DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This office action is in responsive to communication(s): original application filed on 07/05/2024, said application claims a priority filing date of 07/05/2024.
Claims 1-18 are pending. Claims 1, 13 and 18 are independent.
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.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ramani et al. (US Pub 2021/0312715; hereinafter “Ramani”).
In regard to independent claims 1, 13 and 18, Ramani teaches a system for simulating an interactive physical environment (paragraph 0077) comprising: a physical actuator positioned within the interactive physical environment; and a translator configured to: generate a digital representation of the interactive physical environment including a virtual actuator in a digital location, wherein the virtual actuator is representative of the physical actuator; generate a virtual command for an action of the virtual actuator; translate the virtual command into a physical signal for the physical actuator; and output the physical signal to the physical actuator (paragraph 0079;lines 1-12; “Note: instructions in response to user input in the user interface being the command for action which instructs virtual objects to output signals of interactive physical device”).
In regard to dependent claim 2, Ramani teaches receive a guest interaction input interacting with at least one of the virtual actuator or the physical actuator; and activate the at least one of the virtual actuator or the physical actuator based on the guest interaction input (paragraph 0078).
In regard to dependent claim 3, Ramani teaches the guest interaction input comprises a guest interaction within the interactive physical environment or a simulated guest interaction within the digital representation (paragraph 0077 and paragraph 0079).
In regard to dependent claims 4 and 14, Ramani teaches the translator comprises: a software layer; a communications layer in communication with the software layer; and a hardware layer in communication with the software layer, the communications layer, or both (figure 3 and figure 4; “Note: element 230 being communication layer and element 260 being software layer and element 110 being hardware layer”).
In regard to dependent claim 5, Ramani teaches simulating the virtual actuator comprises executing by the software layer a simulation that emulates a characteristic of the physical actuator (figure 4, element 260; paragraph 0077; “Note: element 260 renders real world environment emulating characteristics of realworld objects”).
In regard to dependent claims 6 and 15, Ramani teaches simulating the virtual actuator comprises causing the processing element to execute the communications layer to emulate a data exchange with the physical actuator (paragraph 0035; figure 4, element 230; “Note: data is exchanged via communication layer”).
In regard to dependent claim 7, Ramani teaches simulating the virtual actuator comprises causing the processing element to execute the hardware layer to create a physical output compatible with the physical actuator (paragraph 0079; physical device being the hardware layer, figure 3, element 110”).
In regard to dependent claim 8, Ramani teaches the translator comprises at least one of a proximity translator, a show cueing translator, a visual analytics translator, or a messaging translator (paragraph 0080).
In regard to dependent claims 9 and 16, Ramani teaches simulating the guest interaction comprises simulating a guest device or a guest archetype (figure 1; “Note: guest device being mobile device used by the user”).
In regard to dependent claim 10, Ramani teaches simulating the guest interaction comprises autonomously simulating a plurality of guests interacting with the interactive environment (paragraph 0080; “Note: interaction occurs automatically by avatar which is equivalent to guest”).
In regard to dependent claims 11 and 17, Ramani teaches the processing element is configured to: display a graphical user interface including a two-dimensional representation of the interactive environment; receive, via the graphical user interface, a user input related to the interactive environment, translate the user input into the physical signal, transmit the physical signal to the physical actuator; in response to the transmission of the physical signal, receive a confirmation signal from the physical actuator, and update the graphical user interface based on the confirmation (paragraph 0078; lines 1-14; “Note: virtual environment is updated in response to user input provided via user interface”).
In regard to dependent claim 12, Ramani teaches the system further comprises a digital twin of the interactive environment (paragraph 0043 and 0078; lines 1-14; “Note: AR including real-world environment means said system is the digital twin of real environment”).
In regard to dependent claim 19, Ramani teaches the plurality of guest inputs is randomly generated (paragraph 0080, line 5-11).
In regard to dependent claim 20, Ramani teaches t the plurality of guest inputs is based on historical guest inputs from guests interacting with the physical interactive environment (paragraph 0082; “Note: based on the history of movement of the avatar, new guest interaction is initiated in virtual-physical interaction wherein movement/location of avatar is equivalent to guest input”).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Haseltine et al. U.S. Publication 2014/0080109 - Teaches an interactive storytelling environment mimicking real-world environment.
Djinki et al. U.S. Publication 2015/0078232 - Teaches a storytelling simulator wherein in response to user input on virtual object corresponding physical object is activated.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to REZA NABI whose telephone number is (571)270-7592. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm EST.
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/Reza Nabi/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2174
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