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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-20 have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejection.
Examiner has brought in Hirai (2019/0102998) to disclose the newly amended feature.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 7, and 10-20, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hirai (2019/0102998).
As for claim 1, Hirai discloses an interactive game room device (gaming machine 10 – fig. 1), comprising:
a wireless reader (gaming machine 10 comprising player identification card reader; [0075]) comprising:
a case (cabinet assembly 18; [0065]);
a processor (gaming controller 12) disposed within the case ([0064]);
a wireless sensor (RFID card reader) disposed within the case ([0075], [0069]);
a plurality of illumination devices (illumination lighting devices 44) disposed within the case ([0071], [0077], [0180]); and
a communication port disposed within the case, wherein the communication port is coupled to a game logic ([0065]); and
a display (display device 14 - fig. 1);
wherein the display is configured to interact with the game logic to display one or more current game states associated with the game logic on the display (Current score displayed on gaming machine display; [0190], [0199], [0201]).
As for claim 2, Hirai discloses wherein the game logic is configured to:
execute a game mode ([0074]-[0075]);
receive identification data associated with a wireless device ([0075], [0069]);
determine a player association based on the received identification data ([0074]-[0075]);
adjust a game state based on the determined player association ([0074]-[0075]); and
direct the display to indicate the adjusted game state ([0074]-[0075]).
As for claim 3, Hirai discloses wherein the identification data is received from the wireless sensor ([0075]).
As for claim 4, Hirai discloses wherein the wireless sensor receives the identification data in response to an interaction with the wireless device ([0075]).
As for claim 7, Hirai discloses wherein the game logic is configured to:
receive game data ([0062], [0177]);
generate a current game mode ([0062], [0177]);
direct the display to indicate the current game mode ([0074]-[0075]);
receive wireless signal data ([0075]);
parse the wireless signal data for identification data ([0075]);
validate the identification data ([0075]);
update the game mode based on the validated identification data ([0075]); and
direct the display to indicate the updated game mode ([0075]).
As for claim 10, Hirai discloses wherein the wireless reader and display are deployed within a single casing (cabinet assembly 18) within a game room ([0065]).
As for claim 11, Hirai fails to disclose wherein the wireless reader and display are both deployed on a pole within a game room.
The Examiner takes Official Notice that it is well known to have the wireless reader and display both deployed on a pole within a game room.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the system, as taught by Hirai, to have the wireless reader and display both deployed on a pole within a game room, as taught by Examiner’s statement of Official Notice, for the purpose of optimizing space in a crowded area.
As for claim 12, Hirai discloses wherein the wireless sensor is a radio frequency identification sensor (RFID sensor: ([0075], [0069])).
As for claim 13, Hirai discloses wherein the display is a touchscreen display and inputs received by the touch screen display are receivable by the game logic ([0075]).
As for claim 14, Hirai discloses wherein the game logic is processed by the processor ([0077], [0226]).
As for claim 15, Hirai discloses wherein the communication port is further coupled to additional interactive game room devices within a single game room ([0173]).
As for claim 16, Hirai discloses wherein the game logic is processed by a processor in an additional interactive game room device ([0173], [0192], [0193]).
As for claim 17, Hirai discloses wherein the game logic is configured to initialize a game within the single game room utilizing the interactive game room device and additional interactive game room devices ([0173], [0192]).
Claim 18 contains the limitations of claims 1-3 and is analyzed as previously discussed with respect to those claims.
Claim 19 contains the limitations of claims 1 and 13 and is analyzed as previously discussed with respect to those claims
As for claim 20, Hirai discloses wherein the game logic is located within a memory associated with the interactive game room display device ([0077]-[0079], [0088]).
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.
Claim(s) 5-6, and 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirai as applied to claims 1 and 4 above, and further in view of Ackley (8043156).
As for claim 5, Hirai fails to disclose wherein the wireless device is a wearable device.
In an analogous art, Ackley discloses wherein the wireless device is a wearable device (“wristband”: col. 8, lines 1-10).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hirai’s invention to include the abovementioned limitation, as taught by Ackley, for the advantage of easily locating the wristband.
As for claim 6, Ackley discloses wherein the wearable device is a wristband (“wristband”: col. 8, lines 1-10).
As for claim 8, Hirai fails to disclose wherein the wireless signal data is received from the wireless sensor in response to an interactive with a wearable device capable of wireless communication.
In an analogous art, Ackley discloses wherein the wireless signal data is received from the wireless sensor in response to an interactive with a wearable device capable of wireless communication (col. 8, lines 1-20).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hirai’s invention to include the abovementioned limitation, as taught by Ackley, for the advantage of seamless communication between a user wearable device and a gaming device.
As for claim 9, Hirai fails to disclose wherein the wireless reader and display are deployed as separate devices within a game room.
In an analogous art, Ackley discloses wherein the wireless reader (32- fig. 3) and display (output 28) are deployed as separate devices within a game room (fig. 3).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the system, as taught by Ackley, to have the wireless reader and display are deployed as separate devices within a game room. as taught by Examiner’s statement of Official Notice, for the purpose of optimizing space in a crowded area.
Relevant Prior Art
Oberberger (2023/0306819) discloses user can identify themselves at a game device using an RFID transponder.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SUMAIYA A CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)272-8567. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00-3:00 PM.
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SUMAIYA A. CHOWDHURY
Examiner
Art Unit 2421
/SUMAIYA A CHOWDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2421
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