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Sony Patents Matrix-Like Game Technology

Posted by Zonk on from the better-than-a-giant-needle-in-the-back-of-your-head dept.

howman writes "Reuters is reporting that Sony has been granted 2 patents, both describing 'Method and system for generating sensory data onto the human neural cortex'. These are patents 6,729,337 and 6,536,440. The patents go on to 'describe a technique for aiming ultrasonic pulses at specific areas of the brain to induce sensory experiences such as smells, sounds and images'. The story was first broken by New Scientist magazine." Commentary also available via Ars Technica.

4 of 532 comments (clear)

  1. Paradise Engineering ... by foobsr · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ... finally.

    Now let us just hope that we ourselves do not conflict with any (coming) patent so that we can take full advantage.

    More seriously (?):

    Sony hasn't yet built a device that works based on the ideas presented in the patent, so this is all theoretical. In fact, according to the New Scientist, Sony hasn't even conducted any experiments to see if this works. Nonetheless, most of the reporting on this patent (see the Times Online and the original New Scientist peice) claim that some independent experts have said that the idea is plausible. There's no word yet on whether or not tinfoil will stop the ultrasonic brain rays.

    Strange. I bet there are some among the crowd here who have "theoretical ideas" that level up with SONY. IIRC, in ancient times it was necessary to present a working model (at least here in .de).

    CC.

    --
    TaijiQuan (Huang, 5 loosenings)
  2. Doesn't it seem a bit odd... by hunterx11 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ...that Sony can patent something not only which they have not implemented, but which they do not even yet know how to implement?

    --
    English is easier said than done.
  3. question by R.D.Olivaw · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Can someone enlighten me please.
    How detailed, exact and 'can be done with the current technology'a patent claim has to be in order to get granted? I mean they can't implement these patents now, can they?
    Can I just take say the teleporter and describe it as a commuting device that works by transforming matter into energy, beaming it and retransforming it back to get a patent for it?

  4. Good idea SONY! by aonaran · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but any invention can only be patented once.

    We should set up a charity to patent these sorts of "prophetic" inventions, so that when the day comes that they can actually be implemented the patents will have expired and the technology will be free of any restrictive licensing.

    I suggest these as starters:
    Cold Fusion
    Teleporters
    Personal laser weapons
    Warp drives
    Jump gates
    Nanobot based immune systems