Patents by Inventor Xiadong Mao

Xiadong Mao 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).

  • Publication number: 20090023499
    Abstract: A host device is provided to include a processor, a memory, and a peripheral device communication port. The processor and the memory are defined to collectively execute a computer application. The host device is defined to establish a communication channel for a datastream associated with the computer application as transmitted through the peripheral device communication port. A bluetooth host chip is connected within the host device to enable bluetooth communication with a bluetooth client chip in an external device outside the host device. The host device is further defined to enable connection of the bluetooth client chip to the communication channel for the datastream, such that the datastream can be monitored by the external device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2007
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Xiadong Mao
  • Publication number: 20080274804
    Abstract: A method for use in operation of a game apparatus includes obtaining a time series of samples containing information usable to determine activity of a plurality of predetermined objects used for controlling the game apparatus, processing the time series to determine whether one of the plurality of predetermined objects has been inactive during a game already in progress, and adding a new player to the game already in progress in response to a determination that one of the plurality of predetermined objects is currently active after determining that it was inactive. A system for use in operation of a game apparatus includes means for performing these steps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Applicant: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
    Inventors: Phil Harrison, Gary M. Zalewski, Richard Marks, Xiadong Mao
  • Publication number: 20080220867
    Abstract: Methods and systems for interactive interfacing with a computer gaming system are provided. The method includes providing a controller, where the controller is configured to convey input data that is to be interpreted by the computer gaming system. The method includes identifying an action to be performed by the computer gaming system, and the action is mapped to the input data provided by the controller. Then, a gearing is applied between the action to be performed by the computer gaming system and the input data received from the controller. The gearing scales an adjustment to impact the action to be performed by the computer gaming system. The gearing can be set dynamically by the game, by the user, or can be preset or set by software, user configured, or in accordance with a gearing algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicant: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Gary M. Zalewski, Richard Marks, Xiadong Mao
  • Patent number: 7391409
    Abstract: A method and system for interactive interfacing with a computer gaming system is provided. The method includes providing an input device, where the input device is configured to convey mutlti-channel mixed input data that is to be interpreted by the computer gaming system. The method includes identifying an action to be performed by the computer gaming system, and the action is mapped to the mutlti-channel mixed input data provided by the input device. Then, a gearing is applied between the action to be performed by the computer gaming system and the mutlti-channel mixed input data received from the input device. The gearing scales an adjustment to impact the action to be performed by the computer gaming system. The gearing can be set dynamically by the game, by the user, or can be preset by software or user configured in accordance with a gearing algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
    Inventors: Gary M. Zalewski, Richard Marks, Xiadong Mao
  • Patent number: 7352359
    Abstract: Methods and systems for interactive interfacing with a computer gaming system are provided. A method includes providing an input device, where the input device is configured to convey inertial data that is to be interpreted by the computer gaming system. The method then identifies an action to be performed by the computer gaming system, where the action is mapped to the inertial data provided by the input device. Then, the method applies a gearing between the action to be performed by the computer gaming system and the inertial data received from the input device. The gearing scales an adjustment to impact the action to be performed by the computer gaming system. The gearing can be set dynamically by the game, by the user, or can be preset by software or user configured in accordance with a gearing algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
    Inventors: Gary M. Zalewski, Richard Marks, Xiadong Mao
  • Patent number: 7352358
    Abstract: A method and system for enabling dynamic user interactivity between user actions and actions to be performed by a computer program is provided. The system includes a computing system and an acoustic detection analyzer that is coupled to or executed by the computing system. The system also includes an input device for interfacing with the computer program that is to be executed by the computing system. The input device has a gearing control for establishing a scaling between acoustic data produced at the input device and actions to be applied by the computer program as analyzed by the acoustic detection analyzer. The gearing can be set dynamically by the game, by the user, or can be preset by software or user configured in accordance with a gearing algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
    Inventors: Gary M. Zalewski, Richard Marks, Xiadong Mao
  • Publication number: 20080009348
    Abstract: Computer implemented methods, apparatus and systems for enabling interactive interfacing with a computer game program are provided. One method provides an input device to accept and transmit user input to the computer game program. The input device enables activation of one or more gearing parameters associated with interactive components of the computer game program. In another operation, the method identifies an interactive component of the computer game program. The interactive component used to receive the transmitted user input to enable the interactive interfacing. In yet another operation the method detects user input to apply one of the gearing parameters to the interactive component if so dictated by the transmitted user input. The applied gearing parameter used to define a scaling ratio between the user input and a rate at which the interactive component reacts during execution of the computer game program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Gary Zalewski, Richard Marks, Xiadong Mao
  • Publication number: 20070274535
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for echo cancellation in a system having a speaker and a microphone are disclosed. The speaker receives a speaker signal x(t). The microphone receives a microphone signal d(t) containing a local signal s(t) and an echo signal x1(t) that is dependent on the speaker signal x(t). The microphone signal d(t) is filtered in parallel with first and second adaptive filters having complementary echo cancellation properties relative to each other. A minimum echo output e3(t) is determined from an output e1(t) of the first adaptive filter and an output e2(t) of the second adaptive filter. The minimum echo output has a smaller energy and less correlation to the speaker signal x(t). A microphone output is then generated using the minimum echo output e3(t).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2006
