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 .
Drawings
The drawings as submitted by Applicant on 09/15/2024 have been accepted.
Disposition of Claims
Claims 1-23 are pending in the instant application. Claims 6-13 have been elected with traverse. NO claims have been cancelled. No claims have been added. No claims have been amended. The rejection of claims 6-13 is hereby made non-final.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 8 contains the trademark/trade name Wifi. Where a trademark or trade name is used in a claim as a limitation to identify or describe a particular material or product, the claim does not comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph. See Ex parte Simpson, 218 USPQ 1020 (Bd. App. 1982). The claim scope is uncertain since the trademark or trade name cannot be used properly to identify any particular material or product. A trademark or trade name is used to identify a source of goods, and not the goods themselves. Thus, a trademark or trade name does not identify or describe the goods associated with the trademark or trade name. In the present case, the trademark/trade name is used to identify/describe a wireless communication network protocol and, accordingly, the identification/description is indefinite. Appropriate correction and/or clarification is required.
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)(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.
Claims 6-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by LeMay et al (US 2003/0176213).
Regarding claim 6, the prior art discloses a gaming system comprising: a kiosk including a processor, a database, a display and a gaming ticket validator, said processor running a slot management system; a plurality of local electronic gaming machines; and wherein said slot management system is communicatively linked to said plurality of electronic gaming machines (see at least paragraph [0119] to LeMay et al, wherein A master gaming controller 224 is used to present one or more games on the gaming machines 61, 62 and 63. The master gaming controller 224 executes a number of gaming software modules, including but not limited to virtual gaming peripheral processes, to operate gaming devices 70, such as coin hoppers, bill validators, coin acceptors, speakers, printers, lights, displays (e.g. 34) and other input/output mechanisms. The master gaming controller 224 may also execute gaming software enabling communications with gaming devices located outside of the gaming machines 61, 62 and 63, such as player tracking servers, bonus game servers, game servers and progressive game servers. These outside communications may be used by some virtual gaming peripherals such as virtual player tracking peripheral. In some embodiments, communications with devices located outside of the gaming machines may be performed using the main communication board 215 and network connections 71. The network connections 71 may allow communications with remote gaming devices via a local area network, an intranet, the Internet or combinations thereof).
Regarding claim 7, the prior art discloses the gaming system of claim 6 wherein said kiosk further includes one or more of the following: a bill dispenser; a card reader; a PIN pad; a camera; an electronic lock; a second processor; a bill validator; and an uninterruptable power supply (see at least paragraph [0019] to LeMay et al).
Regarding claim 8, the prior art discloses the gaming system of claim 6 wherein said kiosk further includes a WiFi access point for providing internet access (see at least paragraph [0119] to LeMay et al).
Regarding claim 9, the prior art discloses the gaming system of claim 6 wherein said slot management system is communicatively linked to a plurality of local electronic gaming machines in a non-casino location with no more than fifteen electronic gaming machines (see at least paragraphs [0019] and [0020] to LeMay et al).
Regarding claim 10, the prior art discloses the gaming system of claim 9 further comprising a network switch between said local electronic gaming machines and said kiosk (see at least paragraph [0120] to LeMay et al).
Regarding claim 11, the prior art discloses the gaming system of claim 7 wherein said processor manages kiosk operations and said second processor runs said slot management system (see at least paragraph [0071] to LeMay et al).
Regarding claim 12, the prior art discloses the gaming system of claim 11 wherein said processor is configured to run said slot management system and said second processor is configured to manage kiosk operations (see at least paragraph [0071] to LeMay et al).
Regarding claim 13, the prior art discloses the gaming system of claim 6 wherein said slot management system is communicatively linked to a plurality of local electronic gaming machines (see at least paragraph [0110] to LeMay et al, wherein the master gaming controller 224 may also communicate other gaming devices via a wireless communication link (not shown).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The examiner has considered all references listed on the Notice of References Cited, PTO-892.
The examiner has considered all references cited on the Information Disclosure Statement submitted by Applicant, PTO-1449.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TALIA F CRAWLEY whose telephone number is (571)270-5397. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday thru Thursday; 8:30 AM-4:30 PM EST.
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, Fahd A Obeid can be reached on 571-270-3324. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TALIA F CRAWLEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3627
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