This week's granted patent digest covers 9 patents from 6 companies, with AI and machine learning and UI/UX tied as the most represented categories at 2 patents each.
Sony accounts for 4 of the 9 grants, with its patents spanning audio control systems, networking relays, cross-platform session invites, and AI-driven world generation. Several patents this week center on reducing friction in multiplayer and social contexts, from shareable invite URLs that route players to their native platform client, to avatar systems that place users in contextually appropriate virtual scenes based on their posted status. Tactical and interface improvements also appear across the batch, including a proximity-based cover system for third-person games and a dedicated survival tool toolbar designed to free up in-game inventory space.
Sony's 4 patents this week cover a wide range of systems, starting with a real-time audio sync mechanism that lets players clap, hum, or play music to directly control NPC movements and interactions during live gameplay. A second patent describes a smartphone relay app that allows PS consoles to connect to nearby phones that lack native console support, making local multiplayer possible across devices that would not otherwise communicate. The third patent covers a cross-platform game session invite system using shareable URLs, so a PS5 player can send a join link to an Xbox or PC friend without either party needing the other on a platform-specific friend list. Rounding out Sony's batch, the fourth patent describes an AI system that uses nested templates and player data to populate and customize game environments in real time.
Tencent's 1 patent this week covers a social app concept built around avatar presence, where posting a status automatically moves your avatar to a matching virtual scene, such as a library, gym, or park, making your in-world location reflect what you are actually doing.
Beijing Zitiao Network Technology, a ByteDance subsidiary, received 1 patent for a dedicated survival tool toolbar in RPG games. Rather than routing survival items through a character's backpack, the toolbar keeps them in a separate, context-aware interface that surfaces the right controls based on what the character is currently doing.
NetEase's 1 patent covers a cover system for third-person games that uses proximity and angle detection to automatically prompt players when they are near a surface they can take cover behind, letting them enter a defensive position with a single tap rather than manual positioning.
Hasbro and Collective Minds Gaming Co. each filed 1 patent this week in fairly different territory. Hasbro's patent describes a trivia game system that pre-generates and queues upcoming questions while a current round is still in progress, eliminating the wait between rounds. Collective Minds' patent covers a universal adapter designed to let a single gaming accessory attach to multiple Xbox controller generations by swapping out the body and port components.
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.