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 .
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-20 of app 17/965,725 (now is US patent (U.S. Patent No. US 12051169 B2. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other.
Claim 1 is determined to be obvious in light of claim 1 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application claim 1
17/965,725 claim 1
1. A computer-implemented method of digital advertising within a first virtual experience provided at a virtual experience platform, the method comprising: receiving virtual experience content associated with a second virtual experience, the received virtual experience content including at least one media item; presenting the received virtual experience content within the first virtual experience in a virtual user engagement portal, the virtual user engagement portal having a portal
member that includes a logical connection from the first virtual experience to the second virtual experience, and wherein the portal member is displayed in both the first virtual experience and the second virtual experience; receiving first indication that a first avatar associated with a first user identifier (ID) has engaged with the portal member in the first virtual experience; transporting the first avatar to the second virtual experience from the first virtual experience responsive to the first indication; receiving second indication that the first avatar has engaged with the portal member in the second virtual experience; transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience responsive to the second indication; and assigning a user engagement metric to the at least one media item based upon the first indication and the second indication.
1. A computer-implemented method of digital advertising within a first virtual experience provided at a virtual experience platform, the method comprising: receiving virtual experience content associated with a second virtual experience, the received virtual experience content including at least one media item; presenting the received virtual experience content within the first virtual experience in a virtual user engagement portal, the virtual user engagement portal having a display member configured to display first media associated with the at least one media item and a portal member proximate the display member, wherein the display member is rendered and displayed in the first virtual experience, wherein the portal member includes a logical connection from the first virtual experience to the second virtual experience, and wherein the portal member is displayed in both the first virtual experience and the second virtual experience; receiving first indication that a first avatar associated with a first user identifier (ID) has engaged with the portal member in the first virtual experience; transporting the first avatar to the second virtual experience from the first virtual experience responsive to the first indication; receiving second indication that the first avatar has engaged with the portal member in the second virtual experience; transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience responsive to the second indication; and assigning a user engagement metric to the at least one media item based upon the first indication and the second indication.
Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other. The Claim 1 of the instant application and parent case 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) discloses almost every single limitations the same, but the instant (child) applicant has broader scope, although the parent case has additional limitations “a display member configured to display first media associated with the at least one media item and a portal member proximate the display member, wherein the display member is rendered and displayed in the first virtual experience, wherein the” but those can be fully anticipated by the instant application based on the similarity in between the Claim 1 from both applications.
Claim 2 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 2 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application claim 2
17/965,725 claim 2
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: selecting the at least one media item based on the first user ID; and displaying at least a portion of the selected at least one media item based on preferences associated with the first user ID.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: selecting the at least one media item based on the first user ID; and displaying at least a portion of the selected at least one media item based on preferences associated with the first user ID.
Claim 3 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 3 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 3
17/965,725 Claim 3
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a cost per transport associated with the received virtual experience content; and determining a payout to a third party based on the cost per transport and the user engagement metric.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a cost per transport associated with the received virtual experience content; and determining a payout to a third party based on the cost per transport and the user engagement metric.
Claim 4 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 4 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 4
17/965,725 Claim 4
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience comprises: determining that a threshold amount of time has elapsed after the first indication; and transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience responsive to the determining.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience comprises: determining that a threshold amount of time has elapsed after the first indication; and transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience responsive to the determining.
Claim 5 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 5 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 5
17/965,725 Claim 5
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the portal member is a beacon displayed in both the first virtual experience and the second virtual experience.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the portal member is a beacon displayed in both the first virtual experience and the second virtual experience.
Claim 6 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 6 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 6
17/965,725 Claim 6
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the beacon further comprises an indicia rendered for display to a user associated with the first avatar, and wherein the indicia is selectable by the user as the second indication.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the beacon further comprises an indicia rendered for display to a user associated with the first avatar, and wherein the indicia is selectable by the user as the second indication.
Claim 7 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 7 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 7
17/965,725 Claim 7
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying first media associated with the at least one media item on a display member proximate the portal member, and wherein the user engagement metric comprises one or more of: a duration of a view of the displayed first media, a continuous duration of a view of the displayed first media, legibility of the displayed first media based on first avatar distance to the displayed first media, percentage of the displayed first media that is viewable to the first avatar, or an angle of view between the displayed first media and the first avatar.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying first media associated with the at least one media item on a display member proximate the portal member, and wherein the user engagement metric comprises one or more of: a duration of a view of the displayed first media, a continuous duration of a view of the displayed first media, legibility of the displayed first media based on first avatar distance to the displayed first media, percentage of the displayed first media that is viewable to the first avatar, or an angle of view between the displayed first media and the first avatar.
Claim 8 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 8 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 8
17/965,725 Claim 8
8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium with instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by a processing device, causes the processing device to perform operations comprising: receiving virtual experience content associated with a second virtual experience, the received virtual experience content including at least one media item; presenting the received virtual experience content within the first virtual experience in a virtual user engagement portal, the virtual user engagement portal having a portal member that includes a logical connection from the first virtual experience to the second virtual experience, and wherein the portal member is displayed in both the first virtual experience and the second virtual experience; receiving first indication that a first avatar associated with a first user identifier (ID) has engaged with the portal member in the first virtual experience; transporting the first avatar to the second virtual experience from the first virtual experience responsive to the first indication; receiving second indication that the first avatar has engaged with the portal member in the second virtual experience; transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience responsive to the second indication; and assigning a user engagement metric to the at least one media item based upon the first indication and the second indication.
