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Nintendo sued over 3DS console's 3D technology

O

onQ123

Member
Nintendo launched its 3DS portable console earlier this year with the main new feature being its 3D graphics that don't need glasses to view. Now a US-Japan company is claiming that Nintendo has violated its patents concerning that particular features. According to Patent Arcade, the company doing the suing is Tomita Technologies. The lawsuit itself was filed on June 22 in New York.

The lawsuit claims that Nintendo has violated one of Tomita Technologies's many patents. Specifically the patent is U.S. Patent No. 7,417,664, otherwise known as "Stereoscopic Image Picking Up and Display System Based Upon Optical Axes Cross-Point Information." The patent was first applied for in 2008 and concerns "technology relating to displaying stereoscopic images on-screen for viewing with the naked eye, i.e., without utilizing glasses or other devices."

Tomita Technologies alleges that the Nintendo 3DS console is infringing on its patent for its 3D technology. However the lawsuit did not go into detail on how the 3DS console infringes on Tomita's patent. So far Nintendo has yet to respond to the lawsuit.

First announced back in March 2010, the Nintendo 3DS console was first shown to the public at E3 in June 2010. It is the latest portable console in the DS line which began with the original Nintendo DS in late 2004. The 3DS console launched in Japan in February 2011 and in the US and other parts of the world in March 2011. However the initial sales of the 3DS console have not yet met Nintendo's own expectations.
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http://www.neowin.net/news/nintendo-sued-over-3ds-consoles-3d-technology


why are they going after Nintendo? Nintendo didn't make the screen for the 3ds shouldn't they be going after the people that's making the screens for Nintendo?
 
W

wrowa

Member
Nintendo's using a Sharp display, so they should be suing Sharp. It's kinda telling when the suitor doesn't even know the correct company to sue.

Unless they sue them over some silly patent such as "the use of a 3D display in a handheld device".
 
R

Rezbit

Member
Patent law would have to be the most boring thing of all time. Is that what it's even called? I dunno, just ugh.

Really long-winded terminology and scumbags seem to be able to manipulate the system a lot.
 
T

thefro

Member
seems like some patent troll company that needs to get shut down... I don't think they have a website or anything.
 
1

1-D_FTW

Member
There's patent trolls and then there are dumb asses.

How could they file a patent in "2008" when Sharp has been showing this exact technology for many years before then?

I should file a patent on shitting. I doubt it's been done. And I can claim royalties on the entire world.
 
G

gcubed

Member
1-D_FTW said:
There's patent trolls and then there are dumb asses.

How could they file a patent in "2008" when Sharp has been showing this exact technology for many years before then?

I should file a patent on shitting. I doubt it's been done. And I can claim royalties on the entire world.
Click to expand...
The story is wrong it was filed in 2003 granted in 2008
 
1

1-D_FTW

Member
gcubed said:
The story is wrong it was filed in 2003 granted in 2008
Click to expand...

That does make a huge difference. Not sure when Sharp started showing this. I remember them showing actual prototypes right as the original DS was launching. But who knows if they showed any before then. And how long they filed patents before the public unveiling of those. At best, it'd be very close (though I'd still put money on Sharp beating them). 2003 isn't really that long ago either.
 
G

Gwanatu T

Junior Member
wrowa said:
Nintendo's using a Sharp display, so they should be suing Sharp. It's kinda telling when the suitor doesn't even know the correct company to sue.

Unless they sue them over some silly patent such as "the use of a 3D display in a handheld device".
Click to expand...
Bingo. This better get thrown out. What a bunch of morons. I really hate these people that file vague patents and don't even have products that use these patents. I'm honestly not sure why that is even allowed!
 
G

Go319

Member
idiots.

nintendo has some serious legal ninjas.

did this company not research N's lawsuit history?

where is MGM now? somewhere down the line Nintendo is responsible for destroying them. King Kong indeed.
 
W

walking fiend

Member
I just realized if they actually manage to win, it won't really matter for 3DS whether it is sharp or them, either way 3DS can be put on halt.
 
