, and for each run an indication of tiles required to complete the run; cause a display, by the display device, of symbol display elements; cause a sequential display, by the display device, of each of a plurality of different tiles responsive to tile generation events associated with the symbol display elements; cause a display, by the display device, for each of the displayed tiles, of an indication of whether the tile is accumulated or the tile is discarded, wherein a limited quantity of tiles can be accumulated at any one time; cause a display, by the display device, for the accumulated tiles, of placements of the tiles in association with the runs, wherein for each placement of a tile in association with one of the runs, the quantity of accumulated tiles is reduced; cause a display, by the display device, for each of the runs, an indication of a completion of the run based on the tiles associated with the run and that are required to complete the run; and cause a display, by the display device, of an indication of a completion of the hand after all of the indications of the completions of all of the runs (all elements are rejected similar to claim 1 and disclosed in fig. 5; 0020; 0025).
With regard to claim 16, Chen discloses wherein the tiles are mahjong tiles (0019).
With regard to claim 17, Chen discloses wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to cause a display, by the display device, cause a display, by the display device, of the indications of whether the tiles are accumulated or the tiles are discarded based on received player inputs (0025).
With regard to claim 18, Chen discloses that the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to cause a display, by the display device, cause a display, by the display device, of one of the accumulated tiles being discarded based on a received player input (0025).
With regard to claim 19, Chen discloses wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to cause a display, by the display device, cause a display, by the display device, of the indications of the tiles placed in the tile application areas associated with the runs based on received player inputs (0025).
With regard to claim 20, Chen discloses wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to cause a display, by the display device, cause a display, by the display device, of the indication of one of the accumulated tiles placed in the tile application area associated with one of the runs based on a received player input, wherein said tile only partially completes said run (0025).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 4-6 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of US Patent No. 5601488 to Kadlic.
With regard to claims 4-6 and 12, Chen is not explicitly clear about providing award amounts in display and then providing those awards for runs. However, Kadlic teaches limitations (fig. 1; col. 4, lines 8-12).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was filed to combine the teachings of Kadlic with the disclosure of Chen in order to provide additional awards to the players thus encouraging them to interact with the game more.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jay Liddle whose telephone number is (571)270-1226. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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/Jay Trent Liddle/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
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