8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium with instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by a processing device, causes the processing device to perform operations comprising: receiving virtual experience content associated with a second virtual experience, the received virtual experience content including at least one media item; presenting the received virtual experience content within the first virtual experience in a virtual user engagement portal, the virtual user engagement portal having a portal member that includes a logical connection from the first virtual experience to the second virtual experience, and wherein the portal member is displayed in both the first virtual experience and the second virtual experience; receiving first indication that a first avatar associated with a first user identifier (ID) has engaged with the portal member in the first virtual experience; transporting the first avatar to the second virtual experience from the first virtual experience responsive to the first indication; receiving second indication that the first avatar has engaged with the portal member in the second virtual experience; transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience responsive to the second indication; and assigning a user engagement metric to the at least one media item based upon the first indication and the second indication.
Claim 9 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 9 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 9
17/965,725 Claim 9
9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the portal member comprises at least two configurations, the operations further comprising: displaying a first configuration of the at least two configurations in the first virtual experience; and displaying a second configuration of the at least two configurations in the second virtual experience.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the portal member comprises at least two configurations, the operations further comprising: displaying a first configuration of the at least two configurations in the first virtual experience; and displaying a second configuration of the at least two configurations in the second virtual experience.
Claim 10 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 10 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 10
17/965,725 Claim 10
10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, the operations further comprising: displaying a view of the second virtual experience in the first configuration; and displaying a view of the first virtual experience in the second configuration.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, the operations further comprising: displaying a view of the second virtual experience in the first configuration; and displaying a view of the first virtual experience in the second configuration.
Claim 11 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 11 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 11
17/965,725 Claim 11
11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience comprises rendering a visual transition, the visual transition comprising at least one of a fade-in transition, a fade-out then fade-in transition, a doorway transition, a swipe transition, or a drop transition.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience comprises rendering a visual transition, the visual transition comprising at least one of a fade-in transition, a fade-out then fade-in transition, a doorway transition, a swipe transition, or a drop transition.
Claim 12 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 12 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 12
17/965,725 Claim 12
12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the user engagement metric comprises one or more of: a number of purchases related to the at least one media item, a number of unique visits to the second virtual experience, and a number of revisits to the second virtual experience.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the user engagement metric comprises one or more of: a number of purchases related to the at least one media item, a number of unique visits to the second virtual experience, and a number of revisits to the second virtual experience.
Claim 13 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 13 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 13
17/965,725 Claim 13
13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise storing a first data structure associated with the first user ID in a database, the first data structure comprising a virtual experience origin location portion, a virtual currency wallet portion, and an engagement data portion, wherein assigning the user engagement metric comprises: retrieving user engagement data from the engagement data portion of the first data structure; and aggregating the retrieved user engagement data with other engagement data associated with the at least one media item.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise storing a first data structure associated with the first user ID in a database, the first data structure comprising a virtual experience origin location portion, a virtual currency wallet portion, and an engagement data portion, wherein assigning the user engagement metric comprises: retrieving user engagement data from the engagement data portion of the first data structure; and aggregating the retrieved user engagement data with other engagement data associated with the at least one media item.
Claim 14 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 14 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 14
17/965,725 Claim 14
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise displaying first media associated with the at least one media item on a display member proximate the portal member, and wherein the user engagement metric comprises one or more of: a duration of a view of the displayed first media, a continuous duration of a view of the displayed first media, legibility of the displayed first media based on first avatar distance to the displayed first media, percentage of the displayed first media that is viewable to the first avatar, or angle of view between the displayed first media and the first avatar.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise displaying first media associated with the at least one media item on a display member proximate the portal member, and wherein the user engagement metric comprises one or more of: a duration of a view of the displayed first media, a continuous duration of a view of the displayed first media, legibility of the displayed first media based on first avatar distance to the displayed first media, percentage of the displayed first media that is viewable to the first avatar, or angle of view between the displayed first media and the first avatar.
Claim 15 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 15 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 15
17/965,725 Claim 15
15. A system comprising: a memory with instructions stored thereon; and a processing device, coupled to the memory and operable to access the memory, wherein the instructions when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations including: receiving virtual experience content associated with a second virtual experience the received virtual experience content including at least one media item; presenting the received virtual experience content within the first virtual experience in a virtual user engagement portal, the virtual user engagement portal having a portal member that includes a logical connection from the first virtual experience to the second virtual experience, and wherein the portal member is displayed in both the first virtual experience and the second virtual experience; receiving first indication that a first avatar associated with a first user identifier (ID) has engaged with the portal member in the first virtual experience; transporting the first avatar to the second virtual experience from the first virtual experience responsive to the first indication; receiving second indication that the first avatar has engaged with the portal member in the second virtual experience; transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience responsive to the second indication; and assigning a user engagement metric to the at least one media item based upon the first indication and the second indication.
15. A system comprising: a memory with instructions stored thereon; and a processing device, coupled to the memory and operable to access the memory, wherein the instructions when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations including: receiving virtual experience content associated with a second virtual experience the received virtual experience content including at least one media item; presenting the received virtual experience content within the first virtual experience in a virtual user engagement portal, the virtual user engagement portal having a portal member that includes a logical connection from the first virtual experience to the second virtual experience, and wherein the portal member is displayed in both the first virtual experience and the second virtual experience; receiving first indication that a first avatar associated with a first user identifier (ID) has engaged with the portal member in the first virtual experience; transporting the first avatar to the second virtual experience from the first virtual experience responsive to the first indication; receiving second indication that the first avatar has engaged with the portal member in the second virtual experience; transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience responsive to the second indication; and assigning a user engagement metric to the at least one media item based upon the first indication and the second indication.
