DETAILED ACTION
Preliminary Amendment
Applicant’s submission of a preliminary amendment on 12/16/2024 has been received. In the amendment, claim 16 was canceled and claims 19-21 were added. Therefore, claims 1-15 and 17-21 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
Applicant’s submission of Information Disclosure Statements on 12/16/2024 and 3/13/2025 has been received and considered.
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 1-9, 13-15, and 17-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to abstract idea without significantly more.
2019 PEG Analysis
Step 1: Are the claims directed to a statutory category (e.g., a process, machine, etc.)
Claims 17-21 are directed to an apparatus. Claims 1-15 are directed to a process.
Step 2A (Prong 1): Does the claim recite an abstract idea, law of nature or natural phenomenon?
Yes, the claims recite an abstract idea. The following specific limitations in the claims under examination recite an abstract idea:
Controlling a virtual object (e.g., a game character) (e.g., claims 1, 17, and 18)
Discharging a prop (e.g., virtual gun in an electronic game) (e.g., claims 1, 7, 17, and 18)
Loading, updating, and organizing a sub-prop (e.g., ammo) (e.g., claims 1, 3-9, 13-15, and 17-21)
Implementing a loading trigger operation (e.g., see claim 2)
The above listed identified limitations fall within at least one of the groupings of abstract ideas enumerated in the 2019 PEG:
Mental Processes: concepts preformed in the human mind (including on observation, evaluation, judgement, opinion).
Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity: managing personal behavior or relationships or interactions or relationships of interaction between people (including social activities, teaching, and following rules or instructions.
The claims are primarily directed to rules for playing a game, wherein the game rules align with a method of organizing human activity. The steps could also be performed mentally by a human, whereby the human could select, load, and update the status of ammunition for a weapon.
Step 2A (Prong 2): Does the claim recite additional elements that integrate the judicial exception into a practical application?
Overall, the following additional claim limitations appear to merely implement the abstract idea, add insignificant extra-solution activity to the judicial exception, or generally link the judicial exception to a particular environment or field of use, as outlined below:
Displaying game information (e.g., see at least claims 1-4, 6, 8, 9, 13-15, and 17-21; insignificant extra-solution activity);
Step 2B: Does the claim recite additional elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception?
With regard to claims 1-9, 13-15, and 17-21, the claims as a whole do not amount to significantly more than the exception itself. The above listed additional claim limitations display and process game data in a well-understood, routine, and conventional way. Further, the computer hardware of claims 1, 17, and 18 (e.g., a processor, memory, and a display) are well-understood, routine, and conventional in the art.
In order to satisfy the Berkheimer factual determination of conventional elements in the art, U.S. Patent No. 7,819,742 to Chamberlain is cited for disclosing the conventional features of a game machine including processors (e.g., see at least column 11, lines 14-16) and displays (e.g., see column 7, lines 12-25).
Claim 10 recites determining a trajectory of a drag operation which recites additional elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. Claim 11 depends from claim 10. Claim 12 also includes a drag operation and a determination of the end of the drag operation. Claims 10-12 are patent eligible.
Therefore, claims 1-9, 13-15, and 17-21 are not patent eligible under 101.
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 1-13, 15, and 17-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0258442 to Yudo (Fig. 11A is reproduced below for convenience, but entire reference is relevant).
