Patents Examined by Shauna-Kay Hall
  • Patent number: 11013999
    Abstract: In an example of an information processing system, a field in a virtual space is divided into a plurality of sections, and a player character moves in units of the sections on the field. On a game screen, an image of the virtual space based on a virtual camera and a map image representing a range of at least a part of the field are displayed. When a direction of the virtual camera changes, an image representing the field rotates such that an up direction of the map image corresponds to a direction along the field in a direction of the virtual camera. In the map image, the image representing the field, an image representing the player character, images representing the sections, and an image indicating a movable range of the player character are displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Kusakihara
  • Patent number: 11013986
    Abstract: The invention provides an improved controller (10) for a games console. The invention is a games controller (10) that is intended to be held by a user in both hands in the same manner as a conventional controller (1). Additionally, the controller of the invention (10) may comprise the same controls (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) as a conventional controller (1). The controller of the present invention (10) is advantageous as it additionally comprises four additional controls (11 A, 11 B, 11 C, 11 D) located on the rear of the controller (10) in a position to be operated by the middle fingers of a user (12). The additional controllers (11 A, 11 B, 11 C, 11 D) may be paddle levers comprising an attachment mechanism which does not require any tools for the attachment of the paddle levers to the controller (10) or the removal of the paddle levers from the controller (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Ironburg Inventions Limited
    Inventors: Duncan Ironmonger, Carl S. Jeffrey
  • Patent number: 11007439
    Abstract: In a video game, a player's character can start in a normal state, receive first damage, and change to an incapacitated state. The player's character can be revived from the incapacitated state back to the normal state. The player's character can be changed from the incapacitated state to a preliminarily defeated state, and in response, a player respawn activation item can be generated. The player respawn activation item can be used by the player's teammates to respawn the player's character at one or more respawn locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: ELECTRONIC ARTS INC.
    Inventor: Carlos Emmanuel Reyes Pineda
  • Patent number: 11004307
    Abstract: The information processor executes the processes of: (a) accepting a bet amount by a betting device; (b) executing random determination based on the bet amount accepted in the process (a); (c) when there is a payout as a result of the random determination in the process (b), calculating the ratio of the payout to the bet amount; (d) determining whether the ratio calculated in the process (c) falls within a predetermined range; (e) when the ratio falls within the predetermined range in the process (d), awarding the payout and terminating the unit game; and (f) when the ratio does not fall within the predetermined range in the process (d) or when there is no payout in the process (b), executing the processes (b) to (e) again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Oyama, Toshikazu Jinnouchi
  • Patent number: 11004309
    Abstract: The information processor executes the processes of: (a) setting a winning probability of second random determination based on a winning probability corresponding to a condition set by a setting unit which sets one of conditions associated with different winning probabilities; (b) determining whether to execute the first random determination by the second random determination based on the winning probability set in the process (a); (c) when a win is achieved in the second random determination in the process (b), executing the first random determination; and (d) when a result of the first random determination in the process (c) is different from a predetermined result, executing the first random determination again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Oyama, Toshikazu Jinnouchi
  • Patent number: 10994207
    Abstract: A method and apparatus that allows a player to play a massively single-player online game without directly interacting with other players, while affecting and being affected by other players playing the online game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoonjoon Lee
  • Patent number: 10991197
    Abstract: Provided is a game machine system including a game machine capable of progressing different kinds of games and a table games with different kinds of the games, the game machine system including an administration controller connected to a plurality of game machines and the game machine capable of displaying progress of a game selected from a plurality of kinds of games and a result of the game, in which the game machine includes an operating device with which a player operates the progress of the game, and the progress of the game connected to the administration controller is performed by operation of the operating device of the game machine selected by the administration controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: JT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidehiko Sakamoto, Jong Hak Choi, Hideo Takeda, Hiroaki Kashima
  • Patent number: 10974152
    Abstract: System and method for automatic computer aided optical recognition of toys, for example, construction toy elements, recognition of those elements on digital images and associating the elements with existing information is presented. The method and system may recognize toy elements of various sizes invariant of toy element distance from the image acquiring device for example camera, invariant of rotation of the toy element, invariant of angle of the camera, invariant of background, invariant of illumination and without the need of predefined region where a toy element should be placed. The system and method may detect more than one toy element on the image and identify them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: LEGO A/S
    Inventors: Marko Velic, Karsten Østergaard Noe, Jesper Mosegaard, Brian Bunch Christensen, Jens Rimestad
  • Patent number: 10967254
    Abstract: A controller add-on system includes a housing that mechanically couples to a game controller body. A conformable surface of the housing is configured to conform with a bottom of the body of the game controller. A plurality of buttons coupled to the housing are located opposite the conformable surface. A controller interface coupled to the housing is configured to communicatively couple to the plurality of buttons to the game controller. Buttons on the add-on may be mapped to controller buttons using customized button mapping pre-sets. A button mapping may indicate that a selected preset is to be hidden during a switching operation Upon receiving a switching operation input, the selected pre-set is skipped during the switching operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Glenn Black, Tomas Bruckbock, Arthur Kwun
  • Patent number: 10960313
    Abstract: Three dimensional spaces whereby any physical media are gamified, or made into a GAMESPACE or VR combined space in which multiple unique users/participants contemporaneously by interaction for points compete with real-time shifting and the same course measured for all by a Master Control System.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Game Complex, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Fahmie, Thomas Jeremy Athanas
  • Patent number: 10960309
    Abstract: A computer implemented method is performed in a device. One or more first game objects is displayed. In response to user input one or more collectable game objects, are accumulated. It is determined if a number of accumulated collectable game objects has reached a predetermined value, and if not, a further set of first game objects is displayed only if a game level has been played.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: KING.COM LTD.
