This month's User Interface & Experience category includes 8 filed patent applications from 5 companies: Hangzhou Pawprint Interactive Entertainment Technology Co.
(2), Sony (2), Tencent (2), Ncsoft (1), and Yidian Lingxi Information Technology (Guangzhou) Co. (1). Sony's filings describe an AI system that generates personalized practice scenarios based on player performance data and a VR communication system that manages interruptions based on immersion levels. Tencent patents cover automated targeting during ability combinations in MOBA games and a dual-control interface for simultaneous drone and character operation in battle royale titles. Hangzhou Pawprint and Yidian Lingxi Information Technology (Guangzhou) Co. filed applications for character-to-pet transformation mechanics that enable different social interactions and ability-granting fusion systems, while Ncsoft detailed a 3D spherical interface for directional scanning using touch gestures.
Sony received 2 patents focused on helping players improve and stay connected during intense gaming sessions. The first describes a system that watches where players struggle during gameplay, then generates practice scenarios that recreate those difficult moments with on-screen visual guides showing which controller buttons to press and when. The second addresses interruptions during VR play by displaying visual signals to people nearby when a player is deeply immersed, while also queuing incoming messages and delivering them during calmer gameplay moments based on both game intensity and message urgency.
Hangzhou Pawprint Interactive Entertainment Technology Co. filed 2 patents that reimagine the relationship between players and their virtual pets. The first allows a player's main character to physically transform into a pet, enabling that character to interact with other pets of the same species as a peer rather than as an owner. The second takes pet companionship further by letting players merge directly with their virtual animals, experiencing the pet's unique abilities in first-person rather than commanding them from the outside.
Tencent received 2 patents addressing mechanical execution challenges in competitive multiplayer games. One automates the aiming process when players perform flash-plus-skill combinations in MOBA titles, removing the need to manually calculate targeting angles and distances during these complex multi-ability sequences. The other introduces a control scheme for battle royale games where players operate both a deployed drone and their ground character at the same time through separate interface elements displayed simultaneously on screen.
Yidian Lingxi Information Technology (Guangzhou) Co. filed 1 patent for a team formation system in multiplayer combat games. The application describes a process where players vote to select their attack leaders democratically, after which an algorithm assigns optimized assault routes to different squads, streamlining the preparation phase before battles begin.
NCSoft received 1 patent describing a scanning interface for mobile games. The system uses a sphere-shaped button where players drag their finger across the surface to aim a directional scan in 3D space, with visual feedback including an overlay sphere, directional indicator, and location marker that changes as the player holds the button down.
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.