PSP 2 with multi-touch and motion sensing ? (just published Phil Harrison patents!)

[Panajev2001a]

United States Patent Application 20080150911 Kind Code A1 Harrison; Phil June 26, 2008

http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-...ny+Computer%22

http://tinyurl.com/557x74

United States Patent Application 20080152263 Kind Code A1 Harrison; Phil June 26, 2008

http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-...ny+Computer%22

http://tinyurl.com/6mlwhq





Both patents were FILED early January 2008 back when he still was at the helm of SCE WWS so I would not look at his departure as a sign of "patents going in the trash bin" ;).

[Panajev2001a]

They could also be about PSP-Phone (the mysterious PSP-3000 series ? Still, I do believe that PSP2 will be building off the new features of such a device if these patents are indeed talking about a PSP-Phone and not PSP2).

The drawing in the second patent does make it look a bit like a phone, but drawings in patents are more often than not misleading and red-herrings at best.

[WickedLaharl]

motion sensing in a handheld? like kirby tilt and tumble? :\

[Panajev2001a]

motion sensing in a handheld? like kirby tilt and tumble? :\

Or... like... the iPhone and the iPod Touch :).

[Elios83]

I wouldn't be surprised one bit.
Sony will definetly go the Iphone feeling with PSP2. Touch screen based interface and motion controls (of course there will be traditional controls too).

[gofreak]

Not having read the entire patent, I'm wondering what this means..?

[0004]Existing touch screens are configured to receive a mechanical input and provide a visible output. However, existing touch screens are not configured to provide both a visible and a mechanical output. [0005]It is within this context that embodiments of the present invention arise.

Mechanical output?

[makingmusic476]

Sounds interesting.

I'm still sad Phil left. :(

[Panajev2001a]

Not having read the entire patent, I'm wondering what this means..? Mechanical output?

Maybe some form of tactile feedback ?!?

It seems to be a "land grabbing" part of the patent though... as one of the first thing cut from a low cost CE product like a PSP2... still, maybe I am wrong :).

[WickedLaharl]

Or... like... the iPhone and the iPod Touch :).

well what uses does it have on those devices? i assume that it is used for gaming. anything else?

[slider]

Going by gofreak's excerpt I'm confused too...

Seems to suggest some sort of PS Eye integration as an input. But surely that's not entirely relevant for a handheld? Unless it's some cool integration with, say, future Bravia models? I'm struggling with it. Someone un-confuse me.

And as for mechanical output? Mechanical output? Mechanical output? Mechanical output?

[Panajev2001a]

well what uses does it have on those devices? i assume that it is used for gaming. anything else?

It is used for gaming, but also to re-orient the screen (to enter and exit landscape mode) and other little things which I just cannot remember or quickly find with Google .

It is under application programmers' control (the accelerometer/motion sensor) though... so let's wait to see what they can do with it :).

[fr4nz]

Not having read the entire patent, I'm wondering what this means..? Mechanical output?

rumble ?

[Jacobi]

I want a PSPhone. Give it to me

[gofreak]

rumble ?

Hehe, yeah, that seems obvious now in hindsight

[ItAintEasyBeinCheesy]

Or... like... the iPhone and the iPod Touch :).

Or like in some of the Sony Ericson phones ;)

[Panajev2001a]

rumble ?

Duh... how could I have been SO dense? You are right, rumble makes a lot of sense (along with motion control in the post Immersion litigation world [DS3 era :)]) .

[Panajev2001a]

Or like in some of the Sony Ericson phones ;)

True, true :).

[hokahey]

wat wat? Sony is making a hand held with a touch screen and motion sensing? I would have never guessed in a million years.

[Zaptruder]

So a second screen is really superfluous... but touch screen is great.

Slide top would be ideal; the ability to slide it down into just a screen, and then expand the device into a gaming handheld is just right. Then offer the phone and the non-phone version.

It's where the device needs to be.

[dejan]

There's a difference between patent application and publication.

[Panajev2001a]

There's a difference between patent application and publication.

I think I was not wrong when I said it is a just published patent:

http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html

I searched in the right side index where it says "published patents", here to be precise:

http://appft1.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html

The application usually comes before the publication.

[dejan]

I think I was not wrong when I said it is a just published patent: http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html I searched in the right side index where it says "published patents", here to be precise: http://appft1.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html The application usually comes before the publication.

It's an published application ... the next step would be an issued patent and it's publication (with a unique publication (patent) number and date). Here in europe this process usually takes 3+ years.

[Kagari]

Phil?

Phil???

[lawblob]

If only they could combine this technology with the DS library of games... I would pay fat sums of cash..

[Panajev2001a]

It's an published application ... the next step would be an issued patent and it's publication (with a unique publication number and date). Here in europe this process usually takes 3+ years.

I know, in fact I called it "just published patent" in the thread title and refrained from saying it had already been granted.

[Panajev2001a]

Phil? Phil???

Yes, PHIL!

:(.

