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 .
Status of Claims
This action is in reply to the communications filed on 9/4/2025.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending and have been examined.
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 of this title, 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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2009/0131177 A1 to Pearce in view of US 2009/0059053 A1 to Ishikawa.
Regarding Claim 1, Pearce discloses A computer-implemented method to capture and manage storage of in-game media content in a virtual experience, the method comprising:
receiving, at a user device, a request to capture the in-game media content while an avatar associated with a user of the user device participates in the virtual experience; ([0008] the system and method provide an intuitive way to conveniently capture video clips related to gameplay, [0045] In some cases, the user is associated with an "entity" within the environment; in the case of a multiplayer game, users are usually associated with such an entity, where the entity is a "player character" ("PC") or avatar. )
capturing the in-game media content on the user device, wherein the captured in-game media content is associated with a temporary content identifier (ID) and includes one or more pieces of the in-game media content; ([0105] the cached video is transferred or copied to a storage location, along with any suitable identifying data, e.g., metadata or the like. )
storing the captured in-game media content in a temporary storage of the user device, the temporary storage configured to provide a storage location to store the captured in-game media content until the user of the user device instructs the user device to store the captured in-game media content in a persistent storage of the user device; ([0011] In one aspect, the invention is directed towards a system for automatically recording and storing a video clip of events occurring in a video game. The system includes a cache for caching a video scene of events in a video game and an input module configured to receive a start indication from a user that a video clip is to be stored. Upon receipt of the start indication, at least a portion of the video scene stored in the cache is marked for transfer to a storage module as a video clip. )
But does not explicitly disclose detecting an overflow of a storage capacity of the temporary storage of the user device; in response to detecting the overflow of the storage capacity, prompting a developer to select a particular piece of the captured in-game media content to remove from the temporary storage wherein the developer selection is via a callback function that has as a parameter a content ID of the particular piece of the captured in-game media content to remove; in response to receiving developer selection of the particular piece of the captured in- game media content to remove, removing the particular piece of the captured in-game media content from the temporary storage using the content ID of the particular piece of the captured in-game media content to access the particular piece of the captured in-game media content when removing the particular piece of the captured in-game media content; and in response to no developer selection in response to the prompting, automatically selecting the particular piece of the captured in-game media content to remove and removing the particular piece of the captured in-game media content from the temporary storage. Pearce does disclose [0079] the fourth module 118 may retrieve (if necessary) and store a video of the event, e.g., 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after, as well as place the same into a blog entry format. The fourth module 118 may retrieve and place into a blog entry a screenshot of the event, and may provide the user with options for re-composing the image portrayed by the screenshot. For example, the fourth module 118 may provide a drop-down list of the PC's group members, or alternatively of the PCs and NPCs within a set radius of the event, and may give the user the option to include or delete any of the named character's images from the screenshot. In many cases, if the event corresponds to a defeat of a particular NPC or PC, the user may wish to have the PCs standing atop or adjacent the NPC or PC to signify their victory. Pop-up or drop-down lists may also be provided for inclusion or exclusion of environmental details.
Ishikawa, on the other hand, teaches detecting an overflow of a storage capacity of the temporary storage of the user device; in response to detecting the overflow of the storage capacity, prompting a developer to select a particular piece of the captured in-game media content to remove from the temporary storage wherein the developer selection is via a callback function that has as a parameter a content ID of the particular piece of the captured in-game media content to remove; in response to receiving developer selection of the particular piece of the captured in- game media content to remove, removing the particular piece of the captured in-game media content from the temporary storage using the content ID of the particular piece of the captured in-game media content to access the particular piece of the captured in-game media content when removing the particular piece of the captured in-game media content; and in response to no developer selection in response to the prompting, automatically selecting the particular piece of the captured in-game media content to remove and removing the particular piece of the captured in-game media content from the temporary storage. ([Claim 6] 6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising warning means for issuing a warning before the non-specified image is deleted by the deletion means if the first storage section includes the non-specified image. [0055] Also, in a state of the temporarily-save mode being effective, the recording control section 105 temporarily saves the image data on the captured image in the image memory 103, and saves the image data of the image (image to be saved) specified (selected) as a save target in the recording device 106 from the images in the image memory 103. Then, the recording control section 105 deletes the image data of the image not specified for the save target (also called as an "image not to be saved"or "unspecified image") from the image memory 103 at predetermined timing (for example, when the power to the imaging apparatus 1A is turned off).)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Pearce to include the features as taught by Ishikawa. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify Pearce in order to limit capacity of data saved in the temporary folder of memory (Ishikawa, [0082]).
