VR & Augmented Reality

Sony received 2 patents covering two distinct challenges in mixed-reality tracking and spatial anchoring. The first describes a system that identifies nearby gaming consoles and physical objects to use as fixed reference points in AR and VR environments, anchoring virtual content to those setups rather than relying on generic room scanning. The second addresses a persistent problem in controller tracking: when camera-based SLAM loses sight of a controller, the system smoothly hands off to inertial measurement unit sensors using a reliability-driven switching mechanism, avoiding the abrupt position jumps that typically accompany tracking loss.

Apple also received 2 patents, both aimed at reducing the computational cost and perceptual discomfort of rendering in headsets. One describes a deep learning model that predicts and reconstructs frames in AR and VR reprojection pipelines, operating under causal constraints so that predictions rely only on past frames rather than future ones, keeping latency in check. The other tackles flickering at the edges of the display by combining a single-depth transformation for central vision with a per-pixel, variable-depth transformation for the periphery, blending between the two to eliminate the artifacts that would appear if either method were used alone across the full frame.

Niantic received 1 patent for a system that assesses how reliably a location can support AR gameplay before a user ever arrives. It works by running simulated consistency checks during validation scans, comparing expected camera pose differences against actual sensor-measured movement, and using those comparisons to assign a localizability score to each point of interest. That score determines whether the location is ready to serve as a dependable AR starting point.

OVR Tech received 1 patent for a scent-delivery module designed to attach to VR and AR headsets. The device uses piezoelectric atomizers with variable amplitude control to regulate scent intensity precisely, and a programmable API allows game engines to trigger specific scents or combinations of them in real time based on what is happening in the virtual environment. Each scent vessel contains its own dedicated piezo element, making individual modules replaceable and the overall system scalable.

Honda received 1 patent describing a metaverse system that creates a bidirectional link between virtual vehicle customization and physical vehicle modifications. Changes made to a vehicle within a virtual environment can be proposed for real-world implementation, with community voting serving as the validation mechanism that determines whether those modifications are actually applied to the physical vehicle.

Roblox received 1 patent for a camera-to-avatar mapping system that translates a user's real head movements into corresponding 3D avatar motion on mobile devices. The system combines device orientation data with head orientation derived from facial landmark detection, using both inputs simultaneously to update the direction the avatar faces as well as the perspective of the background across frames. A configurable threshold controls how much of each detected head movement carries over into avatar movement, allowing developers to tune responsiveness without introducing overcorrection.

HTC received 1 patent for a pass-through image quality management system in XR headsets that monitors both GPU load and frame rate at the same time. When those metrics indicate the system is under strain, the quality of the pass-through camera feed is adjusted dynamically as an additional resource lever, rather than managing only the rendered virtual content as earlier approaches have done.

Valeo Comfort And Driving Assistance received 1 patent for an in-car mixed-reality gaming system that pulls data directly from vehicle sensors to power location-aware games on passenger devices. The system converts automotive sensor output into a coordinate system the game can interpret, synchronizing in-game avatar movement with the actual movement of the vehicle so that the physical journey becomes part of the gameplay itself.

Vsn Vision received 1 patent covering an XR data marketplace that gives users control over the biometric and behavioral data captured during VR and AR sessions. Users can choose to share anonymized data packets, including emotional and behavioral information, and receive compensation through the marketplace. A scoring system using metrics called V-Score, Stars, and Coins also governs compatibility between users and determines access permissions within shared XR spaces.

Microsoft received 1 patent for a display refresh rate system in head-mounted displays that adapts based on changes in the viewer's critical flicker fusion threshold. Rather than holding to a fixed refresh rate, the system tracks how stimulus attributes like brightness, contrast, and color shift that perceptual threshold in real time and adjusts the display accordingly. This connects human visual perception biology directly to the hardware control logic in a way that conventional adaptive sync technologies do not.

Google received 1 patent describing a calibration system for AR and MR headsets that accounts for the optical effects introduced when prescription lenses are incorporated into the display assembly. The system tests and corrects image alignment and color accuracy by addressing the specific interactions between prescription corrective elements and the headset's lightguide, producing images that are properly aligned and free of distortion for users who require vision correction.