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Regarding claim 1, Yudo discloses an interaction control method for a virtual prop, comprising:
displaying a prop operation interface by a graphical user interface (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A, shown above, for a graphical user interface including a prop operation interface 616; see at least paragraph 77 that discloses an ammunition selection panel 616), the prop operation interface comprising a target virtual prop (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows a tank gun; see also paragraph 77 that discloses a tank gun, wherein the tank gun is a target virtual prop) carried by a controlled virtual object (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows a tank; see also paragraph 57 and 58 that disclose tank 702, wherein tank 702 is a controlled virtual object), and a sub-prop configuration display region (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows ammunition selection panel 616; see also paragraph 77 for discussion of ammunition selection panel 616, wherein ammunition is a sub-prop) for a sub-prop corresponding to the target virtual prop (e.g., see Fig. 11A that shows an armor piercing composite rigid shell 1104, a high explosive shell 1106, and an armor piercing shell 1108), wherein the sub-prop is configured as a prop discharged by the target virtual prop in a virtual scene (e.g., see at least paragraph 56 that discloses a fire button 618 to control firing of the weapon; Fig. 11A shows a virtual scene), and the sub-prop configuration display region is used configured for displaying a loaded sub-prop of the target virtual prop (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows loaded shell 1106; see also paragraph 77 that discloses that shell 1106 is loaded), and the graphical user interface is provided by a terminal device (e.g., see at least Fig. 2 that shows a client device 200; see also paragraph 30 that disclose a client device 200);
determining, in response to a loading operation, a target sub-prop corresponding to the loading operation, and controlling the target sub-prop to be loaded to the target virtual prop (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows loaded shell 1106; see also paragraph 77 that discloses that shell 1106 is loaded); and
updating display of display information in the sub-prop configuration display region, wherein the updated display information comprises information corresponding to the target sub-prop (e.g., see at least paragraph 48 that discusses updating the user interface);
[claim 2] wherein the loading operation comprises a trigger operation on a loading control (e.g., see Fig. 11A that shows a GUI for selection of ammunition via ammunition selection panel 616, wherein ammunition selection is equivalent to a trigger operation), and the step of determining, in response to the loading operation, the target sub-prop corresponding to the loading operation comprises:
displaying the loading control in response to a click operation on the sub-prop configuration display region (e.g., see at least paragraph 31 that discusses user input via touch interface or a mouse 225, wherein input via a mouse is equivalent to a click operation); and
determining, in response to the trigger operation on the loading control, the target sub-prop corresponding to the trigger operation (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows loaded shell 1106; see also paragraph 77 that discloses that shell 1106 is loaded);
[claim 3] wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a sub-prop storage display region (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows an ammunition selection panel 616); and the sub-prop storage display region is configured for displaying non-loaded sub-props in a prop storage equipment of the controlled virtual object (e.g., Fig. 11A that shows non-loaded shells 1104 and 1108; while shell 1106 is loaded), and the step of determining, in response to the trigger operation on the loading control, the target sub-prop corresponding to the trigger operation comprises:
determining, in response to the trigger operation on the loading control, a quantity of the target sub-props based on a remaining capacity of the target virtual prop and a quantity of the non-loaded sub-props (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows a quantity of five 1104 shells and forty-three 1108 shells; the quantity of loaded 1106 shells is not clear but also appears to right of the shell image);
sorting the non-loaded sub-props in a descending order according to penetration parameters of the non-loaded sub-props to obtain a sorting result (e.g., paragraphs 46, 75, and 82 disclose that each ammo type has a penetration value and the shells may be sorted however the user desires, including if only a single shell type is available as loaded or unloaded, then it will naturally be sorted by penetration value);
selecting the non-loaded sub-props in sequence according to the sorting result until a quantity of selected non-loaded sub-props is equal to a quantity of target bullets (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows a quantity of five 1104 shells and forty-three 1108 shells; the quantity of loaded 1106 shells is not clear but also appears to right of the shell image); and