Claim 16 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 16 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 16
17/965,725 Claim 16
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the received virtual experience content is associated with a second user ID of the virtual experience platform, the operations further comprising: receiving a purchase request for a virtual item in the second virtual experience; and completing the purchase request, wherein the purchase request includes a virtual currency amount displayed in association with the virtual item in the second virtual experience.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the received virtual experience content is associated with a second user ID of the virtual experience platform, the operations further comprising: receiving a purchase request for a virtual item in the second virtual experience; and completing the purchase request, wherein the purchase request includes a virtual currency amount displayed in association with the virtual item in the second virtual experience.
Claim 17 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 17 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 17
17/965,725 Claim 17
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the virtual item is associated with a physical item, wherein attributes of the physical item are displayed in the second virtual experience, the operations further comprising: completing a transaction at the virtual experience platform, the transaction including the physical item.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the virtual item is associated with a physical item, wherein attributes of the physical item are displayed in the second virtual experience, the operations further comprising: completing a transaction at the virtual experience platform, the transaction including the physical item.
Claim 18 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 18 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 18
17/965,725 Claim 18
18. The system of claim 15, wherein the second virtual experience is a virtual marketplace that includes the at least one media item, and wherein the user engagement metric comprises at least one of: an amount of time spent in the virtual marketplace or a purchase associated with the at least one media item.
18. The system of claim 15, wherein the second virtual experience is a virtual marketplace that includes the at least one media item, and wherein the user engagement metric comprises at least one of: an amount of time spent in the virtual marketplace or a purchase associated with the at least one media item.
Claim 19 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 19 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 19
17/965,725 Claim 19
19. The system of claim 15, wherein the user engagement metric comprises one or more of: a number of purchases related to the at least one media item, a number of unique visits to the second virtual experience, and a number of revisits to the second virtual experience.
19. The system of claim 15, wherein the user engagement metric comprises one or more of: a number of purchases related to the at least one media item, a number of unique visits to the second virtual experience, and a number of revisits to the second virtual experience.
Claim 20 is determined to be obvious in light of Claim 20 of 17/965,725 (now is US patent US 12051169 B2) based on reasons below for having similar limitations.
Instant application Claim 20
17/965,725 Claim 20
20. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise storing a first data structure associated with the first user ID in a database, the first data structure comprising a virtual experience origin location portion, a virtual currency wallet portion, and an engagement data portion, wherein assigning the user engagement metric comprises: retrieving user engagement data from the engagement data portion of the first data structure; and aggregating the retrieved user engagement data with other engagement data associated with the at least one media item.
20. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise storing a first data structure associated with the first user ID in a database, the first data structure comprising a virtual experience origin location portion, a virtual currency wallet portion, and an engagement data portion, wherein assigning the user engagement metric comprises: retrieving user engagement data from the engagement data portion of the first data structure; and aggregating the retrieved user engagement data with other engagement data associated with the at least one media item.
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.
[AltContent: ]Claim 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 12, 13, 15, 19, 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Singh et al. (US 20190005717 A1, hereinafter Singh) in view of Hamilton II et al. (US 20100145797 A1, hereinafter Hamilton).
Regarding Claim 15, Singh teaches a system comprising: a memory with instructions stored thereon (Singh, Paragraph [0047], Fig. 2, "VR system 20 has a number of physical and logical components, including a central processing unit (CPU) 60, random access memory (RAM) 64"; Paragraph [0031], "computer readable media such as storage media, computer storage media, or data storage devices (removable and/or non-removable) such as, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks, or tape. Computer storage media may include volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information, such as computer readable instructions"); and a processing device, coupled to the memory and operable to access the memory, wherein the instructions when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations including (Singh, Paragraph [0047], Fig. 2, "VR system 20 has a number of physical and logical components, including a central processing unit (CPU) 60, random access memory (RAM) 64...CPU 60 executes an operating system and other software"; Paragraph [0031], "Any method, application or module herein described may be implemented using computer readable/executable instructions that may be stored or otherwise held by such computer readable media and executed by the one or more processors"): receiving virtual experience content associated with a second virtual experience the received virtual experience content including at least one media item (Singh, Paragraph [0042], "VR system 20 further stores VR experience definitions (referred to herein as definitions) that define the space-time interpretation of web pages, termed VR experiences (referred to herein as experiences)"; Paragraph [0043), "The media assets could be any of text, image, video, audio, 3D objects or other consumable information-based data"); presenting the received virtual experience content within the first virtual experience in a virtual user engagement portal, the virtual user engagement portal having a portal member that includes a logical connection from the first virtual experience to the second virtual experience, and wherein the portal member is displayed in both the first virtual experience and the second virtual experience (Singh, Paragraph [0049], Abstract, "generating a portal <read on portal member> in the first VR immersive space <read on first virtual experience>, the first VR immersive space having a first website displayed on a surface of the first VR immersive space associating an internet link to the second VR immersive space <read on logical connection from the first virtual experience to the second virtual experience> with the portal"; Paragraph [0049], Fig. 6, "Navigation via links between webpages, which can be represented in the VR space as rooms, is accomplished by accessing portals...An exemplary portal 1202 is shown in FIG. 6 linking the exemplary space 1204 to another destination space 1206"; Paragraph [0251], "In some cases, once the user virtually arrives in the linked VR immersive space, the originating VR immersive space remains visible in the portal, which is now located in the linked VR immersive space <read on the portal member is displayed in both the first virtual experience and the second virtual experience>"; receiving first indication that a first avatar associated with a first user identifier (ID) has engaged with the portal member in the first virtual experience (Singh, Paragraph [0050], Fig. 4, Step 1102, "the user steps into or selects the portal <read on first avatar has engaged with the portal member>"); transporting the first avatar to the second virtual experience from the first virtual experience responsive to the first indication (Singh, Paragraph [0050], Fig. 4, Steps 1108, 1110, "The application renders the destination room <read on second virtual experience> at block 1108 and places the user <read on transporting the first avatar> at the destination room entrance with the orientation defined in the destination room definition at block 1110"); receiving second indication that the first avatar has engaged with the portal member in the second virtual experience (Singh, Paragraph [0251], "once the user virtually arrives in the linked VR immersive space, the originating VR immersive space remains visible in the portal, which is now located in the linked VR immersive space. Selecting this portal again <read on receiving second indication that the first avatar has engaged with the portal member in the second virtual experience>"); transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience responsive to the second indication (Singh, Paragraph [0251], "Selecting this portal again will virtually transport the user back to the originating VR immersive space <read on transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience responsive to the second indication>"); [[ assigning a user engagement metric to the at least one media item based upon the first indication and the second indication ]].
