Prior art — US Patent 9561439

To identify the most relevant prior art for US Patent 9561439, I will examine the patent citations listed on its Google Patents page. The priority date for US9561439 is March 12, 2013, so any anticipatory prior art must have a filing or publication date before this date. I will select several key cited patents and published applications for detailed analysis, focusing on those that appear most pertinent to the collaborative item collection and group reward system described in US9561439.

The core claims of US9561439 revolve around a game control method and device that enable multiple users in a group (guild) to cooperatively collect a plurality of game pieces to constitute one item, upon which a reward is given to the group. Specific embodiments include distributing game pieces based on appearance probability, user levels (especially to users in different level ranges), and managing these collection events within a predetermined time period.

I will now retrieve the abstracts and relevant information for a selection of cited prior art patents.

Prior Art Analysis for US9561439

Here are analyses of selected prior art documents cited against US9561439:

1. US8235824B1

Full Citation: US8235824B1 (Wuerz)
Publication/Filing Date: Published August 7, 2012; Filed September 2, 2010.
Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for providing rewards in a virtual environment based on collective actions of players. It details how players can collaborate to achieve a goal, such as completing a "set" of virtual items, and receive a reward. The system can track individual and group contributions.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
- Claim 1: This patent potentially anticipates Claim 1 by disclosing a game control method where a group of users collaborates to collect items (game pieces) to complete a set (one item) and receive a reward. The "collective actions" and "group achievements" described directly map to the cooperative collection of game pieces by a plurality of users in a group to constitute one item, and the subsequent awarding of a reward to the group.
- Claims 6: As a method patent, it also implicitly anticipates the device claim (Claim 6) if the method steps are performed by a device.

2. US8206216B2

Full Citation: US8206216B2 (Johnson et al.)
Publication/Filing Date: Published June 26, 2012; Filed February 23, 2009.
Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for providing virtual item rewards to players in a multiplayer online game based on their in-game activities. It covers generating and distributing virtual items, tracking player inventories, and providing rewards for completing certain objectives. It also mentions different types of items that can be collected.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
- This patent primarily focuses on individual player rewards for in-game activities and item collection, rather than the specific group-based collaborative collection of pieces to form one item as described in US9561439. While it touches upon item distribution and rewards, it lacks the explicit "group information," "game piece information indicative of a plurality of game pieces constituting one item," and "determining whether all of the plurality of game pieces... are given to a plurality of users constituting a group" found in US9561439's Claim 1. Therefore, it is less likely to anticipate Claim 1 directly but could be relevant as background art for general virtual item systems.

3. US8303399B2

Full Citation: US8303399B2 (Yano et al.)
Publication/Filing Date: Published November 6, 2012; Filed September 24, 2010.
Brief Description: This patent describes a game system that processes information related to multiple players and allows players to assist each other. It includes methods for exchanging items or data between players and determining player relationships. It can involve forming teams or groups for cooperative play and rewards related to these interactions.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
- While disclosing cooperative play and item exchange/data processing for groups, US8303399B2 does not explicitly detail the mechanism of collecting "a plurality of game pieces constituting one item" by a group and then receiving a reward specifically for completing that item. It focuses more on general player assistance and team play. It may serve as prior art for the concept of group interaction and rewards, but less directly for the specific "game piece" and "one item" structure of Claim 1 of US9561439.

4. US8272948B2

Full Citation: US8272948B2 (Sugimoto et al.)
Publication/Filing Date: Published September 25, 2012; Filed August 25, 2009.
Brief Description: This patent describes a game system for online card battle games, focusing on managing card characters, deck construction, and battle processing. It deals with parameters of card characters, battle outcomes, and acquiring new cards.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
- This patent is highly relevant to the "card battle game" context of US9561439. However, its primary focus is on the mechanics of card battles and character management, not on the cooperative collection of "game pieces constituting one item" by a group to earn a reward, which is the innovative aspect of US9561439's Claim 1. It would be highly relevant background art for the general game type but does not appear to anticipate Claim 1's specific cooperative collection mechanism.

