| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20100088128 | Ticket scarcity management for interactive events - Ticket scarcity management system adjusts event promotion and ticketed sales methodologies to maintain optimal sales conditions for an interactive event. | 04-08-2010 |
| 20100088159 | Switching camera angles during interactive events - Multiple camera angles of an interactive event are simultaneously transmitted as part of a broadcast. The simultaneous distribution of multiple synchronized streams of audio and/or visual information enables switching between cameras to be made by the audience members without interruption of the presentation of the event. In one embodiment, a performance studio might send out multiple synchronized concurrent streams. For example, a performance studio might transmit four distinct camera angles or streams, each at varying quality levels, such as the illustrated high-bandwidth and low-bandwidth encodings. Selection of the stream may also direct interactive feedback portions generated by the selecting audience member towards the selected object/individual. Alternatively, interactive feedback generated by the audience member may be directed globally to the producers of the event and selectively to the performers and other audience members of the event. | 04-08-2010 |
| 20100094686 | Interactive live events - An interactive event allows clients to provide feedback to the performing artist and/or producers relative to the event being observed. Feedback options include shout outs, emotapplause, and voting. Ticket scarcity management system adjusts event promotion and ticketed sales methodologies to maintain optimal sales conditions for an interactive event. Multiple camera angles of an interactive event are simultaneously distributed as part of a broadcast to enable switching between cameras by the audience members without interruption of the presentation of the event. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100153861 | INTERACTIVE EVENTS - An interactive event allows clients to provide feedback to the performing artist and/or producers relative to the event being observed. Feedback options include shout outs, emotapplause, and voting. | 06-17-2010 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20080261689 | APPLICATION-CENTRIC USER INTERFACE TECHNIQUES - Various application-centric user interface techniques are described. A user can easily launch, add, or update applications. An application-centric activity center can be presented as part of a user interface for an operating system shell. A file defining metadata for an application can be defined. The techniques can be applied to game-related software. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20090113519 | PARENTAL CONTROLS FOR ENTERTAINMENT CONTENT - Parental controls for entertainment digital media are provided that allow a parent to restrict multiple user's access to entertainment content. One or more updatable rating definition files with dynamic data are used to define rating levels and content descriptors for a regional rating system. Entertainment content definition files define the rating level and content descriptors for entertainment content. User permission settings define a particular user's access rating level and content descriptors. The rating definition file can be used to compare the entertainment content definition file and user permission settings in determining if a user is allowed access to particular entertainment content. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20100184512 | APPLICATION-CENTRIC USER INTERFACE TECHNIQUES - Various application-centric user interface techniques are described. A user can easily launch, add, or update applications. An application-centric activity center can be presented as part of a user interface for an operating system shell. A file defining metadata for an application can be defined. The techniques can be applied to game-related software. | 07-22-2010 |
| 20100222146 | Common Controller - A common game controller is compatible with multiple platforms including game devices and general purpose processors. The common controller can be utilized by both developers and users. Game software can easily be implemented on multiple platforms. Common source code can be developed and compiled to run on multiple systems, for example XBOX 360®, WINDOWS XP®, and WINDOWS® VISTA. Users only have to learn and get familiar with a single game controller. The common controller includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) compatible interface allowing the controller to be coupled to multiple types of platforms. The common controller can also include a wireless interface. | 09-02-2010 |
| 20110237328 | APPLICATION-CENTRIC USER INTERFACE TECHNIQUES - Various application-centric user interface techniques are described. A user can easily launch, add, or update applications. An application-centric activity center can be presented as part of a user interface for an operating system shell. A file defining metadata for an application can be defined. The techniques can be applied to game-related software. | 09-29-2011 |
