Sony received 9 granted patents across 6 categories: Hardware (1), Audio (2), AI & Machine Learning (3), UI/UX (1), Graphics (1), and Monetization (1).
The Hardware patent covers a Braille-via-vibration controller for accessibility, while the Audio patents describe indoor positioning through stereo speakers and voice-controlled game interactions. AI & Machine Learning developments include real-time ghost players that demonstrate solutions to gameplay challenges, crowd-sourced bot training through viewer feedback, and personalized game settings that adapt to detected player preferences. The UI/UX patent enables contextual in-game annotations tied to specific game states, the Graphics patent converts 2D content into 3D presentations through depth detection, and the Monetization patent implements blockchain-based decentralized item ownership across Platformss.
The Hardware patent tackles gaming accessibility by repurposing a controller's existing haptic motors to deliver Braille output through vibration patterns. The system converts in-game subtitles into tactile feedback that blind and visually impaired players can read directly through the controller, adjusting video playback speed to match each user's reading pace. This approach avoids requiring specialized peripherals by leveraging rumble Hardware already present in standard game controllers.
Two Audio patents expand how sound functions within gaming environments. The first enables precise indoor user tracking using only a pair of stereo speakers and a microphone, processing inaudible frequency-shifted signals through a neural network to determine player position for adaptive Audio delivery. The second transforms voice and ambient sound into gameplay input, analyzing vocal sentiment and environmental Audio characteristics to influence NPC behavior and game interactions in real time. Together, these patents treat Audio as both a spatial awareness tool and an expressive control mechanism beyond traditional button inputs.
Three AI and machine learning patents reimagine player assistance and personalization. One generates an AI-controlled ghost character that watches live gameplay and demonstrates how to overcome obstacles by producing contextual control inputs visible as an animated guide. Another applies reinforcement learning from human feedback to bot training, letting spectators and players approve or reject AI decisions during gameplay streams to shape agent behavior through crowd-sourced preferences. The third detects implicit player interests through behavioral signals like control patterns and time spent on activities, using kernel functions to automatically adjust Audio, visual, and gameplay parameters without requiring manual configuration.
The UI and UX patent creates a system for anchoring player-created annotations to specific game states rather than fixed video timestamps. Tips, guides, and commentary appear precisely when other players encounter the same situation, regardless of the path taken to reach that point. The system supports social sharing and includes machine learning tools to generate annotations automatically.
A Graphics patent addresses 2D-to-3D conversion by training object identification models to infer depth relationships from flat rendered output. This allows enhancement of legacy content and streamed video where the original depth buffer data remains inaccessible, applying 3D presentation effects without modifying source material or requiring engine-level information.
The Monetization patent establishes a blockchain architecture for decentralized in-game item ownership that separates asset tracking from content description. Players can transfer items across Platformss through distributed ledgers no single publisher controls, with a weighted modulo system managing probabilistic item assignment during creation events like loot drops.
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.