Nintendo and Microsoft in Suit Over Controller Patents

Via Kotaku, an article at the Inquirer discussing a patent suit brought against Microsoft and Nintendo over controller technologies. Anascape Ltd, a Texas firm, claims the two companies have infringed on over a dozen of its held patents. From the article: "Anascape alleges 6,222,525 'Image Controller with Sheet Connected Sensors' was also breached, as well as 6,343, 991 'Game Control with Analog Pressure Sensor' and 6,344,791 'Variable Sensor with Tactile Feedback'. As well as 6,347,997 'Analog Controls Housed with Electronic Displays', 6,351,205 'Variable Conductance Sensor' (a different one) and 6,400, 303 'Remote Controller with Analog Pressure Sensor' (a different one)."

Comments

Patent trolls?

[govtpiggy]

So these guys have apparently patented the idea of an analog button doing anything on a display. Smells like patent trolls to me. I just want to know why these seemingly obvious patents keep getting given out.

United States Patent 6,347,997:

Devices for controlling imagery shown by a display, and including an analog sensor for creating a varying analog value according to varying depression applied by a finger of a human user to the analog sensor. In one preferred embodiment the analog sensor(s) includes a resilient dome cap for providing tactile feedback to the finger depressing the analog sensor. Circuitry within a housing is connected to the analog sensor for reading the varying analog value from the analog sensor and causing representative varying the imagery shown by the display. The devices can be individually structured as electronic game controllers/systems, telephones, pagers, electronic books, web browsers, global positioning receivers, ovens, coffee makers and personal digital assistants (PDA) to name a few.

Re:Patent trolls?

[fishybell]

Devices for controlling imagery shown by a display, and including an analog sensor for creating a varying analog value

Wow...sucks for them. Too bad both Microsoft and Nintendo use digital controllers. Yes, there are varying values depending on the analog input (all human input is analog after all), but the output is now, always has been, and always will be, digital.

There is no way that either Microsoft or Nintendo are sending varying levels of voltages to the console when they can send a couple of digital packets that contain all the information on all the buttons in about the same amount of bandwidth (over cord or air). Technically the packets are an analog signal that is encoded to represent a digital value, but there is no "varying analog value," just a series of different combinations of the same value of high and low voltage.

Prior Art?

[twistedsymphony]

Patents Filed in 1999 eh?

I guess that box sitting in my basement full of old Nintendo controlers would classify as prior art?

Re:Prior Art?

[deadmantyping]

Actually the Nintendo 64 (N64) featured an analog stick, in addition to the digital pads, and the N64 was released in (drumroll please) 1996 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_64) and it was publically introduced in 1995, so Nintendo can indeed claim prior art.

THey have their own patents...

[madhatter256]

Nintendo clearly states the patent number their devices use. I am not sure about MS though. If these patents by the plaintiff were filed in 1999, but if Nintendo has patents on their analog joysticks then this case will be thrown out the window like the million other patent suits brought up against them. I need to hurry up and patent my invention called "Life" and then sue the whole world for patent infringement.

what about Sony?

[thoughtlover]

My PS2 controller has analog pressure-sensitive buttons. Why were they excluded from the lawsuit?

What about any third-party that makes controllers using said technology?

Re:Business Plan

[soft_guy]

Microsoft hardly dominates the video game business. Out of the last generation consoles, they were only one to consistantly lose money.

But wait theres more....

[madhatter256]

I also found this...

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6906700.html?high light=computer,games

According to the google summary. Patent was filed in 2000 and published in 2005. This is purely just another intended patent infrigement suit against a profitable company.

It is true that the patent system needs some updating because there are old fogies in there who are not up to date with what is going on outside their office walls. This is why you are hearing patent suits of this nature. Some are legitimate while some aren't, while some were clearly made to sue a profitable source. Other than that this is clearly a patent troll.