Singh does not explicitly but Hamilton teaches assigning a user engagement metric to the at least one media item based upon the first indication and the second indication (Hamilton, Paragraph [0024], Abstract, "allows an avatar to select an advertisement <read on media item>, which teleports <read on transporting> the avatar from a first location to a second location"; Paragraph [0044], "For example, the Inventory Analysis System 26 scans an avatar's inventory, the Historical Analysis System 28 is configured to scan an avatar's teleportation history <read on first indication and second indication>"; Paragraph [0056], Fig. 6, Step 610, "The Ratings Analysis System 34 is configured to determine the most popular advertisements <read on assigning a user engagement metric> and/or objects within the VU...The popularity of an advertisement, which may be associated with a type of object, can depend on a number of different factors such as, for example, the number of times the advertisement has been selected <read on user engagement metric based upon the first indication and the second indication>").
Hamilton and Singh are analogous since both of them are dealing with virtual reality environments where avatars navigate between different virtual spaces through selectable portals or teleportation mechanisms. Singh provided a way of linking first and second VR immersive spaces through portals that allow users to transport their avatars between the spaces by selecting or walking through the portals, where the portals display previews of destination spaces and remain visible after transport showing the originating space. Hamilton provided a way of tracking avatar interactions and teleportation activities within virtual universes to generate metrics for advertisements, including monitoring when avatars select advertisements that cause teleportation and using such selection data to determine advertisement popularity and effectiveness. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the user engagement metric assignment based on avatar teleportation interactions taught by Hamilton into modified invention of Singh such that when avatars engage with portal members to transport between first and second virtual experiences, the system tracks these engagement activities and assigns engagement metrics to media items displayed in connection with the portals. The motivation is to enable content providers and advertisers in the VR platform to measure the effectiveness of media items presented in portals by quantifying user interactions, thereby allowing optimization of content presentation and enabling remuneration models based on actual user engagement with the media items as discussed by Hamilton in Paragraphs [0024], [0026], and [0035].
Regarding Claim 19, The combination of Singh and Hamilton teaches the invention of Claim 15.
The combination further teaches wherein the user engagement metric comprises one or more of a number of purchases related to the at least one media item, a number of unique visits to the second virtual experience, and a number of revisits to the second virtual experience (Hamilton, Paragraph [0063], "an avatar that selects the advertisement and/or purchases an object as a result of the advertisement may receive a set amount of remuneration or a certain percentage of the remuneration" [0009], "users may have a business experience by purchasing items within a VU using real or virtual currency. These purchases can range from a beverage to a designer sweater or even a new car for the user's avatar to drive in the VU" [0046], "The Historical Analysis System 28 is configured to scan the user's teleportation history"; [0056], "The Ratings Analysis System 34 is configured to determine the most popular advertisements and/or objects within the VU...The popularity of an advertisement, which may be associated with a type of object, can depend on a number of different factors such as, for example, the number of times the advertisement has been selected <read on number of unique visits and number of revisits to the second virtual experience>").
As explained in rejection of claim 15, the obviousness for combining of the engagement metric tracking system of Hamilton into Singh is provided above.
Regarding Claim 1, it recites limitations similar in scope to the limitations of Claim 15 but as a method and the combination of Singh and Hamilton teaches all the limitations as of Claim 15. Therefore is rejected under the same rationale.
Regarding Claim 5, the combination of Singh and Hamilton teaches the invention of Claim 1.
The combination further teaches wherein the portal member is a beacon displayed in both the first virtual experience and the second virtual experience (Singh, Paragraph [0048], "Links between webpages can be represented as portals, wormholes or rips in the ether and are used to link andnavigate between VR experiences. Portals have a number of attributes that define their shape, visual appearance <read on beacon> and controls that determine the space-time entry and exit into and from linked VR experiences"; [0049], "The placement of portals <read on beacon> within rooms permits navigation between rooms"; Paragraph , "once the user virtually arrives in the linked VR immersive space, the originating VR immersive space remains visible in the portal <read on beacon>, which is now located in the linked VR immersive space <read on beacon displayed in both the first virtual experience and the second virtual experience>").
