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 .
Claim Status
Claims 1-20 are pending.
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 a grouping of abstract ideas without significantly more. The claims, as exemplified by independent claim 1, recites limitations that are directed to a grouping of abstract ideas such as:
1. A gaming table component comprising:
a communication interface configured to receive data from a server associated with a sporting event data service;
a processor; and
a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
for a duration after a receipt, via the communication interface, of data associated with an event that occurred during the sporting event:
determine, based on a modifier determined responsive to the event occurring during the sporting event, a modification of a first result of a live event occurring on a gaming table to a second result, wherein the first result is determined after the event occurred during the sporting event, the first result is determined independent of the sporting event and the first result is determined based on a plurality of physical objects supported by a support structure of the gaming table and associated with the live event, and -certain method of organizing human activity and/or mental process;
cause a display, by a display device, of the second result.
The limitations, as underlined above, are found to recite steps and/or instructions for managing a second result of a game which is analogous to a certain method of organizing human activity (see MPEP 2106.04(a)). Additionally, some of the limitations are found to recite mental processes because they recite an observation, judgment, evaluation, and/or opinion which is capable of being performed in the human mind. For at least this reason, the claims, as exemplified by independent claim 1, are directed to a grouping of abstract ideas under Step 2A-prong 1.
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because the remaining limitations such as: “a gaming table component comprising:” “a communication interface configured to receive data from a server associated with a sporting event data service;” “a processor; and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:” “for a duration after a receipt, via the communication interface, of data associated with” and “supported by a support structure of the gaming table” and “cause a display, by a display device, of the second result” amount to reciting highly-generalized computer components to be invoked as tool to implement the abstract idea, insignificant extra solution activity (e.g., receipt and causing), and/or provide a technological environment in which to perform the abstract idea (see MPEP 2106.05(f)-(h)). For at least these reasons, the claims, as exemplified by independent Claim 1, are note integrated into a practical application under Step 2A-prong 2.
The claims, as exemplified by independent Claim 1, do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional element such as “a communication interface”, “a server”, “a processor”, “a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions” and “a display device” when viewed individually and/or as a collection of elements amount to instructions to invoke a computer as a tool to implement the abstract idea, extra solution activity, and/or a technological environment to perform the abstract idea (see MPEP 2106.05(f)-(h)). For instance, Vancura (US 2010/0029381 A1) discloses a conventionally available gaming platform comprising a networked server for communicating with the player station and a processor for executing a plurality of instructions, a memory that stores a plurality of instructions (e.g., program code) and a display device which is well-known, routine, and conventional to one of ordinary skill in the gaming arts (see Vancura, Figs. 1-2, 0037-0040). It follows that these additional elements when viewed individually and/or as a collection of elements do not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea under Step 2B. For at least these reasons, the claims, as exemplified by independent Claim 1, are found to recite an abstract idea without significantly more.
Independent Claim 14 recites substantially the same limitations as independent Claim 1 but recites minor differences such as “for a period of time after an event occurs during a sporting event, associating a multiplier with a live table game played at a gaming table, and for each play of the live table game during the period of time: determine, based, at least in part, on the associated multiplier, an award for that play of the live table game;” which is construed as a certain method of organizing human activity and/or mental process (see MPEP 2106.04(a)). The remaining limitations are substantially similar to independent Claim 1, and the analysis has been incorporated herein.
Independent Claim 19 recites substantially the same limitations as independent Claim 1 but recites minor differences such as “for each instance of a live event occurring at a gaming table during a first duration after a first event occurs during a first sports team of a first sports team, modify a first result determined for that instance of the live event by a first multiplier, wherein the first result is determined independent of the occurrence of the first event during the first sporting event in association with the first sports team” and “for each instance of the live event occurring at the gaming table during a second duration after a second event occurs during a second sporting event in association with a second sports team, modify a second result determined for that instance of the live event by a second multiplier, wherein the second result is determined independent of the occurrence of the second event during the second sporting event in association with the second sports team” which recites certain method of organizing human activity, a mental process and/or mathematical function (e.g., multiplier) (see MPEP 2106.04(a)). The remaining limitations are substantially the same as independent Claim 1 and the analysis is incorporated herein.
Regarding dependent claims 2-13 and 15-18, and 20 have been analyzed and are found to recite at least one of: additional limitations of the abstract idea (see MPEP 2106.04(a)), invoke a computer as a tool to implement the abstract idea, extra solution activity of the abstract idea, and/or a technological environment in which to perform the abstract idea. For at least these reasons, claims 1-20 are found to recite a grouping of abstract ideas without significantly more.
Conclusion
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/RYAN HSU/EXAMINER, Art Unit 3715
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