Patents Examined by Shauna-Kay Hall
  • Patent number: 11547938
    Abstract: Methods and systems for representing emotions of an audience of spectators viewing online gaming of a video game include capturing interaction data from spectators of an audience engaged in watching gameplay of the video game. The captured interaction data is used to cluster the spectators into different groups in accordance to emotions detected from the interactions of spectators in the audience. A graphic interchange format file (GIF) is identified for each group based on the emotion associated with the group. The GIFs representing the distinct emotions of different groups of spectators are forwarded to client devices of spectators for rendering alongside content of the video game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: David Nelson, Sudha Krishnamurthy, Mahdi Azmandian
  • Patent number: 11547933
    Abstract: A game controller for controlling electronic games includes a controller chassis and an actuator system including: an actuator body pivotally mounted to the controller chassis; a strike plate coupled to the actuator body; a trigger adjustment system having an arm; and an actuator adjustment control screw received in a screw thread disposed within said arm. A portion of the actuator adjustment control screw may engage with a portion of the strike plate and the portion of the actuator adjustment control screw creates an end stop to limit movement of the actuator body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Ironburg Inventions Limited
    Inventors: Simon Burgess, Duncan Ironmonger
  • Patent number: 11544723
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for providing interactivity between an electronic system and a first user visiting a facility such as, for example, an amusement park. The first user is identified and provided with a first input mobile element. The first input mobile element interacts with input fixed elements. The interaction results in a feedback that is provided, through output means to the first user or his first input mobile element. The feedback is preferably determined according to the history of the first user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: ALTERFACE HOLDINGS
    Inventors: Stephane Battaille, Laurence Beckers, Etienne Sainton, Benjamin Walravens
  • Patent number: 11544997
    Abstract: A casino credit access instrument comprises a source of funds for a player, such as for placing wagers to play casino-style games or to purchase other goods or services. The instrument defines a period of timed during which credit may be accessed up to a predetermined amount, defines a redemption period during which any accessed credit may be re-paid, and defines settlement terms if the instrument is not redeemed. Credit may be granted based upon financial collateral, which collateral may be executed upon to settle the instrument. The instrument provides a convenient source of funding for player at low risk to the casino or other lender.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Everi Payments Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Brian Richards, Kurt Douglas Sullivan
  • Patent number: 11517821
    Abstract: Provided is a virtual environment control system for providing a virtual image related to at least part of virtual environment to a player who plays in a plurality of divided spaces through a wearable display device which the player is wearing, including: at least one first detecting device getting first detecting data related to a first play space; at least one second detecting device getting second detecting data related to a second play space; at least one auxiliary computing device generating a first virtual image and a second virtual image; a first wearable display device displaying the first virtual image to a first player located in the first play space; a second wearable display device displaying the second virtual image to a second player located in the second play space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: SKONEC ENTERTAINMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Who Jung Lee, Jae Young Kim
  • Patent number: 11511199
    Abstract: Techniques for creating compelling extended reality (XR) environments, including virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR), and other computer-generated experiences, are provided. In some embodiments, a VR and MR system, including a computer hardware- and software-based control system, controls a specialized headset, hand controls, and a distributed array of sensors and actuators to produce a VR or MR environment with compelling VR and MR display and social interaction features. In some embodiments, the VR and MR system creates and provides escalating levels of data access, permissions and experiences for users, based on different, multi-phased ratings. In some embodiments, a first rating sets a level of access to gameplay leading to a second rating. In some such embodiments, one user's VR or MR experience related to another user is modified aesthetically, haptically or otherwise, depending on the levels granted by another user, and other attributes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: VSN VISION INC.
    Inventor: Edoardo Marchiorello
  • Patent number: 11511186
    Abstract: Described herein are controllers with sensor-rich controls for enhanced controller functionality. An example control may include a pressure sensor that is configured to detect an amount of a force of a press on a cover of the control based at least in part on a proximity of a metal layer to the pressure sensor. This control may further include a touch sensor for detecting an object contacting the cover of the control. Additional embodiments disclose, among other things, integrated trackpads and D-pads, as well as backlighting features that indicate a functional state of the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Valve Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Judson VanWyk, Lucas Allen Whipple, Walter Petersen, Jeffrey Walter Mucha, Scott Dalton, Pierre-Loup Miguel Griffais
  • Patent number: 11501855
    Abstract: To efficiently assess, prioritize, and re-assess individuals respectively for intervention OR for ongoing programs/activities OR for personalized rehabilitation or training activities: A Computerized Interactive Psychological Assessment Protocol including the steps of: using a predetermined interactive media, interfacing with a client, (A) accepting some predetermined goal-relevant self-assessment responses from the client, regarding the client's respective motivation, belief, know-how, state-of-mind, activity, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Inventor: Tuvi Orbach
  • Patent number: 11482069
    Abstract: A recording medium storing a game program processing progress of a game using a game content, the game program executes instructions including receiving, displaying, and determining. During determining, an action of the game content for the progress of the game is determined according to a combination of predetermined symbols displayed during displaying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: GREE, Inc.