Regarding Claim 6, the combination of Singh and Hamilton teaches the invention of Claim 5.
The combination further teaches wherein the beacon further comprises an indicia rendered for display to a user associated with the first avatar (Singh, Abstract, "providing a preview of the second VR immersive space on a surface of the portal <read on beacon> located in the first VR immersive space" <read on indicia rendered for display to a user associated with the first avatar>; Paragraph, [0010], "providing the preview of the second VR immersive space comprises displaying at least a portion of the second website on at least portion of the surface of the portal" <read on indicia comprising preview displayed on beacon surface>), and wherein the indicia is selectable by the user as the second indication (Singh, Abstract, "virtually placing a user in the second VR immersive space when the portal is selected by the user" <read on indicia is selectable by the user as the second indication>; Paragraph (0050], "At block 1102, the user steps into or selects the portal" <read on selectable indicia>).
Regarding Claim 7, the combination of Singh and Hamilton teaches the invention of Claim 1.[AltContent: ]
The combination further teaches displaying first media associated with the at least one media item on a display member proximate the portal member (Singh, Paragraph 0049, "generating a portal in the first VR immersive space, the first VR immersive space having a first website displayed on a surface of the first VR immersive space"; Paragraph 0010, "providing a preview of the second VR immersive space on a surface of the portal located in the first VR immersive space" (read on displaying first media associated with the at least one media item on a display member proximate the portal member)).
Singh does not explicitly disclose but Hamilton teaches wherein the user engagement metric comprises one or more of: a duration of a view of the displayed first media, a continuous duration of a view of the displayed first media, legibility of the displayed first media based on first avatar distance to the displayed first media, percentage of the displayed first media that is viewable to the first avatar, or an angle of view between the displayed first media and the first avatar (Hamilton, Paragraph 0056, "The popularity of an advertisement, which may be associated with a type of object, can depend on a number of different factors such as, for example, the number of times the advertisement has been selected, the average length of time avatars watch and/or listen to the advertisement" (read on a duration of a view of the displayed first media and a continuous duration of a view of the displayed first media); Paragraph 0059, "In embodiments, the analysis systems may also consider whether an advertisement will actually be seen by an avatar before running the analysis systems and/or displaying advertisements. For example, if an avatar is running past a billboard at a considerable speed, then the avatar is very unlikely to see the advertisement on the billboard... Additionally, in another example where there is a considerable virtual distance between the advertisement and the avatar, e.g., the advertisement is too remote to be viewed by the avatar, there may be no need to display the advertisement" (read on legibility of the displayed first media based on first avatar distance to the displayed first media and percentage of the displayed first media that is viewable to the first avatar)).
As explained in the rejection of Claim 1, Hamilton and Singh are analogous arts and the motivation for combining Hamilton's engagement metric tracking system into Singh's portal-based virtual reality navigation system has been provided above.
Regarding Claim 8, it recites limitations similar in scope to the limitations of claim 15 and the combination of Singh and Hamilton teaches all the limitations as of Claim 15. And Singh discloses these features can be implemented on a computer-readable storage medium (Singh, Paragraph [0031], "Any module, unit, component, server, computer, terminal, engine or device exemplified herein that executes instructions may include or otherwise have access to computer readable media such as storage media, computer storage media, or data storage devices… Any method, application or module herein described may be implemented using computer readable/executable instructions that may be stored or otherwise held by such computer readable media and executed by the one or more processors”).
Regarding Claim 9, the combination of Singh and Hamilton teaches the invention of Claim 8.
The combination further teaches wherein the portal member comprises at least two configurations, the operations further comprising: displaying a first configuration of the at least two configurations in the first virtual experience (Singh, Paragraph [0010], "providing a preview of the second VR immersive space on a surface of the portal located in the first VR immersive space"); and displaying a second configuration of the at least two configurations in the second virtual experience (Singh, Paragraph [0251], "In some cases, once the user virtually arrives in the linked VR immersive space, the originating VR immersive space remains visible in the portal, which is now located in the linked VR immersive space").
Regarding Claim 10, the combination of Singh and Hamilton teaches the invention of Claim 9.
The combination further teaches displaying a view of the second virtual experience in the first configuration (Singh, Paragraph [0010], "providing a preview of the second VR immersive space" where "second VR immersive space" <read on the second virtual experience>, "on a surface of the portal located in the first VR immersive space" where "portal located in the first VR immersive space"<read on the first configuration>); displaying a view of the first virtual experience in the second configuration (Singh, Paragraph 0251, "once the user virtually arrives in the linked VR immersive space, the originating VR immersive space remains visible in the portal, which is now located in the linked VR immersive space" where "originating VR immersive space" <read on the first virtual experience> and "portal, which is now located in the linked VR immersive space" <read on the second configuration>).
Regarding Claim 12, it recites limitations similar in scope to the limitations of Claim 19 and therefore is rejected under the same rationale.
Regarding Claim 13, the combination of Singh and Hamilton teaches the invention of Claim 8.
