DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
Applicant’s submission of an Information Disclosure Statement on 11/18/2024 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 1-20 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 12-20 are directed to an apparatus. Claims 1-11 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:
Determining an attribute value for a game (e.g., claims 1, 12, and 18)
Establishing a first slave virtual object to be in an unhealthy state (e.g., claims 1, 12, and 18)
Transitioning the first slave virtual object from the unhealthy state to a healthy state (e.g., see claims 1, 12, and 18)
Summoning the first slave virtual object (e.g., claim 2)
Inheriting a skill of a target virtual character by the first slave virtual object, aka siphoning (e.g., claims 3-5, 11, 13-15, and 19)
Switching forms of the first virtual object from a first form to a second form (e.g., claims 6-10, 16, 17, and 20)
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.
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:
Presenting (i.e., displaying) game information (e.g., see at least claims 1, 7-9, 12, 17, and 18, insignificant extra-solution activity);
Receiving user input (e.g., see at least claims 1, 10, 12, and 18, 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 1-20 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 claim 1 (e.g., a processor and presentation assembly) 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 gaming machines including processors (e.g., see at least column 11, lines 14-16) and displays (e.g., see column 7, lines 12-25). Therefore, claims 1-20 are not patent eligible under 101.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 12, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the video game Mass Effect published by Microsoft Game Studios on November 20, 2007 in view of the video game Fortnite published by Epic Games in an update in December 2018 in a standalone Solo limited time mode.
As initial matter, the rejection is based on the actual published video games, but will be evidenced by additional supporting documents that are also prior art.
Mass Effect is evidenced by a Wiki article (Wiki Mass Effect), available online: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_Effect) and a Youtube video by Fextralife, titled Mass Effect Legendary Edition Tips and Tricks Guide: 10 Things You Should Know (Mass Effect 1) dated May 14, 2021. Fextralife available online (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RtWLj7WWVM).
With regard to claim 1, Mass Effect discloses a method comprising: outputting for display on a display device (e.g., see Fextralife at 8:35 shows game play on a display device), a master virtual character (e.g., see Fextralife at 5:32 that shows the main virtual character standing in front of two squad teammates, that are equivalent to slave virtual objects) and a first slave virtual object located in a virtual scene (e.g., see Fextralife at 5:32 that shows the main virtual character standing in front of two squad teammates, that are equivalent to slave virtual objects); determining an attribute value of the first slave virtual object being less than a first threshold (e.g., see Fextralife at 8:42 that shows game play with health and shield indicators shown as line meters for each slave virtual object at the bottom center of the display screen, wherein the main characters health and shield indicators are displayed larger and above the slave virtual objects health and shield indicators); responsive to the determining, establishing the first slave virtual object to be in an unhealthy state (e.g., see Fextralife at 8:42 that shows game play with health and shield indicators shown as line meters for each slave virtual object at the bottom center of the display screen, wherein the main characters health and shield indicators are displayed larger and above the slave virtual objects health and shield indicators); and receiving user input initiating an interaction operation of the master virtual character on a target virtual character (e.g., see Fextralife at 8:42 that shows game display where the main virtual character is targeting a target virtual character), the target virtual character being a virtual character redeemed or defeated by the master virtual character (e.g., see Fextralife at 8:42 that shows game display where the main virtual character is targeting a target virtual character; transitioning the first slave virtual object from the unhealthy state to a healthy state (Mass Effect regenerates health for virtual characters over time when not being damaged by an enemy attack).
Regarding claim 2, Mass Effect discloses summoning, in the sense that the slave virtual objects always follow the main virtual object.
Mass Effect fails to expressly disclose the game concept of “siphoning” where a character’s health value is increased upon elimination of an enemy character. As mentioned above, Mass Effect replenishes a character’s health over time during game play if damaged, but not eliminated). Other known forms of health replenishment, include using a health object or being actively revived.
In the same field of endeavor, Fortnite teaches the use of siphoning health replenishment as evidenced by a Youtube video by hacz, titled How to get SIPHON FOR GETTING AN ELIMINATION in Fortnite Creative (tutorial) dated August 18, 2021 (e.g., see hacz at 0:46-0:54 that shows a demonstration of siphoning game functionality that increases a character’s health value after eliminating an opponent). Hacz is available online: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-uLsTiQARM)
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the current invention to modify Mass Effect with siphoning health as taught by Fortnite in order to use a known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way. In this case, siphoning health changes gaming strategy by making players either play more aggressive to earn additional health or play more passive to avoid losing health that can’t be easily regenerated.
Claims 12 and 18 are similar in scope to claim 1 and are analyzed in the same manner as set forth above in detail for claim 1.
Claims 3-5, 13-15, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mass Effect in view of Fortnite as applied to claims 1, 12, and 18 above, and further in view of the video game Super Smash Bros. by Nintendo and released on January 21, 1999.
As initial matter, this rejection is based on the actual video game of Super Smash Bros. but evidence of relevant features are available from a February 23, 2009 post on Smashboards).
Mass Effect in combination with Fortnite disclose all of the features set forth above but are silent regarding an inheriting skill feature.
In the same field of endeavor, Super Smash Bros. teaches an inheriting skill feature that allows a virtual character to inherit a skill by an opponent (e.g., see at least Smashboards post that states “Kirby can only copy an enemy’s Standard special move” including Lucario’s Aura Sphere skill). Smashboard is available online: (https://smashboards.com/threads/copy-ability-tricks-and-tactics.222800/).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the current invention to modify Mass Effect with skill inheritance as taught by Super Smash Bros. in order to use a known technique to improve similar devices (methods, or products) in the same way. In this case, inheriting an enemy’s skill as interesting talent for a character to have that makes the game unpredictable, especially when the enemy is unaware of Kirby’s inheritance ability.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-11, 16, 17, and 20 would be allowed if incorporating all of the features of the base claim and overcome the 101 rejection. The prior art fails to disclose the recited switching features of claims 6, 16, and 20.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0034979 to Yamamoto discusses main character G and an option character C that work together to defeat an enemy character N (e.g., see Figs. 7A and 7B)
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0157206 to Crevin discusses a companion object customization (e.g., see Fig. 1)
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
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