Cloud Gaming & Streaming

InterDigital CE Patent Holdings, SAS received 3 patents that share a common thread: using internal game engine data to improve video compression for cloud gaming. All 3 methods pull motion information directly from the game engine's camera parameters and depth buffers rather than analyzing pixels alone. By distinguishing camera motion from object motion at the block level, the codec can skip expensive motion estimation when the camera is moving, cutting encoder latency. One application derives motion vectors from depth planes and camera transformations, another tags blocks with camera motion info to boost efficiency, and the third builds planar depth models for each coding block to compute geometrically precise motion vectors that reflect the virtual camera's actual movement through 3D space.

Sony received 6 patents covering both gameplay streaming and cloud-based development workflows. On the streaming side, one patent adjusts controller haptic resistance when network quality drops, using physical feedback to signal connection problems and naturally limit player inputs during degradation. Another speculatively renders partial frames on the client before server data arrives, combining input history with motion vectors to reduce perceived latency. A third compresses large game assets into neural object representations that clients can render without transmitting full geometry and texture data, while a fourth separates input and output into distinct client devices so a phone can control a game displayed on a TV with all processing handled server-side. For cloud development, one patent lets developers extract and edit game asset sub-components without rebuilding entire packages, and another pre-executes all possible next debug steps speculatively to eliminate round-trip latency when stepping through code remotely.

Adeia received 2 patents addressing video quality challenges in cloud game streaming. The first tackles bitrate spikes at scene changes by detecting impending overruns and applying graduated quantization parameter adjustments before a stall occurs, preventing the cascade where dropped frames trigger large recovery frames that themselves risk being dropped. The second uses virtual IMU data derived from game engine camera math to automatically switch camera angles in real-time, preventing motion sickness for players and spectators without manual intervention. The system embeds motion parameters computed from rendered frame analysis into the stream manifest, enabling per-user camera switching at the client side based on game engine internals rather than physical sensor data.

Realtek Semiconductor received 1 patent for a feedback loop architecture that continuously adjusts video and audio encoder settings based on actual playback quality at the client device. The system pairs a playback quality evaluation unit on the terminal side with a feedback engine and encoder parameter calculation unit on the server side, allowing real-time encoder adjustments based on actual rendering conditions rather than relying solely on network bandwidth estimates.

Bright Star Gaming received 1 patent for streaming game assets based on player movement and position within the game world. The method combines predictive prefetching that anticipates where the player will go with lazy loading that deliberately caps bandwidth usage below connection capacity, eliminating large upfront downloads while maintaining smooth gameplay as players navigate through spatial environments.