The combination further teaches storing a first data structure associated with the first user ID in a database (Hamilton, Figure 1, "Avatar database 44" within "Storage System 50"; Paragraph 0032, "The avatar database 44 may comprise, e.g., inventory information, past teleportation activities, and past motion information" where "avatar database 44" <read on the database> and the stored information for each avatar <read on a first data structure associated with the first user ID>). the first data structure comprising a virtual experience origin location portion (Hamilton, Paragraph 0032, "The avatar database 44 may comprise, e.g., inventory information, past teleportation activities" where "past teleportation activities" <read on virtual experience origin location portion> as teleportation activities inherently include location information about where the avatar has been in the virtual universe). a virtual currency wallet portion (Hamilton, Paragraph 0035, "The remuneration may take the form of real currency, virtual currency, barter, credit systems, etc." where "virtual currency" <read on virtual currency wallet portion> as the system must store virtual currency information for avatars receiving remuneration). an engagement data portion (Hamilton, Paragraph 0056, "The popularity ofan advertisement, which may be associated with a type of object, can depend on a number of different factors such as, for example, the number of times the advertisement has been selected, the average length of time avatars watch and/or listen to the advertisement" where the tracked information about avatar interactions with advertisements <read on engagement data portion>). wherein assigning the user engagement metric comprises: retrieving user engagement data from the engagement data portion of the first data structure (Hamilton, Paragraph 0056, the system determines advertisement popularity by analyzing "the number of times the advertisement has been selected, the average length of time avatars watch and/or listen to the advertisement" where retrieving this tracked data <read on retrieving user engagement data from the engagement data portion>). aggregating the retrieved user engagement data with other engagement data associated with the at least one media item (Hamilton, Paragraph 0056, "The popularity of an advertisement, which may be associated with a type of object, can depend on a number of different factors such as, for example, the number of times the advertisement has been selected, the average length of time avatars watch andor listen to the advertisement" where combining multiple engagement metrics (number of selections and duration of viewing) <read on aggregating the retrieved user engagement data with other engagement data>).
As explained in rejection of Claim 8, the obviousness for combining of the user engagement patterns tracking of Hamilton into Signh is provided above.
Regarding Claim 20, it recites limitations similar in scope to the limitations of Claim 13 and therefore is rejected under the same rationale.
Claim 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Singh et al. (US 2019/0005717 A1, hereinafter Singh) in view of Hamilton II et al. (US 2010/0145797 A1, hereinafter Hamilton) as applied to Claim 1 above and further in view of Crowe et al. (US 20120011002 A1, hereinafter Crowe).
Regarding Claim 2, the combination of Singh and Hamilton teaches the invention in Claim 1.
The combination does not explicitly disclose but Crowe teaches selecting the at least one media item based on the first user ID and displaying at least a portion of the selected at least one media item based on preferences associated with the first user ID (Crowe, Abstract, "presenting on a first end user device, a first personalized advertisement <read on at least one media item> in a first avatar's view of a virtual world and presenting on a second end user device, a second personalized advertisement <read on at least one media item> in a second avatar's view of the virtual world"; Paragraph [0015], "each player in a virtual world has an associated data profile <read on first user ID> including but not limited to profile data indicating which data types for advertisements which have attracted each player's interest in the past <read on preferences associated with the first user ID>. The data types include but are not limited to video, audio, text and image advertisements"; [0030], "Personalized advertising data, used to customize an advertisement so that it is personal to the particular end user <read on selecting the at least one media item based on the first user ID>, are downloaded to an end user device and stored in a data base at the end user device to which the advertisement personalization data pertains")
Crowe and Singh are analogous since both of them are dealing with virtual world environments where avatars navigate through virtual spaces and interact with advertising content. Singh provided a way of presenting media items in portals linking virtual reality spaces. Crowe provided a way of selecting and displaying personalized advertisements to avatars based on user profiles containing preference data. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the personalized advertisement selection system taught by Crowe into the modified invention of Singh such that media items presented in portals are selected and displayed based on user identifiers and associated preferences to improve advertisement targeting and user engagement.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Singh et al. (US 2019/0005717 A1, hereinafter Singh) in view of Hamilton II et al. (US 2010/0145797 A1, hereinafter Hamilton) as applied to Claim 1 above and further in view of Bhandari et al. (US 20080300974 A1, hereinafter Bhandari).
Regarding Claim 3, the combination of Singh and Hamilton teaches the invention of Claim 1.
The combination does not explicitly disclose but Bhandari teaches determining a cost per transport associated with the received virtual experience content; and determining a payout to a third party based on the cost per transport and the user engagement metric (Bhandari, Abstract, "An advertising system manager, a partner and one or more participating publishers may collectively agree on a revenue sharing arrangement, based on revenue generated from ad conversions"; Paragraph [0027], "The targeted ads may be administered by the advertising system manager 104, and may generate revenue on either a cost-per-click <read on cost per transport>, cost-per-thousand-impressions, cost-per-action or other basis as defined by the advertiser 102 and/or advertising system manager 104. Based on the gross revenue generated from the advertisers 102, the advertising system manager 104 may determine the compensation rules, and how the gross revenue is distributed among the ad campaign participants"; [0005], "The advertising system manager, participating publisher and partner <read on third party> also may collectively agree on a revenue sharing policy, based on the revenue generated from users viewing ads associated with one or more ad campaigns (e.g., based on conversion rates) <read on based on the user engagement metric>").
Bhandari and Singh are analogous since both of them are dealing with systems where users navigate between different locations through selectable links and interact with media content. Singh provided a way of transporting users between virtual spaces through portals with media content. Bhandari provided a way of determining costs per user interaction event and distributing revenue among participants based on those costs and user engagement metrics. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the cost determination and payout system taught by Bhandari into modified invention of Singh such that transport events via portal members would have associated costs and payouts to third parties would be determined based on those costs and user engagement metrics.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Singh et al. (US 2019/0005717 A1, hereinafter Singh) in view of Hamilton II et al. (US 2010/0145797 A1, hereinafter Hamilton) as applied to Claim 1 above and further in view of Nicol, II et al. (US 8,659,623 B2, hereinafter Nicol).
