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 .
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 1/9/25, 5/15/25, 7/15/25, 1/16/26 & 5/8/26 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-12 & 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yee et al. (US Patent Pub. 20160267746; referred to hereinafter as Yee).
Claim 1: Yee discloses a hybrid card gaming table (abstract), comprising, a cabinet comprising a playing surface defining a gaming area (figure 6), a plurality of player stations physically connected to the cabinet, wherein each of the plurality of player stations comprises a player station display, and wherein each of the plurality of player stations are arranged to enable a player to view the gaming area (figure 6, which discloses plurality of player stations with display & 0076), a dealer console comprising an interactive user interface configured to receive bet information from the plurality of player stations, provide dealer assistance, and manage payouts related to gaming events (figure 6, elements 418 and 0026 & 0078-0079, dealer console), a dealer display in communication with the dealer console, wherein the dealer display provides card information related gaming events (0077-0079), a card shoe configured to shuffle and deal cards (0065-0067) and a gaming interface provided at a first player station display, wherein the gaming interface communicates with the dealer console, and wherein the gaming interface is configured to enable a player to participate in live gaming events (0055-0056, 0075-0078 & 0082).
Claim 2: Yee discloses wherein the card shoe is a smart shoe in communication with the dealer console, and wherein a card drawn from the smart shoe is automatically read and displayed on at least one of the dealer display and the gaming interface (0056-0057 & 0078).
Claim 3: Yee discloses wherein a selection at the dealer console defines a betting window indicating at least one of: a time left to accept bets, no more bets being accepted (0153 disclose different time factors implementable during game play), and at least one gaming event result, wherein information relating to the betting window is reflected on the gaming interface (0070).
Claim 4: Yee discloses wherein the gaming interface at the player station is configured to accept a bet during the betting window defined at the dealer console (0064 & 0068).
Claim 5: Yee discloses wherein the gaming interface is configured to provide real-time card information associated with at least one of a dealer hand and a player hand (0076-0078).
Claim 6: Yee discloses wherein the plurality of player stations include five player stations, each comprising a player display, and arranged in a semi-circle around a perimeter of the gaming area (0076 & figure 7).
Claim 7: Yee discloses wherein the gaming interface comprises a plurality of selections representing at least one type of bet and an amount to bet (figure 3).
Claim 8: Yee discloses wherein the betting layout further comprises a plurality of areas representing individual hands playable against a dealer hand (0052).
Claim 9: Yee discloses wherein the dealer display displays, in real time, a current bet status for each of the plurality of player stations (0055).
Claim 10: Yee discloses wherein during a gaming event, the dealer display provides instructions regarding an action to be performed at the dealer console to operate the gaming event (0076).
Claim 11: Yee discloses wherein the action comprises a selection to cause at least one of: dealing a card, confirming a result of a hand, resolve a bet, open a betting window, close a betting window, and provide a notification to at least one player station (0065).
Claim 12: Yee discloses wherein, during a gaming event, the dealer display provides information related to each of the plurality of player stations actively playing (0079).
Claim 14: Yee discloses wherein the cabinet comprises an interior portion for housing electronic components (0076-0078).
Claim 15: Yee discloses wherein the playing surface is a felt surface comprising a design to play blackjack, baccarat, dai bacc, or another card game (0086).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yee as applied to claims above, and further in view of Piazza et al. (US Patent Pub. 20220366759; referred to hereinafter as Piazza).
Claim 13: Yee discloses a hybrid card gaming table (abstract), comprising, a cabinet comprising a playing surface defining a gaming area (figure 6), a plurality of player stations physically connected to the cabinet, wherein each of the plurality of player stations comprises a player station display, and wherein each of the plurality of player stations are arranged to enable a player to view the gaming area (figure 6, which discloses plurality of player stations with display & 0076), a dealer console comprising an interactive user interface configured to receive bet information from the plurality of player stations, provide dealer assistance, and manage payouts related to gaming events (figure 6, elements 418 and 0026 & 0078-0079, dealer console), a dealer display in communication with the dealer console, wherein the dealer display provides card information related gaming events (0077-0079). Yee, however, fails to clearly disclose the dealer display highlights an area associated with a player station requiring an action to be taken. In an analogous art, Piazza teaches a game table system which includes one or more player devices physically coupled and provides a player user interface for playing a game at the game table. Piazza further teaches that the system includes a dealer device coupled to the game table that provides a dealer user-interface for playing the game at the game table, wherein the one or more player devices and the dealer device are communicatively coupled. Piazza, additional teaches the dealer display highlights an area associated with a player station requiring an action to be taken (00179-0181 & 0194 wherein the dealer game controls can select and further be visually distinguished, e.g. color, highlighting, flashing graphics, etc.). It would have been obvious for one with ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the invention, to modify the gaming table disclosed by Yee to include dealer display highlighting an area associated with a player station requiring an action to be taken by the player, as taught by Piazza, thus improve game efficiency by allowing dealers to monitor players and when actions needs to be taken.
Examiner’s Note
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
LaDuca (10,943,429) refers to presenting a game, a player places a game play wager and one or more optional bonus bets, such as via an input receiving device of a gaming table. Seven cards are dealt to each player and a dealer. The player and dealer attempt to form a highest ranking Straight, Flush or Straight Flush hand. The outcome of the player's game play wager is determined with reference to a rank of the dealer's hand or the player's hand as compared to the dealer's hand. The optional bonus bets are resolved with reference to the rank of the player's hand. Awards for winning game play wagers or bonus bets may be awarded in accordance with a pay table or via a wheel spin or other award selection event which is initiated by the player, such as to the input receiving device.
Montgomery (20180122178) refers to side wagering system for table games includes a table controller, a dealer interface and at least one player interface, the at least one player interface including a first wager area and at least one second wager area, which permit a player to place first, second or one or more third supplemental wagers for the opportunity to win corresponding first, second or one or more third awards, such as a first, a second or a third progressive jackpot. The table controllers or multiple tables may be linked to a common award server.
The referenced citations made in the rejection(s) above are intended to exemplify areas in the prior art document(s) in which the examiner believed are the most relevant to the claimed subject matter. However, it is incumbent upon the applicant to analyze the prior art document(s) in its/their entirety since other areas of the document(s) may be relied upon at a later time to substantiate examiner's rationale of record. A prior art reference must be considered in its entirety, i.e., as a whole, including portions that would lead away from the claimed invention. W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. v. Garlock, Inc., 721 F.2d 1540, 220 USPQ 303 (Fed. Cir. 1983), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 851 (1984). However, "the prior art's mere disclosure of more than one alternative does not constitute a teaching away from any of these alternatives because such disclosure does not criticize, discredit, or otherwise discourage the solution claimed ...." In re Fulton, 391F.3d 1195, 1201,73 USPQ2d 1141, 1146 (Fed. Cir. 2004).
Conclusion
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/SUNIT PANDYA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
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