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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 1/17/25 was acknowledged. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Priority
Applicant's claim for domestic priority benefit of Provisional Application no 63/220335, filed 7/9/21, is acknowledged.
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, or 365(c) is acknowledged. This application discloses and claims only subject matter disclosed in prior application no 17/683766, filed 3/1/22, prior application no 18/197263, filed 5/15/23, and names the inventor or at least one joint inventor named in the prior application. Accordingly, this application constitutes a continuation.
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 obviousness-type double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims 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 conflicting 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.
Effective January 1, 1994, a registered attorney or agent of record may sign a terminal disclaimer. A terminal disclaimer signed by the assignee must fully comply with 37 CFR 3.73(b).
Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 11688246 and 12205440. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because they share the same scope. See below for a comparison example.
Instant Application
U.S. Patent No. 11688246
U.S. Patent No. 12205440
1. A system comprising: at least one non-transitory storage medium storing instructions; and at least one processor that executes the instructions to: configure symbol reels using symbols from a symbol table according to a selected denomination and a random number generator such that at least a first symbol is used for a first selected denomination and at least a second symbol different from the first symbol is used for a second denomination; instruct a display to display an outcome that includes at least some of the symbols; determine that the at least some of the symbols include multiple adjacent numbers; and instruct the display to animate merging of the multiple adjacent numbers.
1. A system comprising: at least one user interface mechanism that receives: an indication of a number of symbol reels, the symbol reels including nonvalue symbols; and an indication of a denomination set; at least one non-transitory storage medium storing instructions; and at least one processor that executes the instructions to: configure the symbol reels using value symbols from a value symbol table according to the indication of the denomination set; determine an outcome of the number of the symbol reels; and determine a game outcome by concatenating a number of the value symbols present in the outcome of the number of the symbol reels along a payline indicated by a trigger symbol present on a trigger reel.
1. A system comprising: at least one non-transitory storage medium storing instructions; and at least one processor that executes the instructions to: configure symbol reels using value symbols from a value symbol table according to a selected denomination set and a random number generator such that at least a first value symbol is used for a first selected denomination set and at least a second value symbol different from the first value symbol is used for a second denomination set; and display a game outcome on a display generated by concatenating a number of the value symbols present in an outcome of the symbol reels,
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor further executes the instructions to determine a payline indicated by a trigger symbol present on a trigger reel.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor concatenates the number of the value symbols on the payline.
10. A method, comprising: configuring symbol reels using symbols from a symbol table according to a selected bet level and a random number generator such that at least a first symbol is used for a first selected bet level and at least a second symbol different from the first symbol is used for a second bet level; instructing a display to display an outcome that includes at least some of the symbols; detecting a triggering event; and in response to detecting the triggering event, instructing the display to animate merging of the at least some of the symbols wherein the at least some of the symbols include multiple adjacent numbers.
11. A system comprising: symbol reels operable to iterate through a sequence of possible symbol reel outcomes and stop at a final symbol reel outcome, the symbol reels including nonvalue symbols; a trigger reel operable to iterate through a sequence of possible trigger reel outcomes and stop at a final trigger reel outcome; at least one user interface mechanism that receives: an indication of a number of the symbol reels; and an indication of a denomination set; and at least one processor that: configures the symbol reels with value symbols according to the indication of the denomination set; determines an outcome of the number of the symbol reels; and determines a game outcome by concatenating a number of the value symbols present in the outcome of the number of the symbol reels along a payline indicated by a trigger symbol present on a trigger reel.
15. A method, comprising: configuring symbol reels using value symbols from a value symbol table according to a selected denomination set and a random number generator such that at least a first value symbol is used for a first selected denomination set and at least a second value symbol different from the first value symbol is used for a second denomination set; and displaying a game outcome on a display generated by concatenating a number of the value symbols present in an outcome of the symbol reels.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor further executes the instructions to determine a payline indicated by a trigger symbol present on a trigger reel.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor concatenates the number of the value symbols on the payline.
17. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory storage medium, comprising: first instructions, executable by at least one processor to configure symbol reels using symbols from a symbol table according to a selected denomination and a random number generator; second instructions, executable by the at least one processor to instruct a display to display an outcome that includes at least some of the symbols; third instructions, executable by the at least one processor to instruct a display to determine that the at least some of the symbols include multiple adjacent numbers; and fourth instructions, executable by the at least one processor to instruct the display to animate merging of the multiple adjacent numbers.
16. A system comprising: at least one non-transitory storage medium storing instructions; and at least one processor that executes the instructions to: receive an indication of a number of symbol reels, the symbol reels including nonvalue symbols; receive an indication of a denomination set; when the indication of the denomination set indicates a first denomination set, configure the symbol reels with first value symbols that include a first respin value; when the indication of the denomination set indicates a second denomination set, configure the symbol reels with second value symbols that include a second respin value; determine a first outcome of the number of the symbol reels; determine a first game outcome by concatenating a first number of the first value symbols or the second value symbols present in the first outcome of the number of the symbol reels along a first payline indicated by a first trigger symbol present on a trigger reel; determine to respin at least when the first game outcome includes the first respin value or the second respin value; and upon determining to respin: determine a second outcome of the number of the symbol reels; and determine a second game outcome by concatenating a second number of the first value symbols or the second value symbols present in the second outcome of the number of the symbol reels along a second payline indicated by a second trigger symbol present on the trigger reel.
18. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory storage medium, comprising: first instructions, executable by at least one processor to configure symbol reels using value symbols from a value symbol table according to a selected denomination set and a random number generator such that at least a first value symbol is used for a first selected denomination set and at least a second value symbol different from the first value symbol is used for a second denomination set; and second instructions, executable by the at least one processor to cause a game outcome to be displayed on a display, wherein the game outcome is generated by concatenating a number of the value symbols present in an outcome of the symbol reels.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON TAHAI YEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1777. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon - Fri 7am- 3pm PST.
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/JASON T YEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
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