| 20110237329 | APPLICATION-CENTRIC USER INTERFACE TECHNIQUES - Various application-centric user interface techniques are described. A user can easily launch, add, or update applications. An application-centric activity center can be presented as part of a user interface for an operating system shell. A file defining metadata for an application can be defined. The techniques can be applied to game-related software. | 09-29-2011 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20090017888 | ELECTRONIC GAMING SYSTEM WITH REAL PLAYING CARDS AND MULTIPLE PLAYER DISPLAYS FOR VIRTUAL CARD AND BETTING IMAGES - Electronic gaming system with real playing cards and multiple player displays for virtual card and betting images. In one implementation, the exemplary system allows real playing cards to be used in electronic gaming systems that provide multiple video displays for multiple live participants at a gaming table. The system can post virtual images of the cards in play on the participant displays and can also display virtual bets, e.g., wagering chips, on the same displays. The real playing cards provide the look, feel, and action of playing a card game while the electronic gaming system provides elements of automation, security, and virtual display of the cards and bets. By converting the identities of the cards in play into processor-usable information, the exemplary system can add entertaining graphics, automate tedious and costly aspects of double-checking card and chip movement and whereabouts, and provide confidence and security to those at the gaming table that the cards and chips are being digitally tracked for each participant to see and verify. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20090253503 | ELECTRONIC GAME SYSTEM WITH PLAYER-CONTROLLABLE SECURITY FOR DISPLAY IMAGES - Electronic game systems with player-controllable security for display images are described. In one implementation, an exemplary multiplayer system hides the identity of virtual game artifacts, such as playing cards, being displayed as images, but allows the player to whom the virtual game artifacts are assigned to view the identities of the virtual game artifacts at will. A sensor or a player-controlled device, such as a switch or a touch screen display, can change a display image in order to hide or reveal at least part of the identity of the virtual game artifact. The display image being secured by the system can be a virtual representation of a playing card, die, dice, domino, game tile, game-piece, roulette number, slot symbol, icon, or token. The system can also shield the identity of the virtual game artifact while the display image is at one visual size, and reveal the identity of the virtual game artifact when shrinking the visual size of the display image to afford security. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20100041469 | Electronic Banking Management For Betting Games - Electronic banking management for betting games is described. In one implementation, a multiparticipant electronic gaming table has a banking engine that dynamically determines current participants and authenticates qualified participants as banker candidates. The banking engine tracks game flow in order to determine when to offer the banking role to other participants. In one implementation, the system has an accounts manager that tracks wagers during the game, updates participant account balances, tracks transactions of each participant holding the banking role, and balances the bank of each participant in the banking role. | 02-18-2010 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20100120536 | ENTERTAINING VISUAL TRICKS FOR ELECTRONIC BETTING GAMES - Entertaining visual tricks for electronic betting games are described. In one implementation, a system receives gesture input, such as finger motions, from a user interface of a player at an electronic game table. The system maps the gesture input to known tricks and maneuvers to animate the virtual game components used in the electronic betting game, such as virtual playing cards, betting chips, dice, dice cups, tiles, and so forth. In one mode, the system divides the gesture input into segments and maps each segment to movement information for the virtual game component, enabling the player to record a custom visual trick. A motion synthesizer can apply kinematics to impart realistic or imaginary motion to the virtual game components, which can then be displayed across one or more video displays. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100178989 | REMOVABLE PLAYER STATION AND LOCKING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRONIC GAMES - A removable player station and locking mechanism. In one implementation, a removable player station allows quick and secure replacement, swapping, and upgrade of a modular player station component for electronic games. In one context, an electronic game table may employ multiple of the removable player stations, each secured with a locking mechanism and a common or a unique lock. In one implementation of a latching mechanism, a pivotable cradle attaches to the electronic game or game table and seats the removable player station through a pivoting motion that also brings the cradle into a locking position. When the pivotable cradle is opened from the locking position, the cradle lifts the removable player station from the game or tabletop for easy manual removal. The accessible part of the locking mechanism may be located under an electronic game tabletop away from view of the players. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100279761 | ROLL 21 GAME - A Roll 21 game is described. In one implementation, an example game method for one or more players includes accepting a bet from each of the one or more players, and selecting one of the players to be the shooter to roll two dice for all the players. Each six-sided die has the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 distributed on respective sides. The shooter rolls the two dice in multiple dice rolls until a cumulative total of the rolls equals or exceeds 17 or, until all players have stood and no bonus bets have been placed that require further accumulation of dice points. After each roll, each player may stand at the current cumulative total of the dice rolls. Then, when the cumulative total of the rolls equals or exceeds 17 (unless, e.g., all players have previously stood), the shooter rolls a host die to obtain a host total. The single six-sided host die has the numbers 17, 18, 19, and 21 distributed on four of the six sides and the word “Bust” is distributed on two of the six sides. The cumulative total of each player is compared with the host total to determine whether