Patents Assigned to SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC
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Publication number: 20170244774Abstract: Implementations generally relate to the sharing of media content. In some implementations, a method includes providing a grid view in a user interface, where the grid view displays media content items that have been shared in a network. The method also includes providing a gallery view in response to a user selecting a media content item among the media content items in the grid view, where the gallery view displays the selected media content item. The method also includes providing a share menu view in response to the user selecting a re-share button, where the share menu view displays options for sharing the selected media content item. The method also includes providing a comment view, where the comment view enables the user to comment on the selected media content item. The method also includes re-sharing the selected media content item to other users.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2016Publication date: August 24, 2017Applicants: Sony Corporation, Sony Network Entertainment International LLCInventors: Steven Trombetta, Shunsuke Kunieda
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Patent number: 9680898Abstract: Embodiments generally relate to proving a method for an authenticated user of an item of streaming media content to create a shareable clip of a portion of the item. The method comprises using an interface on a first device to accept a first input from the authenticated user to define the clip; using the interface to accept a second input from the authenticated user to create a comment for the clip; creating an identifier for the clip, the identifier uniquely corresponding to the authenticated user and the defined clip; and sending the identifier and the comment to a second user in a form that includes a clickable link. If the second user clicks on the clickable link, the defined clip is streamed to the second user to play on a second device, independent of whether the second user is authorized to access the whole of the content.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2014Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLCInventor: Margaret Plumley
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Patent number: 9639887Abstract: Systems and methods according to present principles involved highlighting objects such as on a store shelf. Highlighting is displayed by projecting a light directly on the object by means of a light source or may alternatively be indicated by displaying an indicator or image of the object on a display screen. Information about the targeted object may appear in a headmounted display, on a user's mobile device, or may be projected on a surface via the projector. Information provided to a user may include comparison product data, data about potential allergens, and the like. Highlighting can also be employed to suggest items of interest to the user. For example, products may be recommended to a user through analysis of user data and such products illuminated by a projector as a user walks through a store. Other highlighted objects may be those on a user grocery list or the like.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2014Date of Patent: May 2, 2017Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLCInventors: Charles McCoy, Leo Pedlow, True Xiong
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Patent number: 9633656Abstract: Apparatus and methods to implement a technique for using a second display with a network-enabled television. In one implementation, this feature allows the user to conveniently register and manage their IPTV device directly from a second display device instead of going to a separate registration website. A typical current situation requires the user to either leave the living room for the PC which is inconvenient or perform the registration directly on the IPTV which often has a poor input interface. The second display could be a smart phone that can often be found beside the user, or a laptop or tablet PC, a desktop PC, or the like. After registration, certain convenient follow-up features can be implemented, such as directly selecting the device for browsing, or inheritance of configurations of other available devices for the newly-registered device.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2010Date of Patent: April 25, 2017Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLCInventors: Davender Agnihotri, Ling Jun Wong, True Xiong
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Patent number: 9600390Abstract: Customizing menus for a consumer electronics device, including: preparing menu definitions for the menus to be customized on the consumer electronics device; generating menu configuration information using the prepared menu definitions; transmitting the generated menu configuration information to the consumer electronics device; and monitoring and tracking menu usage data of the consumer electronics device. Keywords include customization of menus and consumer electronics device.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2012Date of Patent: March 21, 2017Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Network Entertainment International LLCInventors: Charles McCoy, Leo Mark Pedlow, Jr., Ling Jun Wong, True Xiong
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Patent number: 9577463Abstract: Some embodiments provide a portable consumer electronic device comprising: a battery; a user interface configured to provide a user with information and receive inputs from a user; and a wireless power distribution circuitry coupled with the battery, wherein the wireless power distribution circuitry comprises: a power transfer antenna electrically coupled with the battery and configured to wirelessly and inductively couple with a separate second portable consumer electronic device that is configured to wirelessly and inductively couple with the portable consumer electronic device, and the wireless power distribution circuitry is configured to wirelessly transfer power from the battery through the power transfer antenna to the second portable consumer electronic device; and a power supply controller configured to control the wireless transfer of power through the power transfer antenna.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2014Date of Patent: February 21, 2017Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Network Entertainment International LLCInventors: Charles McCoy, James R. Milne, True Xiong
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Patent number: 9571869Abstract: An apparatus and method for creating channels dedicated to a particular type of content. The method includes acquiring seed content and using the seed content in the creation or updating of a content list. Additional content for the channel is acquired based on the common features of the content list.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2012Date of Patent: February 14, 2017Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLCInventors: Charles McCoy, True Xiong, Ling Jun Wong
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Patent number: 9569440Abstract: A method and system for organizing content data by adding one or more identifiers that place the content data in context or provide additional details about the content. The method includes attaching a label to image data and classifying the image data based on the label.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2013Date of Patent: February 14, 2017Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLCInventors: Charles McCoy, True Xiong, Jason Wallace
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Patent number: 9559860Abstract: An apparatus and method for monitoring activity of a device. The method includes associating one or more monitoring devices with an electronic device. Rules that have been established to define acceptable content that can be accessed by the electronic device are accessed. Requested content, which is requested by the electronic device, is identified. The requested content is compared to the established rules. An alert condition is generated when the requested content violates the established rules. An alert signal is provided to the one or more monitoring devices based on the alert condition.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2013Date of Patent: January 31, 2017Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLCInventors: Charles McCoy, True Xiong, Ling Jun Wong
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Patent number: 9495961Abstract: Apparatus and methods to implement a technique for using voice input to control a network-enabled device. In one implementation, this feature allows the user to conveniently register and manage an IPTV device using voice input rather than employing a bulky remote control or a separate registration website.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2013Date of Patent: November 15, 2016Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLCInventors: True Xiong, Charles McCoy
