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 § 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 a judicial exception. The claims will be analyzed with respect to the Subject Matter Eligibility Test at MPEP§2106.
Subject Matter Eligibility – Step 1 (see MPEP§2106.03)
The claims recite one of the four statutory categories of subject matter.
Subject Matter Eligibility – Step 2A Prong 1 (see MPEP§2106.04(a-c))
The claims recite abstract ideas in the following categories;
Methods of organizing human activity such as fundamental economic principles or practices (including hedging, insurance, mitigating risk) see specifically ii. rules for conducting a wagering game, In re Smith, 815 F.3d 816, 818-19, 118 USPQ2d 1245, 1247 (Fed. Cir. 2016); (MPEP§2106.04(a)(2)II).
The abstract ideas have been noted in the claims below.
Regarding claim 1, running a target virtual task of a contest in which at least three virtual accounts participate, the at least three virtual account including a target virtual account controlled by a user of the computer device (game rules regarding user number and arrangement); withdrawing the target virtual account from participating the target virtual task after determining that the target virtual account satisfies a contest end condition (game rules regarding game progression and elements); obtaining battle attribute values of remaining virtual accounts other than the target virtual account of the at least three virtual accounts still participating in the target virtual task, wherein each battle attribute value corresponds to a current battle result of a corresponding virtual account participating in the target virtual task (game rules regarding game progression and elements); before any of the remaining virtual accounts satisfies the contest end condition: determining, based on the battle attribute values of the remaining virtual accounts, a target contest ranking of the target virtual account in the target virtual task; and displaying the target contest ranking of the target virtual account to the user of the computer device (game rules regarding game progression, elements and resolution).
Regarding claims 2-7, these claims recite additional game rules regarding game progression, elements and resolution.
Regarding claims 8-20, these claims are rejected as noted above regarding claims 1-7.
Subject Matter Eligibility – Step 2A Prong 2 (see MPEP§2106.04(d))
The claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. The additional elements are generic computer hardware; insignificant extra solution activity such as collecting information, analyzing it, and displaying certain results of the collection and analysis to data; and the use of software to tailor information and provide it to the user on a generic computer. These additional elements individually and in combination provide for limitations that do not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application. These additional elements (1) add “insignificant extra-solution activity to the judicial exception, as discussed in MPEP § 2106.05(g)” (MPEP§2106.04(d)I) and (2) generally link “the use of a judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use, as discussed in MPEP § 2106.05(h).” (MPEP§2106.04(d)I).
These additional elements individually and in combination are not limitations that provide for “improvement in the functioning of a computer, or an improvement to other technology or technical field, as discussed in MPEP §§ 2106.04(d)(1) and 2106.05(a);” (MPEP§2106.04(d)I) apply or use the “judicial exception to effect a particular treatment or prophylaxis for a disease or medical condition, as discussed in MPEP § 2106.04(d)(2);” (MPEP§2106.04(d)I) implement the “judicial exception with, or using a judicial exception in conjunction with, a particular machine or manufacture that is integral to the claim, as discussed in MPEP § 2106.05(b);” (MPEP§2106.04(d)I) effect “a transformation or reduction of a particular article to a different state or thing, as discussed in MPEP § 2106.05(c);” (MPEP§2106.04(d)I) or apply or use “the judicial exception in some other meaningful way beyond generally linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment, such that the claim as a whole is more than a drafting effort designed to monopolize the exception, as discussed in MPEP § 2106.05(e).” (MPEP§2106.04(d)I). As such the claims as a whole do not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application.
Subject Matter Eligibility – Step 2B (see MPEP§2106.05)
The claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements are well-understood, routine and conventional generic computer hardware and insignificant extra solution activity (see MPEP§2106.05).
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Pub. 2018/0304155 by Pieron.
Regarding claim 1, Pieron discloses a method for displaying a contest ranking performed by a computer device, the method comprising: running a target virtual task of a contest in which at least three virtual accounts participate, the at least three virtual account including a target virtual account controlled by a user of the computer device (fig. 3; para. 18-22, 71-74 – see the user accounts and multiplayer tournament); withdrawing the target virtual account from participating the target virtual task after determining that the target virtual account satisfies a contest end condition (fig. 3; para. 71-74 – see in tournament achievement resulting in termination of that achievement); obtaining battle attribute values of remaining virtual accounts other than the target virtual account of the at least three virtual accounts still participating in the target virtual task, wherein each battle attribute value corresponds to a current battle result of a corresponding virtual account participating in the target virtual task (fig. 3; para. 71-74 – see the other accounts and the ongoing ranking during the contest/tournament); before any of the remaining virtual accounts satisfies the contest end condition: determining, based on the battle attribute values of the remaining virtual accounts, a target contest ranking of the target virtual account in the target virtual task; and displaying the target contest ranking of the target virtual account to the user of the computer device (fig. 3; para. 71-74 – see the other accounts and the ongoing ranking during the context/tournament).
