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
This Office Action is in response to Application No. 19/078,827 filed 03/13/2025. Claims 1-20 are pending and have been examined.
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 03/13/2025 and 08/12/2026 were considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 7, 9, 12, 14, 15, 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liu (CN 113713385), citations refer to provided English translation.
Consider claim 1, Liu clearly teaches a virtual scene display method, performed by a first computing device, (Fig. 1, pg. 5 para. 5) and the method comprising:
generating, by the first computing device, a display of a virtual scene at a viewing angle of a first virtual object, (Fig. 2: A virtual environment includes first virtual object 202 and a virtual environment picture is obtained from the visual angle of the first virtual object 202, pg. 5 para. 6-9, pg. 7 para. 1-3.) the virtual scene comprising a second virtual object, the second virtual object being equipped with a virtual lighting prop, and the virtual lighting prop being a virtual prop having a lighting function; (Fig. 2: The virtual environment includes a second virtual object equipped with virtual interference item 201 which when activated emits light, pg. 5 para. 6-10, pg. 7 para. 10.)
receiving, by the first computing device, a control operation on the first virtual object, the control operation being configured for controlling the first virtual object to perform an action in the virtual scene; (Figs. 2, 11: Second virtual object releases virtual interference item 201 which causes a special effect to be displayed in the virtual environment, pg. 7 para. 4-10, pg. 8 para. 6, pg. 14 para. 7-10.) and
generating, by the first computing device, a display of an illumination special effect in response to determining that a stance of the first virtual object in the virtual scene matches a lighting direction of the virtual lighting prop in a case that the second virtual object is within a viewing angle range of the first virtual object and the virtual lighting prop equipped in the second virtual object is in an illumination state, the illumination special effect being configured for line-of-sight blocking at an observation viewing angle of the first virtual object for the virtual scene. (Figs. 2, 6: When the virtual interference item 201 is within the visual field of the first virtual object 202 the visual field is blocked by a bright light and when the visual field of the first virtual object 202 is moved away from the virtual interference item 201 the visual field is no longer blocked, pg. 5 para. 6-7, pg. 7 para. 6-10, pg. 8 para. 5, pg. 10 para. 1-2.)
Consider claim 2, Liu clearly teaches determining that a stance of the first virtual object in the virtual scene matches a lighting direction of the virtual lighting prop comprises: determining that the stance of the first virtual object in the virtual scene is within an interference range corresponding to the lighting direction of the virtual lighting prop. (Figs. 2, 6: When the virtual interference item 201 is within the visual field of the first virtual object 202 the visual field is blocked by a bright light emitted by the virtual interference item 201, pg. 5 para. 6-7, pg. 7 para. 6-10, pg. 8 para. 5, pg. 10 para. 1-2.)
Consider claim 7, Liu clearly teaches generating the display of the illumination special effect in response to determining that the stance of the first virtual object in the virtual scene is within an interference range corresponding to the lighting direction of the virtual lighting prop comprises: generating the display of the illumination special effect in response to determining that an angle between an object orientation of the first virtual object and the lighting direction is less than a preset angle threshold. (Figs. 2, 6: When the virtual interference item 201 is within the visual field of the first virtual object 202 the visual field is blocked by a bright light emitted by the virtual interference item 201, pg. 5 para. 6-7, pg. 7 para. 6-10, pg. 8 para. 5, pg. 10 para. 1-2.)
Consider claim 9, Liu clearly teaches after generating the display of the illumination special effect: weakening the display of the illumination special effect in response to determining that a target condition has been triggered; the target condition comprising at least one of the following: the second virtual object being outside the viewing angle range of the first virtual object, (Figs. 2, 6: When the visual field of the first virtual object 202 is moved away from the virtual interference item 201 the visual field is no longer blocked, pg. 5 para. 6-7, pg. 7 para. 6-10, pg. 8 para. 5, pg. 10 para. 1-2.) the virtual lighting prop equipped in the second virtual object being in an off state, and the first virtual object not matching the lighting direction of the virtual lighting prop.
Consider claim 12, Liu clearly teaches the method further comprises: generating a display of the illumination special effect in response to that the first virtual object and the second virtual object belong to different virtual camps; (pg. 6 para. 1) or generating a display of a brightness enhancement animation in response to determining that the first virtual object and the second virtual object belong to a same virtual camp in a case that the second virtual object is within the viewing angle range of the first virtual object, and the virtual lighting prop equipped in the second virtual object is in the illumination state, the brightness enhancement animation comprising an action of the second virtual object providing illumination for the first virtual object by using the virtual lighting prop.
