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 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 an abstract idea without significantly more. Claim 1 recites a method comprising: generating a first influence range corresponding to a virtual object community and a plurality of second influence ranges corresponding to a player virtual object. The limitation of generating a first influence range corresponding to a virtual object community and a plurality of second influence ranges corresponding to a player virtual object, as drafted, is a process that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind but for the recitation of generic computer components. That is, other than reciting “virtual object,” nothing in the claim element precludes the step from practically being performed in the mind. For example, but for the “virtual object” language, “generating” in the context of this claim encompasses the user mentally thinking about ranges and virtual objects. Similarly, the limitations of: determining and controlling are processes that, under their broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind. The same interpretation is applied to the remaining steps in claim 1. If a claim limitation, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind but for the recitation of generic computer components, then it falls within the “Mental Processes” grouping of abstract ideas. Accordingly, the claim recites an abstract idea. This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claim only recites one additional element – virtual object. The virtual object is recited at a high-level of generality (i.e., as a generic processor implementing a step) such that it amounts no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component. Accordingly, this additional element does not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because it does not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. The claim is directed to an abstract idea. The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional element of using a virtual object amounts to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component. Mere instructions to apply an exception using a generic computer component cannot provide an inventive concept. The claim is not patent eligible. Similar reasoning is applied to claims 2-20.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Publication No. 2018/0264364 A1 to Zou (hereinafter “Zou”).
Concerning claim 1, Zou discloses a method comprising: generating a first influence range corresponding to a virtual object community and a plurality of second influence ranges corresponding to a player virtual object, wherein the virtual object community comprises a plurality of Al virtual objects, the first influence range corresponds to an activity range of the virtual object community in a virtual environment, the plurality of second influence ranges are generated with the player virtual object as a center, wherein different second influence ranges have different sizes (Figs. 5-8, paragraphs [0030]-[0035], [0043], [0049]-[0051], [0084]-[0087] – plurality of AI virtual objects are within a first and second range where the ranges have different sizes);
determining a target second influence range, from the plurality of second influence ranges, that intersects with the first influence range and has a range size meeting a predefined condition (Figs. 5-8, paragraphs [0030]-[0035], [0043], [0049]-[0051], [0084]-[0087] – second influence range intersects with the first range and meets a predefined condition); and
controlling one or more Al virtual objects in the plurality of Al virtual objects based on a control policy corresponding to the target second influence range (Figs. 5-8, paragraphs [0030]-[0035], [0043]-[0051], [0084]-[0087] – AI objects are controlled based on their range).
Concerning claims 2 and 19, Zou discloses wherein the range size meeting the condition indicates that the target second influence range is an influence range with a smallest area in at least two candidate second influence ranges, and wherein a candidate second influence range is a second influence range intersecting with the first influence range (Figs. 5-8, paragraphs [0030]-[0035], [0043]-[0051], [0084]-[0087] – ranges can vary in size and influence).
Concerning claims 3 and 20, Zou discloses wherein determining the target influence range further comprises: performing intersection tests on the plurality of second influence ranges sequentially with the first influence range in ascending order of the plurality of second influence ranges; and determining, based on an ith second influence range of the plurality of second influence ranges intersecting with the first influence range, that the ith second influence range is the target second influence range; and stopping an intersection test corresponding to an (i+1)th second influence range, wherein i is a positive integer (Figs. 5-8, paragraphs [0030]-[0035], [0043]-[0051], [0084]-[0087] – ranges are based on ith range where i is a positive integer).
Concerning claim 4, Zou discloses wherein the determining a target influence range further comprises: performing intersection tests on the plurality of second influence ranges sequentially with the first influence range in descending order of the plurality of second influence ranges; and determining, based on a jth second influence range of the plurality of second influence ranges not intersecting with the first influence range, that a (j-1)th second influence range is the target second influence range; and stopping an intersection test corresponding to a (j+1)th second influence range, wherein j is an integer greater than 1 (Figs. 5-8, paragraphs [0030]-[0035], [0043]-[0051], [0084]-[0087] – ranges are based on ith range where i is a positive integer and ranges are stopped with an intersection test).
Concerning claim 5, Zou discloses wherein determining the target influence range further comprises: performing intersection tests on the plurality of second influence ranges and the first influence range to obtain the at least two candidate second influence ranges; and sorting the at least two candidate second influence ranges in ascending order to obtain an order sequence; and determining a first second influence range in the order sequence as the target second influence range (Figs. 5-8, paragraphs [0030]-[0035], [0043]-[0051], [0084]-[0087] – multiple ranges are in ascending order).
