Platforms & Ecosystems

Niantic received 1 patent describing a tiered approach to location data anonymization for augmented reality games. The system stores each location event across multiple retention tables at different levels of GPS precision from the outset, rather than degrading a single record over time. This allows the company to balance privacy protection with analytics needs by maintaining different granularities for different use cases, while a one-way API mapping module creates a privacy layer between hashed and raw player identifiers for internal service communication.

Sony received 1 patent covering technology that overlays ghost characters from past gameplay recordings onto live game sessions. The system operates at the platform or operating system level rather than requiring native game support, using video extraction and overlay compositing to enable players to compete against historical runs in any game. This approach transforms what has traditionally been a game-specific feature into a universal console capability.

Las Vegas Sands received 1 patent for a server-side validation system that replays client action logs to detect both cheating and bugs. The technology uses isomorphic code to replay compressed action sequences at accelerated speeds, comparing the resulting game state model against what the client reported. This asynchronous validation approach avoids interrupting live gameplay while still catching manipulation through deterministic state comparison.

Roblox received 1 patent for timeline scrubbing technology that lets users navigate through the history of persistent virtual worlds. The system applies media-style temporal controls to metaverse environments, enabling full scene reconstruction from any historical point by sequentially replaying stored event data. This goes beyond simple state snapshots by dynamically recreating event sequences to rebuild accurate world state from previous moments.

Developer J received 1 patent covering a QR-code-accessible digital companion for physical dice games. The system generates customized rulesets and scoresheets based on player count and game characteristics entered by the user, eliminating the need to purchase separate rulesheets or memorize variant rules. The patent describes the integration of physical product packaging with a tag-linked digital rule engine that provides an app-like experience.

Tencent received 1 patent describing an anti-cheat system that uses cryptographic node chains to verify game data before server acceptance. Each node's encrypted state derives mathematically from the previous node, creating a tamper-evident sequence that cannot be retroactively fabricated without breaking the entire chain. The system combines cryptographic integrity checks with game-logic accuracy verification in a unified post-session validation pipeline.

Konami received 1 patent for a rhythm game system that integrates external music streaming subscription services into gameplay. The technology decouples music content from game score data by storing them on separate servers and combining them at runtime, allowing players to use licensed songs from platforms like Spotify without requiring individual licensing negotiations for each track. This separation enables the rhythm game to leverage any song available through third-party subscription services.