5. US20120158863A1

Full Citation: US20120158863A1 (Noda)
Publication/Filing Date: Published June 21, 2012; Filed December 17, 2010.
Brief Description: This application describes a game system where a plurality of users can cooperate to defeat a common enemy (e.g., a "raid boss") and receive rewards based on their contribution. It involves managing user groups, battle participation, and reward distribution.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
- This application, particularly with its focus on "cooperating to defeat a common enemy," suggests group activity and shared rewards. While it doesn't explicitly mention "game pieces constituting one item," the concept of collaborative achievement leading to group rewards is present. The mechanism for obtaining the pieces (defeating an enemy vs. passive collection based on operation) differs. It could potentially anticipate the broader concept of group-based cooperation for rewards but not the specific "item constitution" aspect of Claim 1. However, if "defeating a boss" is considered an "item" collected by the group, it could be argued as close.

6. US20120295712A1

Full Citation: US20120295712A1 (Ichimura et al.)
Publication/Filing Date: Published November 22, 2012; Filed May 19, 2011.
Brief Description: This application describes a game system that facilitates cooperation between users, particularly regarding providing assistance and exchanging items or characters within a social game. It focuses on interaction between players to achieve game progress and receive benefits.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
- Similar to US8303399B2, this document provides background on facilitating user cooperation and interaction in social games. However, it lacks the specific inventive step of US9561439, which focuses on the collective gathering of disparate pieces to complete a single item by a defined group, leading to a group reward. Its relevance would be more as general art in social gaming cooperation rather than direct anticipation of Claim 1.

7. US20130053158A1

Full Citation: US20130053158A1 (Taniguchi et al.)
Publication/Filing Date: Published February 28, 2013; Filed August 24, 2012.
Brief Description: This application, and a series of related applications by Taniguchi et al. (US20130053159A1 through US20130053177A1), describes game control systems and methods where users form groups (guilds) and perform various cooperative actions, such as participating in group battles, to achieve group objectives and receive group rewards. Some of these involve collecting resources or items for the group.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
- This family of applications from Gree, Inc. is highly relevant due to its focus on "guilds" and "group objectives." The concept of users in a group performing cooperative actions to achieve group objectives and receive rewards is strongly anticipated here. While the specific wording of "a plurality of game pieces constituting one item" might not be identical, the broader concept of collaborative collection for a group reward is present. This could potentially anticipate:
  - Claim 1: The overarching concept of a game control method involving group information, collective action, and group rewards. Depending on the specifics of "collecting resources or items for the group" described in detail within the application, it could anticipate the core elements of Claim 1.
  - Claim 5: If these applications detail time-limited group events for collecting resources or achieving objectives, they could also anticipate the time-limited aspect of Claim 5, where information is deleted if objectives are not met within the timeframe.

Summary of Most Relevant Prior Art:

Based on the analysis, US8235824B1 (Wuerz) and the US20130053158A1 (Taniguchi et al.) series appear to be the most relevant prior art.

US8235824B1 specifically discusses players collaborating to complete a "set" of virtual items to receive a reward, which directly aligns with the "plurality of game pieces constituting one item" and "giving a reward to a plurality of users constituting a group" in Claim 1 of US9561439.
The US20130053158A1 (Taniguchi et al.) series broadly covers group (guild) activities, cooperative actions, and group rewards in social games, making it highly relevant to the general cooperative game mechanism described in Claim 1 and potentially the time-limited events of Claim 5.

For a more definitive assessment under 35 U.S.C. § 102, a detailed claim-by-claim comparison of US9561439 against the full disclosures of these prior art documents would be necessary. However, based on abstracts and general descriptions, these represent strong candidates for anticipation of the fundamental cooperative game mechanics.The US Patent 9561439, titled "Game control method, game control device, and recording medium," has a priority date of March 12, 2013. The invention focuses on a social game where a group of users cooperatively collects multiple game pieces to constitute a single item, receiving a reward upon successful completion of the item by the group. Key aspects include the distribution of game pieces, potentially based on user levels, and the management of these collection events within a specific time frame.