Consider claim 14, Liu clearly teaches an apparatus comprising:
a processor; and memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus (Fig. 18, pg. 17 para. 3-6) to:
generate a display of a virtual scene at a viewing angle of a first virtual object, (Fig. 2: A virtual environment includes first virtual object 202 and a virtual environment picture is obtained from the visual angle of the first virtual object 202, pg. 5 para. 6-9, pg. 7 para. 1-3.) the virtual scene comprising a second virtual object, the second virtual object being equipped with a virtual lighting prop, and the virtual lighting prop being a virtual prop having a lighting function; (Fig. 2: The virtual environment includes a second virtual object equipped with virtual interference item 201 which when activated emits light, pg. 5 para. 6-10, pg. 7 para. 10.)
receive a control operation on the first virtual object, the control operation being configured for controlling the first virtual object to perform an action in the virtual scene; (Figs. 2, 11: Second virtual object releases virtual interference item 201 which causes a special effect to be displayed in the virtual environment, pg. 7 para. 4-10, pg. 8 para. 6, pg. 14 para. 7-10.) and
generate a display of an illumination special effect in response to determining that a stance of the first virtual object in the virtual scene matches a lighting direction of the virtual lighting prop in a case that the second virtual object is within a viewing angle range of the first virtual object and the virtual lighting prop equipped in the second virtual object is in an illumination state, the illumination special effect being configured for line-of-sight blocking at an observation viewing angle of the first virtual object for the virtual scene. (Figs. 2, 6: When the virtual interference item 201 is within the visual field of the first virtual object 202 the visual field is blocked by a bright light and when the visual field of the first virtual object 202 is moved away from the virtual interference item 201 the visual field is no longer blocked, pg. 5 para. 6-7, pg. 7 para. 6-10, pg. 8 para. 5, pg. 10 para. 1-2.)
Consider claim 15, Liu clearly teaches the determining that a stance of the first virtual object in the virtual scene matches a lighting direction of the virtual lighting prop comprises: determining that the stance of the first virtual object in the virtual scene is within an interference range corresponding to the lighting direction of the virtual lighting prop. (Figs. 2, 6: When the virtual interference item 201 is within the visual field of the first virtual object 202 the visual field is blocked by a bright light emitted by the virtual interference item 201, pg. 5 para. 6-7, pg. 7 para. 6-10, pg. 8 para. 5, pg. 10 para. 1-2.)
Consider claim 18, Liu clearly teaches a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus (Fig. 18, pg. 17 para. 3-6) to:
generate a display of a virtual scene at a viewing angle of a first virtual object, (Fig. 2: A virtual environment includes first virtual object 202 and a virtual environment picture is obtained from the visual angle of the first virtual object 202, pg. 5 para. 6-9, pg. 7 para. 1-3.) the virtual scene comprising a second virtual object, the second virtual object being equipped with a virtual lighting prop, and the virtual lighting prop being a virtual prop having a lighting function; (Fig. 2: The virtual environment includes a second virtual object equipped with virtual interference item 201 which when activated emits light, pg. 5 para. 6-10, pg. 7 para. 10.)
receive a control operation on the first virtual object, the control operation being configured for controlling the first virtual object to perform an action in the virtual scene; (Figs. 2, 11: Second virtual object releases virtual interference item 201 which causes a special effect to be displayed in the virtual environment, pg. 7 para. 4-10, pg. 8 para. 6, pg. 14 para. 7-10.) and
generate a display of an illumination special effect in response to determining that a stance of the first virtual object in the virtual scene matches a lighting direction of the virtual lighting prop in a case that the second virtual object is within a viewing angle range of the first virtual object and the virtual lighting prop equipped in the second virtual object is in an illumination state, the illumination special effect being configured for line-of-sight blocking at an observation viewing angle of the first virtual object for the virtual scene. (Figs. 2, 6: When the virtual interference item 201 is within the visual field of the first virtual object 202 the visual field is blocked by a bright light and when the visual field of the first virtual object 202 is moved away from the virtual interference item 201 the visual field is no longer blocked, pg. 5 para. 6-7, pg. 7 para. 6-10, pg. 8 para. 5, pg. 10 para. 1-2.)