    Inventor: Marc Garcia Villoria
  • Patent number: 10964228
    Abstract: There is disclosed an educational system including a science experimental set and a computer system, the science experimental set comprising experimental set items, and the computer system including a processor, a detector and a display, the computer system configured to display educational media content on the display relating to the science experimental set in response to the detector detecting an item in the science experimental set, and the processor identifying the media content to be displayed based on the detection of the item. Related methods, computer program products and kits of parts are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: MEL SCIENCE LIMITED
    Inventors: Vassili Philippov, Artem Messorosh, Sergey Safonov, Mikhail Perepelkin, Konstantin Gurianov
  • Patent number: 10957149
    Abstract: A server apparatus provides a game which accompanies a resource increasing or decreasing in a game space to a plurality of terminal apparatuses via a network. The server apparatus collects and accumulates the resources from the plurality of terminal apparatuses in the first mode and releases the accumulated resource in the second mode. The server apparatus selectively switches between the first mode and the second mode so as to distribute the resources upon reception of a request from a terminal apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: GREE, INC.
    Inventor: Toshitaka Inukai
  • Patent number: 10953335
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Thielbar
  • Patent number: 10953322
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
  • Patent number: 10957499
    Abstract: To achieve a push-button for a game machine, capable of maintaining excellent waterproof performance and having excellent operability even when a large amount of liquid is spilled, or even when liquid is spilled while the push-button is pressed. A push-button for a game machine includes: an elastic body provided in a flange shape integrally with a key top with an outer periphery of the key top and having an outer end held between a base and a bezel; and a discharge path that communicates with a space partitioned by the key top, the bezel, and the elastic body and discharges liquid having entered the space to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Masaaki Sumi, Hiroyuki Onitsuka, Takehiro Agata
  • Patent number: 10949027
    Abstract: An interactive mid-air display including a display that presents a graphical user interface (GUI), optics projecting and rotating the GUI above the display such that the GUI is visible in-air in a plane rotated away from the display, a sensor including light emitters projecting beams towards the projected GUI, light detectors detecting reflections of the beams by objects interacting with the projected GUI, and a lens structure maximizing detection at each detector for light entering the lens structure at a respective location at a specific angle ?, whereby for each emitter-detector pair, maximum detection of light corresponds to the object being at a specific location in the projected GUI, in accordance with the locations of the emitter and detector and the angle ?, and a processor mapping detections of light for emitter-detector pairs to corresponding locations in the projected GUI, and translating the mapped locations to coordinates on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: NEONODE INC.
    Inventors: Thomas Eriksson, Alexander Jubner, Rozita Teymourzadeh, Stefan Holmgren, Lars Sparf, Bengt Henry Hjalmar Edlund, Richard Berglind
  • Patent number: 10940384
    Abstract: In a method of motion sensor calibration, a motion with which to calibrate a motion sensor is determined. The motion sensor is controlled by a sensor processor and the motion sensor is comprised within a user interface that is coupled with a gaming engine. The sensor processor and the gaming engine coordinate regarding the motion. The sensor processor monitors the motion sensor for evidence of the motion made as a user input via the user interface in response to game content implemented by the gaming engine, based on the coordination, to incite the motion. The sensor processor calibrates the motion sensor with the motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: InvenSense, Inc.
    Inventors: Jibran Ahmed, Karthik Katingari, Hemabh Shekhar, Joe Youssef
  • Patent number: 10933315
    Abstract: A game machine includes a main body, two gamepads, two sliding bases, a driving assembly, a switching assembly. The main body has an internal space and two openings communicated with the internal space. The two gamepads are disposed at two opposite sides and respectively corresponding to the two openings. The two sliding bases are located at the internal space and respectively connects to the two gamepads. The driving assembly is connected to the two sliding bases. The switching assembly is disposed at the main body, and is adapted to switch to a coupling state for fastened with the two sliding bases or a decoupling state for separated from the two sliding bases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: COMPAL ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Hao-Jen Fang, Chuang-Yuan Cheng, Chen-Yi Huang, Chen-Cheng Wang, Sheng-Hung Lee, Hsuan-I Chao
  • Patent number: 10930108
    Abstract: A game comprising: a plurality of reels, each of the reels comprising a plurality of symbol positions; a plurality of symbols, at least one of the plurality of symbols located in at least one of the plurality of symbol positions; a visible matrix comprising a plurality of matrix positions; a plurality of matrix positions designated as capture positions; a set of program instructions executable to implement: accepting a wager; receiving an instruction to initiate play of the game; determining a game outcome including a stop position for each of the plurality of reels; displaying a portion of the reels based on each reel's stop position in the visible matrix; determining whether to issue an award based on the symbols in the capture positions; and issuing an award if the program instructions so designate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Inventor: Brent Daniels