Regarding claim 2, Pieron discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein each of the remaining virtual accounts has a minimum battle attribute corresponding to a lowest possible battle attribute value when the virtual account satisfies the contest end condition (fig. 3; para. 71-74 – see the remaining players and the remaining metrics).
Regarding claim 3, Pieron discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein the determining, based on the battle attribute values of the remaining virtual accounts, a target contest ranking of the target virtual account in the target virtual task comprises: determining, among the remaining virtual accounts, a first virtual account whose minimum battle attribute value is less than or equal to a target threshold; and determining the target contest ranking based on the minimum battle attribute value of the first virtual account and an end battle attribute value of the target virtual account when the target virtual account satisfies the contest end condition (fig. 3; para. 71-74 – see the remaining players, the remaining metrics and the ranking of the players).
Regarding claim 4, Pieron discloses the method according to claim 3, wherein the determining the target contest ranking based on the minimum battle attribute value of the first virtual account and an end battle attribute value of the target virtual account when the target virtual account satisfies the contest end condition comprises: determining that the first target virtual account has a contest ranking lower than that of the target virtual account in the target virtual task when the minimum battle attribute value of the first virtual account is greater than the end battle attribute value of the target virtual account (fig. 3; para. 71-74 – see the remaining players, the remaining metrics and the ranking of the players).
Regarding claim 5, Pieron discloses the method according to claim 2, wherein the determining, based on the battle attribute values of the remaining virtual accounts, a target contest ranking of the target virtual account in the target virtual task comprises: after one of the remaining virtual accounts has satisfied the contest end condition: determining, among the remaining virtual accounts, a second target virtual account whose battle attribute value is greater than the end battle attribute value, and a third target virtual account whose battle attribute value is less than or equal to the end battle attribute value; and determining the target contest ranking based on the battle attribute value of the second target virtual account, the battle attribute value of the third target virtual account, and the end battle attribute value (fig. 3; para. 71-74 – see the remaining players, the remaining metrics and the ranking of the players).
Regarding claim 6, Pieron discloses the method according to claim 5, wherein the determining the target contest ranking based on the battle attribute value of the second target virtual account, the battle attribute value of the third target virtual account, and the end battle attribute value comprises: determining that a contest ranking of the second target virtual account in the target virtual task is higher than a contest ranking of the target virtual account in the target virtual task, and determining that a contest ranking of the third target virtual account in the target virtual task is lower than or equal to the contest ranking of the target virtual account in the target virtual task (fig. 3; para. 71-74 – see the remaining players, the remaining metrics and the ranking of the players).
Regarding claim 7, Pieron discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the obtaining battle attribute values of remaining virtual accounts other than the target virtual account of the at least three virtual accounts still participating in the target virtual task comprises: determining each group of virtual accounts battling in the target virtual task, wherein each group of virtual accounts comprises any two of the remaining virtual accounts (fig. 3; para. 71-74 – see the remaining players, the remaining metrics and the ranking of the players); for a first battle virtual account and a second battle virtual account in any group of virtual accounts, obtaining a battle reference value and an initial battle attribute value of the first battle virtual account, and a battle reference value and an initial battle attribute value of the second battle virtual account; and reducing the initial battle attribute value of the first battle virtual account based on the battle reference value of the second battle virtual account, to obtain a target battle attribute value of the first battle virtual account when the first battle virtual account satisfies the contest end condition, and reducing the initial battle attribute of the second battle virtual account based on the battle reference value of the first battle virtual account, to obtain a target battle attribute value of the second battle virtual account when the second battle virtual account satisfies the contest end condition (fig. 3; para. 71-74 – see the remaining players, the remaining metrics and the ranking of the players).
Regarding claims 8-20, these claims are rejected as noted above regarding claims 1-7.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER J IANNUZZI whose telephone number is (571)272-5793. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30AM-5:30PM EST.
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/PETER J IANNUZZI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
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