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 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract ides without significantly more. The claim(s) recite(s) (using claim 1 as an example), A computer system comprising: at least one processor or circuit programmed to: store match information including types of characters used in matches and a match result for each match (mental process/pre-solution activity); calculate an index value indicating match compatibility between characters as a general compatibility value for each combination of characters based on the match information (mathematical formula); calculate an index value indicating match compatibility between characters as an individual compatibility value for each combination of a character used by a first analysis target player in one of the matches and a character used as an opponent of the character based on the match information on each match performed by the first analysis target player (mathematical formula) by: aggregating and analyzing the match information on each match performed by the first analysis target player (mental process/post-solution activity); and calculating an individual compatibility value based on a piece of match information that meets a predetermined aggregation target condition by a result of the aggregation and analysis (mental process); perform a control of a list comparison display that compares the general compatibility value and the individual compatibility value of a same combination of characters (post-solution activity/mental process), by: performing a control of a list comparison display using a matrix form dividing for each combination of characters (mental process/post-solution activity); and performing a display control representing that the individual compatibility value is not calculated yet on a part of the matrix form corresponding to a combination of characters that does not meet the predetermined aggregation target condition and whose individual compatibility value is not calculated yet (mental process/post-solution activity); and perform a control of giving a given reward to the first analysis target player when the individual compatibility value is calculated by new match information due to a new match being performed in relation to the combination of characters whose individual compatibility value is not calculated (mental process/post-solution activity). The underlined portions of the claim above are viewed as either an abstract idea as noted or pre/post-solution activity. This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because the only additional elements in the claim are a computer/processor which is analogous to saying applying it on a computer or merely putting the abstract idea into a technological environment, which is not sufficient to integrate the claims into a practical application. The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because as mentioned before the only additional elements to the claims are part of a generic purpose computer with the Supreme Court in Alice determined would not bring an abstract idea into patent eligibility.
While other independent claims are not exactly the same as claim 1, they are analogous thereto and are rejected under similar reasoning.
All dependent claims have been analyzed, however they do not cure the deficiencies of the independent claims and add further abstract ideas and thus are not found to be eligible.
Conclusion
This is a continuation of applicant's earlier Application No. 17/159323. All claims are identical to, patentably indistinct from, or have unity of invention with the invention claimed in the earlier application (that is, restriction (including lack of unity) would not be proper) and could have been finally rejected on the grounds and art of record in the next Office action if they had been entered in the earlier application. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL even though it is a first action in this case. See MPEP § 706.07(b). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jay Liddle whose telephone number is (571)270-1226. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dmitry Suhol can be reached at (571)272-4430. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Jay Trent Liddle/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715
