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 .
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.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3, 5-6, 10, 12-14, 17, 19-21. 24, 26-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 3, 10, 17 and 24 recite “the first range side” and “the second range side”. While the previous claims on which these claims depend, define a first range and a second range. It is unclear as to what defines a range “side”. Are there specific locations or boundaries to determine the different sides? As it is unclear, as to what defines each side, the claim is indefinite. For the purpose of examination, a broad interpretation of any area where characters from a team are playing can be considered “a range side”.
Claims 7, 14, 21 and 28 recite “…based on a determination that is success according to the movement…” This limitation appears to be grammatically incorrect. It is unclear as to whether the claim intends to state “based on a determination of a success…”. The claims appear to be missing a few transition words to be proper grammar.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1-28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chiba et al. (US 12,226,705 B2) in view of Shiraiwa et al. (US 10,150,037 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Chiba discloses one or more non-transitory computer-readable media having stored therein instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a first information processing apparatus to execute information processing (Chiba Figs. 1, 12, 13) comprising: communicating with a second information processing apparatus (Chiba Fig. 1, col. 5 lines 58-67);
in a virtual space, performing game processing comprising controlling a first player character based on the first operation data, controlling a second player character based on the second operation data, controlling a third player character based on the third operation data, and controlling a fourth player character based on the fourth operation data (Chiba col.5 lines 57-67, col. 6 lines 1-28, for example each user U-1 independently controls their player character with operational data from their individual controller associated with the game system);
generating a first image based on a first virtual camera in the virtual space; generating a second image based on a second virtual camera in the virtual space; outputting the first image to a display device included in or connected to the first information processing apparatus; and
transmitting the second image to the second information processing apparatus (Chiba Figs.3 & 4, col. 6 lines 51-67, col. 7 lines 1-15, 41-63, each player has a display that shows a viewpoint from that character’s perspective in the game).
Chiba lacks in disclosing two operational devices connected to the first information processing apparatus and two other operational devices connected to the second information processing apparatus. In Chiba, individual players play on their own game apparatus with their own input devices (Chiba Figs. 1 & Figs. 13) and the gaming devices are connected to each other via the network. Shiraiwa et al. teaches of a game system, i.e. information processing apparatus that includes two controllers associated with the individual processing apparatus (Shiraiwa Figs. 1 & 2, col. 11 lines 39-45, col. 12 lines 1-12). Furthermore, Shiraiwa teaches acquiring first operation data and second operation data based on inputs to a first operation device and a second operation device connected to the first information processing apparatus (Shiraiwa Figs. 9 & 12, col. 28 lines 62-67, col. 29 lines 1-14); acquiring third operation data and fourth operation data based on inputs to a third operation device and a fourth operation device connected to the second information processing apparatus, the third operation data and fourth operation data received from the second information processing apparatus (Shiraiwa Figs. 13 & 15, col. 4 lines 1-6, col. 30 lines 54-62, col. 38 lines 11-31). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to include two controllers with operational data input devices into the game apparatuses of Chiba so that a larger number of users could participate in a game with a smaller number of apparatuses (Shiraiwa col. 2 lines 4-9), consequently, more players can play without having to own the main apparatus.
Regarding claims 8, 15 and 22, Chiba discloses, a game system, an information processing method performed in the game system and an information processing apparatus comprising one or more processors and having non-transitory media with stored instructions, including a first information processing apparatus and a second information processing apparatus (Chiba Fig. 1, 12, 13, col. 5 lines 58-67), the game system comprising:
one or more processors (Chiba Fig. 1);
and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media having stored therein instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to execute information processing (Chiba Fig. 13) comprising:
in the first information processing apparatus,
communicating with a second information processing apparatus Chiba Fig. 1, col. 5 lines 58-67);
in a virtual space, performing game processing comprising
controlling a first player character based on the first operation data,
controlling a second player character based on the second operation data,
controlling a third player character based on the third operation data, and
controlling a fourth player character based on the fourth operation data (Chiba col.5 lines 57-67, col. 6 lines 1-28, for example each user U-1 independently controls their player character with operational data from their individual controller associated with the game system);
generating a first image based on a first virtual camera in the virtual space;
generating a second image based on a second virtual camera in the virtual space;
outputting the first image to a display device included in or connected to the first information processing apparatus; and
transmitting the second image to the second information processing apparatus (Chiba Figs.3 & 4, col. 6 lines 51-67, col. 7 lines 1-15, 41-63, each player has a display that shows a viewpoint from that character’s perspective in the game), and
in the second information processing apparatus,
communicating with the first information processing apparatus (Chiba col. 5 lines 58-67);
transmitting the third operation data and the fourth operation data based on inputs to the third operation device and the fourth operation device, respectively, connected to the second information processing apparatus to the first information processing apparatus (Chiba col. 5 lines 58-67, each game apparatus can communicate with another via the network and transmits game data to each other for processing); and
outputting the second image received from the first information processing apparatus to a display device included in or connected to the second information processing apparatus (Chiba col. 6 lines 42-67, col. 7 lines 1-15).
