IP Library Granted Patent US 12,299,758
Granted Patent B2
US 12,299,758 · App. 17/828,653 · Granted May 13, 2025

Secure matchmaking, asset transfer, and usability reconfiguration platform

Inventor: Philip Rosenberg (San Mateo, CA)
Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
G06Q50/184G06Q30/0611H04L63/10G06Q20/123
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,299,758
App. No.
17/828,653
Filed
May 31, 2022
Granted
May 13, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3693
USPC
705/36R
Abstract

Systems and methods for authorization reconfiguration for digital asset usability are described. An asset management system identifies an asset associated with a video game. A first user device is authorized to use the asset. The first user device is associated with a first user. The asset management system identifies a second user, for instance through a shared characteristic with the first user. A second user device associated with the second user lacks authorization to use the asset. The asset management system receives an indication of a transfer of usability of the asset, such as an indication that the second user has paid for the transfer, or that the conditions of a smart contract have been met. In response to receiving the indication, the asset management system automatically disables authorization for the first user device to use the asset and enables authorization for the second user device to use the asset.

Claims (70)

1. A system of in-stream digital asset usability for automated game stream modifications, the system comprising:

a memory that stores instructions and a data structure;

a communication interface that streams a game stream associated with a video game over a communication network to a first video game console; and

a processor that executes instructions stored in memory to:

generate a smart contract that is executable to automatically transfer in-stream usability of a digital asset when a trigger condition is met, wherein the smart contract is included within a payload of a most recent block of a distributed ledger;

verify that the most recent block of the distributed ledger indicates that the first video game console has authorization from a video game platform to use the digital asset within the game stream during a first time period and that a second video game console lacks authorization from the video game platform to use the digital asset within the game stream during the first time period;

generate a display of a portion of the game stream that includes an image depicting the digital asset during the first time period of gameplay by the first video game console in accordance with the first video game console having the authorization, wherein generating the display includes importing the image of the digital asset into the portion of the game stream;

track gameplay activity data of the first video game console in the data structure, the gameplay activity data regarding use of the digital asset to modify gameplay depicted within the game stream during the first time period;

verify that the data structure includes the tracked gameplay activity data indicating that the trigger condition of the smart contract is met based on a detected interaction between the first video game console and the second video game console through the video game platform;

automatically execute the smart contract to initiate an automatic transfer of the in-stream usability of the digital asset, wherein the automatic transfer includes:

generating a new block to append to the distributed ledger, wherein a payload of the new block reflects transfer of token information representing the digital asset from a first account associated with the first video game console to a second account associated with the second video game console, the token information including data corresponding to the image,

deleting an instance of the digital asset stored at the first video game console in accordance with the new block, wherein deleting the instance is associated with automatically disabling the authorization provided by the video game platform for the first video game console to use the digital asset, wherein the first video game console is no longer authorized to use the image of the digital asset within the game stream during a second time period after the first time period in accordance with the disabled authorization, and

generating a display of a second portion of the game stream that includes the image depicting the digital asset during the second time period of gameplay by the second video game console, wherein generating the display is associated with automatically enabling the authorization from the video game platform for the second video game console to use the digital asset, wherein the second video game console is authorized to use the image of the digital asset for gameplay within the game stream during the second time period in accordance with the enabled authorization; and

track, in the data structure, further gameplay activity involving the digital asset based on use by the second video game console of the digital asset to modify gameplay depicted within the game stream during the second time period;

wherein the communication interface streams the portion of the game stream during the second time period from the video game platform to the second video game console, and wherein the second video game console imports the image into the portion of the game stream for gameplay using the digital asset during the second time period.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the digital asset is an instance of the video game.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the digital asset includes in-game content associated with the video game, wherein the in-game content is usable by a player of the video game within the video game during gameplay of the video game by the player through the video game platform, wherein the player is associated with at least one of the first video game console or the second video game console.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the verification that the data structure includes the tracked gameplay activity data indicating that the trigger condition is met includes a confirmation for the transfer from the first video game console.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein verifying that the data structure includes the tracked gameplay activity data indicating that the trigger condition is met is further based on an indication of a second automatic transfer of a second asset from an account associated with the second video game console, wherein the second automatic transfer is in exchange for the transfer of usability of the digital asset.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the second asset is an amount of funds.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the execution of the instructions by the processor causes the processor to:

