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Immersion Sues Sony and Microsoft Over Force Feedback
stereoroid writes: "Immersion Corp. has filed a lawsuit against Sony and Microsoft, alleging unauthorised use of their patents - here's their press release. The suit alleges that any use of touch or force feedback in their consoles violates their patents. For some obscure reason, this was first reported in the Irish Times today."
...that Nintendo isn't mentioned. Is it perhaps that Nintendo calls it "Rumble" instead of "force-feedback"?
Here's the link to the original article, as it's not on the front page any more. Not much to it really
Firm sues Microsoft, Sony over joystick vibration
If the trees are in the west
This was picked up first by Associated Press and then reported by The Irish Times.
Just you're average nitpicker.
Just you're average nitpicker.
5,691,898 November 25, 1997 Safe and low cost computer peripherals with force feedback for consumer applications Abstract A method and apparatus for providing safe and low-cost force feedback peripherals for consumer applications. A device microprocessor local to an interface device is coupled to the host by a first interface bus. The microprocessor receives host commands from the host computer on the first interface bus, such as an RS-232 interface, and commands an actuator to apply a force to a user object, such as a joystick, in response to host commands. A sensor detects positions of the user object and outputs signals to the host on a second interface bus, such as a PC game port bus, separate from the first bus. In a "recoil" embodiment, a user initiates force feedback by pressing a button on the joystick, which sends an activation signal to the actuator. In other recoil embodiments, the host computer can transmit one or more enable signals and/or activation signals to the actuator to enable or command forces. A safety switch of the present invention disables the actuator when the interface device is not in use and enables the actuator when an amount of weight over a predetermined amount is placed on the joystick created by a user grasping the joystick. A circuit of the present invention includes a capacitor for storing power provided by an input signal and supplied to the actuator when forces are to be output.
Free cell phone tracking
the actual story as posted on the irish times is here:
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2002/
Its a syndicated story, the 'PA' at the bottom is for the Press Association a Uk news service.
I supect the 'breaking news' section is an entirely automated newsfeed, which would explain why the Irish Times had it posted at 6 in the morning (GMT, their local time).
Go to an antique arcade (here's one) and look around a bit. There's machines that use electrical stimulation (low-voltage applied across the handles) and machines that use mechanical feedback (vibration, pulling, pushing). Many of these machines date from the 19th century.
There's nothing *new* about this at all.
Get off my lawn.
...can be claimed by the US military and/or it's contractors since aircraft have been using force feedback systems since WWII, and their useage of Multifunction Tactile Manipulatable Controls and Velocity Controller with Force Feedback Stiffness Controls have been in use since the space programs Apollo, the X-15, and in production since the F-15.
Could someone summarize what Immersion's patent really covers?
Prior use of force feedback in computer control systems goes back at least 35 years. In the 1970s, CERN developed a control system for a synchrotron which used it. The operator could control many currents and voltages using a small number of knobs (which you turned like volume controls). First you had to tell the computer to assign a knob to the desired quantity to be controlled, then you twiddled the knob.
Where the force feedback came in, was that the control system made the knob "stiffer" to turn if you were using it to control a large amount of current (hundreds of amperes) than if you were using it to control tiny currents (milliamperes). This was found to reduce the likelihood of damaging blunders.
for more details see here.
Or just use google. Like normal people do.