W

wrowa

Member
walking fiend said:
I just realized if they actually manage to win, it won't really matter for 3DS whether it is sharp or them, either way 3DS can be put on halt.
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The company doesn't want to put the 3DS on halt, they want money for every 3DS being sold. If Nintendo stops selling the 3DS, their patent becomes useless.
 
kensama

kensama

Member
So is the patent doesn't concern only software parts?
It could explain why it's not Sharp which is being sued instead of Nintendo.
 
A

Azure Dream

Member
1-D_FTW said:
I should file a patent on shitting. I doubt it's been done. And I can claim royalties on the entire world.
Click to expand...

interestingmanopensource85.jpg
 
M

mclem

Member
Going by the Highly Scientific Method of trying to figure out exactly what the patent is about by looking at the name (and not the patent, that's far too much like hard work), I noticed this:

"Stereoscopic Image Picking Up and Display System Based Upon Optical Axes Cross-Point Information."
Click to expand...

This reads like the system is based upon actually taking information about your eyes... presumably eyetracking. Which the 3DS doesn't do. So if that reading is correct - and that's a *massive* if, I'll concede - Nintendo ought to be safe.
 
A

Azure Dream

Member
mclem said:
GThis reads like the system is based upon actually taking information about your eyes... presumably eyetracking. Which the 3DS doesn't do. So if that reading is correct - and that's a *massive* if, I'll concede - Nintendo ought to be safe.
Click to expand...

"Optical Axes Cross-Point" sounds like "Focal point" to me, not exactly eye tracking, just knowing where eyes have a tendency to focus on a display.
 
M

mt1200

Member
Maxwell, edison, volta, tesla, and ampere should come from the grave to sue everyone for the use of their electrical discoveries.
 
M

MikeE21286

Member
thefro said:
seems like some patent troll company that needs to get shut down... I don't think they have a website or anything.
Click to expand...

Seriously.

These patent holding companies are the most annoying thing ever.
 
O

OrangeYouGlad

Banned
MikeE21286 said:
Seriously.

These patent holding companies are the most annoying thing ever.
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Blame the U.S. patent system for allowing such vague patents to be given without them having ever built a prototype of the product.
 
R

Rourkey

Member
What's the point in going all through the Patent process if you are not going to protect it if someone infringes on it.

If there is a case to answer we should let them get on with it, the fact people like the defendant shouldn't mean they can do what they like!
 
K

Kilrogg

paid requisite penance
Is there a law that forces companies who make such claims to show a concrete product/advanced prototypes applying the technology mentioned in the patent to the Law (and nobody else, obviously)? Or at least proof that the other party somehow knew of the patent and willfully stole the idea?

'Cause you can't expect people to never ever come up with the same ideas as you. Suing people on that account is just the same as a kid whining over another kid, yelling "I thought of it first!"
 
I

Ignis Fatuus

Banned
Never forget Donkey Kong and Jack Kirby.

Don't fuck with Nintendo's lawyers. They name video game characters after those guys when they win cases. Think of the incentive.
 
R

Reuenthal

Banned
In general I find the whole patent laws issues problematic. I am not sure what exactly should be the reform but a reform is needed as far as patents goes, especially against patent trolling.
 
GeekyDad

GeekyDad

Member
wrowa said:
Nintendo's using a Sharp display, so they should be suing Sharp. It's kinda telling when the suitor doesn't even know the correct company to sue.

Unless they sue them over some silly patent such as "the use of a 3D display in a handheld device".
Click to expand...

Yeah...did it not occur to you that someone perhaps researched the matter before actually filing a suit? I mean, they are going after a rather large company. Pretty sure someone over there thought there was precedent for a case. Besides, we don't know the nature of Nintendo's licensing/ownership of the screen technology.
 
T

Tempy

don't ask me for codes
Costs of an Electronic Product: 30% labor & materials, 20% shipping, 50% licensing from vague patent holders.

100% numbers made up on the spot
 
U

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
I'm surprised it took this long for the patent trolls to show up.
 
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