To identify the most relevant prior art, I have reviewed the "Prior art citations" section of US9561439B2 on Google Patents. The following are selected and analyzed based on their potential to anticipate the claims of US9561439, particularly focusing on group-based cooperative objectives, item collection, and reward mechanisms.

Prior Art Analysis for US9561439

US8235824B1 (Wuerz)
- Full Citation: US8235824B1, "System and method for providing rewards in a virtual environment based on collective actions of players," issued August 7, 2012.
- Publication/Filing Date: Published August 7, 2012; Filed September 2, 2010.
- Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for rewarding players in a virtual environment for engaging in collective actions. It details how players can collaborate to achieve a common goal, such as completing a "set" of virtual items, and subsequently receive a reward. The system is configured to track both individual and group contributions towards these collective objectives.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  - Claim 1: This prior art potentially anticipates the core elements of Claim 1 of US9561439. It discloses a game control method involving a group of users collaborating to collect items (which can be considered "game pieces") to complete a larger "set" (analogous to "one item"), and the subsequent awarding of a reward to the group. The "collective actions" directly relate to the cooperative play for collecting game pieces.
  - Claim 6: The method described in US8235824B1, when implemented by a system, also inherently anticipates the game control device of Claim 6 of US9561439.
US20120158863A1 (Noda)
- Full Citation: US20120158863A1, "Game system, game control method, and computer-readable storage medium," published June 21, 2012.
- Publication/Filing Date: Published June 21, 2012; Filed December 17, 2010.
- Brief Description: This published application describes a game system that enables multiple users to cooperate in a game, particularly in scenarios such as battling a common enemy (e.g., a "raid boss"). Rewards are distributed to participating users based on their contributions or the overall outcome of the cooperative effort. It involves managing groups of users and their participation in such events.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  - Claim 1: This application potentially anticipates aspects of Claim 1 related to groups of users cooperating to achieve an objective and receiving rewards. While it focuses on defeating a common enemy rather than explicitly collecting "game pieces constituting one item," the concept of collaborative achievement by a group leading to a group reward is present. The specific "game piece" and "one item" structure of US9561439 would need further detailed comparison.
  - Claim 6: Similar to the method, the disclosed game system could anticipate the device of Claim 6 in its broader cooperative gaming aspects.
US20130053158A1 (Taniguchi et al.)
- Full Citation: US20130053158A1, "Game control system, game control method, and information storage medium," published February 28, 2013.
- Publication/Filing Date: Published February 28, 2013; Filed August 24, 2012.
- Brief Description: This application describes a game control system and method for social games where users can form groups or "guilds" and engage in various cooperative activities. These activities lead to the achievement of group objectives and the distribution of rewards to the group members. The series of related applications by Taniguchi et al. (US20130053159A1 through US20130053177A1, published on the same date) also broadly cover guild-based cooperative play and reward distribution, including aspects of collecting resources or items for the group.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  - Claim 1: This family of applications is highly relevant. It anticipates the fundamental concept of a game control method where a plurality of users forms a group (guild) and performs cooperative actions to achieve a group objective, resulting in a group reward. The collection of "resources or items for the group" described within these patents could potentially encompass the "giving a game piece to each of the plurality of users" and "determining whether all of the plurality of game pieces necessary to constitute the one item... are given to a plurality of users constituting a group" if the 'resources or items' are intended to combine into a larger objective.
  - Claim 5: Given the context of managing group events, it is probable that some of these applications may disclose time-limited events for achieving group objectives, potentially anticipating Claim 5 regarding the deletion of progress information if the time limit is exceeded without achieving the reward.
  - Claim 6: The described game control system clearly anticipates the device claim of Claim 6, given its focus on managing group activities and rewards.

Note: A complete assessment under 35 U.S.C. § 102 would require a detailed, element-by-element comparison of each claim of US9561439 against the full specification and drawings of these cited prior art documents.