Consider claim 19, Liu clearly teaches the determining that a stance of the first virtual object in the virtual scene matches a lighting direction of the virtual lighting prop comprises: determining that the stance of the first virtual object in the virtual scene is within an interference range corresponding to the lighting direction of the virtual lighting prop. (Figs. 2, 6: When the virtual interference item 201 is within the visual field of the first virtual object 202 the visual field is blocked by a bright light emitted by the virtual interference item 201, pg. 5 para. 6-7, pg. 7 para. 6-10, pg. 8 para. 5, pg. 10 para. 1-2.)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 3, 16 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (CN 113713385) in view of Chen et al. (CN 11357765), herein Chen, citations refer to US 2023/0249073.
Consider claim 3, Liu clearly teaches the generating the display of the illumination special effect in response to determining that the stance of the first virtual object in the virtual scene is within an interference range corresponding to the lighting direction of the virtual lighting prop.
However, Liu does not explicitly teach generating, in response to determining that a spacing distance between the first virtual object and the virtual lighting prop is less than a preset distance threshold, the display of the illumination special effect based on the spacing distance
In an analogous art, Chen, which discloses a system for displaying a virtual environment, clearly teaches generating, in response to determining that a spacing distance between the first virtual object and the virtual lighting prop is less than a preset distance threshold, the display of the illumination special effect based on the spacing distance. (Fig. 1: A special effect is displayed if the virtual character is within a threshold distance from the prop, [0052], [0077], [0100].)
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to modify the system of Liu by generating, in response to determining that a spacing distance between the first virtual object and the virtual lighting prop is less than a preset distance threshold, the display of the illumination special effect based on the spacing distance, as taught by Chen, for the benefit of preventing the effect of the prop from affecting far-away virtual objects.
Consider claim 16, Liu combined with Chen clearly teaches the generating the display of the illumination special effect in response to determining that the stance of the first virtual object in the virtual scene is within an interference range corresponding to the lighting direction of the virtual lighting prop comprises: generating, in response to determining that a spacing distance between the first virtual object and the virtual lighting prop is less than a preset distance threshold, the display of the illumination special effect based on the spacing distance. (Fig. 1: A special effect is displayed if the virtual character is within a threshold distance from the prop, [0052], [0077], [0100] Chen.)
Consider claim 20, Liu combined with Chen clearly teaches the generating the display of the illumination special effect in response to determining that the stance of the first virtual object in the virtual scene is within an interference range corresponding to the lighting direction of the virtual lighting prop comprises: generating, in response to determining that a spacing distance between the first virtual object and the virtual lighting prop is less than a preset distance threshold, the display of the illumination special effect based on the spacing distance. (Fig. 1: A special effect is displayed if the virtual character is within a threshold distance from the prop, [0052], [0077], [0100] Chen.)
Claims 4, 5, 8, 10 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (CN 113713385) in view of Chen et al. (CN 11357765) in view of Boku et al. (US 2002/0022515), herein Boku.
Consider claim 4, Liu combined with Chen clearly teaches the generating the display of the illumination special effect based on the spacing distance.
However, Liu combined with Chen does not explicitly teach generating the display of the illumination special effect based on an illumination special effect intensity corresponding to the spacing distance, the illumination special effect intensity being configured for indicating display brightness corresponding to the illumination special effect, and the illumination special effect intensity having a negative correlation with the spacing distance.
In an analogous art, Boku, which discloses a system for displaying a virtual environment, clearly teaches generating the display of the illumination special effect based on an illumination special effect intensity corresponding to the spacing distance, the illumination special effect intensity being configured for indicating display brightness corresponding to the illumination special effect, and the illumination special effect intensity having a negative correlation with the spacing distance. (Fig. 14: The brightness of light source LS and glow G decreases as the distance between LS and the viewpoint VP increases, [0096], [0118], [0123], [0124].)
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to modify the system of Liu combined with Chen by generating the display of the illumination special effect based on an illumination special effect intensity corresponding to the spacing distance, the illumination special effect intensity being configured for indicating display brightness corresponding to the illumination special effect, and the illumination special effect intensity having a negative correlation with the spacing distance, as taught by Boku, for the benefit of displaying a more realistic representation of the light.