each player's bet receives a payout, for example a 1:1 payout on the initial bet. Bonus bet options are also available. | 11-04-2010 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20120078997 | RESUMING CONTENT ACROSS DEVICES AND FORMATS - Intelligent content delivery enables content to be delivered to different devices in formats appropriate for those devices based on the capabilities of those devices. A user might access the same piece of content on two different devices, and can automatically receive a higher quality format on a device capable of playing that higher quality format. The user can purchase rights to content in any format, such that as new formats emerge or the user upgrades to devices with enhanced capabilities, the user can receive the improved formats automatically without having to repurchase the content. Further, the user can pause and resume content between devices even when those devices utilize different formats, and can access content on devices not otherwise associated with the user, receiving content in formats that are appropriate for those unknown devices even if the user has not previously accessed content in those formats. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120079095 | CLOUD-BASED DEVICE SYNCHRONIZATION - A logically centralized system or service, such as a cloud-based content management service, enables intelligent communication between disparate devices. Such communication enables content such as applications and data to be synchronized between various devices, where the synchronization takes into account the capabilities of each device to provide versions and/or formats of that content that are appropriate for each device. A user purchasing an additional device, for example, can have various applications and other content automatically installed or copied over to the additional device, but with versions or formats that take advantage of, and are appropriate for, the capabilities of that additional device. Further, the intelligent communication via a logically centralized service can enable such devices to interact even though those devices might utilize different protocols and/or formats, and might otherwise not be able to communicate or have ever have been tested together. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120079119 | INTERACTING WITH CLOUD-BASED APPLICATIONS USING UNRELATED DEVICES - Systems and method provide logic facilitating an interaction between a networked server and multiple, unrelated devices. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method enables a user of a device to interact with or control multiple, unrelated devices across a could computing environment using a networked server. The method includes receiving, at the networked server, an instruction from the control device. A corresponding instruction understandable by an unrelated controlled device is generated by the networked server, and the corresponding instruction is operable to cause the controlled device to perform the received instruction. The networked server may transmit the corresponding instruction to the controlled device. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120079126 | CLOUD-BASED DEVICE INTERACTION - A logically centralized system or service, such as a cloud-based content management service, enables intelligent communication between disparate devices. Such communication enables content such as applications and data to be synchronized between various devices, where the synchronization takes into account the capabilities of each device to provide versions and/or formats of that content that are appropriate for each device. A user purchasing an additional device, for example, can have various applications and other content automatically installed or copied over to the additional device, but with versions or formats that take advantage of, and are appropriate for, the capabilities of that additional device. Further, the intelligent communication via a logically centralized service can enable such devices to interact even though those devices might utilize different protocols and/or formats, and might otherwise not be able to communicate or have ever have been tested together. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120079606 | RIGHTS AND CAPABILITY-INCLUSIVE CONTENT SELECTION AND DELIVERY - Intelligent content delivery enables content to be delivered to different devices in formats appropriate for those devices based on the capabilities of those devices. A user might access the same piece of content on two different devices, and can automatically receive a higher quality format on a device capable of playing that higher quality format. The user can purchase rights to content in any format, such that as new formats emerge or the user upgrades to devices with enhanced capabilities, the user can receive the improved formats automatically without having to repurchase the content. Further, the user can pause and resume content between devices even when those devices utilize different formats, and can access content on devices not otherwise associated with the user, receiving content in formats that are appropriate for those unknown devices even if the user has not previously accessed content in those formats. | 03-29-2012 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20090323818 | ASYNCHRONOUS MEDIA FOUNDATION TRANSFORM - This disclosure describes methods, systems, and programming interfaces for more efficiently processing media data in a media pipeline. In one embodiment, media flow in a media system is coordinated using a media foundation transform supported by a programming interface. The programming interface generates input and output events to the requisite media system thereby permitting the media foundation transform control over when input frames are requested and received and output frames are retrieved. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100150441 | Strategies for Processing Image Information Using a Color Information Data Structure - Strategies are described for processing image information using a data structure which conveys color information. The color information describes color-related formatting applied to the image information. The data structure can be passed down a video processing pipeline, where each functional component in the pipeline can draw color information from the data structure to improve the accuracy of its processing. Further, each component can supply previously unknown color information to the data structure for use by other (downstream) components in the pipeline. Exemplary fields of the data structure can include one or more of: a video transfer function field; a color primaries field; an image light field; a transfer matrix field; a nominal range field; and a video chroma sampling field. The transfer matrix field can be used to convert image information from one color space to another, such as a luma-related color space to an RGB-related color space. Processing operations can be performed on progressive and linear RGB image information. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20110170006 | Strategies for Processing Image Information Using a Color Information Data Structure - Strategies are described for processing image information using a data structure which conveys color information. The color information describes color-related formatting applied to the image information. The data structure can be passed down a video processing pipeline, which includes a video mixing renderer module, a device driver, and a graphics module. Each functional component in the pipeline can draw color information from the data structure to improve the accuracy of its processing. | 07-14-2011 |
| 20110298819 | HARDWARE-ACCELERATED COLOR DATA PROCESSING - Methods for mapping color data having at least one color associated therewith to an output device based on an input-device profile and an output-device profile, each profile having a tone curve and a color matrix, are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving color data from an input device and determining whether the color data is in a linear space. If it is determined that the color data is not in a linear space, the method further includes applying the tone curve of the input device profile to the color data to convert it into a linear space. The method further includes converting the color(s) associated with the color data from the input linear space to an output linear space by applying the color matrix of the input device profile and the inverse color matrix of the output device profile to create color-converted image data. | 12-08-2011 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20090046100 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GROUPING THEMATICALLY-RELATED CLUSTERS INTO A TWO-DIMENSIONAL VISUAL DISPLAY SPACE - Concepts are extracted from content of documents. Clusters each include one or more of the concepts. A theme is identified in each of the clusters and includes at least one such concept within the cluster. Spines of the clusters that share at least one theme in common are formed. The spines having a theme unique from any other spine already placed into a visual display space are placed. Anchor clusters are identified on the placed spines. Spine groups are generated. A similarity of at least one of the spines not placed and each placed spine is evaluated. The unplaced spine is placed at the anchor cluster in the placed spine with the closest similarity. A similarity of at least one of the clusters not selected and each anchor cluster is evaluated. The non-selected cluster is placed proximate to the anchor cluster with the closest similarity. The spine groups are displayed. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20100039431 | System And Method for Thematically Arranging Clusters In A Visual Display - A system and method for thematically arranging clusters in a visual display is provided. Stored clusters each include one or more concepts. The concepts include terms having a common semantic meaning. Two or more of the clusters with shared concepts are identified. The two or more clusters are placed along a vector to form one or more cluster spines each represented by the shared concepts as a theme. One of the cluster spines is selected. At least one anchor point located on an open edge of one of the clusters along the selected cluster spine is identified. A further cluster spine that is thematically-related to the selected cluster spine is identified. The further cluster spine is grafted onto one of the at least one anchor points of the selected cluster spine. The grafted cluster spines are displayed. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100049708 | System And Method For Scoring Concepts In A Document Set - A system and method for scoring concepts in a document set is provided. Concepts including two or more terms extracted from the document set are identified. Each document having one or more of the concepts is designated as a candidate seed document. A score is calculated for each of the concepts identified within each candidate seed document based on a frequency of occurrence, concept weight, structural weight, and corpus weight. A vector is formed for each candidate seed document. The vector is compared with a center of one or more clusters each comprising thematically-related documents. At least one of the candidate seed documents that is sufficiently distinct from the other candidate seed documents is selected as a seed document for a new cluster. Each of the unselected candidate seed documents is placed into one of the clusters having a most similar cluster center. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100220112 | System and Method for Grouping Cluster Spines Into a Two-Dimensional Visual Display Space - A system and method for grouping cluster spines into a two-dimensional visual display space is provided. Clusters of concepts, each extracted from documents, are obtained. Spines are formed by placing the clusters sharing at least one of the concepts along a spine. The spines are ordered based on a length of each spine. One or more of the spines are selected as unique spines and placed into a visual display space. A similarity is determined between one of the spines not placed and each of the placed unique spines. The placed unique spine most similar is identified. An anchor cluster on the most similar unique spine that satisfies a threshold similarity with the unplaced spine is selected. A cluster on the unplaced spine that is most similar to the selected anchor cluster is identified and grafted to the selected anchor cluster as a group of cluster spines. | 09-02-2010 |
