DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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 1-10 and 12-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. According to the specification, the invention relates to a method of providing a virtual environment responsive to player inputs. Exemplary claims 1, 12 and 13 includes the following underlined claim elements:
1. An image processing method, comprising: generating a line collider according to a drawing trajectory triggered by a user in a screen corresponding to a current scene, wherein the current scene comprises a plurality of virtual colliders, and the line collider comprises a plurality of box colliders with a set shape; controlling the line collider and a first virtual collider in the current scene to move in a set manner; detecting whether at least one selected from the group consisting of the line collider and the first virtual collider collides with a second virtual collider; and generating a first result in response to the at least one selected from the group consisting of the line collider and the first virtual collider colliding with the second virtual collider, and generating a second result in response to the at least one selected from the group consisting of the line collider and the first virtual collider not colliding with the second virtual collider
12. An electronic device, comprising: a processing apparatus; and a storage apparatus, configured to store a program, wherein the program, when executed by the processing apparatus, causes the processing apparatus to implement an image processing method; wherein the image processing method comprises: generating a line collider according to a drawing trajectory triggered by a user in a screen corresponding to a current scene, wherein the current scene comprises a plurality of virtual colliders, and the line collider comprises a plurality of box colliders with a set shape; controlling the line collider and a first virtual collider in the current scene to move in a set manner; detecting whether at least one selected from the group consisting of the line collider and the first virtual collider collides with a second virtual collider; and generating a first result in response to the at least one selected from the group consisting of the line collider and the first virtual collider colliding with the second virtual collider, and generating a second result in response to the at least one selected from the group consisting of the line collider and the first virtual collider not colliding with the second virtual collider
13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processing apparatus, causes to implement an image processing method; wherein the image processing method comprises: generating a line collider according to a drawing trajectory triggered by a user in a screen corresponding to a current scene, wherein the current scene comprises a plurality of virtual colliders, and the line collider comprises a plurality of box colliders with a set shape; controlling the line collider and a first virtual collider in the current scene to move in a set manner; detecting whether at least one selected from the group consisting of the line collider and the first virtual collider collides with a second virtual collider; and generating a first result in response to the at least one selected from the group consisting of the line collider and the first virtual collider colliding with the second virtual collider, and generating a second result in response to the at least one selected from the group consisting of the line collider and the first virtual collider not colliding with the second virtual collider.
The underlined claim elements above are directed to user interaction in a game environment and applying game logic to user interactions which is the court enumerated abstract idea of certain methods of organizing human activities, following rules or instructions. The various dependent claims only further detail the abstract ideas or constitute insignificant extra solution activity and consequently are also considered abstract ideas.
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because the claims do not recite additional elements that would integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. The recited “in a screen”, “processing apparatus”, “storage apparatus”, “program”, “non-transitory computer-readable medium” and “computer program” amount to implementing the abstract idea on a general purpose computer, and/or do no more than generally link the use of a judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use. Applicant’s specification states “FIG. 1 is a flowchart of an image processing method provided by embodiment I of the present disclosure. This embodiment may be applicable to a case where collision of a line collider is processed. The image processing method may be performed by an image processing apparatus which may be composed of hardware and/or software, and may be generally integrated into a device with an image processing function. The device may be an electronic device such as a server, a mobile terminal, or a server cluster”, [0033]). This supports a conclusion that the method operates in a general computing environment and that the claim provides mere instructions to apply the judicial exception on a computer. There is no improvement made to computer technology since the claims are directed to providing a virtual environment to the player and responding to player input. This is not related to a long standing problem in computer technology. Additionally, there is no practical application as there is no particular machine that is used to implement the claim language and only generic computer components are used to perform the invention. Also, there is no transformation of the machine used in the application into a different state or thing. Lastly, the claims do not attempt to apply the abstract idea in a meaningful way beyond simply using a generic computer. The various dependent claims only further detail the abstract idea or are insignificant extra solution activity and also fail to rise significantly more than the abstract ideas.
The claims do not recite additional elements, individually or in combination, that amount to significantly more than the abstract idea. As discussed above with respect to the lack of a practical application, the additional element in the claim amounts to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component. The same analysis applies here, i.e., mere instructions to apply an exception using generic computer component(s) cannot provide an inventive concept. The additional element(s) or combination of elements in the claim(s) other than the abstract idea(s) computer network system: (i) mere instructions to implement the idea on a computer, and/or (ii) recitation of generic computer structures that serves to perform generic computer functions that are well-understood, routine, and conventional activities previously known to the pertinent industry. Viewed as a whole, these additional claim element(s) do not provide meaningful limitation(s) to transform the abstract idea into a patent eligible application of the abstract idea such that the claim(s) amounts to significantly more than the abstract idea itself
Therefore, the claims are directed to an abstract idea that lacks significantly more and thus is not patent eligible.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4, 9 and 12-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Katayama et al. (pub. no. 20060094502).
