# US 11,442,682 B2 · Entertainment apparatus, display controlling method, and display controlling program

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- Number: US 11,442,682 B2
- Document ID: US11442682B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/966,068
- Filed: 2019-01-30
- Published: 2020-11-12
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-02-05
- Assignees: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
- Applicants: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
- Inventors: Syunsuke Bamba; Masanori Nomura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442682B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/1423: {controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display}
- G06F 1/163: {Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt}
- G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)}
- A63F 13/49: Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
- A63F 13/533: for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
- A63F 13/77: involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
- A63F 2300/308: Details of the user interface
- A63F 2300/554: by saving game or status data
- G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
- G09G 2354/00: Aspects of interface with display user
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00)

## Abstract

An entertainment apparatus, a display controlling method and a display controlling program are provided which are capable of presenting a compatibility situation of a program or content with VR display to a user without relying upon representation by a selection target itself from which the program or the content can be identified. A compatibility situation data acquisition unit acquires compatibility situation data indicative of a compatibility situation with virtual reality display of the programs or the content upon selection by the user, the compatibility situation data being different from the selection targets. A screen image generation unit generates, on the basis of the compatibility situation data, the screen image including information indicative of a compatibility situation with virtual reality display of the program to be executed or the content to be reproduced in response to selection from the selection targets. A display controlling unit causes the screen image to be displayed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An entertainment apparatus that displays a screen image including a plurality of selectable images of programs to be executed or content to be reproduced in response to selection thereof, the entertainment apparatus comprising:
a compatibility data acquisition unit configured to acquire compatibility data indicative of a compatibility of the programs or content with virtual reality display of the programs or the content upon selection, the compatibility data being different from the selectable images;
a screen image generation unit configured to generate, on the basis of the compatibility data, the screen image including information indicative of compatibility of the program or content with virtual reality display of the program or content in response to selection from the selectable images;
a display controlling unit configured to cause the screen image to be displayed, and
a usage situation data acquisition unit configured to acquire usage situation data indicative of a usage situation of a head-mounted display on which an image generated by the program or an image of the content is to be displayed, where the usage situation data is indicative of a communication history between the entertainment apparatus and the head-mounted display, wherein:
the screen image generation unit generates one of the screen that includes information indicative of a compatibility situation with the virtual reality display and the screen image that does not include the information in response to the usage situation data, and
the screen image generation unit generates one of the screen image that includes information indicative of a compatibility situation with the virtual reality display and the screen image that does not include the information in response to the communication history.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The entertainment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the compatibility situation data acquisition unit acquires the compatibility situation data indicative of whether or not virtual reality display is essentially required, and
the screen image generate unit generates the screen image that includes information indicative of whether or not virtual reality display of the program to be executed or the content to be reproduced in response to selection from the selection target is essentially required.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The entertainment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the usage situation data acquisition unit acquires the usage situation data indicative of a history of virtual reality display, and
the screen image generation unit generates one of the screen image that includes information indicative of a compatibility situation with the virtual reality display and the screen image that does not include the information on the basis of the history of the virtual reality display.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The entertainment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the screen image generation unit generates, on the basis of a history of the virtual reality display, the screen image indicative of whether or not virtual reality display has been executed in regard to the program or the content identified by the selection target.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The entertainment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the screen image generation unit generates one of the screen image that includes information indicative of a compatibility situation with the virtual reality display and the screen image that does not include the information in response to a result of confirmation of whether or not communication with a head-mounted display on which an image generated by the program or an image of the content is to be displayed is possible.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The entertainment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the compatibility situation data acquisition unit acquires the compatibility situation data indicative of a compatibility situation with virtual reality display of the program or the content identified by the selection target after the program or the content is updated; and
the screen image generation unit generates, on the basis of the compatibility situation data, the screen image in which, in regard to the program or the content that has become compatible with virtual reality display by the update, the event is indicated.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The entertainment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the screen image generation unit generates, on the basis of the compatibility situation data, the screen image in which, in regard to the content that has been executed before the update and has become compatible with virtual reality display by the update or in regard to the content that has been executed before the update and has become compatible with virtual reality display by the update, the event is indicated.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The entertainment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display controlling unit causes a display, which is different from a head-mounted display on which an image generated by the program or an image of the content is to be displayed, to display the screen image.

### Claim 9

A display controlling method for causing a screen image including a plurality of selectable images of programs to be executed or content to be reproduced in response to selection thereof, the display controlling method comprising:
acquiring compatibility data indicative of a compatibility with virtual reality display of the programs or content upon selection by the user, the compatibility data being different from the selectable images;
generating, on the basis of the compatibility data, the screen image including information indicative of compatibility of the program or content with virtual reality display of the program or content in response to selection of the program or content from the selectable images;
causing the screen image to be displayed; and
acquiring usage situation data indicative of a usage situation of a head-mounted display on which an image generated by the program or an image of the content is to be displayed, where the usage situation data is indicative of a communication history between the entertainment apparatus and the head-mounted display, wherein:
the generating includes generating one of the screen that includes information indicative of a compatibility situation with the virtual reality display and the screen image that does not include the information in response to the usage situation data, and
the generating includes generating one of the screen image that includes information indicative of a compatibility situation with the virtual reality display and the screen image that does not include the information in response to the communication history.

### Claim 10

A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium containing a display controlling program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to execute a process for causing a screen image including a plurality of selectable images from which programs to be executed or content to be reproduced in response to selection are identifiable, to be displayed, by carrying out actions, comprising:
acquiring compatibility data indicative of a compatibility with virtual reality display of the programs or the content upon selection by the user, the compatibility data being different from the selectable images;
generating, on the basis of the compatibility data, the screen image including information indicative of compatibility with virtual reality display of the program or content in response to selection from the selectable images;
causing the screen image to be displayed; and
acquiring usage situation data indicative of a usage situation of a head-mounted display on which an image generated by the program or an image of the content is to be displayed, where the usage situation data is indicative of a communication history between the entertainment apparatus and the head-mounted display, wherein:
the generating includes generating one of the screen that includes information indicative of a compatibility situation with the virtual reality display and the screen image that does not include the information in response to the usage situation data, and
the generating includes generating one of the screen image that includes information indicative of a compatibility situation with the virtual reality display and the screen image that does not include the information in response to the communication history.