Regarding Claim 2, Pearce in view of Ishikawa teaches the method of claim 1.
Ishikawa teaches performing additional iterations of prompting and removing at least one other piece of the captured in-game media content until the temporary storage of the user device does not overflow the storage capacity.. ([0083] The recording control section 105 (FIG. 3) of the imaging apparatus 1B uses a capacity pre-set by the user's menu operation (also called a "set capacity"), etc., as an upper limit value, and controls to keep the capacity of the image data saved in the temporary-save folder equal to or less than the upper limit value. [0094] In this manner, the imaging apparatus 1C performs the deletion processing of the left image data in response to the detection of a release instruction of the playback display (step SP32). [0095] the deletion processing of the left image data (from step SP15 to step SP17) may be performed in response to an explicit deletion instruction from the user, such as a menu operation or the pressing operation of a deletion instruction button (not shown in the figure), etc.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Pearce to include the features as taught by Ishikawa. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify Pearce in order to limit capacity of data saved in the temporary folder of memory (Ishikawa, [0082]).
Regarding Claim 3, Pearce in view of Ishikawa teaches the method of claim 1.
Pearce discloses wherein the particular piece of the captured in-game media content comprises a screenshot of a display screen of the user device captured while the user of the user device participates in the virtual experience. ([0079] The fourth module 118 may retrieve and place into a blog entry a screenshot of the event, [0081] In any case, the fourth module 118 formats the video, audio, screenshot image, text, and any other multimedia file corresponding to the event in such a way that the same may be the subject of a blog entry, file-sharing site, and so on.)
Regarding Claim 4, Pearce in view of Ishikawa teaches the method of claim 1.
Pearce discloses wherein the particular piece of the captured in-game media content comprises a video file that includes captured video of a display screen of the user device and associated audio captured while the user of the user device participates in the virtual experience.. ([0079] and store a video of the event, e.g., 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after [0081] In any case, the fourth module 118 formats the video, audio, screenshot image, text, and any other multimedia file corresponding to the event in such a way that the same may be the subject of a blog entry, file-sharing site, and so on.)
Regarding Claim 5, Pearce in view of Ishikawa teaches the method of claim 1.
Pearce discloses wherein the video file is deleted from the temporary storage after a user session of the virtual experience ends, the user shares the video file, or the user saves the video file.. ([0093] Stored video clips may be edited, and related video clips may be combined into a video reel. Video clips or reels may be shared or uploaded to a file-sharing or other site or otherwise shared as will be described.)
Regarding Claim 6, Pearce in view of Ishikawa teaches the method of claim 1.
Pearce discloses wherein the automatically selecting the particular piece of the captured in-game media content to remove is based on respective durations for which individual pieces of in-game media content are present in the temporary storage.. ([0094] The cache may be in any sort of memory or buffer, and may store a constant duration of video or the length of time stored may be variable. For example, if the monitored game is determined to have a high amount of action, e.g., via determination of hits points lost, character movement, or via any other measure, then the size of the cache may be increased and in this way include more action. In many cases, however, it may be sufficient for the cache to include a constant length of time, e.g., 5 or 10 seconds, in gameplay..)
Regarding Claim 7, Pearce in view of Ishikawa teaches the method of claim 1.
