Patents Assigned to SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC
  • Patent number: 9363577
    Abstract: A digital video viewing system including methods for user selection of video advertisement content and time of display of video advertisements during a live video content stream. The digital video viewing system includes modules for receiving, evaluating and transmitting data within the digital video viewing system and to internet protocol content providers. Also shown are methods for recording and re-playing live internet protocol content in conjunction with the video advertisement display methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Network Entertainment International LLC
    Inventors: Charles McCoy, True Xiong, Stewart Stremler
  • Patent number: 9338494
    Abstract: An IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) as a first display device may be controlled in part by user on a second display device. The second display device can set start and end times for content which the user of the second display device recommends to the IPTV device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: Charles McCoy, Ling Jun Wong, True Xiong
  • Patent number: 9324340
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide methods of reanimating multimedia content, comprising: accessing multimedia content; accessing a plurality of dubbed vocalized content; determining a playback duration of a first dubbed vocalized content is different than a first primary vocalized content; identifying a first portion of the primary visual content corresponding to the first primary vocalized content; modifying the first portion of the primary visual content such that a number of frames in the first portion of the primary visual content is changed and has a playback duration that is more consistent with the playback duration of the first dubbed vocalized content; identifying a character movement corresponding to each distinct vocal sound within the first dubbed vocalized content; and reanimating a first character such that reanimated character movements of the first character are consistent and synchronized with the identified character movement corresponding to each of the distinct vocal sounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Network Entertainment International LLC
    Inventors: Charles McCoy, True Xiong, Justin Gonzales
  • Patent number: 9313528
    Abstract: Filtering contents and services streamed live to a client device, including: establishing a private relationship between a server and the client device; determining capabilities of the client device and preferences of a user of the client device; and filtering and transmitting a list of servers, services, and contents with contents and services that are at least one of: (a) preferred; and (b) capable of being presented, viewed, played, or processed on the client device. Keywords include live media stream and content filtering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORKS ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: True Xiong, Leo Pedlow, Viral Mehta, Eric Holcomb
  • Publication number: 20160080452
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Applicants: Sony Network Entertainment International LLC, Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Margaret Plumley
  • Patent number: 9271022
    Abstract: Subscribing to channels and playing content, including: selecting an available subscription channel with an application on a second device; modifying a user's, subscription list based on the selected subscription-channel; and executing commands on any of the subscription channels of the user's subscription list. Keywords include: media, internet content, BIVL subscription and device infrastructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: Ling Jun Wong, True Xiong, Charles McCoy, Leo Pedlow
  • Patent number: 9270763
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for sharing content between a plurality of electronic devices including identifying an event and detecting one or more electronic devices based on the identified event. Electronic content is obtained from one or more of the electronic devices related to the event and provided to one or more output devices based on a comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Dawson, Charles McCoy, James R. Milne, True Xiong, Trisha Yasuhara
  • Patent number: 9258613
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for manipulating video content that includes accessing, from a server, a list of one or more Internet Protocol television (IPTV) devices and selecting an IPTV device from the list. The server provides a content list of content that may be played on the selected IPTV device. The secondary device provides a control function and reachability (availability to communicate) of the selected IPTV device is determined by the server. The execution of the control function provided by the secondary device is independent of whether the selected IPTV device is reachable or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: Charles McCoy, Ling Jun Wong, True Xiong
  • Patent number: 9215481
    Abstract: A system and method for receiving user authentication information from a secondary device and sending a list of IPTV devices associated with the user authentication information to the secondary device. IPTV device selection is received from the secondary device and device identification information corresponding to a selected IPTV device is sent to the secondary device. A content selection from an asset list is received at a server and post execution instructions for the selected IPTV device are generated. Next asset information is sent to the selected IPTV device. The asset information includes content associated with the content selection and the post execution instructions. The post execution instructions determine further IPTV device functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: Charles McCoy, Ling Jun Wong, True Xiong, Leo Pedlow
  • Patent number: 9215484
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: Charles McCoy, True Xiong, Ling Jun Wong
  • Publication number: 20150349572
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicants: Sony Corporation, Sony Network Entertainment International LLC
    Inventors: Charles McCoy, James R. Milne, True Xiong
  • Publication number: 20150349537