receive a bid from the second video game console for the second asset; and

receive an acceptance of the bid from the first video game console.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the processor to:

identify an appraisal value associated with the automatic transfer of usability of the digital asset, wherein the amount of funds is based on the appraisal value.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the execution of the instructions by the processor causes the processor to:

identify a characteristic of a first user associated with the first video game console;

identify a plurality of characteristics of a plurality of users, wherein the plurality of users includes a second user associated with the second video game console;

identify, based on a comparison between the characteristic of the first user and the plurality of characteristics of the plurality of users, that the second user shares the characteristic of the first user; and

select the second video game console for the automatic transfer of usability of the digital asset based on the characteristic being shared by the first user and the second user.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the execution of the instructions by the processor causes the processor to:

identify a second asset associated with the video game, wherein the second digital asset is associated with a second video game platform that a third video game console belongs to, wherein the third video game console lacks authorization from the second video game platform to use the second digital asset for gameplay on the second video game platform during the first time period; and

in response to the verification that the data structure includes the tracked gameplay activity data indicating that the trigger condition is met, automatically enable the authorization from the second video game platform for the third video game console to use the second digital asset for gameplay on the second video game platform during the second time period.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the second asset is a variant of the digital asset that is usable on the second video game platform, wherein the digital asset is usable on the first video game platform, wherein the first video game console and the third video game console are both associated with a user.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the processor to:

identify that a type of the digital asset matches a specified type indicated in a rule;

automatically request authorization from a user device for the automatic transfer of usability of the digital asset; and

receive the authorization for the user device, wherein verifying that the data structure includes the tracked gameplay activity data indicating that the trigger condition is met is further based on the authorization from the user device.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the user device is associated with at least one of a first user or a family member of a first user, wherein the first user is associated with the first video game console.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distributed ledger includes a plurality of blocks, wherein each block of at least a subset of the plurality of blocks includes a hash of at least a portion of another block of the plurality of blocks, wherein the new block includes a hash of at least a portion of one the plurality of blocks in the distributed ledger.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the execution of the instructions by the processor causes the processor to generate at least a portion of the most recent block.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distributed ledger is a blockchain ledger.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the token information is associated with a non-fungible token (NFT).

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distributed ledger includes at least one reference to off-chain data external to the distributed ledger.

19. A method of in-stream digital asset usability for automated game stream modifications, the method comprising:

streaming a game stream associated with a video game over a communication network to a first video game console during a first time period;

generating a smart contract that is executable to automatically transfer in-stream usability of a digital asset when a trigger condition is met, wherein the smart contract is included within a payload of a most recent block of a distributed ledger;

verifying that the most recent block of the distributed ledger also indicates that the first video game console has authorization from a video game platform to use a digital asset for gameplay within the game stream during the first time period and that a second video game console lacks authorization from the video game platform to use the digital asset within the game stream during the first time period;

generating a display of a portion of the game stream that includes an image depicting the digital asset during the first time period of gameplay by the first video game console in accordance with the first video game console having the authorization, wherein generating the display includes importing the image of the digital asset into the portion of the game stream;

tracking gameplay activity data of the first video game console in the data structure, the gameplay activity data regarding use of the digital asset to modify gameplay depicted within the game stream during the first time period;

verifying that the data structure includes the tracked gameplay activity data indicating that the trigger condition of the smart contract is met based on a detected interaction between the first video game console and the second video game console through the video game platform;

automatically executing the smart contract to initiate an automatic transfer of the in-stream usability of the digital asset, wherein the automatic transfer includes:

generating a new block to append to the distributed ledger, wherein a payload of the new block reflects transfer of token information representing the digital asset from a first account associated with the first video game console to a second account associated with the second video game console, the token information including data corresponding to the image,

deleting an instance of the digital asset stored at the first video game console in accordance with the new block, wherein deleting the instance is associated with automatically disabling the authorization provided by the video game platform for the first video game console to use the digital asset, wherein the first video game console is no longer authorized to use the image of the digital asset within the game stream during a second time period after the first time period in accordance with the disabled authorization, and

generating a display of a second portion of the game stream that includes the image depicting the digital asset during the second time period of gameplay by the second video game console, wherein generating the display is associated with automatically enabling the authorization from the video game platform for the second video game console to use the digital asset, wherein the second video game console is authorized to use the image of the digital asset within the game stream during the second time period in accordance with the enabled authorization;

tracking, in the data structure, further gameplay activity involving the digital asset based on use by the second video game console of the digital asset to modify gameplay depicted within the game stream during the second time period; and

streaming the portion of the game stream during the second time period from the video game platform to the second video game console, and wherein the second video game console imports the image into the portion of the game stream for gameplay using the digital asset during the second time period.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, wherein the program is executable by a processor to perform a method of in-stream digital asset usability for automated game stream modifications, the method comprising:

streaming a game stream associated with a video game over a communication network to a first video game console during a first time period;

generating a smart contract that is executable to automatically transfer in-stream usability of a digital asset when a trigger condition is met, wherein the smart contract is included within a payload of a most recent block of a distributed ledger;

verifying that the most recent block of the distributed ledger also indicates that the first video game console has authorization from a video game platform to use a digital asset for gameplay within the game stream during the first time period and that a second video game console lacks authorization from the video game platform to use the digital asset within the game stream during the first time period;

generating a display of a portion of the game stream that includes an image depicting the digital asset during the first time period of gameplay by the first video game console in accordance with the first video game console having the authorization, wherein generating the display includes importing the image of the digital asset into the portion of the game stream;

tracking gameplay activity data of the first video game console in a data structure, the gameplay activity data regarding use of the digital asset to modify gameplay depicted within the game stream during the first time period;

verifying that the data structure includes the tracked gameplay activity data indicating that the trigger condition of the smart contract is met based on a detected interaction between the first video game console and the second video game console through the video game platform;

automatically executing the smart contract to initiate an automatic transfer of the in-stream usability of the digital asset, wherein the automatic transfer includes:

generating a new block to append to the distributed ledger, wherein a payload of the new block reflects transfer of token information representing the digital asset from a first account associated with the first video game console to a second account associated with the second video game console, the token information including data corresponding to the image,

deleting an instance of the digital asset stored at the first video game console in accordance with the new block, wherein deleting the instance is associated with automatically disabling the authorization provided by the video game platform for the first video game console to use the digital asset, wherein the first video game console is no longer authorized to use the image of the digital asset within the game stream during a second time period after the first time period in accordance with the disabled authorization, and

generating a display of a second portion of the game stream that includes the image depicting the digital asset during the second time period of gameplay by the second video game console, wherein generating the display is associated with automatically enabling the authorization from the video game platform for the second video game console to use the digital asset, wherein the second video game console is authorized to use the image of the digital asset within the game stream during the second time period in accordance with the enabled authorization;

tracking, in the data structure, further gameplay activity involving the digital asset based on use by the second video game console of the digital asset to modify gameplay depicted within the game stream during the second time period; and

streaming the portion of the game stream during the second time period from the video game platform to the second video game console, and wherein the second video game console imports the image into the portion of the game stream for gameplay using the digital asset during the second time period.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 6, 2024
From: ROSENBERG, PHILIP
To: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 066665/0260 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230385967A1 · Nov 30, 2023
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Cited By (1)
US 12,496,526