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 .
Procedural Summary
This is responsive to the claims filed 2/3/2025.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Signed copies of the IDS’ are attached.
The Drawings filed 2/3/2025 are noted.
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 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.
Claims 1, 9, 10 & 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Catlin et al. (U.S. Pub. No.: 2019/0030432 A1).
Catlin discloses a computer device (Fig. 1a) comprising a processor and a memory, (Fig. 1A), the memory having at least one instruction stored therein, (¶ 11) and the at least one instruction, when executed by the processor, (¶ 11), causing the computer device to implement a method, (¶ 11), for controlling an AI virtual object in a virtual environment (Abstract), including: determining an AI virtual object located within an observation range of a player virtual object, (Fig. 3A and related description); determining a current level of details (LOD) of the AI virtual object based on at least two levels of LOD determining strategies corresponding to the AI virtual object, (e.g., ¶ 52 and related description), wherein the current LOD is an LOD corresponding to a target LOD determining strategy which the AI virtual object satisfies; and controlling, based on a control strategy corresponding to the current LOD, the AI virtual object to carry out an activity in the virtual environment, (Figs. 3b-3d, Figs. 4/5, ¶ 52 and related descriptions).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-8, 11-18 & 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: A thorough search of the prior art fails to disclose, suggest or render obvious, in combination with the other claimed limitations, the salient features recited by these dependent claims.
For example, allowable language includes representative Claim 2, reciting, inter alia, acquiring an i’th-level LOD determining strategy corresponding to the AI virtual object, i being an integer; and determining, when a strategy determining result of the i’th-level LOD determining strategy represents that the AI virtual object satisfies the i’th-level LOD determining strategy, an LOD corresponding to the i’th-level LOD determining strategy as the current LOD.
Conclusion
Additional Relevant References: See 892
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OMKAR A DEODHAR whose telephone number is (571)272-1647. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, generally 9am-5:30 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Xuan Thai can be reached on 571-272-7147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/OMKAR A DEODHAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
Prosecution Insights