    Abstract: Some embodiments providing antenna systems comprising: a frame; a power transfer antenna cooperated with the frame, wherein the power transfer antenna is configured to enable at least one of wirelessly and inductively receiving electrical power from another consumer electronic device and wirelessly and inductively transmitting electrical power to another consumer electronic device; one or more low power communications antennas cooperated with the frame and configured to wirelessly transmit and receive communications with one or more other remote consumer electronic devices; wherein the frame is configured to readily be positioned within and mounted with multiple different consumer electronic devices and provide the consumer electronic device within which it is mounted with wireless power transfer capabilities and communication capabilities with a separate consumer electronic device with which wireless power transfer is to occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicants: Sony Corporation, Sony Network Entertainment International LLC
    Inventors: James R. Milne, Charles McCoy, True Xiong
  • Publication number: 20150339330
    Abstract: Various aspects of a system and method for content deployment may include a server communicatively coupled to one or more client devices. The server may be associated with a web-based store. The server may be operable to receive information from a client device to request access to the web-based store. The server may be further operable to determine whether the client device is to be assigned to one of a plurality of channels of content access based on the received information. Each of the plurality of channels may be associated with a pre-specified version of content. The server may be further operable to randomly assign the client device to one of the plurality of channels based on the determination that the one or more client devices satisfy a set of parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventor: MILES ZARN
  • Patent number: 9197913
    Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for improving a viewing experience of a user during consumption of streamed content. In one implementation, the systems and methods relate to a model of polling a live streaming event by a management server of a service provider server and using that model to feed into future polling. The polling response returns up-to-date information about an event to be viewed. The system and method model the polling frequency and enter the same in an algorithm such as a supervised machine learning algorithm. This algorithm is presented as a mathematical formula and provides an input to the polling system to determine when to poll and how frequently to poll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: Leo Pedlow, True Xiong
  • Publication number: 20150326892
    Abstract: Various aspects of a system and a method for identifying one or more target areas on an object in a real-time video stream may comprise a server. The server identifies one or more target areas on an object in a real-time video stream based on one or more pre-defined machine recognizable identifiers associated with the object. The server dynamically replaces, in real-time, a first content of the identified one or more target areas with a second content specified by the server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Applicants: Sony Corporation, Sony Network Entertainment International LLC
    Inventors: CHARLES McCOY, CLAY FISHER, TRUE XIONG
  • Patent number: 9185116
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide methods of providing access to services comprise: receiving, from over a distributed network, a request from a secondary device to access an account; confirming authorization to access the account; identifying one or more primary devices registered with and corresponding to the account in response to confirming authorization to access to the account, where the one or more primary devices are multimedia playback devices; receiving, from the secondary device, a selection of a first primary device of the one or more primary devices, where the first primary device is separate and distinct from the secondary device; identifying services available to the first primary device and configured to be utilized through the first primary device; and providing access, through the secondary device, to the identified services.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Network Entertainment International LLC
    Inventors: Ling Jun Wong, Charles McCoy, True Xiong
  • Publication number: 20150297997
    Abstract: Various aspects of a system and a method for multi-player video gaming are disclosed. The system may include a first gaming system communicatively coupled to a second gaming system via a communication network. The first gaming system receives metadata from the second gaming system. The metadata comprises one or more viewing modes associated with a game being rendered at the second gaming system. The viewing modes correspond to in-game views of a user associated with the second gaming system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: Charles McCoy, True Xiong, Clay Fisher
  • Publication number: 20150294639
    Abstract: Various aspects of a method and a system for switching a mode of an electronic device are disclosed herein. The method includes switching the electronic device from a first mode to a second mode in response to detecting one or more conditions. The method further includes outputting a second response in the second mode in response to a user input provided by a user. The second response corresponds to a first response in the first mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: Charles McCoy, Justin Gonzales, True Xiong
  • Patent number: 9160720
    Abstract: Managing digital rights of contents and services streamed to a client device, including: receiving and validating a certificate from the client device; enabling the client device to log into and communicate with a server using a secure protocol to establish a private relationship between the client device and the server; and transmitting a resource identifier to the client device using the secure protocol when the private relationship is established.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventors: Leo Pedlow, True Xiong, Eric Holcomb, Kathy Fielder
  • Patent number: 9161073
    Abstract: Systems and methods for creating and employing software to handle the playback of media, especially video, in browsers that, in addition to or instead of playing the media in the browser, may use second display protocols to instruct a separate display device to play the media. In one implementation, the software may be in the form of a web or other application. In particular, systems and methods are provided that describe ways to clean up bad assets from favorites or recently-viewed lists. In one implementation, systems and methods are provided that use an erroneous asset report from one user to fix other users' associated lists. In another implementation, the systems and methods employ data about defunct services, both local and global, to remove assets from those services from one or more user lists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Network Entertainment International LLC
    Inventors: Ling Jun Wong, Charles McCoy, True Xiong