[Mefisutoferesu]

Now all we need is a 2nd nub, and better L/R buttons and I'm happy... well, maybe if they could figure out L/R2, but I'm good.

[PantherLotus]

I want a PSP2 that acts as the controller to the PS3 that I can take with me.

[Davidion]

JUST as I bought a new PSP a month ago. DO-OH!

[1stStrike]

So..it'll be like that sand thing where you can draw stuff, shake it and it clears the screen? D:

Not everything needs motion sensing sony..

[Panajev2001a]

So..it'll be like that sand thing where you can draw stuff, shake it and it clears the screen? D:

Hehe, no... quite likely they were showing the sensors that pick up your finger presses on the surface of the screen... basically it is a patent of their own version of multi-touch (multiple screen interactions can be tracked at the same time... Microsoft's Surface technology handles like 10 contemporary presses).

[shaft]

JUST as I bought a new PSP a month ago. DO-OH!

don't expect it to hit this year.

[Busty]

I still think it's only a matter of time before we see a PSP phone from Sony. Considering how every other Sony brand (Walkman, Cybershot, Bravia) have been moved cross platform and utilised in some manner in a phone it's really a 'no brainer' to consider the Playstation brand (arguably Sony's most well known brand) next in line for integrated phone treatment.

I think that in the next few years we'll maybe see Sony start to cross polinate their brands, like having a Walkman branded portable media player that's also a PSP.

I wouldn't be surprised if Sony's end game is to have a range of products that are all integrated into their online video service and HOME, which was, IIRC, suggested in their recent investor meeting.

Last year I was talking to someone who said that they had heard Sony were eager to get some (presumably) scaled down version of HOME that could be used on mobile phones, a more functional application than Phil demoed at E3 last year.

I think that when we eventually do see a PSP2 it will be the corner stone of this new thinking, allowing them to link all their products with this online (HOME?) portal.

[Crisis]

Can someone post the images? My browser won't display them for some reason.

[Schrade]

For people not able to see the images, it's because you need a TIFF viewer. Quicktime has one but it's not enabled by default I don't think. Once enabled it didn't work for me in Firefox 3.

I found a better TIFF plugin though - I used AlternaTIFF to view 'em:

http://www.alternatiff.com/

You can register the plugin with false info and it works just fine :)

[Crisis]

For people not able to see the images, it's because you need a TIFF viewer. Quicktime has one but it's not enabled by default I don't think. I used AlternaTIFF to view 'em though: http://www.alternatiff.com/ You can register the plugin with false info and it works just fine :)

AlternaTIFF works great thanks!

[kaching]

Applying for patents for this?? Prior art, come on.

[Lazy8s]

Vibrating a phone very slightly when one of the virtual keys on its touch screen is pressed might make for a more natural tactile experience, but it could drain too much battery if used when typing messages and/or could reduce the phone's mechanical longevity.

The iPhone proves that a user interface which intuitively utilizes an accelerometer and multi-touch sensitive screen can enable a new level of interactivity.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=317536

Aqua Forest is especially interesting with its physics for fluids, elastics, and destructible objects along with the expected physics for gravity and collisions.

[badcrumble]

I've been thinking, after seeing Super Monkey Ball demoed on the iPhone, that this was more or less inevitable. I expect the DS2 is likely to copy the iPhone on these features as well - they're both incredibly obvious ways to evolve handheld input technology.

[Doubledex]

don't expect it to hit this year.

and even not next year

[lordg]

That sounds good and all. Hopefully there'll be good games for it.

[Iced_Eagle]

For people not able to see the images, it's because you need a TIFF viewer. Quicktime has one but it's not enabled by default I don't think. Once enabled it didn't work for me in Firefox 3. I found a better TIFF plugin though - I used AlternaTIFF to view 'em: http://www.alternatiff.com/ You can register the plugin with false info and it works just fine :)

Awesome, thanks!

The pictures are interesting... What a touchy future games have in store for everyone.

[Defuser]

So a second screen is really superfluous... but touch screen is great. Slide top would be ideal; the ability to slide it down into just a screen, and then expand the device into a gaming handheld is just right. Then offer the phone and the non-phone version. It's where the device needs to be.

Yeah, but knowing Sony...it's gonna clean our wallets :(

[WhiteAce]

perhaps Phil's move to Atari is to do with new -atari- hardware?

perhaps he has a vision for something, went to sony with it, sony didn't like it so he took the idea to Atari, they like it and E3 will be ATARI IS BACK O TON?

[Panajev2001a]

and even not next year

That depends IMHO on how successfully Sony can move users to download PSP games over the PSN Store through PS3 or PC because I do smell a UMD-less PSP2.

[Panajev2001a]

perhaps Phil's move to Atari is to do with new -atari- hardware? perhaps he has a vision for something, went to sony with it, sony didn't like it so he took the idea to Atari, they like it and E3 will be ATARI IS BACK O TON?

I do not see the Atari HW comeback being plausible, but since you are doing some preventing hating on this SCE idea I must assume this is a Kutaragi-caliber brilliant one and I must like it ;).