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Philips asking for damages, ban on sale of Wii U due to patent infringements

Tripon

Member
They informed Nintendo 5 years after the Wii release that they using Patents they own? Why so late? The Wii is not really a niche console

Because they filed this patent in 2009 and was rewarded it in 2013.

I'm no lawyer, but I thought you couldn't be issued a patent on an existing item unless you have shown it to be materially different. (I'm assuming that Nintendo has their own sets of patents to draw upon.)
 
I wonder if the timing of this lawsuit has anything to do with Nintendos recent announcement of the Wii U finally being profitable.

Started thinking about this . . . . does an identity thief just get bills when they steal the identity of a person who is debt?
 

Ala Alba

Member
That method does not really correspond with how the wiimote works, though.

It overlaps in a couple of areas, sure, but that doesn't constitute patent infringement.

(As far as I can tell, I'm not an expert.)
 

Ruben0s

Neo Member
Gotta love how vague these patents are.



They make okay TV's, audio equipment.

Except that they don't make TV's or audio equipment. Companies pay Philips, so they can use their name (for example on a TV)

Philips left the consumer market because the profit on products like TV's and audio equipment is to low. That's why they currently only focus on medical products, led lights and shaving shizzle.
 

Xav

Member
YCEQOqz.png
Can anyone explain to me how I should be viewing the door on the right. Is it opened inwards or outwards? My eyes are confused.
 

DR2K

Banned
Suing for the patent monetary damages from WiiU is like suing someone for taking a bullet for you.
 

Bronetta

Ask me about the moon landing or the temperature at which jet fuel burns. You may be surprised at what you learn.
I love how picture frames, the vase and the chest of drawers also get numbers.

Better not decorate your room like that or Philips coming after your ass.
 

Tripon

Member
That method does not really correspond with how the wiimote works, though.

It overlaps in a couple of areas, sure, but that doesn't constitute patent infringement.

(As far as I can tell, I'm not an expert.)

Its a lot closer to how the Kinect works with Xbox One, except there's no controller for the Kinect to respond to.
 

Raist

Banned
Can anyone explain to me how I should be viewing the door on the right. Is it opened inwards or outwards? My eyes are confused.

In patentworld, perspective does not matter, mkay?

edit: Also apparently it is common to have something within the door frame. Maybe light switches. I'm not sure.
 

Mesoian

Member
This seems to be the patent in question.


Filed in 2009, issued on Sept. 17th, 2013.



YCEQOqz.png




Don't really know what to make of it. The patent basically claims that its a universal remote.

I don't know why this was ever accepted. "I want to make a shoe that has the ability to connect with any wireless device ever made! And subsequently, if anyone ever makes a shoe that does the same thing, I want a cut."

Patent law is fucked. Almost as fucked as Copyright law.
 
This seems to be the patent in question.


Filed in 2009, issued on Sept. 17th, 2013.

The user interaction system comprises a portable pointing device (101) connected to a camera (102) and sending pictures to a digital signal processor (120), capable of recognizing an object (130) and a command given by the user (100) by moving the pointing device (101) in a specific way, and controlling an electrical apparatus (110) on the basis of this recognition. (Characteristic) pattern generation means (116) can be included in the system for facilitating object recognition.


Don't really know what to make of it. The patent basically claims that its a universal remote.

Sounds more like the PS Move. The Wii/U doesn't use a camera, does it?
 

S¡mon

Banned
Can anyone explain to me how I should be viewing the door on the right. Is it opened inwards or outwards? My eyes are confused.

I think the door is going inwards, into the room. But the perspective is definitely off.
 

wsippel

Banned
A European company doing business globally suing a Japanese company doing business globally over patent infringements in the US...
 
Sounds more like the PS Move. The Wii/U doesn't use a camera, does it?

It has a sensor on the front that interfaces with the sensor bar, doesn't it? Philips would just say "hey its a camera!" or "it's close enough."


NinjaEdit: I'd assume Philips is filing against Nintendo now, while they're down on the ground, in the hopes of getting a quiet settlement to make it go away. /armchair

Edit: Oh my goodness, I wish that no one pointed out that door. It's destroying my perception of everything
 

wrowa

Member
So, if I understand it correctly, they think the Wii Remote Plus infringes on their patent? But not the standard Wii Remote since it was released three years before Philipps filled the patent?
 
