Patents by Inventor Christopher Thielbar
Christopher Thielbar has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10953322Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods and systems directed towards providing scaled engagement and views of an e-sports event. Instead of providing the same distribution of live e-sport event data to all remote viewers of a live e-sports event, features associated with e-sports gaming network could be used to customize the distribution of live e-sport event data to promote immersive viewer experience. The enhanced immersion can also be carried out in a virtual reality or augmented reality setting. The features would be capable of providing additional information, different views, and a variety of different commentators for the e-sports event so that the viewer can be more engaged when viewing the particular e-sports event. With the increased engagement from remote viewers, the distribution of live e-sports event data can also be further modified for monetization by incorporating advertisements as well.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2018Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLCInventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
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Patent number: 10953335Abstract: A plurality of game titles each associated with at least one tournament may be hosted on a gaming network platform. Real-time gameplay data in matches involving the plurality of game titles may be tracked. Each match may be associated with a stream. Memory may store stream parameters and metrics associated with the at least one tournament. A predefined achievement may be identified for the at least one tournament when the tracked gameplay data for a match meets the stored metrics. The identified achievement may be determined to meet the stream parameters. A notification may be provided to the user device that includes a link to a stream of the match.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2018Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.Inventor: Christopher Thielbar
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Publication number: 20210052982Abstract: The subject disclosure relates to the creation of channels providing customizable video feeds in an online gaming platform. In some aspects, a process of the disclosed technology can include steps for receiving a first set of event attributes from a first user, the first set of event attributes comprising information identifying a first game title and a first game-play event associated with the first game title, monitoring play of the first game title by a second user to detect occurrence of the game-play event, and in response to a detected occurrence of the first game-play event, automatically providing a video stream of the first game title to the first user. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2020Publication date: February 25, 2021Inventors: Steven Trombetta, James Fairbairn, Christopher Thielbar
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Publication number: 20210043044Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods and systems directed towards creation of winner tournaments. Instead of using traditional tournament bracket structures which establish pre-set match-ups between participating players in a tournament at an e-sport event, the present disclosure broadens the scope of participants who may be eligible to also participate within the same tournament but who may not initially be attending the e-sport event. With the e-sport competitive scene, not only do professionals compete against each other during a live e-sport event but remote users remotely viewing the e-sport event can also be introduced into the tournament structure as well. These remote users can be introduced into the live e-sport event for the purpose of also competing against competitive players as well as being introduced as an exhibition match with the professionals (e.g. fans of the professionals selected based on social media).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2020Publication date: February 11, 2021Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar
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Publication number: 20210016190Abstract: Systems and methods for discovery and detection of events in interactive digital content are provided. A plurality of game titles may be hosted on a gaming network platform, and gameplay data in sessions involving the plurality of game titles may be tracked in real-time. Each session may be associated with a stream. One or more event criteria may be stored for each of a plurality of predefined events of interest. An event of interest may be identified when the tracked gameplay data for a session meets the stored criteria. A list of available streams identified as including the identified event may be sorted, and a subset of the available streams may be identified as being at a top of the list. A notification may be provided to a spectator device, the notification including a link to one of the streams in the subset. The criteria for the event of interest may also be updated based on subsequent game data and feedback (e.g., use of the link).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2020Publication date: January 21, 2021Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
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Publication number: 20200406152Abstract: A video game has at least one player client with control over an aspect of a shared virtual environment. The video game also has at least one spectator client with limited to no control over the shared virtual environment. For example, the spectator client's control may be limited to the game server generating audience cheers or boos in response to spectator input during gameplay. In response to detection of a trigger event by a game server, the player and spectator may switch roles. The client switching from spectator to player experiences an increase in network transfer quality from the game server to help provide smooth gameplay. The client switching from player to spectator faces a decrease in network transfer properties to compensate.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2020Publication date: December 31, 2020Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
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Publication number: 20200398169Abstract: A multi-user platform provides an immersive digital (including virtual reality (VR)) environment to solicit and broadcast commentary related to gameplay. The multi-user platform receives gameplay content, which includes a plurality of media streams that show one or more views. The multi-user platform generates a graphical representation for each media stream in the VR environment, receives commentary content corresponding to one or more media streams in the VR environment, and determines one graphical representation for one media stream is an active representation in the VR environment for a time period. The multi-user platform further synchronizes a portion of the commentary content received in the time period with the one media stream associated with the active representation to create synchronized content and broadcast gameplay channel(s) that includes the synchronized content to one or more subscribers connected to the multi-user platform.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2020Publication date: December 24, 2020Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