Regarding Claim 4, the combination of Singh and Hamilton teaches the invention of Claim 1.
The combination does not explicitly disclose but Nicol teaches wherein transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience comprises determining that a threshold amount of time has elapsed after the first indication and transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience responsive to the determining (Nicol, Column 3, Lines 51-61, "a wormhole may have a timer and be destroyed as soon as the creator of the wormhole walks through, or may be a permanent wormhole and be governed by parameters that the creator (e.g., avatar) sets upon creation of the wormhole. For example, the creator of the wormhole may define policy management criteria for the wormhole such as, for example, defining a criteria where the wormhole is only valid for specific identified avatars, a parameter where the wormhole is password protected, a wormhole policy where only avatars that are members of a specific group are allowed to enter, a time limit on the active life of the wormhole <read on threshold amount of time>"; Column 5, Lines 16-19, "a first avatar may desire to leave a wormhole destination 303 and may be automatically transported back <read on transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience responsive to the determining> to a location 301 of the wormhole where the first avatar entered").
Nicol and Singh are analogous since both of them are dealing with virtual world systems where avatars transport between different virtual locations through portals or wormholes. Singh provided a way of transporting avatars between virtual spaces through portals with bidirectional transport capability. Nicol provided a way of defining time-based policies including lifecycles and timers for wormholes that govern automatic avatar transport back to original locations. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the time-based wormhole policy system taught by Nicol into modified invention of Singh such that portal members would have time thresholds and avatars would be automatically transported back to the first virtual experience after the threshold time elapsed.
[AltContent: ]Claim 16, 17, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Singh et al. (US 20190005717 A1, hereinafter Singh) in view of Hamilton II et al. (US 20100145797 A1, hereinafter Hamilton) as applied to Claim 15 above and further in view of Van Luchene et al. (US 20070087831 A1, hereinafter Van Luchene).
Regarding Claim 16, the combination of Singh and Hamilton teaches the invention of Claim 15.
The combination does not explicitly disclose but Van Luchene teaches wherein the received virtual experience content is associated with a second user ID of the virtual experience platform, the operations further comprising receiving a purchase request for a virtual item in the second virtual experience and completing the purchase request, wherein the purchase request includes a virtual currency amount displayed in association with the virtual item in the second virtual experience (Van Luchene, Paragraph [0002], "hundreds of thousands of players access games known as massive multi player online games (MMOGs). Players of these games customarily access a game repeatedly" ;[0009], "Game Environment-an online game such as World of Warcraft or a virtual community such as Second Life" [0013], "Virtual Environment-an online game such as World of Warcraft or a virtual community such as Second Life"; [0066], "Player-shall mean an individual who can register an account (read on: second user ID) with a Video Game Central Server or within a peer-to-peer network and create Characters that can interact with other Characters in a Video Game Environment"; (0151], "For example, a player purchasing a game item in an in game exchange can elect to pay real or virtual money during the transaction. The exchange interface offers the choice between purchasing the item for real or virtual cash and the value of the item in real and virtual cash is displayed. If the player selects virtual cash, the amount is debited from his virtual cash account"; (0166], "In an online game, a player character can open a screen or pop up window to purchase items from the game server or other player characters. The screen allows the player character to view the item for sale, and purchase the item with either virtual currency or real currency. The game server receives the desired item to purchase, retrieves the virtual currency price for the item, converts the virtual currency price into a real currency price based on a current exchange rate, and outputs the virtual and real currency price to the player character. The player character can choose whether he wants to make the purchase with real or virtual currency. If the player character selects virtual currency, the virtual currency amount is debited from his virtual currency account with the game server and the item is added to his inventory").
Van Luchene and Singh are analogous since both of them are dealing with virtual environment systems where users interact with virtual content through avatars and can navigate between different virtual locations. Singh provided a way of linking virtual reality immersive spaces through portals that allow users to transport between different virtual environments with preview functionality. Van Luchene provided a way of purchasing virtual items within a virtual environment using virtual currency, where the purchase request includes displaying the virtual currency amount associated with the item and completing the transaction by debiting the amount from the user's account. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the virtual item purchase system with virtual currency transactions taught by Van Luchene into modified invention of Singh such that when users transport to a second virtual environment through the portal system, they can receive purchase requests for virtual items displayed in that second environment and complete those purchases using virtual currency amounts displayed in association with the items. This would enable users navigating between linked virtual spaces to seamlessly conduct commercial transactions within those spaces using the virtual economy system, thereby enhancing the functionality and user experience of the interconnected virtual reality platform.
Regarding Claim 17, the combination of Singh, Hamilton and Van Luchene teaches the invention of Claim 16.
The combination further teaches further include the virtual item is associated with a physical item (Hamilton, Paragraph 0009, "users may have a business experience by purchasing items within a VU using real or virtual currency. These purchases can range from a beverage to a designer sweater or even a new car for the user's avatar to drive in the VU"; Paragraph [0026], "a user presented with an advertisement for an IBM® server may select the advertisement and be transported to a virtual store where the user can show for, e.g., IBM® servers and other computer hardware”); wherein attributes of the physical item are displayed in the second virtual experience (Hamilton, Paragraph 0026, ""a user presented with an advertisement for an IBM® server"; [0030], "Examples of locations include billboards, vending machines, store displays" where product attributes are displayed; [0033], "advertisements presented to the user 40 may be audio, aromatic, etc." and "advertisements generally have at least a partial visual component"; it is noted where attributes of physical products are presented in the virtual environment); the operations further comprising: completing a transaction at the virtual experience platform, the transaction including the physical item (Hamilton, Paragraph [0061], "Once at the new location, the user may choose to purchase the advertised product and/or service, and/or another product offered by the advertiser. For example, a user may be teleported to a clothing store and decide to purchase a sweater to wear in the VU. The actual purchase may be done using any number of payment methods such as real currency, virtual currency, barter, credit systems, etc.").