S¡mon;111991129 said:
I don't know about the Wii U, but the Wii basically use a light sensor. And cameras, well, cameras are usually sensors picking up light.

The Wii and WiiU work in the exact opposite way of this patent; the signal that is transmitted is the 'sensor bar', the 'receiver' (camera by your defintion) is what you hold.
 

Ala Alba

Member
Its a lot closer to how the Kinect works with Xbox One, except there's no controller for the Kinect to respond to.

Sounds more like the PS Move. The Wii/U doesn't use a camera, does it?

Actually, re-reading the description, the wiimote does generally work the same way as this patent describes, but that's only because of how fucking general the patent is.

"a camera taking a picture, which camera is physically attached to the pointing device" can be equated to the IR sensor.

"at least one localization beacon that emit electromagnetic radiation" is the IR lights (because infrared falls under the EXTREMELY broad label of electromagnetic radiation).
 

Bronetta

Ask me about the moon landing or the temperature at which jet fuel burns. You may be surprised at what you learn.
There's an IR camera in the Wiimote.

Your eyes are cameras and your hands are pointers. Better pay Philips if you want to live.
 

Raist

Banned
Your eyes are cameras and your hands are pointers. Better pay Philips if you want to live.

I was answering a question, not defending Philips.

You can thank the US patent system for being fucked. And the people who awarded that patent to Philips in 2009 becaue they probably didn't check hard enough.
 

emb

Member
Patents are pretty silly.

I'm sure this will probably get settled though. I don't think there's any real possibility that a ban of Wii U sales occurs. I seem to remember something similar with the Wii remote before, maybe even the DS too. Though Sony did end up taking rumble out of the Dualshock for a while.
 
Yeah, there's no way in hell this doesn't get covered by prior art, or by nintendos own wii-related patents.

It seems like the patent actually wants to cover something like one of those air-mouse tv remotes.
 

Tusk

Member
So, are they basically trying to steal from nintendo or something? With what everyones saying about the patent, that's what it seems like to me.

Nintendo should be fine if they just show the right details then, right?
 

Bronetta

Ask me about the moon landing or the temperature at which jet fuel burns. You may be surprised at what you learn.
I was answering a question, not defending Philips.

You can thank the US patent system for being fucked. And the people who awarded that patent to Philips in 2009 becaue they probably didn't check hard enough.

I know you weren't. It was just a jab at how silly this situation is.
 

Ishida

Banned
After seeing some incredibly vague patents out there, I'm thinking of patenting the following idea:

*Electronic device that has some sort of function. Powered by electricity provided by some kind of battery. It may or may not have blinking lights in it. Can be used with one hand, or both. The device provides functionality of some kind.

brb, I'm becoming a billionaire.
 

Bronetta

Ask me about the moon landing or the temperature at which jet fuel burns. You may be surprised at what you learn.
After seeing some incredibly vague patents out there, I'm thinking of patenting the following idea:

*Electronic device that has some sort of function. Powered by electricity provided by some kind of battery. It may or may not have blinking lights in it. Can be used with one hand, or both. The device provides functionality of some kind.

brb, I'm becoming a billionaire.
Think bigger man. Patent breathing. People have to pay you if they want to live.
 

Tellaerin

Member
This seems to be the patent in question.


Filed in 2009, issued on Sept. 17th, 2013.



YCEQOqz.png




Don't really know what to make of it. The patent basically claims that its a universal remote.

The perspective on that Escher doorway on the right hand side is doing bad things to my eyes and brain. And why does that woman (?) in the foreground appear to be melting? I mean, I know these diagrams just have to be functional and not particularly pretty, but I'm sure they could've found someone on staff who uses their hands to draw instead of holding the pen between their toes.
 

Ishida

Banned
Think bigger man. Patent breathing. People have to pay you if they want to live.

Why not go even higher and patent the idea of a "living organism". Basically every person, dog, cat and whatever what breaths and shits in this planet would have to pay up.
 

Tellaerin

Member
Why not go even higher and patent the idea of a "living organism". Basically every person, dog, cat and whatever what breaths and shits in this planet would have to pay up.

Companies are already patenting DNA sequences, so we're halfway there now.
 
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