Patents Examined by James S. McClellan
  • Patent number: 11786827
    Abstract: This application discloses a map switching method in a virtual game environment performed at a computer device. The method includes: launching a process corresponding to a round of racing game for a client at the computer device, the round of racing game having a plurality of virtual maps that are spliced together and including a first virtual map and a second virtual map that is connected to the first virtual map through a first teleporter; obtaining a travel position of a first virtual racing car in a first virtual map, the first virtual racing car being controlled by a first account logged into the client; and teleporting the first virtual racing car from the first virtual map to the second virtual map in the round of racing game when the travel position reaches the first teleporter in the first virtual map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Haiyuan Guo, Yan Xia, Wei Sun, Lei Zheng, Jing Liu
  • Patent number: 11779841
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to device and method for rendering VR content that provide bird's eye view perspectives, which can render a user's avatar and game content selected by the at least one user in a VR space, and provide a VR image like the avatar plays the game content, thereby providing an effect to play a game while viewing the game content from various points of view as well as a bird's eye view in the at least one user's perspective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Newcore Corp.
    Inventor: Man Jae Lee
  • Patent number: 11766613
    Abstract: This application discloses a method and apparatus for observing a virtual item in a virtual environment performed at a computer device and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The method includes: displaying a first environment interface, the first environment interface including a picture of a virtual environment when performing rotation observation by using a first rotation axis distance; receiving a viewing angle rotation operation; adjusting, when an operation parameter of the viewing angle rotation operation satisfies an item observation condition, the first rotation axis distance to a second rotation axis distance by adjusting a position of a rotation center; and displaying a second environment interface, the second environment interface including a picture of the virtual environment when performing rotation observation on a virtual item in the virtual environment by using the second rotation axis distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventor: Jin Yang
  • Patent number: 11766608
    Abstract: Provided are an information processing device, a data synchronization program, a data synchronization method, a data synchronization system, and a terminal device that suppress an increase in processing load and communication load in a situation in which a plurality of user terminals participate and data of the plurality of user terminals are synchronized. A server device is connected to a plurality of clients that synchronize an object with each other via a network, and includes: data reception means configured to receive a difference from a synchronization target object from a client having ownership of the object; data update means configured to update first, second, third replicas, and the like obtained by replicating the synchronization target object by using the difference; and data transmission means configured to transmit the difference to a client other than the client having the ownership among the plurality of clients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: SOFTGEAR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Naoki Miyanaga
  • Patent number: 11759706
    Abstract: Provided are a server, a method of controlling a server, and a program that can increase the variations on methods for acquiring an item or the like and enhance interest in a game. Included are receiving, from a user, an item change request for changing first item data; displaying, to the user, a selection screen to display a plurality of options after receiving the item change request; and providing the user with second item data when a selected option on the selection screen is a correct answer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: GREE, Inc.
    Inventor: Takaya Matsui
  • Patent number: 11756369
    Abstract: A method of generating a graphical user interface for horse race betting includes querying a database to obtain race data associated with a selected race, the race data including a list of horses scheduled to run the selected race, a track surface associated with the selected race, and a distance of the selected race. For each horse from among the list of horses, the method may include selecting a rating corresponding to the horse, the track surface, and the distance, the rating being selected from a plurality of ratings quantifying an expected performance of the horse for different combinations of track surface and distance and being derived from data associated with a sire and/or a dam of the horse. The method may include displaying the list of horses and displaying the selected ratings in association with the horses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: EQUINEDGE, LLC
    Inventors: Scott McKeever, Wei-Che Tseng, Michael Maiorana
  • Patent number: 11752422
    Abstract: Systems and methods related to the play of games that include interim betting. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: CFPH, LLC
    Inventors: Lee Amaitis, Kevin Burman
  • Patent number: 11756380
    Abstract: This invention in certain example instances relates generally to coin-operated video entertainment systems. More particularly, certain exemplary aspects of the invention provide methods and/or systems for controlling access to a portable coin-operated interactive entertainment device that may be used to play video games and access other forms of entertainment as well as providing features via such portable coin-operated interactive entertainment devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: TOUCHTUNES MUSIC COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Dominique Dion, Kenneth J. Fedesna, Mark D. Loffredo, Edward J. Suchocki, Edward E. Pellegrini, Frank J. Pellegrini, Edward F. Hicks, Cary M. Mednick
  • Patent number: 11745111
    Abstract: According to a first aspect, there is provided a computer device having a user interface and a processor. The user interface is configured to provide a gameboard comprising tiles supporting game objects. A pre-defined plurality of the tiles constitutes a segment of the gameboard supporting a group of game objects. The user interface is configured to detect user input when a user engages with a user activatable game element. The processor is configured to receive a detected user input, detect a match game condition of a plurality of adjacent game elements having matching characteristics, and, if the match condition is detected, remove the plurality of game elements and generate new game elements to replenish the gameboard. The processor is further configured to detect a segment condition associated with the segment, and, if detected, to replace the group of game objects of the segment with a replacement group of game objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: KING.COM LTD.