Chiba lacks in disclosing two operational devices connected to the first information processing apparatus and two other operational devices connected to the second information processing apparatus. In Chiba, individual players play on their own game apparatus with their own input devices (Chiba Figs. 1 & Figs. 13) and the gaming devices are connected to each other via the network. Shiraiwa et al. teaches of a game system, i.e. information processing apparatus that includes two controllers associated with the individual processing apparatus (Shiraiwa Figs. 1 & 2, col. 11 lines 39-45, col. 12 lines 1-12). Furthermore, Shiraiwa teaches acquiring first operation data and second operation data based on inputs to a first operation device and a second operation device connected to the first information processing apparatus (Shiraiwa Figs. 9 & 12, col. 28 lines 62-67, col. 29 lines 1-14); acquiring third operation data and fourth operation data based on inputs to a third operation device and a fourth operation device connected to the second information processing apparatus, the third operation data and fourth operation data received from the second information processing apparatus (Shiraiwa Figs. 13 & 15, col. 4 lines 1-6, col. 30 lines 54-62, col. 38 lines 11-31). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to include two controllers with operational data input devices into the game apparatuses of Chiba so that a larger number of users could participate in a game with a smaller number of apparatuses (Shiraiwa col. 2 lines 4-9), consequently, more players can play without having to own the main apparatus.
Regarding claims 2, 9, 16 and 23, Chiba et al. discloses wherein in the first information processing apparatus, the game processing further comprises: controlling the first and second player characters in a first range in the virtual space; and controlling the third and fourth player characters in a second range in the virtual space (Chiba Figs. 3 & 4, Chiba illustrates players CC-1 and CC-2 being controlled on one side of the field, i.e. a first range, and players CC-3 and CC-4 being controlled on the other side of the field, i.e. a second range).
Regarding claims 3, 10, 17 and 24, Chiba et al. discloses wherein the first virtual camera is placed to be directed from the first range side to the second range side, and the second virtual camera is placed to be directed from the second range side to the first range side (Chiba Figs. 3 & 4 show two different views produced by two virtual cameras and can be said to be directed from a first range side (one side of the field) to a second range side (opposite side of the field) and vice versa).
Regarding claims 4, 11, 18 and 25, Chiba et al. discloses wherein the first and second player characters are placed to face the third and fourth player characters, the first virtual camera is placed to be directed from a back side of the first and second player characters to the third and fourth player characters, and the second virtual camera is placed to be directed from a back side of the third and fourth player characters to the first and second player characters (Chiba Figs 3 & 4, a first camera view is displayed in Fig. 3 directed at the backs of CC-1 and CC-2 and Fig. 4 shoes the second camera view directed at the backs of CC-4 and CC5).
Regarding claims 5, 12, 19 and 26, Chiba et al. discloses wherein in the first information processing apparatus, the game processing further comprises causing a first team including the first and second player characters and a second team including the third and fourth player characters to compete against each other (Chiba col. 6 lines 1-24, players U-1 and U-2 form Team 1 and players U-4 and U-5 form Team 2).
Regarding claims 6, 13, 20, and 27, Chiba et al. discloses wherein in the first information processing apparatus, the game processing further comprises moving a moving object in the virtual space by actions of the first to fourth player characters based on the first to fourth operation data (Chiba Fig. 3, col. 6 lines 9-24, 51-67, the soccer ball is moved in the game based on the inputs from players 1-4).
Regarding claims 7, 14, 21, and 28, Chiba et al. discloses, wherein the game processing is game processing regarding a sport game where the game progresses based on a determination that is success according to the movement of the moving object (Chiba Fig. 3, col. 7 lines 41-53, illustrates a soccer game and the game progresses based on movement of the soccer ball 0B).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JULIE K BROCKETTI whose telephone number is (571)272-0206. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Barrett can be reached at 571-272-4746. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JULIE K BROCKETTI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3700
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