Hamilton and Singh are analogous arts dealing with virtual reality environments and navigation between virtual spaces. Singh provides a method for navigating between virtual reality experiences through portals with displayed content, enabling users to move seamlessly between interconnected virtual spaces. Hamilton provides a system for displaying advertisements for physical products in virtual environments, teleporting users to virtual stores, and completing transactions for physical items using various payment methods including real currency. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate Hamilton's e-commerce transaction system for physical goods into Singh's portal-based VR navigation platform in order to enable users to browse and purchase physical products (such as clothing, electronics, and other merchandise) while navigating between virtual spaces, thereby providing a comprehensive virtual shopping experience where users can view product attributes in immersive 3D environments and complete purchases for physical items that would be delivered in the real world.
Regarding Claim 18, the combination of Singh and Hamilton teaches the invention of Claim 15.
The combination further teaches wherein the user engagement metric comprises at least one of an amount of time spent in the virtual marketplace or a purchase associated with the at least one media item (Hamilton, Paragraph [0044], the Inventory Analysis System 26 scores the advertisements according to pre-established factors such as whether the advertisement has ever been displayed to the user the last time the advertisement was displayed how closely the advertisement relates to the users inventory etc.; [0056], "The popularity of an object may depend on the number of objects in the VU, the number of avatars possessing the object, how many objects have been recently sold, the location of the object being sold, etc. The popularity of an advertisement, which may be associated with a type of object, can depend on a number of different factors such as, for example, the number of times the advertisement has been selected, the average length of time avatars watch and/or listen to the advertisement, etc").
Hamilton and Singh are analogous since both of them are dealing with virtual environment systems where users interact through avatars and engage with content including advertisements. Singh provided a way of linking virtual reality immersive spaces where users can transport between different environments and engage with media content displayed in those spaces. Hamilton provided a way of tracking user engagement metrics in virtual environments including time spent viewing advertisements and purchase-related activities associated with advertised items. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date was made to incorporate the engagement metric taught by Hamilton into modified invention of Singh such that when users transport to a second virtual environment through the portal system, the system would track user engagement metrics including the amount of time users spend viewing media items and purchases they make associated with those media items.
But the combination of Singh and Hamilton does not explicitly disclose wherein the second virtual experience is a virtual marketplace.
However, Van Luchene teaches wherein the second virtual experience is a virtual marketplace (Van Luchene, Paragraph [0061], "In-game Marketplace-shall mean a virtual environment where Characters can exchange Attributes"; Paragraph [0202], "Player character database 52 may include information about each player character that participates, or is able to participate, in a game";[0205], "Market database 58 includes information about the items that have been offered for sale/barter/etc. in the game. Examples of information the market database may maintain includes item ID, item value, quantity available, and the items for which exchange is available"; [0166], "In an online game, a player character can open a screen or pop up window to purchase items from the game server or other player characters"; [0245], "Receive, Store and Output a request to sell a virtual item, including a virtual purchase price and one or more finance option packages that include a finance payment price, a total number of finance payments, and a schedule of when the payments are due").
Van Luchene and Singh are analogous since both of them are dealing with virtual environment systems where users navigate virtual spaces and interact with content. Singh provided a way of linking virtual reality immersive spaces where users can transport between different environments. Van Luchene provided a way of creating virtual marketplaces where characters can exchange items and conduct purchase transactions. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the virtual marketplace system taught by Van Luchene into modified invention of Singh such that the second virtual environment accessible through the portal would function as a virtual marketplace where items are displayed and characters can conduct exchange transactions. This would enable the linked virtual reality system to support commercial functionality in marketplace environments, thereby enhancing the platform's ability to facilitate commerce.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 11 is/are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims and filing the (e)Terminal Disclaimer to overcome the nonstatutory double patenting rejection specified above.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding Claim 11, the prior art of record, specifically Singh et al. (US 20190005717 A1) teaches linking a first virtual reality immersive space with a second VR immersive space through portals and virtually placing a user in the second VR immersive space when the portal is selected by the user. The prior art Hamilton II et al. (US 20100145797 A1) teaches teleporting an avatar from a first location to a second location in a virtual universe when the avatar selects an advertisement. However, none of the prior art cited alone or in combination teaches or suggests rendering a visual transition when transporting the first avatar to the first virtual experience from the second virtual experience, wherein the visual transition comprises at least one of: a fade-in transition, a fade-out then fade-in transition, a doorway transition, a swipe transition, or a drop transition. While the prior art teaches transporting or teleporting avatars between virtual locations or spaces, none of the references describe implementing specific visual transition effects during the transportation process as recited in Claim 11.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20100205035 A1 Providing Advertisements in Virtual Environments
US 20100037160 A1 Managing ephemeral locations in a virtual universe
US 20090267938 A1 Three-dimensional (3d) virtual world wormholes
US 20090144105 A1 Apparatus, method and program product for dynamically changing advertising on an avatar as viewed by a viewing user
US 10282756 B2 Managing revenue sharing bids
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/YuJang Tswei/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2614