# US 8,771,083 B2 · Apparatus and method of on-line reporting > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,771,083 B2 - Document ID: US8771083B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/532,468 - Filed: 2008-09-05 - Published: 2010-04-29 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2007-10-03 - Assignees: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited - Applicants: Mark Andrew Horneff; Mark John Judge; Ronald Jonas Festejo; Mitchell Robert Jay Goodwin; Stephen Peter Routledge - Inventors: Mark Andrew Horneff; Mark John Judge; Ronald Jonas Festejo; Mitchell Robert Jay Goodwin; Stephen Peter Routledge - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771083B2 ## CPC - A63F 13/75: Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players - A63F 13/5255: according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character - A63F 13/79: involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories - A63F 13/213: comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells (A63F13/219 takes precedence) - A63F 13/215: comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone - A63F 13/335: using Internet - A63F 13/34: using peer-to-peer connections - A63F 13/533: for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu - A63F 13/795: for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list - A63F 2300/1087: comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera - A63F 2300/208: for storing personal settings or data of the player - A63F 2300/308: Details of the user interface - A63F 2300/407: Data transfer via internet - A63F 2300/408: Peer to peer connection - A63F 2300/5546: using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history - A63F 2300/5553: user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar - A63F 2300/556: Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list - A63F 2300/5566: by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style - A63F 2300/5586: for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play - A63F 2300/6676: by dedicated player input - A63F 2300/8082: Virtual reality - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract An entertainment device comprises a display generator arranged to generate for display a representation of an on-line virtual environment comprising one or more avatars corresponding to users of one or more remote entertainment devices each interacting with that online virtual environment, a network communicator operable to receive data representative of the actions of other users within the on-line virtual environment and to receive content sourced from one or more users of the one or more remote entertainment devices interacting with that online virtual environment, an input device operable by the user to instigate a reporting event and a content identifier operable to generate information indicative of content sourced from one or more users of the one or more remote entertainment devices and that was available to the entertainment device when the reporting event was instigated, and in which the network communicator is operable to transmit a report to a remote device comprising said generated information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An entertainment device, comprising: a display generator arranged to generate for display a representation of an on-line virtual environment comprising one or more avatars corresponding to users of one or more remote entertainment devices each interacting with that online virtual environment; a network communicator operable to receive data representative of the actions of other users within the on-line virtual environment, and to receive content sourced from one or more users of the one or more remote entertainment devices interacting with that online virtual environment; an input device operable by the user to instigate a reporting event; a content identifier operable to generate information indicative of content sourced from one or more users of the one or more remote entertainment devices and that was available to the entertainment device when the reporting event was instigated; in which the content identifier is operable to generate a report containing a substantially 360 degree lateral view with respect to the user's viewpoint in the virtual environment when the reporting event was instigated, as part of the generated information, wherein the substantially 360 degree lateral view is a snapshot that freezes a current state of the online virtual environment, the snapshot watermarked to incorporate time stamp information and at least one of identification data for the entertainment device and user identification data, thereby limiting the creation of spoof reports; and the network communicator is operable to transmit the report containing the watermarked snapshot incorporating the time stamp information and at least one of the identification data for the entertainment device and the user identification data to a remote device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An entertainment device according to claim 1, in which the content identifier is further operable to collate all content received from one or more users of the one or more remote entertainment devices that was embodied within the virtual environment up to a predetermined distance from the user's position in the virtual environment when the reporting event was instigated. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An entertainment device according to claim 1, in which the content identifier is further operable to collate all content received from one or more users of the one or more remote entertainment devices that was embodied within the virtual environment up to a predetermined distance from the user's position in the virtual environment during a predetermined time period preceding the instigation of the reporting event. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An entertainment device according to claim 1, in which the entertainment device comprises a circular buffer, and the entertainment device is operable to record a video of the viewpoint displayed to the user of the entertainment device to the circular buffer, the recording being suspended upon instigation of a reporting event; and the content identifier is operable to incorporate some or all of the video in the circular buffer within the report. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An entertainment device according to claim 1, in which the network communicator is operable to transmit a report to a remote device comprising content sourced from one or more users. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) An entertainment device according to claim 1, in which the network communicator is operable to transmit a report to a remote device comprising content identification codes for content sourced from one or more users that was originally distributed via that remote device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) An entertainment device according to claim 1, in which the network communicator is operable to transmit the report to a remote device further comprising one or more selected from the list consisting of: i. location data; ii. a log of text communication involving the reporting user; iii. identification data for an entertainment device from which content was sourced; iv. reporting user avatar appearance data; v. reporting user profile data; and vi. other user identification data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) An entertainment device according to claim 1, comprising a user interface generator; in which: the network communicator is operable to transmit a request to an administrating server to switch connection to a different instance of the virtual environment, and the user interface generator generates a user interface that provides the user of the entertainment device with the option to switch to a different instance of the virtual environment. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An entertainment device according to claim 1, comprising a user interface generator operable to generate a report form in which the user can submit written details about the circumstances leading to the instigation of a reporting event. ### Claim 10 A method of on-line reporting, comprising the steps of: connecting to an online virtual environment and generating a representation of it for display to a user; receiving data representative of the actions of other users within the on-line virtual environment; receiving content sourced from one or more of the other users of the one or more remote entertainment devices interacting with that online virtual environment; instigating a reporting event; generating information indicative of the content sourced from one or more of the other users of the one or more remote entertainment devices and that was available to the entertainment device when the reporting event was instigated; and wherein generating the information indicative of the content comprises generating a report containing a substantially 360 degree lateral view with respect to the user's position in the virtual environment when the reporting event was instigated, the substantially 360 degree lateral view being a snapshot that freezes a current state of the online virtual environment, the snapshot watermarked to incorporate time stamp information and at least one of identification data for the entertainment device and user identification data, thereby limiting the creation of spoof reports; and transmitting, to a remote device, the report containing the watermarked snapshot incorporating the time stamp information and at least one of the identification data for the entertainment device and the user identification data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A method according to claim 10 in which generating the information indicative of the content further comprises collating all content received from one or more users of the one or more remote entertainment devices that was embodied within the virtual environment up to a predetermined distance from the user's position in the virtual environment when the reporting event was instigated. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) A method according to claim 10 in which generating the information indicative of the content comprises collating all content received from one or more users of the one or more remote entertainment devices that was embodied within the virtual environment up to a predetermined distance from the user's position in the virtual environment during a predetermined time period preceding the instigation of the reporting event. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) A method according to claim 10, comprising the steps of: recording a video of the viewpoint displayed to the user of the entertainment device to a circular buffer, the recording being suspended upon instigation of a reporting event; and incorporating some or all of the video in the circular buffer within the report. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) A method according to claim 10, in which the step of transmitting a report comprises transmitting a report to a remote device comprising content identification codes for content sourced from one or more users that was originally distributed via that remote device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) A method according to claim 10 in which the step of transmitting the report further comprises transmitting one or more selected from the list consisting of: i. location data; ii. a log of text communication involving the reporting user; iii. identification data for an entertainment device from which content was sourced; iv. reporting user avatar appearance data; v. reporting user profile data; and vi. other user identification data. ### Claim 16 A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable program product comprising a recording medium for storing a program, the program, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform a method of on-line reporting, the method comprising: connecting to an online virtual environment and generating a representation of it for display to a user; receiving data representative of the actions of other users within the on-line virtual environment; receiving content sourced from one or more of the other users of the one or more remote entertainment devices interacting with that online virtual environment; instigating a reporting event; generating information indicative of the content sourced from one or more of the other users of the one or more remote entertainment devices and that was available to the entertainment device when the reporting event was instigated; wherein generating the information indicative of the content comprises generating a report containing a substantially 360 degree lateral view with respect to the user's position in the virtual environment when the reporting event was instigated, the substantially 360 degree lateral view being a snapshot that freezes a current state of the online virtual environment, the snapshot watermarked to incorporate time stamp information and at least one of identification data for the entertainment device and user identification data, thereby limiting the creation of spoof reports; and transmitting, to a remote device, the report containing the watermarked snapshot incorporating the time stamp information and at least one of the identification data for the entertainment device and the user identification data.