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Patent number: 9468842Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include systems and methods for instituting a metagame point system that may be integrated into an online video game network for one or more video game platforms. The metagame points system may increase or decrease a user's point total based upon user performance across a plurality of different video game titles. In some implementations, the points may be transferable between users based upon user performance during multiplayer video game play. In further implementations, the points earned by a user may be redeemable for various rewards.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2013Date of Patent: October 18, 2016Assignee: SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLCInventors: Eric Lempel, Dawn Cindy De Guzman, Taryn Hadfield
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Patent number: 9466300Abstract: Embodiments are directed toward user profile based audio adjustment techniques. The techniques are used to render various audio and/or audio/video content having different audio output parameter values in accordance with a user profile that characterizes a user's desired value and/or range of one or more of the output parameter levels.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2015Date of Patent: October 11, 2016Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLCInventors: Ling Jun Wong, True Xiong
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Publication number: 20160291329Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus including a setting unit configured to set a display mode corresponding to a posture of a user on the basis of posture information indicating the posture of the head of the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2015Publication date: October 6, 2016Applicants: SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC, SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Jun KIMURA, Tsubasa TSUKAHARA, Anthony ROGERS
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Patent number: 9456055Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and apparatus for communicating media content may include a server communicatively coupled to a plurality of content rendering devices. One or more processors in the server may be operable to determine a set of configuration settings associated with the media content based on a set of parameters. The server may encode the media content and the determined set of configuration settings to generate an encoded media content. The determined set of configuration settings may be included in a header section of the encoded media content. The server may transmit the encoded media content to at least one of the plurality of content rendering devices.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2012Date of Patent: September 27, 2016Assignees: SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC, SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Ling Jun Wong, Charles McCoy, True Xiong
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Patent number: 9451297Abstract: An apparatus and method for creating channels dedicated to a particular type of content. The method includes acquiring seed content and using the seed content in the creation or updating of a content list. Additional content for the channel is acquired based on the common features of the content list.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2013Date of Patent: September 20, 2016Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLCInventors: Charles McCoy, True Xiong, Ling Jun Wong
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Publication number: 20160269793Abstract: Methods and systems enhance user experience of an interactive content delivery service. A main interface screen comprises a background, playing selected streamed content; and a foreground overlay, comprising a vertical bar crossing a horizontal bar. The vertical bar lists content categories, a first category corresponding to content currently available for immediate viewing, and another category corresponding to content designated by the user as favorite content. The horizontal bar comprises thumbnail representations of content in the category selected by the user from the vertical bar. When the first category is selected, a thumbnail representation in the horizontal bar corresponding to the content currently being played includes a first symbol indicating whether the content being played is live or recorded, and a second symbol indicating whether the content is currently being recorded. When the favorite content category in the vertical bar is selected, a favorites button appears in the foreground overlay.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2016Publication date: September 15, 2016Applicants: Sony Corporation, Sony Network Entertainment International LLCInventors: Daniel Myers, Benjamin Ackerman, Amit Nag
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Patent number: 9426510Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing global searching using second display devices. In an IPTV system, a second display application is typically a more complex application. There are typically many features, which increase complexity when a user attempts to find an asset, a service, a utility, a shortcut, or other information and/or content of the second display application. The use of a global search tool enhances the usage of the second display application, especially when a utility is buried in the second display application, making that utility more difficult to access.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2011Date of Patent: August 23, 2016Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLCInventors: Charles McCoy, Ling Jun Wong, True Xiong
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Publication number: 20160188683Abstract: Implementations generally relate to search results. In some implementations, a method includes receiving a search query, where the search query includes a least a portion of a name of a target content item. The method further includes causing a display of search results, where the search results include one or more of a name of one or more candidate content items, and one or more respective icons that are associated with the one or more candidate content items, where at least of the candidate content items matches the target content item. The method further includes causing the search results to be displayed in a tile configuration.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2015Publication date: June 30, 2016Applicants: SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC, SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Yumiko Tanaka, William Abbott
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Publication number: 20160192019Abstract: Implementations generally relate to electronic program guides. In some implementations, a method includes causing a main view of an electronic program guide to be displayed. The method further includes receiving one or more user preferences associated with the electronic program guide. The method further includes causing content items to be displayed in the electronic program guide based on the one or more user preferences.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2015Publication date: June 30, 2016Applicants: SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC, Sony CorporationInventors: Yumiko Tanaka, Shingo Kurokawa
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Publication number: 20160170582Abstract: A method for interactive delivery of cloud-based content to a user viewing a display comprises displaying a main interface screen on the display. The main interface screen comprises a background, presenting selected streamed content; a foreground overlay, comprising a timeline-based cross information bar; and a header presenting a plurality of control icons. In one aspect, the background reaches the boundaries of the display, the cross information bar comprises a vertical bar, comprising a scrollable listing of content categories, and a horizontal bar, comprising a listing of representations of cloud-based content the user is authorized to access, such that when the user selects one of the content categories, the horizontal bar extends to the right from the selected category listing, and is populated with representations of content corresponding to the selected category.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2015Publication date: June 16, 2016Applicants: SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC, SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Amit Nag, Daniel Myers, Benjamin Ackerman, Mathieu Verbeeck, Carsten Schwesig