Concerning claim 6, Zou discloses wherein: the first influence range and the second influence range are two-dimensional planar ranges, wherein: the first influence range is any one of a circle, a trapezoid, or a square; and the second influence range is a circle (Figs. 5-8, paragraphs [0030]-[0035], [0043]-[0051], [0084]-[0087] –ranges are circles).
Concerning claims 7 and 16, Zou discloses wherein generating the first influence range corresponding to the virtual object community comprises: sampling the plurality of AI virtual objects in the virtual object community to obtain one or more AI virtual objects; generating a third influence range based on positions of the one or more AI virtual objects; and generating the first influence range based on the third influence range and an offset range, wherein the offset range is configured to reserve space for dynamic activities of the one or more AI virtual objects (Figs. 5-8, paragraphs [0030]-[0035], [0043]-[0051], [0084]-[0087] – plurality of AI objects are sampled).
Concerning claims 8 and 17, Zou discloses wherein sampling the plurality of AI virtual objects in the virtual object community to obtain one or more AI virtual objects comprises: sampling, based on a quantity of the plurality of AI virtual objects exceeding a first value, the plurality of AI virtual objects based on a first sampling rate to obtain the one or more AI virtual objects (Figs. 5-8, paragraphs [0030]-[0035], [0043]-[0051], [0084]-[0087] – plurality of AI objects are sampled exceeding a first value).
Concerning claim 9, Zou discloses wherein sampling the plurality of AI virtual objects in the virtual object community to obtain one or more AI virtual objects comprises: sampling the plurality of AI virtual objects in the virtual object community based on a first sampling rate to obtain candidate AI virtual objects; and based on a quantity of candidate AI virtual objects exceeding a second value, determining the candidate AI virtual objects as the one or more AI virtual objects (Figs. 5-8, paragraphs [0030]-[0035], [0043]-[0051], [0084]-[0087] – plurality of AI objects are sampled exceeding a second value).
Concerning claim 10, Zou discloses wherein: the third influence range is a circle circumscribing positions of the one or more AI virtual objects; the first influence range is a circle ; and generating the first influence range based on the third influence range and an offset range further comprises: obtaining a radius of the third influence range; determining a radius of the first influence range by adding an offset value to the radius of the third influence range, wherein the offset value is not less than a radius of an activity range of an AI virtual object in the one or more AI virtual objects; and generating the first influence range based on the radius of the first influence range (Figs. 5-8, paragraphs [0030]-[0035], [0043]-[0051], [0084]-[0087] – multiple ranges are provided with multiple influences depending on the range).
Concerning claim 11, Zou discloses further comprising: obtaining a first influence range generated in a current frame and a first influence range generated in a previous frame; performing weighted summation on the first influence range of the current frame and the first influence range of the previous frame to obtain a weighted result; and updating the first influence range of the current frame based on the weighted result (Figs. 5-8, paragraphs [0030]-[0035], [0043]-[0051], [0084]-[0087] – different ranges have different weighted values of influence).
Concerning claim 12, Zou discloses wherein controlling an activity of an AI virtual object in the plurality of AI virtual objects based on the control policy corresponding to the target second influence range comprises: determining a target behavior tree corresponding to the target second influence range; and controlling the activity of the AI virtual object based on the target behavior tree (Figs. 5-8, paragraphs [0030]-[0035], [0043]-[0051], [0084]-[0087] – target influence varies based on the range).
Concerning claim 13, Zou discloses wherein: the first influence range and the second influence range are three-dimensional; the first influence range is any one of a sphere, a frustum, or a cube; and the second influence range is a sphere (Figs. 5-8, paragraphs [0030]-[0035], [0043]-[0051], [0084]-[0087] – ranges are spheres).
Concerning claim 14, Zou discloses wherein controlling an activity of an AI virtual object in the plurality of AI virtual objects based on the control policy corresponding to the target second influence range comprises: determining a behavior tree corresponding to the target second influence range; determining an operating frequency of the behavior tree; and controlling the activity of the AI virtual object based on the operating frequency of the behavior tree (Figs. 5-8, paragraphs [0030]-[0035], [0043]-[0051], [0084]-[0087] – multiple ranges are provided with multiple influences depending on the range).
Concerning claims 15 and 18, see the rejection of claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure is listed in the PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MALINA D BLAISE whose telephone number is (571)270-3398. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. - Thurs. 7:00 am - 5:00 pm (PT).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Xuan Thai can be reached at 571-272-7147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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MALINA D. BLAISE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3715
/MALINA D. BLAISE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
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