Patents Examined by William H McCulloch, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11504605
    Abstract: A sensor device includes a sleeve portion adapted to receive a portion of a golf club and a plurality of grip sensors on the sleeve portion. The grip sensors are adapted to sense information associated with a user's hands gripping the sleeve portion. The sensor device further includes a sensor assembly coupled to sleeve portion. The sensor assembly is adapted to sense the movement of the golf club by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Claw Revolution LLC
    Inventors: Ethan Bramble, Jonathan Gallas, Jeffrey Joseph Lumetta
  • Patent number: 11504634
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining how much of a created character in a gaming platform is inherited from other characters are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Mythical, Inc.
    Inventors: Rudy Koch, Jamie Jackson
  • Patent number: 11497996
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a game device, etc., that improves the operability of an operation unit. The game device comprises: a storage unit that stores an image of a first object; a display unit that displays an image of at least the first object; first and second operation units for outputting operation information on the basis of a player action; a determination unit that determines whether or not the output operation information fulfills a prescribed condition; an identification unit that identifies, as an object operation unit, the operation unit that output operation information fulfilling the prescribed condition, out of the first and second operation units; and an object control unit that changes the first object displayed on the display unit, in accordance with the operation information from the object operation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: GREE, INC.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Imai, Gaku Kawamura
  • Patent number: 11484779
    Abstract: A dynamic gameboard comprising an electronic control system and a board having a plurality of dynamic board pieces, wherein the electronic control system includes a server, lift control board and a user interface, the server having a first processor, a first memory, and a first communication device, wherein instructions are stored on the first memory to cause the first processor to direct the lift control board to instruct the plurality of dynamic board pieces to move between a first position and a second position, and between the second position and the first position, where the first position is a fully extended up position and the second position is a fully recessed down position; the lift control board having a second processor, a second memory, and a second communication device, and the user interface having a third processor, a third memory, and a third communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Zerep Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Marcus Perez, Aram Perez, Triston Clark, Celton O'Garro, Aiden Perez
  • Patent number: 11478703
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling a game include: controlling a game based on gameplay of a game player; receiving instructions from the game player and forwarding the instructions for controlling the game; and setting respective viewpoints, from among a plurality of viewpoints, serving as bases for generating respective watching screens for viewing the game offered to respective watching players, among a plurality of watching players, different from the game player, where at least one of: (i) the setting includes employing watching player conditions regarding each of the plurality of watching players for each of the plurality of viewpoints; and (ii) the setting includes employing one or more predetermined conditions in setting one or more of the respective viewpoints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Toshiya Ikenaga, Nobuaki Tanaka, Yasuhiro Watari, Toshiharu Sayano, Hiromasa Ohkubo
  • Patent number: 11471764
    Abstract: Systems described herein may automatically and dynamically adjust the amount and type of computing resources usable to execute, process, or perform various tasks associated with a video game. Using one or more machine learning algorithms, a prediction model can be generated that uses the historical and/or current user interaction data obtained by monitoring the users playing the video game. Based on the historical and/or current user interaction data, future user interactions likely to be performed in the future can be predicted. Using the predictions of the users' future interactions, the amount and type of computing resources maintained in the systems can be adjusted such that a proper balance between reducing the consumption of computing resources and reducing the latency experienced by the users of the video game is achieved and maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: ELECTRONIC ARTS INC.
