Patents by Inventor Steven Trombetta

Steven Trombetta 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).

  • Patent number: 11006155
    Abstract: Systems and methods for real-time incorporation of user-produced content into a broadcast media stream are provided. A media title may be streamed to a producer computing device over a communication network. The producer computing device is associated with a channel for distributing the user-produced content in conjunction with the media title. Produced content may be captured from the producer computing device as the streamed media title is played on the producer computing device. Such captured produced content may be designated for the channel. The media title and the produced content may then be broadcast in real-time over the communication network to one or more subscriber devices subscribed to the channel. The media title and the produced content may be synchronized within the broadcast to reflect when the produced content was captured in relation to the media title as the media title was played on the producer computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
    Inventor: Steven Trombetta
  • Patent number: 10987593
    Abstract: A method for launching interactive content including associating one or more templates with a corresponding one or more activities of an interactive content title and transmitting the one or more templates to a platform server. The method includes selecting and displaying a set of templates generated from the one or more templates received on a user device. The method includes launching the activity in the interactive title based on a template selected by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignees: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC, SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Charles Wayne Denison, II, Benedikt Neuenfeldt, Akihiko Kusumoto, Nobukazu Koyama, Atsushi Fuse
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20210067833
    Abstract: A system and method for making context-based action suggestions is provided. Data regarding one or more activities may be stored in memory. Such activities may be associated with an interactive content title and one or more actions. Information regarding a current user status for each activity may be received by a server. A set of one or more activities available to a user based on the current user status may be identified. One or more actions may be filtered based on availability to the user and the current user status for each identified activity. A subset of the filtered actions may be displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Mischa Stephens, Steven Trombetta, Daniel Hiatt, Benedikt Neuenfeldt, Junya Noda, Atsushi Fuse, Nobukazu Koyama, Adil Sherwani, Derek Parker, Parsa Shirazi, Charles Wayne Denison, II
  • Publication number: 20210067566
    Abstract: A system and method for initiating a multiuser session is provided. A plurality of multiuser activities and a plurality of activities templates may be stored in memory. A user profile for a user and a peer profile for each of one or more peers may be received. The user and the one or more peers may be members of an initial session. A user selection specifying one of the filtered multiuser activities may be received. An activity template associated with the selected activity may be retrieved. Such retrieved activity template may provide activity requirements required to launch the selected activity. A multiuser session may be established that includes session requirements based on at least the activity requirements. The user and at least one peer from the initial session may be added to the multiuser session. The selected activity may be launched in the multiuser session.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Mischa Stephens, Steven Trombetta, Daniel Hiatt, Benedikt Neuenfeldt, Atsushi Fuse, Nobukazu Koyama, Shogo Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20210052982
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, James Fairbairn, Christopher Thielbar
  • Publication number: 20210043044
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar
  • Publication number: 20210016190
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
  • Publication number: 20200406152
    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: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
  • Publication number: 20200398157
    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: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn, Adil Sherwani
  • Publication number: 20200398169
    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: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
  • Publication number: 20200384364
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
  • Publication number: 20200351531
    Abstract: Systems and methods for real-time incorporation of user-produced content into a broadcast media stream are provided. A media title may be streamed to a producer computing device over a communication network. The producer computing device is associated with a channel for distributing the user-produced content in conjunction with the media title. Produced content may be captured from the producer computing device as the streamed media title is played on the producer computing device. Such captured produced content may be designated for the channel. The media title and the produced content may then be broadcast in real-time over the communication network to one or more subscriber devices subscribed to the channel. The media title and the produced content may be synchronized within the broadcast to reflect when the produced content was captured in relation to the media title as the media title was played on the producer computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventor: Steven Trombetta
  • Patent number: 10814228
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, James Fairbairn, Christopher Thielbar
  • Patent number: 10818142
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar
  • Publication number: 20200330863
    Abstract: A system and method for establishing and managing multiuser sessions is provided. A plurality of interactive content titles and at least one activity template associated with each of the interactive content titles are stored in memory. A processor executes instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor receives input regarding a selected activity associated with one of the interactive content titles stored in memory, retrieves an activity template associated with the selected activity from memory, establishes a session based at least on the activity properties, assigns a user as a leader of the established session, adds each of a plurality of peers to an available participant slot in accordance with leader input, and automatically initiates the selected activity within the established session.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: STEVEN TROMBETTA, SHOGO SUZUKI, MASANAO NISHIKIDO, BENEDIKT NEUENFELDT
  • Patent number: 10792577
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
  • Patent number: 10792576
    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: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn
  • Patent number: 10765952
    Abstract: A system and method for providing system-level multiuser matchmaking is provided. A user selection specifying a multiuser activity associated with an interactive content title is received. An activity template associated with the selected activity is retrieved and the retrieved activity template includes activity requirements required to launch the selected activity. A new multiuser session having session requirements is established, and the session requirements are based on at least the activity requirements. The user device and at least one peer device identified based on the session requirements is added to the new multiuser session. The selected activity is launched in the new multiuser session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Toshimasa Aoki, Jonathan Webb
  • Patent number: 10765957
    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: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC
    Inventors: Steven Trombetta, Christopher Thielbar, James Fairbairn