Consider claim 5, Liu combined with Chen and Boku clearly teaches the interference range has a plurality of sub-interference ranges, and the plurality of sub-interference ranges correspond to different illumination special effect intensities; and generating the display of the illumination special effect based on display brightness corresponding to the spacing distance comprises: generating the display of the illumination special effect with a first illumination special effect intensity in response to determining that the first virtual object is located in a first sub-interference range of the interference range; and generating the display of the illumination special effect with a second illumination special effect intensity in response to determining that the first virtual object is located in a second sub-interference range of the interference range; wherein a first distance between the first sub-interference range and the virtual lighting prop is less than a second distance between the second sub-interference range and the virtual lighting prop, and the first illumination special effect intensity is greater than the second illumination special effect intensity. (Fig. 14: The brightness of light source LS and glow G decreases as the distance between LS and the viewpoint VP increases, [0096], [0118], [0123], [0124] Boku.)
Consider claim 8, Liu combined with Chen and Boku clearly teaches the generating the display of the illumination special effect comprises: generating the display of the illumination special effect with a divergent effect by using the virtual lighting prop as a center of the illumination special effect, the divergent effect being an effect of diverging outward and weakening gradually by using the virtual lighting prop as a point having highest brightness. (Figs. 2A, 2B: Glow object G surrounds light source LS, [0093]-[0096] Boku.)
Consider claim 10, Liu combined with Chen clearly teaches the virtual lighting prop corresponds to a virtual lighting range, and the virtual lighting range is configured for indicating a lighting range of the lighting function of the virtual lighting prop; and wherein the method further comprises: determining that the first virtual object is located outside the interference range. (Fig. 1: A special effect is displayed if the virtual character is within a threshold distance from the prop, [0052], [0077], [0100] Chen.)
However, Liu combined with Chen does not explicitly teach generating a display of a virtual halo special effect in response to determining that the first virtual object is located within the virtual lighting range, the virtual halo special effect being a special effect formed by using the virtual lighting prop as a center of illumination.
In an analogous art, Boku, which discloses a system for displaying a virtual environment, clearly teaches generating a display of a virtual halo special effect in response to determining that the first virtual object is located within the virtual lighting range, the virtual halo special effect being a special effect formed by using the virtual lighting prop as a center of illumination. (Figs. 2A, 2B: Glow object G surrounding light source LS is displayed based on the distance between LS and the viewpoint VP increases, [0093]-[0096], [0118], [0123], [0124] Boku.)
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to modify the system of Liu combined with Chen by generating a display of a virtual halo special effect in response to determining that the first virtual object is located within the virtual lighting range, the virtual halo special effect being a special effect formed by using the virtual lighting prop as a center of illumination, as taught by Boku, for the benefit of displaying a more realistic representation of the light.
Consider claim 17, Liu combined with Chen and Boku clearly teaches the generating the display of the illumination special effect based on the spacing distance comprises: generating the display of the illumination special effect based on an illumination special effect intensity corresponding to the spacing distance, the illumination special effect intensity being configured for indicating display brightness corresponding to the illumination special effect, and the illumination special effect intensity having a negative correlation with the spacing distance. (Fig. 14: The brightness of light source LS and glow G decreases as the distance between LS and the viewpoint VP increases, [0096], [0118], [0123], [0124] Boku.)
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (CN 113713385) in view of Hu et al. (US 2022/0032187), herein Hu.
Consider claim 11, Liu clearly teaches displaying the illumination special effect.
However, Liu does not explicitly teach generating a display of a skill cooling special effect, the skill cooling special effect being configured for reducing an attack frequency at which the first virtual object is able to launch a virtual attack against the second virtual object.
In an analogous art, Hu, which discloses a system for displaying a virtual environment, clearly teaches generating a display of a skill cooling special effect, the skill cooling special effect being configured for reducing an attack frequency at which the first virtual object is able to launch a virtual attack against the second virtual object. (When a skill is in a cooling state skill indicator 54 is displayed in red, [0058], [0102].)
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to modify the system of Liu by generating a display of a skill cooling special effect, the skill cooling special effect being configured for reducing an attack frequency at which the first virtual object is able to launch a virtual attack against the second virtual object, as taught by Hu, to achieve the predictable result of limiting the use of the virtual attack.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 13 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.
Conclusion
In the case of amending the claimed invention, applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN R SCHNURR whose telephone number is (571)270-1458. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6a-4p.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Pendleton can be reached at (571)272-7527. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOHN R SCHNURR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2425
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