Prior art

Most Relevant Prior Art for US9079107

This analysis focuses on identifying prior art directly cited within US patent 9079107. The patent's description acknowledges existing game mechanics and systems that form the foundation upon which its claimed invention aims to improve. Under 35 U.S.C. § 102, a claim is anticipated if all its elements are found, either explicitly or inherently, in a single prior art reference.

Prior Art Cited in US9079107

The patent itself describes the relevant prior art in its Background section. While specific patent numbers are not explicitly listed as "prior art references" in the same way an examiner might cite them, the patent describes prior art that forms the basis for the "Problem Addressed by the Invention." This description functions as an admission of prior art.

1. Social Games with Guilds and Cooperative Rewards

• Full Citation: Described in the "BACKGROUND" section of US9079107.
• Publication/Filing Date: The patent notes these as "known" in "recent years" prior to its March 12, 2013 priority date. [Description, "BACKGROUND"]
• Brief Description: This prior art encompasses social games provided on social networking services (SNS) where users communicate and play with one another. These games allow for the formation of "guilds" (groups of multiple users) who can share information and cooperate to fight enemy characters (e.g., "raid boss"). Upon winning such cooperative battles, guild members can obtain "various kinds of rewards (for example, characters, items, etc.)." [Description, "BACKGROUND"]
• Potential Anticipation of Claims: This prior art potentially anticipates elements of independent claims 1, 9, and 10, particularly the aspects related to:
  • A game control device connected to multiple communication terminals used by a plurality of users playing a game. [Abstract]
  • Storing "group information" indicative of a group (guild) consisting of multiple users. [Abstract]
  • The concept of multiple users constituting a group receiving a "reward" for cooperative play. [Description, "BACKGROUND"]

2. Game Mechanics of Collecting and Combining for Rewards (Card Battle Games)

• Full Citation: Described throughout the "DESCRIPTION" section of US9079107, particularly in relation to the "card battle game" context.
• Publication/Filing Date: Implied as existing game mechanics prior to the patent's priority date.
• Brief Description: This prior art details game elements such as "card characters and items" that users "obtain" through various in-game actions like "searching for a chapter" or "victory over an enemy character." [Description, "Events that occur in a quest"] It also describes a mechanic where a "base card character" can be "evolve[d] (make more powerful)" by "combining" it with a "combination card character." [Description, "In the card battle game in the present embodiment, by combining one of a plurality of card characters (hereinafter, referred to as a base card character) possessed by the user with a card character (hereinafter, referred to as a combination card character) other than the base card character, it is possible to evolve (make more powerful) the base card character by combination."] This highlights the general concept of collecting smaller components or "pieces" and combining them to form a more powerful or complete "item" within a game, leading to a reward (e.g., a stronger character).
• Potential Anticipation of Claims: This prior art potentially anticipates elements of independent claims 1, 9, and 10, specifically the aspects related to:
  • "giving a game piece to each of the plurality of users in accordance with an operation of the user to a communication terminal used by the user" [Abstract] (as users obtain cards/items through operations).
  • "storing obtained game piece information indicative of the game piece given to each of the plurality of users in the storage unit" [Abstract] (as obtained cards/items would be managed).
  • The fundamental idea of collecting parts (game pieces) that constitute one larger item (an evolved character or completed set). [Description, "In the card battle game in the present embodiment, by combining one of a plurality of card characters (hereinafter, referred to as a base card character) possessed by the user with a card character (hereinafter, referred to as a combination card character) other than the base card character, it is possible to evolve (make more powerful) the base card character by combination."]

It is important to note that the patent's claims introduce the specific combination of these known elements, particularly the collective completion of "game pieces constituting one item" by a group of users to receive a group reward, and further, the distribution of these pieces based on different user levels to encourage diverse cooperation. The obviousness section previously discussed how these combinations might be considered obvious given the existing problems in the art.