| 20110122151 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING CLUSTER SPINE GROUPINGS FOR DISPLAY - A system and method for generating cluster spine groupings for display is provided. A set of spines is obtained. Each spine in the set includes a grouping of clusters that share a common concept and are arranged linearly along a vector. Those spines that are unique from each other spine are identified. At least one remaining spine from the set of spines is selected. The remaining spine is compared to the unique spines. At least one spine group is formed by grafting the remaining spine onto the unique spine that is most similar. The spine group is displayed. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110125751 | System And Method For Generating Cluster Spines - A system and method for generating cluster spines is provided. Clusters of documents are maintained. Each document is associated with a document concept that is formed from one or more terms extracted from that document. At least one cluster concept is determined for each cluster. The document concepts are ranked and at least one of the document concepts that is highly ranked is selected as the cluster concept. One or more spines are formed. Each spine includes two or more clusters that share at least one of the cluster concepts. The shared cluster concept is identified as a spine concept. One or more of the remaining clusters is assigned to the spines based on a similarity between the cluster concepts for the remaining clusters and the spine concepts for the formed spines. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110264998 | System and Method for Displaying Groups of Cluster Spines - A system and method for displaying groups of cluster spines is provided. Groups of cluster spines are obtained. Each group includes one or more spines with one or more clusters each associated with at least one concept. Group concept score vectors are generated for each of the spine groups by aggregating the concepts for that spine group. The group concept score vectors for the spine groups are compared and those spine groups that are unique are identified. The unique spine groups are placed into a display by arranging the unique spine groups at equal distance angles around a center ring provided in the display. | 10-27-2011 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20080257490 | STRINGER HOLDING DEVICE - In accordance with the present invention an apparatus for securing a plurality of stringers to a mandrel during lay-up is provided, the plurality of stringers and mandrel forming a lay-up surface. The apparatus includes a vacuum source and a first vacuum attachment assembly comprising a first vacuum cup assembly and a first flexible tube assembly in communication with said vacuum source to tightly secure down against the lay-up surface. A second vacuum attachment assembly comprises a second vacuum cup assembly and a second flexible tube assembly in communication with the vacuum source to force it tightly down against the lay-up. A flexible spacer is in rigid communication with the second vacuum cup assembly and includes an extended end in communication with the first vacuum cup assembly such that the flexible spacer presses one of the stringers against the mandrel. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20090000451 | CUTTING ANVIL AND METHOD - A cutting system includes a cutting assembly and an anvil. The cutting assembly includes an ultrasonic cutting tool having a stylus with a tip and an actuator to move the tip along a path. The path is oriented in a transverse manner relative to movement of a backed ply material. The anvil includes a rigid base for securing the anvil to the cutting assembly and a surface coinciding with the path. The system is configured to drive the tip into the surface and draw the tip along the path to generate a groove disposed upon the surface. The groove being in cooperative alignment with the tip. | 01-01-2009 |
| 20090123588 | Apparatus For Forming Structural Members - A method and associated apparatus for forming a composite structural member from a charge are provided. The charge can be disposed on a first die of the apparatus and formed to a desired configuration defined by a recess of the die by inserting a second die or a tool into the recess. In some cases, the first die can include two portions that are adjustable in a transverse direction so that the recess can be opened by the insertion of the second die or tool. The second die or tool can be a substantially rigid member or an inflatable bladder. In either case, the charge can be disposed on the first die, formed, and then further processed on the first die, thereby facilitating indexing of the charge for each operation. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20110030521 | Cutting Sequence for Net Trimming a Composite Layup at an Oblique Angle - To generate a bevel in an uncured composite layup, an edge of part cut through the composite layup is performed at about 90° relative to the composite layup and a bevel cut is performed on the edge of part. | 02-10-2011 |