Regarding claim 1, Katayama discloses an image processing method, comprising: generating a line collider according to a drawing trajectory triggered by a user in a screen corresponding to a current scene (“The position inputting means is means for inputting a position on the game image. The trace storage control means is means for storing, in storage means, trace data (372) representing a series of input positions inputted by the position inputting means”, [0010]),
wherein the current scene comprises a plurality of virtual colliders, and the line collider comprises a plurality of box colliders with a set shape (“According to a fourth aspect, in the first aspect, the on-trace movement control means updates the position data based on the trace data so that the moving character moves along the trace”, [0013]);
controlling the line collider and a first virtual collider in the current scene to move in a set manner (“According to a fifth aspect, in the first aspect, the on-trace movement control means updates the position data based on the trace data so that the moving character moves while being attracted to the trace”, [0014]);
detecting whether at least one selected from the group consisting of the line collider and the first virtual collider collides with a second virtual collider (“The movement control means is means for storing, in storage means, position data of a moving character and updating the position data based on a predetermined rule. The determination means is means for determining whether or not the moving character has contacted a trace based on the trace data and the position data”, [0010];
“For example, the moving direction of a player character PC can be controlled by the player based on the shape and direction of an operation trace (which can be called a "rainbow line" or a "rainbow belt conveyer" in the present embodiment) TR drawn by the player, and the action thereof can be specified by the player directly touching on the player character PC. For example, the moving direction of the player character PC can be changed by an operation trace based on the shape thereof when the player tries to avoid an attack from an enemy character EC that is nearing in the moving direction of the player character PC, or when the player tries to guide the player character PC onto a block BL1 floating in the air in order to collect an item IT on the block BL1. For example, the player can move the stylus 17 on the touch panel 16 to draw an operation trace TR1 extending in the upper right direction starting from a position ahead of the player character PC and ending at a position near the block BL1. While the player is drawing the operation trace TR1, the operation trace TR1 is displayed on the screen starting from the start point to the current position at which the stylus 17 is being currently on the touch panel 16. Upon lifting the stylus 17 off the touch panel 16 (this will be referred to herein as "touch-off"), the position of the last contact point on the touch panel 16 is used as the position of the end point. As the player character PC comes close to the start point of the operation trace TR1, the player character PC will be attracted to the operation trace TR1 (as if an attractive force were acting on player character PC onto the operation trace TR1). This will be referred to herein as the "attracted state". In the attracted state, the player character PC is accelerated until it reaches a predetermined speed while moving along (parallel to) the operation trace TR1. The player character PC is brought out of the attracted state near the end point of the operation trace TR1, thus successfully getting on the block BL1”, [0129];
“An image of an operation trace is produced and displayed on the LCD 12 based on the segment information of the operation trace information, which is added, altered and erased as described above. Specifically, a rainbow object having a generally rectangular shape is placed along each segment based on the segment information of the operation trace information for that segment as shown in FIG. 17, and a rainbow-colored texture is mapped onto each rainbow object, thereby producing an image of a rainbow-colored operation trace. The image of an operation trace is produced based on the segment information of the operation trace information as described above”, [0184]);
and generating a first result in response to the at least one selected from the group consisting of the line collider and the first virtual collider colliding with the second virtual collider, and generating a second result in response to the at least one selected from the group consisting of the line collider and the first virtual collider not colliding with the second virtual collider (“The on-trace movement control means is means for updating the position data so that the moving character moves according to the trace based on the trace data when it is determined by the determination means that the moving character has contacted the trace”, [0010];
“According to a third aspect, in the first aspect, the movement control means updates the position data based on the predetermined rule if it is not determined by the determination means that the moving character has contacted the trace”, [0012];
“In the first, third, fourth and fifth aspects, the on-trace movement control means may control the movement of the moving character so that the moving character attached to the trace moves along the trace, for example. For example, the moving character may move while being in contact with the trace, e.g., by rolling, walking or sliding on the trace, or a point in the moving character (e.g., the center thereof) may move on the trace. Where the moving character does not move along the trace, the moving direction of the moving character may be changed only at the instance the moving character contacts the trace”, [0015];
“FIG. 6A to FIG. 6E show how the game screen changes according to an embodiment of the present invention. While the player makes no operation, the player character PC moves by an inertial force or in a self-propelled manner along the terrain (or the ground) GR in the background image, as shown in FIG. 6A. When the player wishes to make the player character PC climb onto the floating block (or island) BL1 from the bump on the ground, the player draws a straight (or arc-shaped) operation trace TR1 extending from a point on the ground GR in front of the player character PC to the block BL1, as shown in FIG. 6B. As the player character PC comes into contact with (or comes close to) the start point of the operation trace TR1, the player character PC is attracted to the operation trace TR1 and moves along the operation trace TR1, as shown in FIG. 6C. The player character PC moves up along the operation trace TR1 irrespective of the inclination angle of the operation trace TR1, and is brought out of the attracted state at the end position of the operation trace TR1, thus getting on the block BL1”, [0039];
“While operation traces can be used to control the moving direction of the player character PC as described above, operation traces can also be used for avoiding an attack from the enemy character EC by blocking the movement of the enemy character EC with the operation traces. It is understood that many variations may be devised as to how the player draws an operation trace TR and how it affects the displayed image and that any of such variations may be selected according to the situation in the gameplay”, [0168]; collision detection with enemy character interpreted to be first virtual collider).
