Sony adds two more patents to its broad library, aiming for an overall better gaming experience. Read on to learn more about the AI-predicting camera, and the DualSense trigger attachment to make those gunfights even more realistic.
Two New Patents For Sony
AI That Predicts Your Movement To Reduce Lag
Two of Sony’s most recently publicized patents have made headlines, namely an AI-powered camera that will be able to predict a player’s button presses, and a gun trigger attachment for the DualSense controller.
Firstly, the most recent one is the patent titled Timed Input/Action Release, where a camera will be installed to view the player and the controller. The camera will capture footage of the player, which will then be analyzed by AI, or specifically a "machine learning-based model or other system" to predict what inputs the player will press next. Alternatively, another option for the system is for the player to use "incomplete controller actions" instead and allow the AI to guess the player’s intentions.
This invention is intended for reducing lag in online games, reducing latency by having the AI and the computer system be one step ahead in processing. Lag has always been an issue, especially in online gaming.
A Trigger For The DualSense Controller For Realistic Gunfights
Another patent that stands out is for a trigger attachment for the DualSense controller, in a bid to make in-game gunplay more realistic for FPS titles or action-adventure RPGs that might use some form of gun-like weapons.
After affixing the trigger attachment to the device, players will hold the DualSense controller sideways, holding the right arm like a gun stock, as shown in the diagram above. The space between the R1 and R1 buttons will serve as the gun’s sight, then players will just need to press the trigger to emulate the firing of a real firearm. Additionally, the patent noted that this accessory could even be used with other devices, like the PSVR2 headset.
Sony is no stranger to patents, having 78% of its whopping 95,533 patents active in its long history, with ideas such as adaptive difficulty based on the player’s skill, a DualSense controller variant that could store and charge earbuds, as well as a controller that would give players a hit of realism by changing temperature based on the real-time events in game. However, being patented doesn’t necessarily mean these ideas will result in actual products. Only time will tell if more of these Sony ideas will manifest into real, working products.
Source:
World Intellectual Property Organization - TIMED INPUT/ACTION RELEASE
World Intellectual Property Organization - ATTACHMENT FOR A VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER, AN ATTACHMENT KIT FOR THE SAME, AND A VIDEO GAME INPUT SYSTEM
Sony Patents - Key Insights and Stats