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Xiadong Mao
  • Publication number: 20070258599
    Abstract: Reduction of noise in a device having a console with one or more microphones and a source of narrow band distributed noise located on the console is disclosed. A microphone signal containing a broad band distributed desired sound and narrow band distributed noise is divided amongst a plurality of frequency bins. For each frequency bin, it is determined whether a portion of the signal within the frequency bin belongs to a narrow band distribution characteristic of the source of narrow band noise located on the console. Any frequency bins containing portions of the signal belonging to the narrow band distribution are filtered to reduce the narrow band noise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2006
    Publication date: November 8, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Xiadong Mao
  • Publication number: 20070260340
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for signal processing are disclosed. A discrete time domain input signal xm(t) may be produced from an array of microphones M0 . . . MM. A listening direction may be determined for the microphone array. The listening direction is used in a semi-blind source separation to select the finite impulse response filter coefficients b0, b1 . . . , bN to separate out different sound sources from input signal xm(t). One or more fractional delays may optionally be applied to selected input signals xm(t) other than an input signal x0(t) from a reference microphone M0. Each fractional delay may be selected to optimize a signal to noise ratio of a discrete time domain output signal y(t) from the microphone array. The fractional delays may be selected to such that a signal from the reference microphone M0 is first in time relative to signals from the other microphone(s) of the array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2006
    Publication date: November 8, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Xiadong Mao
  • Publication number: 20070025562
    Abstract: Targeted sound detection methods and apparatus are disclosed. A microphone array has two or more microphones M0 . . . MM. Each microphone is coupled to a plurality of filters. The filters are configured to filter input signals corresponding to sounds detected by the microphones thereby generating a filtered output. One or more sets of filter parameters for the plurality of filters are pre-calibrated to determine one or more corresponding pre-calibrated listening zones. Each set of filter parameters is selected to detect portions of the input signals corresponding to sounds originating within a given listening zone and filter out sounds originating outside the given listening zone. A particular pre-calibrated listening zone is selected at a runtime by applying to the plurality of filters a set of filter coefficients corresponding to the particular pre-calibrated listening zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2006
    Publication date: February 1, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Zalewski, Richard Marks, Xiadong Mao
  • Publication number: 20070021208
    Abstract: Methods of obtaining input for controlling execution of a game program are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Publication date: January 25, 2007
    Inventors: Xiadong Mao, Richard Marks, Gary Zalewski
  • Publication number: 20070015559
    Abstract: Methods and techniques for use in the operation of a game apparatus or other system for determining a lack of user activity in relation to the game apparatus or other system. A machine-readable medium having embodied thereon instructions for performing such methods and techniques is also included, as well as an example system for implementation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Zalewski, Richard Marks, Xiadong Mao
  • Publication number: 20070015558
    Abstract: Methods and techniques for use in the operation of a game apparatus or other system for determining an activity level of a user in relation to the game apparatus or other system. A machine-readable medium having embodied thereon instructions for performing such methods and techniques is also included, as well as an example system for implementation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Zalewski, Richard Marks, Xiadong Mao
  • Publication number: 20060287086
    Abstract: One embodiment provides a method for use in providing input to a system that includes the steps of determining position information for a controller for the system, comparing the determined position information for the controller with predetermined position information associated with commands, and providing a command to the system if the determined position information matches predetermined position information for the command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicant: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Zalewski, Richard Marks, Xiadong Mao
  • Publication number: 20060287087
    Abstract: One embodiment provides a method for use in a game that includes the steps of receiving position information for a controller that is being manipulated by a user, analyzing the position information to determine whether a predetermined movement of the controller associated with a command has been performed, and executing the command if the predetermined movement of the controller associated with the command has been performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicant: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Zalewski, Richard Marks, Xiadong Mao
  • Publication number: 20060287084
    Abstract: Methods for tracking a controller of a video game and for providing inputs to a system are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Inventors: Xiadong Mao, Richard Marks, Gary Zalewski
  • Publication number: 20060287085
    Abstract: A game controller is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Inventors: Xiadong Mao, Richard Marks, Gary Zalewski
  • Publication number: 20060282873
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a tracking device for use in obtaining information for controlling an execution of a game program by a processor for enabling an interactive game to be played by a user. The tracking device comprises a body having a section to be oriented towards a screen when a progress of a game provided via execution of the game apparatus is displayed upon the screen; and at least one photonically detectable (“PD”) element assembled with the body, a position of the photonically detectable element within an image being recordable by an image capture device when the section is oriented at least partly towards the screen, wherein positions of the PD element at different points in time are quantifiable to quantify movement of the body in space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Publication date: December 14, 2006
    Applicant: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Zalewski, Richard Marks, Xiadong Mao
  • Publication number: 20060274032
    Abstract: A tracking device for use in obtaining information for controlling an execution of a game program by a processor for enabling an interactive game to be played by a user and related apparatus are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Inventors: Xiadong Mao, Richard Marks, Gary Zalewski