    Inventor: Michael Soderqvist
  • Patent number: 11749064
    Abstract: Embodiments of this concept are directed to a method of operating a gaming device to determine game outcomes by using a range of game numbers for winning game outcomes. That is, the gaming device includes a range of numbers associated with a generic winning outcome or each winning outcome to ensure that a winning outcome or specific winning outcome will hit within the specified range. This method may be used a variety of game types including slot machines, video poker, keno, video pachinko, etc. These gaming machines may additionally include one or more proximity indicators or meters associated with the various outcomes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Acres Technology
    Inventor: John F. Acres
  • Patent number: 11745103
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing customized camera views of virtualized environments are provided herein. In one embodiment a method includes detecting a gameplay event of interest within a virtual gaming environment and displaying a customized camera view of the gameplay event of interest based on user input receiving during traversal of a projectile from a weapon to a target. The customized camera view has a focal point of the projectile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Hothead Games Inc.
    Inventors: James Paul Ceraldi, Brad Steeves, Bryan Brandt
  • Patent number: 11745102
    Abstract: A system and method for capturing and sharing console gaming data is described. Embodiments capture gameplay data directly at the gaming console, without the need for external hardware. This allows users to easily capture rich console gaming experiences and share them across a variety of outlets. In one embodiment, the methods described herein can be implemented with a patch or driver on the operating system of the user device, rendering it unnecessary to heavily modify the source code of the game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC
    Inventor: Nathan Gary
  • Patent number: 11731052
    Abstract: This specification relates to animation and physics updates in computer games. According to a first aspect of this disclosure, there is described a computer implemented method comprising: updating, using an animation engine, an in-game animation at a first rate; and updating, using an in-game physics engine, an in-game physics state at a second rate, the second rate being different to the first rate. Updating the in-game physics state comprises: interpolating one or more in-game physical parameters corresponding to a physics update time that lies between two consecutive animation update times, the interpolation based on in-game animation frames corresponding to the two consecutive animation update times; and determining the update to the in-game physics state based on the interpolated physical parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: ELECTRONIC ARTS INC.
    Inventor: Bartlomiej Waszak
  • Patent number: 11731049
    Abstract: A system and method for capturing and sharing console gaming data is described. Embodiments capture gameplay data directly at the gaming console, without the need for external hardware. This allows users to easily capture rich console gaming experiences and share them across a variety of outlets. In one embodiment, the methods described herein can be implemented with a patch or driver on the operating system of the user device, rendering it unnecessary to heavily modify the source code of the game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC
    Inventor: Nathan Gary
  • Patent number: 11735000
    Abstract: System and methods for providing a digital touch screen button display device incorporating player tracking and player rewards capabilities for an electronic gaming machine including game play functionality via a touch screen LCD thereby eliminating the need for a separate player tracking module. The digital button display device is located on the button deck of an electronic gaming machine and cooperates and communicates with the slot accounting system of a casino and may contain one or more interoperability modules to cooperate and communicate with differing slot accounting systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Gaming Arts, LLC
    Inventors: David Colvin, Eric D. Colvin, Moises Navarrete
  • Patent number: 11731043
    Abstract: A method is provided, including the following operations: executing a video game by a cloud game machine, the execution of the video game includes rendering gameplay video; processing the gameplay video by a streaming server for streaming over a network to a client device; monitoring connection quality over the network between the streaming server and the client device; responsive to detecting a change in the connection quality between the streaming server and the client device, then adjusting the rendering of the gameplay video by the cloud game machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Roelof Roderick Colenbrander
  • Patent number: 11724190
    Abstract: Systems and methods for modifying game assets based on tradeable items that are associated with user accounts of users of the online gaming platform are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: store, in electronic storage, item information associated with the tradeable items; obtain a first item identifier of a first tradeable item; obtain first user information of a first user account; link the first tradeable item with the first user account such that a first item-account connection is established; store the first item-account connection; obtain, based on the first item identifier, the first modification information; receive, from the first user, an indication of a selection of a first game asset to be modified based on the first modification information such that a first asset-item connection is established; and modify, based on the first modification information, the first attribute information in accordance with the first tradeable item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Mythical, Inc.
    Inventor: John Linden
  • Patent number: 11724178
    Abstract: An example game controller is removably attachable to a main unit. The game controller includes a controller-side slide member. The controller-side slide member protrudes from a first surface of the game controller and is configured to slidably engage with the main unit-side slide member in a slide direction. The controller-side slide member has a first end and a second end in the slide direction, and the game controller is configured to be attached to the main unit by inserting the controller-side slide member into the main unit-side slide member. The controller-side slide member includes a protruding portion and at least one terminal. The protruding portion protrudes from the first end side of the controller-side slide member in the slide direction and has a facing surface that faces the first surface of the game controller. The at least one terminal is between the facing surface and the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kumpei Fujita, Shinji Hirose
  • Patent number: 11717748
    Abstract: A trained machine learning model(s) is used to determine scores indicative of probabilities that certain types of user input will be provided to a player's game controller while playing a video game in order to compensate for latency between player action and player perception of video game content relating to the player action. In an example process, sensor data received from a client machine and/or game state data received from a video game is provided as input to a trained machine learning model(s), and a score as output therefrom, the score relating to a probability that a type of user input will be provided to a player's game controller. In this manner, game control data corresponding to the type of user input can be generated based on the score and provided to the video game as input before actual game control data is even received, thereby compensating for latency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Iestyn Bleasdale-Shepherd, Scott Dalton, Richard Kaethler
  • Patent number: 11717752
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a virtual camera in a game are disclosed. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a virtual camera is controlled to shift in response to a first touch operation for a visual field control area, the virtual camera is controlled, in response to the ending of the first touch operation, to return from a second position to a first position, a game operation instruction is received during the returning process, and a corresponding action is performed in response to the game operation instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: NETEASE (HANGZHOU) NETWORK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wenchao Zhou, Kun Shao