    Inventors: John Kolen, Harold Henry Chaput, Navid Aghdaie, Kazi Atif-Uz Zaman, Kenneth Alan Moss
  • Patent number: 11471763
    Abstract: One or more hardware components identify a bottleneck stage within a processor pipeline that processes frames of a video stream. The bottleneck stage has a first clock. An upstream stage receives a feedback signal from the bottleneck stage. The upstream stage has a second clock and the feedback signal includes information as to time required by the bottleneck stage to operate on data and information as to time the data spent queued. The upstream stage adjusts the speed at which the upstream stage operates and queues data to approximate the speed at which the bottleneck stage is operating and queuing data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Sim Dietrich, Nico Benitez, Timothy Cotter
  • Patent number: 11465058
    Abstract: A game program causing a computer to execute a function of controlling progress of a video game based on an operation input of a user causes the computer to implement a first control function of controlling operation of a first reference object having a predetermined shape and an enlarging and reducing object that is repeatedly enlarged and reduced between a state of being contained in the first reference object and a state of containing the first reference object, a second control function of displaying a game image that is an image of a game space including the first reference object and the enlarging and reducing object on a display unit, and a decision function of deciding an arrival location of a moving object released from a predetermined position in the game space based on a state of the enlarging and reducing object if a decision operation is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yui Sawada
  • Patent number: 11468746
    Abstract: The present invention relates to gaming machines, systems and methods of gaming. There are a number of different ways available for determining an award by current gaming machines and systems. In this embodiment, a game controller is arranged to determine an award depending on the number of columns spanned by a cluster of symbols and the number of symbol positions in the cluster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED
    Inventors: Ryan Paul Hawkins, Yanis Tsombanidis, Stephanie Johns, Robert Honeycutt
  • Patent number: 11468737
    Abstract: A method of providing a secondary skill-based game to a player utilizing an electronic game machine includes providing the player with a plurality of wagering units enabling the participants to play a machine-implemented game, initiating the game whereby the player wagers during individual games, displaying indicia representing a game state to the player whereby the player may select from at least two different potentially winning actions to continue each game, determining an outcome for the machine-implemented game, and, if the number of wagering units held by the participant is greater than a predetermined number of wagering units and if the elapsed time from the initiation of the first game played by the player is less than a predetermined time interval and if the number of games played by the player is less than a predetermined maximum number of games, providing the player the a secondary skill-based game prize.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: BRAIN GAMES, L.C.
    Inventor: Malcolm B. Davis
  • Patent number: 11458389
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a vibration control apparatus that receives a vibration instruction and vibrates a vibration device in accordance with content obtained by correcting the content of the received vibration instruction, wherein the vibration control apparatus determines the correction content for vibration in accordance with a user using the vibration device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Yusuke Nakagawa, Ikuo Yamano
  • Patent number: 11458406
    Abstract: Various aspects of the subject technology relate to systems, methods, and machine-readable media for granting access to a game. The method includes receiving a request to access the game. The method also includes causing to display a set of challenge options representing challenges of varying difficulty levels for a user to select. The method also includes receiving a selection of a challenge option from a user device. The method also includes causing to present a challenge to the user. The method also includes receiving challenge data from the user including interactions with and results of the challenge. The method also includes determining whether the user passed the challenge based on the challenge data. The method also includes executing or enabling execution of the game upon determining that the user passed the challenge. The method also includes providing the user rewards associated with the game for passing the challenge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Electronic Arts Inc.
    Inventors: Meredith Trotter, Reza Pourabolghasem, Sundeep Narravula, Kazi Atif-Uz Zaman, Navid Aghdaie
  • Patent number: 11452942
    Abstract: A dynamic quest-based experience system of an amusement park includes a memory storing instructions and a processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the processor to receive a user input from a computing device indicative of starting a dynamic quest-based narrative, in which the dynamic quest-based narrative includes a plurality of sets of information. The instructions further cause the processor to place an identifier associated with the computing device in a virtual queue associated with a narrative endpoint of the amusement park, select a set of information from the plurality of sets of information based on a determined parameter, wherein the set of information is associated with a requested task, and output the set of information to the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Anthony Linguanti, Richard Michael Spencer, Thomas John Mannarino
  • Patent number: 11446581
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a control method and apparatus for a Virtual Reality (VR) shooting game. The control method includes: detecting a shooting operation instruction in the VR shooting game; when the shooting operation instruction is detected, controlling a shooting weapon to execute a shooting action; in response to the shooting weapon executing the shooting action, applying a first acting force to a virtual weapon holder, the first acting force being used for simulating a recoil force to the virtual weapon holder when the shooting weapon executes the shooting action; calculating and controlling a position change of the virtual weapon holder based on the first acting force; and after the first force disappears, applying a second acting force to the virtual weapon holder, and calculating and controlling the position change of the virtual weapon holder based on the second acting force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: NETEASE (HANGZHOU) NETWORK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Fan Jiang
  • Patent number: 11446578
    Abstract: An information processing program is for improving operability of a player when aiming at one of a plurality of non-player objects. The information processing program causes a computer to function as: a camera control unit that controls an imaging range or an imaging direction of a virtual camera in a virtual space, a display control unit that causes a display unit to display an image taken by the virtual camera, an action control unit that controls an action of a player object in the virtual space according to an operation to an operating unit, and a setting unit that sets any one of the plurality of non-player objects other than the player object as a target object to aim at. The setting unit is capable of setting one of the plurality of non-player objects arranged outside the imaging range of the virtual camera as the target object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: PLATINUMGAMES INC.
