This activity page covers 6 granted patents across the Hardware & Devices category, filed by Sony (2), Sandisk Technologies (1), Embracer Freemode (1), Nintendo (1), and Vivo (1).
The patents span a range of physical and firmware-level technologies, including Sony's work on PCIe endpoint bridging for APU boards and a controller-based authentication system that communicates with a nearby phone to retrieve player credentials. Sandisk Technologies patented storage firmware that tracks which game assets are read at specific LBAs and uses that data to drive a progress display on the drive itself, while Nintendo disclosed a controller rail design with hidden electrical terminals for cleaner detachment from a game main unit. Embracer Freemode and Vivo each contributed 1 patent, covering a thumbstick locking mechanism with a Morse taper interface and a sliding internal support that repositions a wired controller's plug to align with different port locations on phones and tablets.
Sony received 2 patents covering hardware integration and player authentication. The first describes a way to seat a PS5-class APU board inside a standard server slot by using an endpoint management bridge that mirrors each PCIe endpoint twice, once for the APU and once for the host, keeping the two PCIe domains separate while allowing the board to function as a normal PCIe device for tasks like game development, storage sharing, and frame capture. The second patent takes a different approach to the login problem: rather than having the console or the phone handle authentication, the controller itself manages the process, detecting a nearby phone, emitting a signal that the phone must acknowledge, and only then fetching the player's credentials to pass back to the console.
Sandisk Technologies received 1 patent for storage firmware that goes beyond simple data handling. The drive maintains an internal table that maps logical block addresses to specific game asset files, which lets the firmware interpret raw read activity as a measure of how far a player has progressed through a game, and then drive a display mounted on the storage device itself to reflect that progress, making the drive an active participant in reporting game state rather than a passive block store.
Embracer Freemode received 1 patent for a handheld controller design that addresses 2 persistent physical problems. A docking bay with an inward-biased latch and a user-actuated release keeps a direct USB-C connection mechanically secure while the controller and console are handled together as a single unit, and the thumbstick tops attach through a Morse taper connection, pairing a tapered post with a matching tapered bore to hold the cap in place with precise alignment and no separate fastener.
Vivo received 1 patent for a wired mobile gamepad that can reposition its connector to match different devices. Inside the controller housing, a movably connected interface support slides the plug laterally, perpendicular to the direction it inserts into a port, so the connector can travel left or right to align with wherever a given phone or tablet places its port, a problem that fixed-connector designs cannot address because they offer no way to separate plugging direction from alignment direction.
Nintendo received 1 patent covering a controller rail designed to protect and simplify the electrical connection between a controller and a game main unit. The terminals sit tucked inside a pocket formed between the protruding slide member and the controller body, shielded from accidental contact during attachment and detachment, and the design incorporates additional physical details including a tapered insertion end, a stop member, a metal layer over the terminal area, an insulator, and a water-resisting member to support more reliable electrical contact and easier handling.
All data sourced from USPTO patent filings. Google Patents may take several weeks to index recent publications. If a link is unavailable, search for the patent number at USPTO Patent Public Search.