determining the selected non-loaded sub-props as the target sub-props (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows ammunition selection panel 616; see also paragraph 77 for discussion of ammunition selection panel 616, wherein ammunition is a sub-prop);
[claim 4] wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a sub-prop storage display region, and the sub-prop storage display region is configured for displaying non-loaded sub-props in a prop storage equipment of the controlled virtual object (e.g., Fig. 11A that shows non-loaded shells 1104 and 1108; while shell 1106 is loaded), and the step of determining, in response to the loading operation, the target sub-prop corresponding to the loading operation comprises:
determining, in response to a selection operation on a non-loaded sub-prop in the sub-prop storage display region, the non-loaded sub-prop corresponding to the selection operation as a target non-loaded sub-prop (e.g., Fig. 11A that shows non-loaded shells 1104 and 1108; while shell 1106 is loaded); and
determining, in response to a drag operation on the target non-loaded sub-prop (e.g., see at least paragraph 48 that discloses that user input may be a drag operation), the target sub-prop to be loaded to the target virtual prop based on a remaining capacity of the target virtual prop and a quantity of the target non-loaded sub-props, wherein an end position of the drag operation is located in the sub-prop configuration display region (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows ammunition selection panel 616; see also paragraph 77 for discussion of ammunition selection panel 616, wherein ammunition is a sub-prop);
[claim 5] wherein the remaining capacity indicates a quantity of sub-props that are loadable to the target virtual prop and determining the target sub-prop to be loaded to the target virtual prop based on the remaining capacity of the target virtual prop and the quantity of the target non-loaded sub-props comprises:
determining a smaller one of the quantity of sub-props that are loadable to the target virtual prop and the quantity of the target non-loaded sub-props as the quantity of target sub-props (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows a quantity of five 1104 shells and forty-three 1108 shells; the quantity of loaded 1106 shells is not clear but also appears to right of the shell image);
selecting the target non-loaded sub-props in sequence according to a selection order until a quantity of selected target non-loaded sub-props is equal to a quantity of target bullets (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows ammunition selection panel 616; see also paragraph 77 for discussion of ammunition selection panel 616, wherein ammunition is a sub-prop); and
determining the selected target non-loaded sub-props as the target sub-props (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows ammunition selection panel 616; see also paragraph 77 for discussion of ammunition selection panel 616, wherein ammunition is a sub-prop);
[claim 6] wherein the sub-props correspond to a plurality of types, a prop identifier of the sub-prop corresponds to a type of the sub-prop, and the display information comprises the prop identifiers and a quantity of the loaded sub-props, and updating the display information in the sub-prop configuration display region comprises:
displaying, in the sub-prop configuration display region, prop identifiers of the updated loaded sub-props according to a loading order of the updated loaded sub- props, wherein the updated loaded sub-props comprise the target sub-prop (e.g., see Fig. 11A that shows different types of shells 1104, 1106, and 1108 that distinguished/identified by appearance);
[claim 7] wherein a display order of the updated loaded sub-props in the sub-prop configuration display region is opposite to the loading order of the updated loaded sub-props, and the method further comprises:
determining, in response to a firing discharge operation on the target virtual prop, a target fire discharge sub-prop corresponding to the firing discharge operation based on the display order of the updated loaded sub-props (e.g., see at least paragraph 56 that discloses a fire button 618 to control firing of the weapon; Fig. 11A shows a virtual scene); and
controlling the target virtual prop to fire discharge the target fire discharge sub-prop in the virtual scene (e.g., see at least paragraph 56 that discloses a fire button 618 to control firing of the weapon; Fig. 11A shows a virtual scene);
[claim 8] wherein after the displaying, in the sub-prop configuration display region, the prop identifiers of the updated loaded sub-props according to the loading order of the updated loaded sub-props, the method further comprises:
displaying, in response to a hover operation on the sub-prop configuration display region, a quantity and type of the updated loaded sub-props and a type of each of the updated loaded sub-props (e.g., see Fig. 11A that shows different types of shells 1104, 1106, and 1108 that distinguished/identified by appearance);
[claim 9] wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a sub-prop storage display region, and the sub-prop storage display region is used configured for displaying non-loaded sub-props in a prop storage equipment of the controlled virtual object and the method further comprises:
displaying an unloading control in response to a click operation on the sub-prop configuration display region (e.g., see Fig. 11A and paragraph 77 show/disclose an ammunition selection panel 616 that loads and unloads shells as selected by the user in the GUI including via clicks of mouse 225);
determining, in response to a selection operation on the unloading control, whether the remaining capacity of the prop storage equipment is greater than or equal to a quantity of loaded sub-props in the target virtual prop (e.g., when the loaded sub-prop is zero, the unloaded prop will have a greater quantity as long is its quantity is above zero);
determining, in response to the remaining capacity is greater than the quantity of loaded sub-props, the loaded sub-prop as an unloaded sub-prop if the remaining capacity is greater than the quantity of loaded sub-props (e.g., when the loaded sub-prop is zero, the unloaded prop will have a greater quantity as long its quantity is above zero);
updating a display effect of the sub-prop configuration display region, wherein the updated display effect indicates that the loaded sub-prop in the target virtual prop is empty (e.g., see at least paragraph 48 that discusses updating the user interface); and
updating a display of non-loaded bullets in the sub-prop storage display region, wherein the unloaded sub-prop is displayed in the sub-prop configuration display region after the display is updated (e.g., see at least paragraph 48 that discusses updating the user interface);
[claim 10] wherein the method further comprises:
determining, in response to monitoring that a trajectory of the drag operation is located in the sub-prop storage display region, whether the target non-loaded sub-prop matches the target virtual prop (e.g., see at least paragraph 48 that discloses that user input may be a drag operation);
controlling, if they match in response to the target non-loaded sub-prop matches the target virtual prop, the sub-prop configuration display region to be displayed in a first display format, wherein the first display format indicates that the sub-prop configuration display region is in an interactive state (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows ammunition selection panel 616; see also paragraph 77 for discussion of ammunition selection panel 616, wherein ammunition is a sub-prop);
controlling, if they do not match in response to the target non-loaded sub-prop does not match the target virtual prop, the sub-prop configuration display region to be displayed in a second display format, wherein the second display format indicates that the sub-prop configuration display region is in a disabled state (e.g., see Fig. 11A that shows ammunition selection panel, whereby the panel may be rotated to make a previously selected/loaded shell to a unload position);
controlling, in response to monitoring that a trajectory of the drag operation is located in the sub-prop configuration display region, the sub-prop configuration display region to be displayed in a third display format, wherein the third display format indicates that the sub-prop configuration display region is in an interactive response state (e.g., see at least paragraph 48 that discloses that user input may be a drag operation); and
canceling, in response to an end event of the drag operation is monitored, the display of the sub-prop configuration display region in the third display format (e.g., a user may cancel inputs by changing the input back to the previous selection);
[claim 11] wherein the sub-props correspond to a plurality of prop types the target virtual prop matches a sub-prop corresponding to a target prop type, the target prop type comprises one or more prop types and the step of determining whether the target non-loaded sub-prop matches the target virtual prop comprises:
determining whether a prop type corresponding to the target non-loaded sub-prop belongs to the target prop type corresponding to the target virtual prop (e.g., see Fig. 11A that shows an armor piercing composite rigid shell 1104, a high explosive shell 1106, and an armor piercing shell 1108);
determining, in response to the prop type corresponding to the target non-loaded sub-prop belongs to the target prop type corresponding to the target virtual prop, that the target non-loaded sub-prop matches the target virtual prop (e.g., Fig. 11A that shows non-loaded shells 1104 and 1108; while shell 1106 is loaded); and
determining, in response to the prop type corresponding to the target non-loaded sub-prop does not belong to the target prop type corresponding to the target virtual prop, that the target non-loaded sub-prop does not match the target virtual prop (e.g., see Fig. 11A that shows an armor piercing composite rigid shell 1104, a high explosive shell 1106, and an armor piercing shell 1108);
[claim 12] wherein the display information comprises prop identifiers of a plurality of loaded sub-props and the method further comprises:
updating, in response to a drag operation on a prop identifier of a first sub-prop among the plurality of loaded sub-props (e.g., see at least paragraph 48 that discloses that user input may be a drag operation), display of the prop identifiers of the loaded sub-props in the sub-prop configuration display region based on a display position of a second sub-prop corresponding to an end position of the drag operation, wherein the prop identifier of the first sub-prop among the updated prop identifiers is displayed at the end position of the drag operation (e.g., see Fig. 11A that shows different types of shells 1104, 1106, and 1108 that distinguished/identified by appearance);