    Inventors: Hiroto Tanaka, Ryoya Sakabe
  • Patent number: 11446579
    Abstract: A system, server, and method for controlling a game character are provided. The system for controlling a game character according to one embodiment includes a first user terminal configured to acquire an input of a first user, a server configured to generate game play information based on the input of the first user, and a second user terminal configured to perform at least one of control over a game character of a second user and provision of motion guidance information related to the game character based on the game play information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: NCSOFT Corporation
    Inventors: Kyuhyun Kim, Byungkyu Na, Miseon Park
  • Patent number: 11443592
    Abstract: An gaming apparatus, systems and methods with a remote redemption option including a payment acceptance device for accepting payment from a player; at least one display screen that displays symbols, a player's balance and game status information; at least one electronic game module for storing gaming information, operating a game and/or determining a redemption amount to a player; a control electronics in communication with the at least one electronic game module for processing the redemption amount to the player; and a payout dispenser for dispensing a redemption voucher to the player. The disclosure also includes an exchange center having an exchange point of sale within a universal redemption system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Todd Jordan, Alexei Shakhirev
  • Patent number: 11433303
    Abstract: A user breeds a virtual life form by practicing good sleep habits and stays motivated toward practicing good sleep habits while enjoying breeding the virtual life form. A game server manages progress of a breeding game of a virtual life form, the game server including circuitry configured to acquire sleep data that at least includes a sleep pattern indicating a bedtime and a wake-up time of a user; store the acquired sleep data as a sleep history; and update the breeding game based on the sleep pattern in the sleep history.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: THE POKEMON COMPANY
    Inventors: Takayuki Shindo, Satoshi Ogawa, Kaname Kosugi, Marie Shuto, Koya Nakahata
  • Patent number: 11426655
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for playing on a player of a client device (11) a content streamed in a network (1), said content consisting of a sequence of segments available in a plurality of quality levels, the player being configured so as to choose the quality level of the segments as a function of at least one parameter representative of a segment reception rate, according to an Adaptive BitRate, ABR, logic of the player; the client device (11) comprising a first buffer (M1) for storing segments in a format adapted for transferring within the network (1), the method being characterized in that it comprises performing by a processing unit (110) of the client device (11): (a) receiving from the player a request for a current segment at a first quality level; (b) estimating, for a second quality level, an optimal response delay such that providing the requested current segment at the expiration of said optimal response delay will cause the player to request according to its ABR logic a next s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Streamroot
    Inventors: Hiba Yousef, Alexandre Storelli
  • Patent number: 11420118
    Abstract: A method for cloud gaming. The method including generating a video frame when executing a video game at a server. The method including scanning-in the video frame to an encoder at the server scanline-by-scanline. The method including encoding one or more encoder slices as one or more encoded slices at the encoder, wherein each encoded slice is delivered to a buffer at an encoder fill rate. The method including draining a first encoded slice from the buffer to stream the first encoded slice at a buffer drain rate over a network to a client, wherein the first encoded slice is streamed over the network before fully encoding the one or more slices of the video frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Kelvin M. Yong, Mark E. Cerny