Has Sony ripped off Nintendo?
p2pnet.net News:- “Sony may have stolen the Wii Remote idea from Nintendo,” declares Unwired View.
But it’s, “improved on it and seems that the 3D tracking technology has been adapted for traditional Sony PS3 game controller,” states Unwired, going on, “At least that’s what todays Sony patent filing for ‘Hand-held Controller Having Detectable Elements for Tracking Purposes’ indicates.”
“Some embodiments provide a tracking device for use in obtaining information for controlling an execution of a game program by a processor for enabling an interactive game to be played by a user,” says patent application 20060282873, filed by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
“The tracking device comprises a body having a section to be oriented towards a screen when a progress of a game provided via execution of the game apparatus is displayed upon the screen; and at least one photonically detectable (’PD’) element assembled with the body, a position of the photonically detectable element within an image being recordable by an image capture device when the section is oriented at least partly towards the screen, wherein positions of the PD element at different points in time are quantifiable to quantify movement of the body in space.”
It goes on:
One embodiment provides a method for use in obtaining information, comprising the steps of: receiving on an image plane of a camera a projection of a geometric shape established on a controller; analyzing movements and deformities in the projection of the geometric shape; and determining position information for the controller based on the analysis of the movements and deformities in the projection of the geometric shape.
Another embodiment provides a system for use in obtaining information, comprising: a controller having a geometric shape established thereon; a camera configured to receive on an image plane of the camera a projection of the geometric shape established on the controller; and an image analyzer configured to analyze movements and deformities in the projection of the geometric shape and to determine position information for the controller based on the analysis of the movements and deformities in the projection of the geometric shape.
Another embodiment provides a system for use in obtaining information, comprising: means for receiving on an image plane of a camera a projection of a geometric shape established on a controller; means for analyzing movements and deformities in the projection of the geometric shape; and means for determining position information for the controller based on the analysis of the movements and deformities in the projection of the geometric shape.
Another embodiment provides a computer program product comprising a medium for embodying a computer program for input to a computer and a computer program embodied in the medium for causing the computer to perform steps of: receiving on an image plane of a camera a projection of a geometric shape established on a controller; analyzing movements and deformities in the projection of the geometric shape; and determining position information for the controller based on the analysis of the movements and deformities in the projection of the geometric shape.
Will Sony now patent a better wrist strap than Nintendo’s?
Don’t bother to stay tuned ;p
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Also See:
Unwired View – 3D Game Controller for Sony PS3, December 14, 2006
better wrist strap – Nintendo Wii ‘ooops’ problem, December 15, 2006
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December 18th, 2006 at 5:56 pm
Their first Playstation controller was a copy of the Nes/Snes controllers.
The analog stick they included in their later controllers was a direct copy of the N64 analog stick.
They created that SIXAXIS crap less than a month after Nintendo unveilled the Wiimote and surprised everyone.
They eventually understood that SIXAXIS is no Wiimote, so they had to find another way to copy the Wiimote.
December 18th, 2006 at 6:59 pm
http://www.joystiq.com/2005/10/03/sony-has-its-own-magic-wand-in-the-works/
December 2004: Sony files patent for motion sensor device intended for use in either PS2 or the future PS3
April 27, 2006: Nintendo announces Wii and unveils their remote
December 14, 2006: Sony announces motion sensor device PS3
Who ripped off who?
December 18th, 2006 at 7:03 pm
Who knows? Find out when Nintendo filed for THEIR patent, not announced their product.
December 19th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
And can you tell me when did Gyration filed patent for their technology? I bought a Gyration mouse that you can use in the air BEFORE 2000!! And what about the really old Nintendo Powerglove? When was that already?
Actually it doesn’t matter when, the thing is Sony never showed any real interests in that technology before Nintendo showed us it could completely change the way we play videogames. And when Sony showed “their” model, it was reduced to a Gyroscope rather than a true motion sensor.
What’s more important is that good ideas ends up being used everywhere.
oh, you forgot in your research to note the date the Wii controller was patented, I don’t know it either (its not in google patents yet), but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the same day it was unveiled.
To conclude this, I’d like to point that most news site are reporting this news as “Sony Files Patent for Wiimote Type Device” .. That says it all.