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 .
Subject Matter Eligibility
In light of the 2019 PEG, the claims appear to meet the requirements of §101 as independent claims 1, 8, and 15, including the limitations of animate the contiguous image from occupying the plurality of columns to occupying a decreased number of columns thus decreasing the contiguous image to a decreased image, and responsive to the decreased image being occupied in a first display position, animate at the first display position an award over the decreased image to meet the return-to-player, remove the claims from the realm of abstract steps/rules of organizing human activity.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the claims at issue are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
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Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over Claims 1-18 of US Patent No. 10,726,661. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the inventions are directed to substantially similar subject matter. The subject matter claimed in the instant application is anticipated by the referenced US Patent, as follows: the difference between independent Claim 1 of instant application, 18/900158 and Claim 1 of US Patent No. 10,726,661 are highlighted in the following table.
Claim 1 of 18/900158
Claim 1 of 10,726,661
A gaming system comprising:
A gaming system comprising:
a credit input mechanism configured to receive a physical item representing a monetary value and increase a credit balance of a credit meter based on the monetary value of the received physical item;
a player interface configured to allow a player to place a wager using the credit balance;
a display comprising a plurality of symbol positions arranged in an array of symbol positions having a plurality of rows and columns;
a client device having a plurality of display positions arranged in a plurality of columns; a processor and memory storing a symbol set including game symbols that have a plurality of image segments, a subset of the plurality of image segments operable to form a contiguous image; and instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to at least:
a controller comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions, which, when executed, cause the controller to at least:
display symbols selected from a symbol set on the array of symbol positions, the symbol set comprising a plurality of image segments that are configured to form a contiguous image when they are displayed in a predetermined arrangement on the array of symbol positions;
initiate a wagering game in response to receiving a wager input from the player interface, the wager input indicative of a wager amount that is deducted from the credit balance;
receive data indicative of a randomly generated outcome meeting a return-to-player,
display at the display positions a subset of game symbols selected including the contiguous image initially occupying the plurality of columns based on the data received, animate the contiguous image from occupying the plurality of columns to occupying a decreased number of columns thus decreasing the contiguous image to a decreased image, and responsive to the decreased image being occupied in a first display position, animate at the first display position an award over the decreased image to meet the return-to-player.
determine if a plurality of symbols displayed at a subset of the plurality of symbol positions include the plurality of image segments arranged to display the contiguous image; and display an animation of the contiguous image to reveal an award, upon determining that the plurality of symbols displayed include the plurality of image segments arranged to display the contiguous image, the animation including modifying the contiguous image and displaying a modified contiguous image with a reduced number of symbol positions until the modified contiguous image is displayed in one of the plurality of symbol positions.
Furthermore, at least claims 2-4 and 9-11 of the instant application contain substantially identical claimed subject matter to claims 2-4 and 8-10 of the referenced US Patent.
Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over Claims 1-17 of US Patent No. 11,341,804. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the inventions are directed to substantially similar subject matter. The subject matter claimed in the instant application is anticipated by the referenced US Patent, as follows: the difference between independent Claim 1 of instant application, 18/900158 and Claim 1 of US Patent No. 11,341,804 are highlighted in the following table.
Claim 1 of 18/900158
Claim 1 of 11,341,804
A gaming system comprising:
A gaming system comprising:
a display device causing to be displayed a plurality of symbol positions arranged in an array of symbol positions having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns; and
a client device having a plurality of display positions arranged in a plurality of columns; a processor and memory storing a symbol set including game symbols that have a plurality of image segments, a subset of the plurality of image segments operable to form a contiguous image; and instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to at least:
a game controller including a processor and a memory storing a) a set of symbols comprising a plurality of game symbols that further include a plurality of image segments, and wherein a subset of the plurality of image segments forms a contiguous image when displayed in a predetermined arrangement on the array of symbol positions, and b) instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to at least:
receive data indicative of a randomly generated outcome meeting a return-to-player,
generate a random outcome using a random number generator,
select a plurality of symbols for display based on the random outcome,
display the plurality of symbols selected on the array of symbol positions;
display at the display positions a subset of game symbols selected including the contiguous image initially occupying the plurality of columns based on the data received, animate the contiguous image from occupying the plurality of columns to occupying a decreased number of columns thus decreasing the contiguous image to a decreased image, and responsive to the decreased image being occupied in a first display position, animate at the first display position an award over the decreased image to meet the return-to-player.
determine if the plurality of symbols selected include the subset of the plurality of image segments that forms the contiguous image,
display an animation of the contiguous image to reveal an award, upon determining that the plurality of symbols selected include the subset of the plurality of image segments that forms the contiguous image, the animation including displaying a winning message formed from the game symbols whose image segments form the contiguous image, and modify the contiguous image and display a modified contiguous image with a reduced number of symbol positions until the modified contiguous image is displayed in one of the plurality of symbol positions.
Additionally, at least claims 2-5 and 9-11 of the instant application contain substantially identical claimed subject matter to claims 2-5, 9-10, and 13 of the referenced US Patent, respectively.
Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over Claims 1-17 of US Patent No. 11,783,664. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the inventions are directed to substantially similar subject matter. The subject matter claimed in the instant application is anticipated by the referenced US Patent, as follows: the difference between independent Claim 1 of instant application, 18/900158 and Claim 1 of US Patent No. 11,783,644 are highlighted in the following table.
Claim 1 of 11,783,664
Claim 1 of 18/900158
A gaming system comprising:
A gaming system comprising:
a remote device having an array of display positions arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns; and
a server, coupled to the remote device via an interface, the server having a processor and a memory storing a) a set of symbols comprising a plurality of game symbols and some of the game symbols further include a plurality of image segments, and wherein a subset of the plurality of image segments forms a contiguous image when displayed on the array of display positions, and b) instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to at least:
a client device having a plurality of display positions arranged in a plurality of columns; a processor and memory storing a symbol set including game symbols that have a plurality of image segments, a subset of the plurality of image segments operable to form a contiguous image; and instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to at least:
receive via the interface an input indicative of wager from the remote device,
receive data indicative of a randomly generated outcome meeting a return-to-player,
communicate via the interface, when the input indicative of wager is received, with the remote device to display at the array of display positions a subset of game symbols selected based on a random outcome generated from a random number generator meeting a return-to-player, and
display at the display positions a subset of game symbols selected including the contiguous image initially occupying the plurality of columns based on the data received,
communicate with the remote device to animate the contiguous image from being displayed in the plurality of columns to being displayed in a decreased number of columns until the contiguous image is decreased to being displayed in a first display position on a first column and thereby revealing an award at the first display position on the first column to meet the return-to-player, when the subset of game symbols displayed includes the contiguous image initially occupying the plurality of columns.
animate the contiguous image from occupying the plurality of columns to occupying a decreased number of columns thus decreasing the contiguous image to a decreased image, and responsive to the decreased image being occupied in a first display position, animate at the first display position an award over the decreased image to meet the return-to-player.
Additionally, at least claims 2-7, 9-14, and 16-20 of the instant application contain substantially identical claimed subject matter to claims 2-7, 9-14, and 16-20 of the referenced US Patent, respectively.
Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over Claims 1-20 of US Patent No. 12,142,106. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the inventions are directed to substantially similar subject matter. The subject matter claimed in the instant application is anticipated by the referenced US Patent, as follows: the difference between independent Claim 1 of instant application, 18/900158 and Claim 1 of US Patent No. 12,142,106 are highlighted in the following table.
Claim 1 of 12,142,106
Claim 1 of 18/900158
A gaming system comprising:
A gaming system comprising:
at least one server operable to determine a randomly generated outcome based on a random number generator meeting a return-to-player; and
a client device coupled to the at least one server and having a plurality of display positions arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, a device processor and memory storing a symbol set, the symbol set including game symbols, some of the game symbols having a plurality of image segments, a contiguous image being formable from a subset of the plurality of image segments, and instructions, which, when executed, cause the device processor to at least:
a client device having a plurality of display positions arranged in a plurality of columns; a processor and memory storing a symbol set including game symbols that have a plurality of image segments, a subset of the plurality of image segments operable to form a contiguous image; and instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to at least:
receive data indicative of the randomly generated outcome from the server,
receive data indicative of a randomly generated outcome meeting a return-to-player,
control the display positions to display a subset of game symbols selected including the contiguous image initially occupying the plurality of columns based on the data received from the server,
display at the display positions a subset of game symbols selected including the contiguous image initially occupying the plurality of columns based on the data received,
control the display positions to animate the contiguous image from being displayed in the plurality of columns to occupying a decreased number of columns thus decreasing the contiguous image to a decreased image, and
animate the contiguous image from occupying the plurality of columns to occupying a decreased number of columns thus decreasing the contiguous image to a decreased image, and
responsive to the decreased image being occupied in a single display position, control the single display position to animate an award over the decreased image to meet the return-to-player.
responsive to the decreased image being occupied in a first display position, animate at the first display position an award over the decreased image to meet the return-to-player.
Additionally, at least claims 2-7, 9-14, and 16-20 of the instant application contain substantially identical claimed subject matter to claims 2-7, 9-14, and 16-20 of the referenced US Patent, respectively.
Prior Art
Claims 1-20 have not been rejected over prior art.
For instance, a thorough search of the prior art fails to disclose any reference or references, which, taken alone or in combination, teach or suggest, in combination with the other limitations:
“a client device having a plurality of display positions arranged in a plurality of columns; a processor and memory storing a symbol set including game symbols that have a plurality of image segments, a subset of the plurality of image segments operable to form a contiguous image; and instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to at least:
receive data indicative of a randomly generated outcome meeting a return-to-player,
display at the display positions a subset of game symbols selected including the contiguous image initially occupying the plurality of columns based on the data received,
animate the contiguous image from occupying the plurality of columns to occupying a decreased number of columns thus decreasing the contiguous image to a decreased image, and
responsive to the decreased image being occupied in a first display position, animate at the first display position an award over the decreased image to meet the return-to-player” (substantially encompassed by independent claims 1, 8, and 15).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure and is listed on the attached Notice of References Cited.
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/CHASE E LEICHLITER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
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