This month's Platforms & Ecosystems category contains 3 granted patents from Developer J (1), Niantic (1), and Sony (1).
Developer J describes a QR-code-accessible digital companion system that generates custom rulesets and scoresheets for physical dice games based on player count and game characteristics. Niantic's patent covers a tiered anonymization approach for location data in AR games, progressively reducing GPS precision over time to balance privacy protection with gameplay analytics. Sony patents technology for overlaying ghost characters from past gameplay recordings onto live game sessions, allowing competition with historical runs in games without native ghost support.
Developer J received 1 patent for a system that links physical dice games to digital rule generation through QR codes. When players scan a tag on the product packaging, the system creates customized rulesets and scoresheets tailored to the number of participants and specific game parameters they input. This approach removes the need for printed rulesheets or memorizing different rule variations, connecting the physical game components (packaged in stacked cups with a removable band and cover) to an app-like digital experience.
Niantic's patent addresses how AR games can preserve location data for analytics while protecting player privacy over time. Rather than degrading a single location record as it ages, the system writes each location event to multiple retention tables simultaneously, each storing the data at a different level of GPS precision from the outset. A one-way API mapping module translates between hashed and raw player identifiers, creating a privacy layer for internal services while maintaining the ability to perform different types of analysis at each granularity level.
Sony received 1 patent that brings ghost character functionality to games that don't natively support it. The system works at the console or operating system level, extracting video from previously recorded gameplay sessions and compositing it as an overlay onto live play. This platform-level approach transforms a feature that traditionally required game-specific implementation into a universal capability available across any title.
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.