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Publication number: 20200398157Abstract: The subject disclosure relates to the de-interleaving of captured game data for the creation of separate video data and statistical metadata repositories. In some aspects, a process of the disclosed technology includes steps for capturing gameplay data based on live gameplay in a game environment, the gameplay data comprising video data and statistical metadata based on player interactions with the game environment, de-interleaving the video data and the statistical metadata, storing the video data to a first database, and storing the statistical metadata to a second database, the first database being different from the second database. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2020Publication date: December 24, 2020Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn, Adil Sherwani
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Publication number: 20200384364Abstract: Techniques for incentivizing completive gameplay include measuring metrics for a plurality of players (e.g., ranked players and non-ranked players) that engage in gameplay, and generating ranked profiles for the ranked players and a non-ranked profile for the non-ranked player based on the metrics. The techniques further include mapping the ranked profiles and the non-ranked profile in a vector-space, where one metric corresponds to one dimension in the vector-space, and presenting a notification to the non-ranked player based on a distance in the vector-space between the non-ranked profile and at least one ranked profile. The notification provides an incentive for the non-ranked player to engage in competitive gameplay.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2020Publication date: December 10, 2020Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
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Patent number: 10818142Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods and systems directed towards creation of winner tournaments. Instead of using traditional tournament bracket structures which establish pre-set match-ups between participating players in a tournament at an e-sport event, the present disclosure broadens the scope of participants who may be eligible to also participate within the same tournament but who may not initially be attending the e-sport event. With the e-sport competitive scene, not only do professionals compete against each other during a live e-sport event but remote users remotely viewing the e-sport event can also be introduced into the tournament structure as well. These remote users can be introduced into the live e-sport event for the purpose of also competing against competitive players as well as being introduced as an exhibition match with the professionals (e.g. fans of the professionals selected based on social media).Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2018Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLCInventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar
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Patent number: 10814228Abstract: The subject disclosure relates to the creation of channels providing customizable video feeds in an online gaming platform. In some aspects, a process of the disclosed technology can include steps for receiving a first set of event attributes from a first user, the first set of event attributes comprising information identifying a first game title and a first game-play event associated with the first game title, monitoring play of the first game title by a second user to detect occurrence of the game-play event, and in response to a detected occurrence of the first game-play event, automatically providing a video stream of the first game title to the first user. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2018Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLCInventors: Steven Trombetta, James Fairbairn, Christopher Thielbar
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Patent number: 10792577Abstract: Systems and methods for discovery and detection of events in interactive digital content are provided. Gameplay data in sessions involving the plurality of game titles may be tracked in real-time. Each session may be associated with a stream. Event criteria may be stored for each of a plurality of predefined events of interest. An event of interest may be identified when the tracked gameplay data for a session meets the stored criteria. A list of available streams identified as including the identified event may be sorted, and a subset of the available streams may be identified as being at a top of the list. A notification may be provided to a spectator device that includes a link to one of the streams in the subset. The criteria for the event of interest may also be updated based on subsequent game data and feedback (e.g., use of the link).Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2018Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLCInventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
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Patent number: 10792576Abstract: A video game has at least one player client with control over an aspect of a shared virtual environment. The video game also has at least one spectator client with limited to no control over the shared virtual environment. For example, the spectator client's control may be limited to the game server generating audience cheers or boos in response to spectator input during gameplay. In response to detection of a trigger event by a game server, the player and spectator may switch roles. The client switching from spectator to player experiences an increase in network transfer quality from the game server to help provide smooth gameplay. The client switching from player to spectator faces a decrease in network transfer properties to compensate.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2018Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLCInventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
