An application recently published by PatentScope seems to suggest that Sony Interactive Entertainment is testing the concept of multiple picture-in-picture options for the PlayStation.
The application states (thanks, The Gaming Records/N4G) that players will be able to view a “sub-screen” that displays different content than the main screen, and the illustrations seem to suggest that players will be able to view the sub-screen live while playing a game.
An abstract reads:
Provided is an information processing device which: displays a main screen including main content; displays a sub-screen including sub-content of a different type from the main content at the same time as the main screen; receives a switching operation to switch from a mode for receiving an operation on the main screen to a mode for receiving an operation on the sub-screen; and highlights the sub-screen when switching to the mode for receiving an operation on the sub-screen is performed.
The application also mentions potential uses like playing music while gaming.
The sub-screen S may include various menu items that can be selected by the user. For example, when the user is playing a song that is being selectively played or a list of songs that can be played is displayed as sub-contents, the sub-screen display control unit 52 selects an arbitrary song from the list and starts playback. An operation for temporarily stopping the music being played may be accepted from the user.
Patents don’t always materialize so the application itself doesn’t mean anything, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
What do our readers think?
[Source: PatentScope via The Gaming Record/N4G]