    Inventor: Hideki Fujita
  • Patent number: 11474602
    Abstract: A gameplay system for providing interactivity based on a piece of merchandise or another object held or worn by a player. The system includes an object identification assembly, which may be a modified computer vision system, that operates to sense, for a gameplay participant, the presence and identity of a particular augmenting object such as themed merchandise worn or held by a rider of a theme park ride. The sensing may be performed by detecting an on-and-off pattern of light emitted from the object. In response, the gameplay system selects or modifies the interactive features of gameplay associated with the participant based on the identified augmenting object. For example, the interactive features are selected from memory by the gameplay system controller to match a character associated with the augmenting object during any interactive gameplay. This allows the gameplay participant to choose their abilities or powers for gameplay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Elbert, Bob Hickman, Brent David Strong
  • Patent number: 11471767
    Abstract: An information processing system includes a controller which receives an operation input of a user and an information processing unit which performs an information process based on the operation input received by the controller. The information processing unit includes a game progress unit which controls an own character in the virtual space based on the operation input of the user to draw the virtual space with the corresponding color of the own character and a battle determination unit which performs a battle determination based on a drawing state of a corresponding color of an enemy character, which is different from the corresponding color of the own character, to a virtual space and a drawing state of the corresponding color of the own character to the virtual space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shintaro Sato
  • Patent number: 11458400
    Abstract: An information processing device including: a behavior recognition device that recognizes a behavior; a prediction unit that predicts a future behavior using a recognition result of the behavior recognition device; an added value generation unit that generates an added value related to the predicted future behavior; and a presentation unit that presents the generated added value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tetsuro Sato
  • Patent number: 11458390
    Abstract: A game controller, a vibration method and an apparatus for a game controller are provided. In the vibration method, current scene information on a terminal screen is acquired. When the current scene information contains a vibration event, event coordinates are acquired corresponding to the vibration event. A target motor identifier is determined according to the event coordinates. A motor corresponding to the target motor identifier is controlled to vibrate. A terminal device and a computer-readable storage medium are also disclosed. The players can obtain game scene information according to vibration sensations, and make quick and accurate judgments and responses accordingly, so that the game controller not only serves as an input device for game control, but it also serves as an output device for feeding back game information to the players, thus improving the gaming experience for the players.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: AAC Technologies Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiuyue Wang, Jianqi Li
  • Patent number: 11452943
    Abstract: A plurality of game titles may be hosted on a gaming network platform, and gameplay data in sessions involving the 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 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: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
  • Patent number: 11443584
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to gaming systems that are capable of providing improved game functionality using locking links and a lock function that can be automatically performed in an electronic game during game play. The locking links and a lock function can increase player engagement and can lead to increased play of the gaming machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventor: Jose Bernard
  • Patent number: 11443591
    Abstract: An electronic gaming machine includes a display device and a game controller configured to initiate a feature game that uses a plurality of mechanical reels and the display device, identify a number of feature game symbols initially available for use during the feature game, display a plurality of symbol columns, each symbol column of the plurality of symbol columns is associated with a reel, perform a spin of the reels, in response to the player initiating the play, distribute the number of feature game symbols into the plurality of symbol columns based on an output of a random number generator, each feature game symbol being displayed in a determined symbol column of the plurality of symbol columns, evaluate an outcome of the feature game based on attributing the feature game symbols to associated reels, and award credit to the player based on the evaluating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED
    Inventors: Allon Englman, Gary Penacho, Brian Johnson
  • Patent number: 11439918
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
  • Patent number: 11439919
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
  • Patent number: 11436895
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the gaming systems and methods provide cross-hand winning card combination evaluations for multi-hand poker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Daniel Helzer, Ronald Papson
  • Patent number: 11426654
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn, Adil Sherwani