DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
Claims 1-20 are currently pending and have been examined in this application. This communication is the first action on the merits.
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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on September 26, 2022. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the 202211176695.X application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Step 1
Claims 1-10 are directed to a process. Claims 11-19 are directed to a machine. Claim 20 is directed to an article of manufacture. As such, each claim is directed to a statutory category of invention.
Step 2A Prong 1
The examiner has identified independent Claim 11 as the claim that represents the claimed invention for analysis and is similar to independent Claims 1 and 20.
Independent Claim 11 recites the following abstract ideas: “displaying a message based on a social scene, display a first scene picture corresponding to a scene in a first observation range, the scene comprising a plurality of social objects that correspond to a plurality of social accounts, wherein the plurality of social objects comprise a first social object corresponding to a first social account logged in ; display, based on receiving a first social message transmitted from a second social account, a first message prompt element and a first account identification element corresponding to the second social account, the first message prompt element being configured for triggering display of message content of the first social message; display, based on a second social object corresponding to the second social account being in the scene, a positioning mark element at a determined position corresponding to the first account identification element, wherein the positioning mark element indicates the second social object is in the scene; and switch, based on the positioning mark element, from the first observation range to a second observation range, to display a scene picture corresponding to the scene , wherein the scene comprises the second social object in the second observation range.”
The limitations, as drafted, are a process that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, relates to managing personal behavior or relationships or interactions between people including social activities (i.e., displaying a message based on a social scene, display a first scene picture corresponding to a scene in a first observation range, the scene comprising a plurality of social objects that correspond to a plurality of social accounts, wherein the plurality of social objects comprise a first social object corresponding to a first social account logged in; display, based on receiving a first social message transmitted from a second social account, a first message prompt element and a first account identification element corresponding to the second social account, the first message prompt element being configured for triggering display of message content of the first social message; display, based on a second social object corresponding to the second social account being in the scene, a positioning mark element at a determined position corresponding to the first account identification element, wherein the positioning mark element indicates the second social object is in the scene; and switch, based on the positioning mark element, from the first observation range to a second observation range, to display a scene picture corresponding to the scene, wherein the scene comprises the second social object in the second observation range), but for the recitation of generic computer components (i.e., An apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store computer program code; and at least one processor configured to read the program code and operate as instructed by the program code, the program code comprising various types of code; a virtual scene, virtual objects, a terminal device, and switching from one observation range to another to display data in response to receiving a triggering operation performed on an element). If a claim limitation, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, relates to managing personal behavior or relationships or interactions between people including social activities, but for the recitation of generic computer components, then it falls within the “Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity” grouping of abstract ideas.
Accordingly, the claim recites an abstract idea.
Step 2A Prong 2
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. Limitations that are not indicative of integration into a practical application include: (1) Adding the words “apply it” (or an equivalent) with the judicial exception, or mere instructions to implement an abstract idea on a computer, or merely uses a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea (MPEP 2106.05(f)), (2) Adding insignificant extra-solution activity to the judicial exception (MPEP 2106.05(g)), (3) Generally linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use (MPEP 2106.05(h)). In particular, the claim recites the additional elements of an apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store computer program code; and at least one processor configured to read the program code and operate as instructed by the program code, the program code comprising various types of code; a virtual scene, virtual objects, a terminal device, and switching from one observation range to another to display data in response to receiving a triggering operation performed on an element (in addition to the non-transitory CRM of Claim 20). The computer hardware is recited at a high level of generality (i.e., generic computers executing code to receive, process, and display data, a generic virtual environment, and generic interface element for switching from one interface view to another) such that it amounts to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using generic computer components. Accordingly, these additional elements, when considered separately and as an ordered combination, do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application, since they do not involve improvements to the functioning of a computer or to any other technology or technical field (MPEP 2106.05(a)), they do not apply the abstract idea with, or by use of, a particular machine (MPEP 2106.05(b)), they do not effect a transformation or reduction of a particular article to a different state or thing (MPEP 2106.05(c)), and they do not apply or use the abstract idea in some other meaningful way beyond generally linking its use to a particular technological environment, such that the claim as a whole is more than a drafting effort designed to monopolize the exception (MPEP 2106.05(e)). Therefore, the claim is directed to an abstract idea without a practical application.
Step 2B
The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because, when considered separately and as an ordered combination, they do not add significantly more (also known as an “inventive concept”) to the exception. The additional elements of using computer hardware (an apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store computer program code; and at least one processor configured to read the program code and operate as instructed by the program code, the program code comprising various types of code; a virtual scene, virtual objects, a terminal device, and switching from one observation range to another to display data in response to receiving a triggering operation performed on an element (in addition to the non-transitory CRM of Claim 20)) amounts to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using generic computer components. Mere instructions to apply an exception using generic computer components cannot provide an inventive concept. Therefore, the claim is not patent-eligible.
Dependent claims 5 and 15 recite “displaying a first message content interface in response to receiving a second triggering operation performed on the first message prompt element.” Dependent claims 6 and 16 recite “displaying the third message content interface in response to receiving a sliding operation performed on the second message content interface.” Dependent claims 9 and 19 recite “displaying, based on receiving a dragging operation performed on the message carrying bar, an extended region…” The additional elements are generic interface elements and triggering operations, and generic interfaces for displaying data, used to implement the abstract idea, and they do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application, nor are they sufficient to amount to significantly more than the abstract idea when considered both individually and as an ordered combination.
Dependent claims 2-4, 7-8, 10, 12-14, and 17-18 do not include any additional elements beyond those identified above. They further define the abstract idea that is present in their respective independent claims and hence are abstract for at least the reasons presented above. As such, they do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application, nor are they sufficient to amount to significantly more than the abstract idea when considered both individually and as an ordered combination.
Therefore, dependent claims 2-10 and 12-19 are directed to an abstract idea, and do not include additional elements that integrate the abstract idea into a practical application, or that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the abstract idea. Thus, the aforementioned claims are not patent-eligible.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-20 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 101 set forth in this Office action.
The closest prior art, Miller et al. (US-9682315) teaches displaying a first scene picture corresponding to a virtual scene in a first observation range, the virtual scene comprising a plurality of virtual social objects that correspond to a plurality of social accounts, wherein the plurality of virtual social objects comprise a first social object corresponding to a first social account logged in with the terminal device; displaying, based on receiving a first social message transmitted from a second social account, a first message prompt element and a first account identification element corresponding to the second social account, the first message prompt element being configured for triggering display of message content of the first social message. However, the prior art does not teach displaying, based on a second social object corresponding to the second social account being in the virtual scene, a positioning mark element at a determined position corresponding to the first account identification element, wherein the positioning mark element indicates the second social object is in the virtual scene; and switching, based on the positioning mark element, from the first observation range to a second observation range, to display a second scene picture corresponding to the virtual scene based on a first triggering operation being performed on the first account identification element, wherein the virtual scene comprises the second social object in the second observation range.
The closest NPL, “Survey on Virtual Reality in Social Network,” teaches virtual reality social network sites where users can communicate in a virtual environment using avatar models. However, it does not teach a message prompt element for triggering display of message content, or a positioning mark element indicating a virtual social object is in the virtual environment/scene, or switching from a first observation range to a second observation range based on a positioning mark element and based on a triggering operation performed on an account identification element.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon, considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure or directed to the state of art, is listed on the enclosed PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KARMA EL-CHANTI whose telephone number is (571)272-3404. The examiner can normally be reached T-Sa 10am-6pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sarah Monfeldt can be reached at (571)270-1833. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KARMA A EL-CHANTI/Examiner, Art Unit 3629 /SARAH M MONFELDT/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3629