Pearce discloses wherein the particular piece of the captured in-game media content has a longest duration from among the respective durations for which individual pieces of in-game media content are present in the temporary storage.. ([0094] The cache may be in any sort of memory or buffer, and may store a constant duration of video or the length of time stored may be variable. For example, if the monitored game is determined to have a high amount of action, e.g., via determination of hits points lost, character movement, or via any other measure, then the size of the cache may be increased and in this way include more action. In many cases, however, it may be sufficient for the cache to include a constant length of time, e.g., 5 or 10 seconds, in gameplay..)
Regarding Claim 8, Pearce in view of Ishikawa teaches the method of claim 1.
Pearce discloses wherein the automatically selecting the particular piece of the captured in-game media content to remove is based on respective access times for which individual pieces of in-game media content are accessed from the temporary storage... ([0093] A game engine renders audio and video for enjoyment by a player. In the system and method, the rendered audio and video is cached, such that a running cache is provided for any given point in time, the cache including audio and video rendered prior to the given point in time. )
Regarding Claim 9, Pearce in view of Ishikawa teaches the method of claim 1.
Ishikawa, on the other hand, teaches further comprising providing a function to the developer that takes a content ID of a piece of the captured in-game media content as a parameter without detecting the overflow and removes the piece of the captured in- game media content corresponding to the content ID.. ([Claim 6] 6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising warning means for issuing a warning before the non-specified image is deleted by the deletion means if the first storage section includes the non-specified image. [0055] Also, in a state of the temporarily-save mode being effective, the recording control section 105 temporarily saves the image data on the captured image in the image memory 103, and saves the image data of the image (image to be saved) specified (selected) as a save target in the recording device 106 from the images in the image memory 103. Then, the recording control section 105 deletes the image data of the image not specified for the save target (also called as an "image not to be saved"or "unspecified image") from the image memory 103 at predetermined timing (for example, when the power to the imaging apparatus 1A is turned off).)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Pearce to include the features as taught by Ishikawa. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify Pearce in order to limit capacity of data saved in the temporary folder of memory (Ishikawa, [0082]).
Regarding Claim 10, Pearce in view of Ishikawa teaches the method of claim 1.
Ishikawa, on the other hand, teaches receiving a request from the user of the user device to store a first piece of the captured in-game media content in a persistent storage of the user device; copying the first piece of the captured in-game media content from the temporary storage to the persistent storage; and after the copying, removing the first piece of the captured in-game media content from the temporary storage. ([Claim 6] 6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising warning means for issuing a warning before the non-specified image is deleted by the deletion means if the first storage section includes the non-specified image. [0055] Also, in a state of the temporarily-save mode being effective, the recording control section 105 temporarily saves the image data on the captured image in the image memory 103, and saves the image data of the image (image to be saved) specified (selected) as a save target in the recording device 106 from the images in the image memory 103. Then, the recording control section 105 deletes the image data of the image not specified for the save target (also called as an "image not to be saved"or "unspecified image") from the image memory 103 at predetermined timing (for example, when the power to the imaging apparatus 1A is turned off).)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Pearce to include the features as taught by Ishikawa. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify Pearce in order to limit capacity of data saved in the temporary folder of memory (Ishikawa, [0082]).
Claim 11 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium claim that is rejected with the same basis as claim 1.
Claim 12 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium claim that is rejected with the same basis as claim 2.
Claim 13 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium claim that is rejected with the same basis as claim 3.
Claim 14 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium claim that is rejected with the same basis as claim 4.
Claim 15 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium claim that is rejected with the same basis as claim 5.
Claim 16 is a system claim that is rejected with the same basis as claim 1.
Claim 17 is a system claim that is rejected with the same basis as claim 2.
Claim 18 is a system claim that is rejected with the same basis as claim 3.
Claim 19 is a system claim that is rejected with the same basis as claim 4.
Claim 20 is a system claim that is rejected with the same basis as claim 5.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michelle T. Kringen whose telephone number is (571)270-0159. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 11am-7pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Marissa Thein can be reached at (571)272-6764. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHELLE T KRINGEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3689
