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 Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pub. 20200298104 to Wang in view of US Pub. 20210322879 to Huang and PUBG Mobile video game as evidence provided via YouTube video, 151 Tips and Tricks for PUBG Mobile! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku-u8XzHL8Q to JCF.
Claims 1, 8, and 15. Wang discloses a computer device, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory having a computer program stored therein, and the computer program, when executed by the processor, causing the computer device to implement a virtual character control method including:
(as required by claim 15) a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program, when executed by a processor of a computer device, causing the computer device to implement a virtual character control method including:
displaying a movement control (Figs. 1, 3-9, and ¶31) and an attack control on a virtual scene (Fig. 7, and ¶30 “weapon”);
in response to a first operation on the movement control by a user of the computer device, controlling the first virtual character to move at a movement speed in the virtual scene (Figs. 5-6, and ¶¶32, 42, 48-50 “speed”);
while the first virtual character remains in a moving state in the virtual scene, increasing rush corresponding to the first virtual character (¶46 “moving speed of the virtual object corresponding to the touch operation”, i.e., the rush is related to parameters to reach movement speeds for the virtual object);
when the rush satisfies a first condition (¶46 “the displacement is greater than a displacement threshold, whether the moving speed of the virtual object reaches a speed threshold”, “whether duration of the touch operation reaches a target time in a case that the moving speed reaches the speed threshold”), controlling the first virtual character to accelerate the movement speed (¶¶46, 84 “control the virtual object to accelerate”).
However, Wang fails to explicitly disclose while the first virtual character remains in a moving state in the virtual scene, increasing rush energy corresponding to the first virtual character in response to a second operation on the attack control by the user of the computer device; and
when the rush energy satisfies a first condition, controlling the first virtual character to accelerate the movement speed until the rush energy corresponding to the first virtual character is drained (emphasis added).
Huang teaches increasing rush energy (¶30 “collecting energy”, “energy accumulation”) corresponding to the first virtual character in response to a second operation on the attack control (¶¶30-31 “acceleration control button 118 corresponding to an acceleration operation”) by the user of the computer device; and
when the rush energy satisfies a first condition (¶¶30, 46, 51 “threshold”), controlling the first virtual character to accelerate the movement speed (¶¶53-55). The gaming system of Wang would have motivation to use the teachings of Huang in order to speed up virtual characters via the use of specific buttons and energy parameters which would give game players more graphical user interface options in hopes to make game play more enjoyable.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the gaming system of Wang with the teachings of Huang in order to provide graphical control options during the video game in hopes to make game play more enjoyable.
JCF teaches energy corresponding to the first virtual character is drained (at 17:56-18:43 boost meter deteriorates over time period; also, a vehicle that runs on gas will only operate while there still is gas in the vehicle). The gaming system of Wang in view of Huang would have motivation to use the teachings of JCF in order to place limit on special ability use, otherwise, game players could abuse the use of special abilities which could potentially give a game player an unfair advantage over opposing game players.
It would have been further obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the gaming system of Wang in view of Huang with the teachings of JCF in order to place limit on special ability use so game players do not overuse special abilities which could potentially make the game play too easy for game players.
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Claims 2, 9, and 16. Wang in view of Huang and JCF teaches wherein the controlling the first virtual character to accelerate the movement speed comprises:
controlling the first virtual character to accelerate the movement speed in a target movement direction of the first virtual character when the rush energy satisfies the first condition (see Wang ¶¶32, 35; see Huang ¶¶52, 57; see JCF a player character’s direction, movement, speed, boost effects are controlled by a user).
Claims 3, 10, and 17. Wang in view of Huang and JCF teaches further comprising:
when a direction adjustment operation on the movement control is detected, controlling the first virtual character to accelerate the movement speed in a target direction indicated by the direction adjustment operation (see Wang ¶¶32, 35; see Huang ¶¶52, 57; see JCF adjustments to the player character’s direction is made by a user via control game features).
Claims 4, 11, and 18. Wang in view of Huang and JCF teaches wherein the controlling the first virtual character to accelerate the movement speed in a target movement direction comprises:
controlling the first virtual character to accelerate until the movement speed of the first virtual character increases to a maximum speed; and
controlling the first virtual character to decelerate until the movement speed of the first virtual character decreases from the maximum speed to the movement speed before the acceleration (see Wang ¶84 “decelerate”; see JCF at 24:19 Km/h speedometer, the player character accelerates until reaching a top speed, and can slow down at a user’s discretion).
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Claims 5, 12, and 19. Wang in view of Huang and JCF teaches wherein the increasing rush energy corresponding to the first virtual character in response to a second operation on the attack control comprises:
in response to the second operation on the attack control:
updating the rush energy based on an attack speed of the first virtual character (see JCF, where boost items are collected and used according to how fast a player character kills and loots items from opposing game characters);
controlling the first virtual character to perform the attack action on a second virtual character within an attack range (see JCF, where player characters attack opposing player characters within attacking distance, e.g., at 10:10); and
updating the rush energy based on a quantity of hits of the attack action, and displaying an increase process of the rush energy in a rush energy prompt bar (see Huang ¶4 “perform the target action repeatedly to accumulate energy in the energy tank, so that the energy accumulated in the energy tank can reach the energy trigger threshold. After energy in the energy tank reaches the energy trigger threshold, the virtual object obtains a permission to use a game prop or cast a game ability”; see JCP boost meter is updated according to number of boost items a player character uses).
Claims 6, 13, and 20. Wang in view of Huang and JCF teaches further comprising:
displaying a movement speed indication icon (see JCF at 11:41 displays a speedometer) of the first virtual character; and
changing a display style of the movement speed indication icon based on the acceleration of the movement speed of the first virtual character (see Huang ¶¶49, 57 “acceleration control button is switched from a grey state to a colorful state”).
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Claims 7 and 14. Wang in view of Huang and JCF teaches wherein the attack control is a skill attack control in an abnormal response state configured to control the first virtual character to perform a skill attack without needing to consume virtual resources during performance, and the abnormal response state is a state in which the skill attack control cannot control the first virtual character to cast a corresponding skill (see JCF at 5:15, 9:06-9:09 player character does not have a gun or appropriate ammo, in this case, a player character will use fist to punch attack opposing video game characters).
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Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAMON J PIERCE whose telephone number is (571)270-1997. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm.
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/DAMON J PIERCE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715