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Publication number: 20200289946Abstract: The subject disclosure relates to filtering stream chat messages. In some aspects, a process of the disclosed technology can include operations for receiving messages from a plurality of user accounts, detecting a section trigger indicating one or more filtering attributes, and filtering messages based on the filtering attribute. In some aspects, the process can further include operations for creating a section, adding one or more users to it and generating a section level, where the section level and messages associated with it are displayed to the added users. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2019Publication date: September 17, 2020Inventors: Christopher Thielbar, Matthew Bloom-Calin, Yuji Tsuchikawa
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Patent number: 10765938Abstract: The subject disclosure relates to the de-interleaving of captured game data for the creation of separate video data and statistical metadata repositories. In some aspects, a process of the disclosed technology includes steps for capturing gameplay data based on live gameplay in a game environment, the gameplay data comprising video data and statistical metadata based on player interactions with the game environment, de-interleaving the video data and the statistical metadata, storing the video data to a first database, and storing the statistical metadata to a second database, the first database being different from the second database. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2018Date of Patent: September 8, 2020Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLCInventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn, Adil Sherwani
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Patent number: 10765957Abstract: A multi-user platform provides an immersive digital (including virtual reality (VR)) environment to solicit and broadcast commentary related to gameplay. The multi-user platform receives gameplay content, which includes a plurality of media streams that show one or more views. The multi-user platform generates a graphical representation for each media stream in the VR environment, receives commentary content corresponding to one or more media streams in the VR environment, and determines one graphical representation for one media stream is an active representation in the VR environment for a time period. The multi-user platform further synchronizes a portion of the commentary content received in the time period with the one media stream associated with the active representation to create synchronized content and broadcast gameplay channel(s) that includes the synchronized content to one or more subscribers connected to the multi-user platform.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2018Date of Patent: September 8, 2020Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLCInventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
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Patent number: 10751623Abstract: Techniques for incentivizing completive gameplay include measuring metrics for a plurality of players (e.g., ranked players and non-ranked players) that engage in gameplay, and generating ranked profiles for the ranked players and a non-ranked profile for the non-ranked player based on the metrics. The techniques further include mapping the ranked profiles and the non-ranked profile in a vector-space, where one metric corresponds to one dimension in the vector-space, and presenting a notification to the non-ranked player based on a distance in the vector-space between the non-ranked profile and at least one ranked profile. The notification provides an incentive for the non-ranked player to engage in competitive gameplay.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2018Date of Patent: August 25, 2020Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLCInventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
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Publication number: 20200267197Abstract: Systems and methods for contextual layers for digital content are provided. Contextual information regarding a digital content stream may be stored in memory. Different sets of the contextual information may be associated with different predefined parts of the digital content stream. A request may be received from a user device over a communication network. Such request may concern context for a scene within the digital content stream, The scene may be identified as associated with at least one of the predefined parts of the digital content stream, One of the stored sets of contextual information may be retrieved based on the at least one predefined part of the digital content stream. A contextual layer may be generated based on the retrieved set of contextual information. Such contextual layer may include a presentation of the retrieved set of contextual information to be overlaid on at least part of the scene within the digital content stream.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2019Publication date: August 20, 2020Inventors: Christopher Thielbar, Matthew Bloom-Carlin, Yuji Tsuchikawa
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Publication number: 20200265078Abstract: Systems and methods for mapped views of digital content are provided. A map structure for a collection of digital content streams from a content provider may be stored in memory. Such map structure may include a predetermined plurality of slots arranged in one or more tiers. A browsing request may be received from a spectator device over a communication network, and such browsing request may be identified as pertaining to the collection of digital content streams. A mapped view of the requested collection may be generated that illustrates the predetermined plurality of slots arranged in the tiers in accordance with the stored map structure. Further, information regarding browsing activity by the spectator device within the generated mapped view may be received and evaluated to identify when the spectator device selects one of the illustrated slots.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2019Publication date: August 20, 2020Inventors: Christopher Thielbar, Matthew Bloom-Carlin, Yuji Tsuchikawa
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Publication number: 20190262720Abstract: The subject disclosure relates to systems and methods for ranking video game players based on performance statistics recorded during game-play. In some aspects, a process of the subject technology can include operations for receiving a first set of game-play attributes including two or more game-play statistics for measuring a first player's performance relative to a first game and a second game, receiving a second set of game-play attributes including two or more game-play statistics for measuring a second player's performance relative to the first game and the second game, and automatically ranking the first player and the second player based on the first set of game-play attributes and the second set of game-play attributes. Systems and computer-readable media are also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2018Publication date: August 29, 2019Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar