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Nintendo & Microsoft getting sued over controllers

This isn't the first time this has happened to Nintendo.

Mario%20Party%20(U)%20%5B!%5D.jpg


Someone sued because of this game, apparently.
 
i have to say once again i love gaf :lol
sony gets sued people say they deserve it
nintendo/microsoft get sued people cry
:lol
 
vantastic said:
i have to say once again i love gaf :lol
sony gets sued people say they deserve it
nintendo/microsoft get sued people cry
:lol
Click to expand...


No one's crying here Mr. Kutaragi dick rider.
 
AlanHemberger said:
most likely, if it's in any shape or form legitimate, they've been arguing with Nintendo and Microsoft for a settlement under the table for years now.
Click to expand...
I guess that seems plausible. Still think the timing's questionable though...
 
i wonder what the full details of their patent are ?

surely you can't say something as loose as "oh... err.. controller stick with an analogue trigger .. or something...."

maybe you can!
 
these patent holders need a kick in the teeth... I think that after 10years of holding a patent, it should be rendered useless and unable to be re-patented, kinda making it abandonware :P
 
Gravion said:
these patent holders need a kick in the teeth... I think that after 10years of holding a patent, it should be rendered useless and unable to be re-patented, kinda making it abandonware :P
Click to expand...

its actually like 17 years or something...
 
Craig Majaski said:
They should know better than to sue Nintendo.

Seriously.
Click to expand...
Does Universal still owe nintendo money? :lol
 
TheTurtleTitan said:
This isn't the first time this has happened to Nintendo.

Mario%20Party%20(U)%20%5B!%5D.jpg


Someone sued because of this game, apparently.
Click to expand...
That lawsuit is in no way similar to this one. Totally different.
 
shouldnt immersion be sued as well ? or immersion sue these guys?

sue sue sue!!!!



edit
i just noticed the years these patents were issued.. :lol
 
immersion and this company are not comparable.

immersion makes and sells products, and had their patents in place before the dual shock and the xbox. immersion continues to push force feedback, developing new technologies.
immersion didn't sue nintendo because nintendo's approach didn't infringe on their patents.

patents are meant to protect small companies who develop good ideas from big companies just taking their ideas and mass marketing the small company out of business.

the immersion case was a text book example of a *GOOD* patent case.

this company sound like the same kind of dicks that took RIM to court over the blackberry. a company that makes nothing. developes nothing. just files patents hoping to sue down the road.

that case should have been thrown out years ago. immersion rightly won. this case sounds like a bunch of jokers.

take off your fanboy goggles for a second to see the key differences between the cases.

edit: given WHEN these patents were made and that they've only just brought this to court, i'd bet that the company didn't even file the patents, but bought the rights to them off the inventor.
 
DCharlie said:
i wonder what the full details of their patent are ?
Click to expand...

Go to the US Patent Office and search for these:

Patent-Nr. 5,999,084 "Variable Conductance Sensor"
Patent-Nr. 6,102,802 "Game Controller with Analog Pressure Sensor"
Patent-Nr. 6,135,886 "Variable Conductance Sensor with Elastomeric Dome Cap"
Patent-Nr. 6,208,271 "Remote Controller with Analog Button"
Patent-Nr. 6,222,525 "Image Controller with Sheet Connected Sensors"
Patent-Nr. 6,343,991 "Game Control with Analog Pressure Sensor"
Patent-Nr. 6,344,791 "Variable Sensor with Tactile Feedback"
Patent-Nr. 6,347,997 "Analog Controls Housed with Electronic Displays"
Patent-Nr. 6,351,205 "Variable Conductance Sensor"
Patent-Nr. 6,400,303 "Remote Controller with Analog Pressure Sensor"
Patent-Nr. 6,563,415 "Analog Sensor with Snap Through Tactile Feedback"
Patent-Nr. 6,906,700 "3D Controller with Vibration"
 
Well, his filing dates seems old enough to render some form of questions to be raised...


Links with PDFs etc.:


6,102,802 Game controller with analog pressure sensor(s) - Filing Date 1997-10-01, Publication Date 2000-08-15

6,135,886 Variable-conductance sensor with elastomeric dome-cap - Filing Date 1998-07-24, Publication Date 2000-10-24

6,208,271 Remote Controller with Analog Button - Filing Date 1998-09-04, Publication Date 2001-03-27

6,222,525 Image controllers with sheet connected sensors - Filing Date 1996-07-05, Publication Date 2001-04-24

6,343,991 Game Control with Analog Pressure Sensor - Filing Date 2000-02-22, Publication Date 2002-02-05

6,344,791 Variable sensor with tactile feedback - Filing Date 2000-06-21, Publication Date 2002-02-05

6,347,997 Analog Controls Housed with Electronic Displays - Filing Date 2000-05-10, Publication Date 2002-02-19

6,351,205 Variable-conductance sensor - Filing Date 1999-12-06, Publication Date 2002-02-26

6,400,303 Remote controller with analog pressure sensor(S) - Filing Date 2001-03-22, Publication Date 2002-06-04

6,563,415 Analog sensor(s) with snap-through tactile feedback - Filing Date 2001-09-18, Publication Date 2003-05-13

6,906,700 3D Controller with Vibration - Filing Date 2000-11-16, Publication Date 2005-06-14
 
I'm confused. The way the patents are written are so vague and general that an automobile steering wheel would fall under some of the patents.
 
Brosa said:
Well, his filing dates seems old enough to render some form of questions to be raised...


Links with PDFs etc.:


6,102,802 Game controller with analog pressure sensor(s) - Filing Date 1997-10-01, Publication Date 2000-08-15

6,135,886 Variable-conductance sensor with elastomeric dome-cap - Filing Date 1998-07-24, Publication Date 2000-10-24

6,208,271 Remote Controller with Analog Button - Filing Date 1998-09-04, Publication Date 2001-03-27

6,222,525 Image controllers with sheet connected sensors - Filing Date 1996-07-05, Publication Date 2001-04-24

6,343,991 Game Control with Analog Pressure Sensor - Filing Date 2000-02-22, Publication Date 2002-02-05

6,344,791 Variable sensor with tactile feedback - Filing Date 2000-06-21, Publication Date 2002-02-05

6,347,997 Analog Controls Housed with Electronic Displays - Filing Date 2000-05-10, Publication Date 2002-02-19

6,351,205 Variable-conductance sensor - Filing Date 1999-12-06, Publication Date 2002-02-26

6,400,303 Remote controller with analog pressure sensor(S) - Filing Date 2001-03-22, Publication Date 2002-06-04

6,563,415 Analog sensor(s) with snap-through tactile feedback - Filing Date 2001-09-18, Publication Date 2003-05-13

6,906,700 3D Controller with Vibration - Filing Date 2000-11-16, Publication Date 2005-06-14
Click to expand...
I thought patent protection was granted on the date it was issued, not date of filing?
 
Stupid ****ers just trying to **** with the system. I hate this type of people.

Some patents there must be really stupid (blame the law here though) and wtf with a patent on rumble whatever in 2005...
 
datruth29 said:
I thought patent protection was granted on the date it was issued, not date of filing?
Click to expand...

If it is granted, the patent is valid 20 years from the filing date (or effectively 21 if you use the system to the max with the provisional patent application first and then within 12 months the regular application). As soon as you have a legit filing date you can start with the "Patent pending" marking.
 
Brosa said:
If it is granted, the patent is valid 20 years from the filing date (or effectively 21 if you use the system to the max with the provisional patent application first and then within 12 months the regular application). As soon as you have a legit filing date you can start with the "Patent pending" marking.
Click to expand...
Hmmmm.Interesting. If thats true, then maybe the patents prior to 2000 might prove fruitful. The Dreamcast came out in the late 1999's, so there is some prior art on most of those patents
 
datruth29 said:
Hmmmm.Interesting. If thats true, then maybe the patents prior to 2000 might prove fruitful. The Dreamcast came out in the late 1999's, so there is some prior art on most of those patents
Click to expand...


and didnt the n64 come out in 96? that had an analog stick and rumble. the analog stick patent is for 97.. im not sure what the hell the 96 patent is for.. and the rest seem like they were filed way too late.
 
If this goes thru I heard Ninty and Microbots are going to have to remove all their buttons from the controllers, the Wii will retain it's 3D motion sensing capabilities, but have NO BUTTONS, the 360 controller will just look pretty. At least Sony will have buttons but no rumble. All was told by EB Games employee, I have pictures of the event.
 
Chris_C said:
If this goes thru I heard Ninty and Microbots are going to have to remove all their buttons from the controllers, the Wii will retain it's 3D motion sensing capabilities, but have NO BUTTONS, the 360 controller will just look pretty. At least Sony will have buttons but no rumble. All was told by EB Games employee, I have pictures of the event.
Click to expand...

:lol All parts of this post are equally funny.
 
I am heading down to the patent office to put a patent on bolding certain parts of your post on message boards. You are on notice ****ers! :lol
 
Flo_Evans said:
I am heading down to the patent office to put a patent on bolding certain parts of your post on message boards. You are on notice ****ers! :lol
Click to expand...

Too late!

7039677 Threaded text-based chat collaboration

"...representing said identifier as a particular text format from a set of a bold font, an italic font, and an underline format, wherein text formatted with said particular text format relates to said topical thread."

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7039677.html

:lol
 
quadriplegicjon said:
and didnt the n64 come out in 96? that had an analog stick and rumble. the analog stick patent is for 97.. im not sure what the hell the 96 patent is for.. and the rest seem like they were filed way too late.
Click to expand...
Actually, I've been reading some of the patents descriptions. It's more to due so with analog face buttons rather then the analog stick. Not only that, but analog buttons on a specific controller design (think duel shock 2). The funny thing is that the patents seem to say the same exact thing. I don't see how there going to get anywhere with the tactile feedback, since there description sounds very similar to Immersions technology.
 
quadriplegicjon said:
and didnt the n64 come out in 96? that had an analog stick and rumble.
Click to expand...
The rumble pack wasn't available at launch though, was it? Thought it came bundled with a game. Starfox IIRC, which would make it 97?
 
This is just another example of how badly screwed up the US patent system is. I think it needs a complete overhaul, but there are enough companies out there with heavily vested interests in maintaining the status quo that I don't see changes happening anytime soon.
 
datruth29 said:
Actually, I've been reading some of the patents descriptions. It's more to due so with analog face buttons rather then the analog stick. Not only that, but analog buttons on a specific controller design (think duel shock 2). The funny thing is that the patents seem to say the same exact thing. I don't see how there going to get anywhere with the tactile feedback, since there description sounds very similar to Immersions technology.
Click to expand...

Immersion ftw!?
 
So when Sony gets sued it's "Sony should stop stealing." But when Nintendo gets sued it's "This is Bullshit!!!" :lol

Besides that, the real reason Sony wasn't included is probably Sony's persistence to keepm appealing. Might not be worth it.:lol
 
Patents are killing this industry

(yea I'm overexagerrated ,but they certianly make for a huge drain of creativity and resources)
 
So let me get this straight, this is just another case of some company trolling for patents and profiteering when something real apparently infringes on some purposely vague patent?

Surely MS, Sony and Nintendo, in all these cases, should be able to demonstrate prior 'ownership' since the controllers are basically the same as pads from 8-10 years ago.

Edge 165 had a nice article on patent issues too.
 
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