Regarding claim 2, Katayama discloses before generating the line collider according to the drawing trajectory triggered by the user in the screen corresponding to the current scene, the method further comprising: fusing an image with the second virtual collider to obtain a fused second virtual collider, wherein the image comprises a static image or a dynamic image (“FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C each show the relationship between the player character and an operation trace as the display on the game screen changes. Depending on the relationship between the height of the player character PC and the position of the start point of the operation trace TR, it may look awkward to see the player character PC get onto the operation trace TR. Therefore, the player character PC may collide with the operation trace TR and change its moving direction in some cases, instead of moving (or climbing) on the operation trace TR while being attracted to the operation trace TR. The determination can be made as follows. For example, it may be determined that the player character PC can get onto and move (climb) on the operation trace TR as shown in FIG. 7B if d1>d2 or d1=d2, where d1 is the vertical distance between the ground and the center of the player character PC, and d2 is the vertical distance between the ground and the start point of the operation trace TR (see FIG. 7A). If d1<d2, in which case the player character PC getting onto the operation trace TR may look awkward, it may be determined that the player character PC collides with the operation trace TR and reverses its moving direction as shown in FIG. 7C. Instead of the vertical distance between the ground and the center of the player character PC, d1 may alternatively be the vertical distance (or an approximate value thereof) between the ground and the periphery of the player character PC, or a nearby value obtained by adding an offset thereto”, [0140];
“Referring to FIG. 22, it is determined whether or not the center of the player character PC is included within a semicircular determination region whose radius is r (equal to the radius of the player character PC and whose center is at the start point P1 of a segment extending between P1 and P2 (hereinafter referred to simply as the "segment P1-P2"), after which it is determined whether or not the center of the player character PC is included within a rectangular determination region extending symmetrically along the segment P1-P2 with a width of 2r. Then, referring to FIG. 23, it is determined whether or not the center of the player character PC is included within a semicircular determination region whose center is at the start point P2 of the segment P2-P3, after which it is determined whether or not the center of the player character PC is included within a rectangular determination region extending symmetrically along the segment P2-P3. These operations are performed similarly for the other segments. In the example shown in FIG. 22 and FIG. 23, the center of the player character PC is included within the rectangular determination region along the segment P2-P3, whereby it is determined that the player character PC is in contact with the segment P2-P3”, [0194];
“If it is determined by the attraction determination that the player character PC should be attracted to the operation trace TR (i.e., start moving along the operation trace TR), the parallel vector at the time of contact is used as the new moving velocity vector based on which the player character PC is moved thereafter, as shown in FIG. 27. In this case, it is determined whether or not the distance between the center position (the position indicated by the position data) of the player character PC and the segment (the segment P2-P3 in the illustrated example) is less than a predetermined distance determined depending on the size of the player character PC (the radius r of the player character PC in the illustrated example). If so, the center position of the player character PC may be moved away from the segment as shown in FIG. 28 so that the distance between the center position of the player character PC and the segment (the segment P2-P3 in the illustrated example) is equal to the radius r of the player character PC (i.e., so that the player character PC is no longer sinking partially into the segment)”, [0199]).
