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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

A US District Court judge has ruled that Sony did not infringe on another company's patented technology with its PlayStation consoles and controllers.

Genuine Enabling Technology first filed a complaint against Sony Corporation in 2017. It was seeking $500 million in damages.

GET claimed the platform holder infringed on its '730 Patent, entitled 'Method and Apparatus for Producing a Combined Data Stream and Recovering Therefrom the Respective User Input Stream and at Least One Input Signal.'

Among the claims, a central complaint is around the way PlayStation consoles and controllers communicate with each other — specifically submitting a separate signal on a 'slow-varying' frequency for button inputs and another higher frequency for motion control input.

GET asserted that no device could simultaneously receive both signals until its devised a solution with its '730 Patent.

However, Sony argued that the company had failed to provide enough evidence that proved a certain component in its controllers was "structurally equivalent" to logic diagrams laid out in GET's patent.

According to a Memorandum Opinion released on Tuesday, March 25 2024, as seen by GamesIndustry.biz, the judge agreed that GET had "failed to raise a dispute of fact" and granted Sony's request for a summary judgement of non-infringement. He also declared the case closed.

Genuine Enabling Technology also filed a similar lawsuit against Nintendo regarding infringement of the same patent.

The District Court judge of that case also ruled in favour of Nintendo in 2020, but the US Court of Appeals reverse this decision in 2022. The case is ongoing.

Judge rules in PlayStation's favour in $500m patent infringement lawsuit

Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inboxA US District Court judge has ruled that So…

www.gamesindustry.biz

 

[FoxMcChief]

That’s good for Sony.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Never even heard about this, but I do remember the other company from many years back that had a similar suit with PlayStation, and Sony reached a settlement with them. I think it was over the vibration implementation of DualShock controllers, and that's why the PS3 controller didn't have built-in vibration.

Did some looking, the company's name was Immersion and it was during the PS3 era. So they took out the vibration in the original Sixaxis controller (that boomerang-looking one) but Sony eventually included vibration in the DualShock 3 anyway. I'm guessing them and Immersion settled, because seems like Immersion won that lawsuit in 2004 and Sony were trying to appeal it.

 

[RoadHazard]

Gaming is saved. Clear skies ahead boys!

 

[solidus12]

So they will finally release the DualShock 5 now?

Spoiler

if you know, you know

 

[RoadHazard]

Never even heard about this, but I do remember the other company from many years back that had a similar suit with PlayStation, and Sony reached a settlement with them. I think it was over the vibration implementation of DualShock controllers, and that's why the PS3 controller didn't have built-in vibration.

Did some looking, the company's name was Immersion and it was during the PS3 era. So they took out the vibration in the original Sixaxis controller (that boomerang-looking one) but Sony eventually included vibration in the DualShock 3 anyway. I'm guessing them and Immersion settled, because seems like Immersion won that lawsuit in 2004 and Sony were trying to appeal it.

The boomerang controller never existed except as a prototype, it was never released. The original Sixaxis that was released with the console looked just like a DS3, and did lack rumble. Then they added it back when they released the DS3.

Just a small nitpick.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

The boomerang controller never existed except as a prototype, it was never released. The original Sixaxis that was released with the console looked just like a DS3, and did lack rumble. Then they added it back when they released the DS3.

Just a small nitpick.

 

[RoadHazard]

Yes, that's the boomerang prototype. It was never released. But it wasn't this prototype that lacked rumble (or maybe it did too, not sure), it was the Sixaxis that WAS released with the console (that didn't look like this) that did. Then rumble was added back when the DS3 was released some time after launch.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Yes, that's the boomerang prototype. It was never released. But it wasn't this prototype that lacked rumble (or maybe it did too, not sure), it was the Sixasis that WAS released with the console (that didn't look like this) that did. Then rumble was added back when the DS3 was released some time after launch.

I had completely forgot that the Sixaxis looked exactly like a DualShock, just without the rumble as you've said. Was under the impression they did launch the system with DS3 featuring the rumble, but apparently not.

At least they went back to the classic design before launching the system; that boomerang controller looked like it'd of felt like garbage to hold for prolonged periods. Even the N64 controller would've been a lot more comfortable in comparison. Maybe even the Atari Jaguar pad o.0

 

[willothedog]

Never even heard about this, but I do remember the other company from many years back that had a similar suit with PlayStation, and Sony reached a settlement with them. I think it was over the vibration implementation of DualShock controllers, and that's why the PS3 controller didn't have built-in vibration.

Did some looking, the company's name was Immersion and it was during the PS3 era. So they took out the vibration in the original Sixaxis controller (that boomerang-looking one) but Sony eventually included vibration in the DualShock 3 anyway. I'm guessing them and Immersion settled, because seems like Immersion won that lawsuit in 2004 and Sony were trying to appeal it.

Immersion are patent troll dicks. They gobbled up all the up IP rights for force feedback and associated tech years ago which killed off force feedback PC joy/flight sticks. Nobody wanted to pay the extortionate licensing fees.

 

[Esppiral]

Yes, that's the boomerang prototype. It was never released. But it wasn't this prototype that lacked rumble (or maybe it did too, not sure), it was the Sixasis that WAS released with the console (that didn't look like this) that did. Then rumble was added back when the DS3 was released some time after launch.

I do still have my sixaxis from my launch ps3, yes Rumble on It.

 

[Don Carlo]

So they will finally release the DualShock 5 now?

Spoiler

if you know, you know

Context please for the uninitiated?

 

[Shakka43]

I do still have my sixaxis from my launch ps3, yes Rumble on It.

If it has rumble is not a sixaxis, just a Dualshock 3.

 

[Esppiral]

If it has rumble is not a sixaxis, just a Dualshock 3.

I meant, "yes, no Rumble on It" lol.

 

[solidus12]

Context please for the uninitiated?

Sony had some patent issues regarding the rumble function back in the early days of the PS3.

The controller was called Sixaxis. Once the issue was resolved, they released a proper DualShock 3.

 

[RoadHazard]

I do still have my sixaxis from my launch ps3, yes Rumble on It.

The Sixaxis does not have rumble. That's simply a fact. And the PS3 launched with the Sixaxis. So if you got a DualShock 3 (which does have rumble) with your PS3 you didn't buy it until mid 2008 or so. If you did buy your PS3 at launch your controller did not have rumble.

Edit: Saw your next post. Alright then!