Sony Attempts to Patent Motion Sensing Technology
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When the PS3 was introduced many people were displeased with the controller design. Some were unhappy due to the fact that the rumble had been taken out, others felt that Sony had simply "copied" some of the ideas of another company, some people probably didn't care as long as the controller worked for their system. The fact of the matter is this, the SIXAXIS controller has received mixed responses.
A not-so-recent patent by Sony has been unearthed for all the world to see.
The patent is for a remote input device for a gaming console. A note from the abstract:
An input device providing users with a pointing capability includes a sender portion and a receiver portion. The sender portion is adapted to be manipulated by a user to specify a target point within a target area. The sender portion projects a light beam including a pattern on to the target area. A receiver portion includes one or more sensor units located in or near the target area.
Sound familiar? Sounds like the a description of the Wiimote technology, but it's a Sony patent.
Patent application number 20060267935 was filed sometime in 2005. This is not the same patent that covered the Eyetoy in July of 2005. One of the main points of this is the mention of the sensor unit near the target area, which seems like the function of the Wii's sensor bar than a camera like the Eyetoy. The description of the proposal also talks about using the sensor to determine the relative placement of the input device in reference to the sensor.
It sounds more and more like a Wiimote patent by the second, doesn't it? Until you see something along the lines of this:
you can sleep easy.
Here is a mock-up of the technology:
What are you're thoughts on this?
A not-so-recent patent by Sony has been unearthed for all the world to see.
The patent is for a remote input device for a gaming console. A note from the abstract:
An input device providing users with a pointing capability includes a sender portion and a receiver portion. The sender portion is adapted to be manipulated by a user to specify a target point within a target area. The sender portion projects a light beam including a pattern on to the target area. A receiver portion includes one or more sensor units located in or near the target area.
Sound familiar? Sounds like the a description of the Wiimote technology, but it's a Sony patent.
Patent application number 20060267935 was filed sometime in 2005. This is not the same patent that covered the Eyetoy in July of 2005. One of the main points of this is the mention of the sensor unit near the target area, which seems like the function of the Wii's sensor bar than a camera like the Eyetoy. The description of the proposal also talks about using the sensor to determine the relative placement of the input device in reference to the sensor.
It sounds more and more like a Wiimote patent by the second, doesn't it? Until you see something along the lines of this:
![Image](http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/7033/sonypngd4il9wy2copyrl2.jpg)
you can sleep easy.
Here is a mock-up of the technology:
![Image](http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/2056/lolcopyvn0.jpg)
What are you're thoughts on this?