Regarding claim 3, Katayama discloses in response to a drawing time reaching a timing end time, generating the line collider according to the drawing trajectory completed by the user in the screen corresponding to the current scene (“Then, the operation trace TR1 starts being gradually erased from the start point toward the end point, as shown in FIG. 6D, after the passage of a predetermined amount of time from when the player ends drawing the operation trace TR1 (or from when the player starts drawing the operation trace TR1). If the player wishes to move the player character PC onto the next block BL2, the player can draw the operation trace TR2 extending from the block BL1 to the block BL2, as shown in FIG. 6E. Then, the player character PC moves on the operation trace TR2 from the block BL1 to the block BL2. The first operation trace TR1 may be completely erased before the next operation trace TR2 is displayed so that a plurality of operation traces TR1 and TR2 are not displayed at the same time, or the operation trace TR1 may start being gradually erased from the start point toward the end point when the start point of the operation trace TR2 is rendered on the screen. Alternatively, operation trace information of an operation trace may include lifetime information representing the lifetime of each segment (or each of the starting end and the terminal end thereof). The lifetime is a predetermined amount of time (e.g., one second) measured from when the segment is stored in the W-RAM 37. Then, information of a segment (or each of the starting end and the terminal end thereof) can be erased from the W-RAM 37 upon termination of the lifetime of the segment.”, [0139]);
or in response to detecting that the user stopping drawing, generating the line collider according to the drawing trajectory completed by the user in the screen corresponding to the current scene (“When the player lifts the stylus 17 off the touch panel 16 to end the touch operation, it is determined, in step 45 during the loop of steps 31, 32, 45, 46, 42 and 43, that a continuous touch operation is not being performed and that there is no change to the touch position, whereby the process proceeds to step 47. In step 47, it is determined that a continuous touch operation has ended. Then, in step 48, the endpoint position (Pn=Pe=xn,yn) of the operation trace TR is stored in the storage area 372. Thus, a series of positions (P1 to Pn) of the operation trace TR from the start point position (P1=Ps) to the end point position (Pn=Pe) are stored in the storage area 372”, [0154]).
Regarding claim 4, Katayama discloses acquiring touch-screen points of every two adjacent frames of the user in a drawing process as a first touch-screen point and a second touch-screen point (“A preferred example of the operation trace display process will now be described. In this example, the player slides the stylus 17 on the touch panel 16 from P1 to P16, lifts the stylus 17 off the touch panel 16, and again slides the stylus 17 on the touch panel 16 from P21 to P29, as indicated by arrows in FIG. 14. Then, operation trace information as shown in FIG. 15 is stored in the operation trace data storage area 372 of the W-RAM 37. Note that "P1", "P2", "P3", . . . , as used herein represent input positions that are detected periodically (e.g., for every frame) based on the output signal from the touch panel 16. In the operation trace information, an operation trace represents a line that is approximated by a plurality of straight segments, each of which is defined by an input position being the start point thereof and another input position being the end point thereof. For example, the operation trace P1-P16 of FIG. 14 is represented by 15 segments, and the operation trace P21-P29 of FIG. 14 is represented by eight segments. The operation trace information contains, for each segment, the trace number, the segment number, the start point position, the end point position, the tangent vector and the normal vector. The trace number is a number that identifies the operation trace to which the segment belongs. Therefore, segments of an operation trace that is drawn continuously (without lifting the stylus 17 off the touch panel 16) have the same trace number”, [0172]);
taking the first touch-screen point and the second touch-screen point as two vertices with the set shape to generate a box collider with the set shape (“According to an eighth aspect, in the first aspect, the determination means determines, based on the trace data and the position data, whether or not the moving character has contacted a segment of the trace, for each segment between two input positions on the trace that are adjacent to each other in time”, [0021]),
and obtaining a plurality of box colliders; and connecting the plurality of box colliders in series to obtain the line collider (“According to a twelfth aspect, in the eleventh aspect, when it is determined that the moving character has contacted a new segment while continuously updating the position data so that the moving character is moved in a direction from one end of a previous segment at an older input position toward the other end thereof at a newer input position, the new segment being adjacent in time to the previous segment, the on-trace movement control means starts updating the position data so that the moving character is moved in a direction from one end of the new segment at an older input position toward the other end thereof at a newer input position”, [0026]).
Regarding claim 9, Katayama discloses detecting whether the at least one selected from the group consisting of the line collider and the first virtual collider collides with the second virtual collider within a set duration ([0139]).
Claims 12 and 15-17 are directed to devices that implement the methods of 1-4 respectively and are rejected for the same reasons as claims 1-4 respectively.
Claim 13 is directed to an article of manufacture containing code that implements the method of claim 1 and is rejected for the same reasons as claim 1.
Regarding claim 14, Katayama discloses acquiring touch-screen points of every two adjacent frames of the user in a drawing process as a first touch-screen point and a second touch-screen point ([0172]);
taking the first touch-screen point and the second touch-screen point as two vertices with the set shape to generate a box collider with the set shape ([0021]),
and obtaining a plurality of box colliders; and connecting the plurality of box colliders in series to obtain the line collider ([0026]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The Applicant is directed to the attached “Notice of References Cited” for additional relevant prior art. The Examiner respectfully requests the Applicant to fully review each reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAWRENCE STEFAN GALKA whose telephone number is (571)270-1386. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6-9 & 12-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dmitry Suhol can be reached at 571-272-4430. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LAWRENCE S GALKA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
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