[claim 13] wherein the sub-prop storage display region comprises a first sub-region and at least one a second sub-region the first sub-region displays non-loaded sub-props having a first quantity, and the method further comprises:
displaying, in response to a split operation on the non-loaded sub-props in the first sub-region, a quantity input window corresponding to the non-loaded sub-props in the first sub-region (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows a quantity of five 1104 shells and forty-three 1108 shells; the quantity of loaded 1106 shells is not clear but also appears to right of the shell image);
displaying, in response to an edit operation on the quantity input window, a quantity of sub-props corresponding to the edit operation, wherein the quantity input window comprises a confirmation control; canceling, in response to a selection operation on the confirmation control, the display of the quantity input window; and updating controlling, based on the quantity of sub-props, update of the first quantity of non-loaded sub-props in the first sub-region and displaying the non-loaded sub-props having the quantity of sub-props corresponding to the edit operation in the second sub-region (e.g., see Fig. 11A that shows a quantity of shells including 1104 and 1108, wherein firing the shells updates or edits the quantity);
[claim 15] wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a sub-prop storage display region, and the sub-prop storage display region displays prop identifiers and quantity information of non-loaded sub-props in a prop storage equipment of the controlled virtual object, and the step of determining (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A for prop identifier and quantity information), in response to the loading operation, the target sub-prop corresponding to the loading operation comprises:
displaying, in response to a selection operation on the prop identifier of the non- loaded sub-prop in the sub-prop storage display region, a target loading quantity input window corresponding to the non-loaded sub-prop (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows ammunition selection panel 616; see also paragraph 77 for discussion of ammunition selection panel 616, wherein ammunition is a sub-prop);
determining, in response to an edit operation on the target loading quantity input window, editing content corresponding to the edit operation as a target quantity of the target sub-props (e.g., see Fig. 11A that shows a quantity of shells including 1104 and 1108, wherein firing the shells updates or edits the quantity); and
updating the quantity information of the non-loaded sub-props displayed in the sub- prop storage display region based on the editing content and the quantity information (e.g., see at least paragraph 48 that discusses updating the user interface);; and
determining the non-loaded sub-prop having a quantity matching the target quantity as the target sub-prop (e.g., see at least Fig. 11A that shows a quantity of five 1104 shells and forty-three 1108 shells; the quantity of loaded 1106 shells is not clear but also appears to right of the shell image).
Claims 17 and 18 are anticipated by Yudo based on the analysis set forth above in detail for claim 1, which is similar in claim scope. Additionally, Yudo anticipates the recited features of 19-21 as set forth above in detail for claims 2, 4, and 9, which are similar in claim scope.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 14 is 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, as well as, overcoming the 101 rejection.
The prior fails to expressly disclose “dividing the updated loaded sub-props into one or more prop display groups based on a preset display quantity” and “determining, in a response to a hover operation on the sub-prop configuration display region, a next target prop display group”.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2024/0100431 to Ye discusses in-game information processing including the use of different types of virtual bullets for a virtual gun (e.g., see at least paragraph 38)
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0297003 to Gu discusses a video game that allows a user to load special ammunition (e.g., see at least paragraph 150)
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0137800 to Long discusses a video game with a menu for selecting different types of bullets that can be loaded into a virtual gun (e.g., see at least paragraph 47)
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0346113 to Sun discusses a video game with a virtual backpack interface that discusses props including multiple types of ammunition (e.g., see at least paragraph 34)
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0368461 to Ceraldi discusses a video game with customizable ammunition (e.g., see at least Fig. 12)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES S MCCLELLAN whose telephone number is (571)272-7167. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (8:30AM-5:00PM).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kang Hu can be reached at 571-270-1344. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/James S. McClellan/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
