AfterDawn: Tech news

Nintendo patents motion sensing tech for handheld

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 07 Aug 2007 2:55 User comments (23)

Nintendo patents motion sensing tech for handheld Nintendo has filed a patent which indicates it is working on motion sensing technology for use on an upcoming handheld system, all this according to the US Patent and Trademark Office.
The patent, filed at the end of March, describes "A game system includes a housing to be held by a player," and goes on to define motion through three axes: "…having change-state detecting means to detect at least one of an amount and a direction of a change applied to the housing."

The functionality seems very similar to that of a Wii-mote, but Nintendo refused to comment.

More updates as they become available.

Source:
GI.biz

Previous Next  

23 user comments

17.8.2007 15:26

Will this effect the PS3 controller? I imagine not b/c they define the patent "three axis". PS3 is six axis...

27.8.2007 15:30

I guess Kirby tilt and tumble wasn't "motion sensing" enough that they had to go and actually patent it =/

37.8.2007 16:36

Uhhhh...does anyone see whats wrong with this? Motion sensing on a handheld...so if youre shaking it or moving it around how am i supposed to see the SCREEN???

47.8.2007 16:59

Originally posted by limelight:
Uhhhh...does anyone see whats wrong with this? Motion sensing on a handheld...so if youre shaking it or moving it around how am i supposed to see the SCREEN???
With your eyes :) j/k Nintendo is a very innovative company and I am sure that is one of their thoughts too.

57.8.2007 17:43

Originally posted by limelight:
Uhhhh...does anyone see whats wrong with this? Motion sensing on a handheld...so if youre shaking it or moving it around how am i supposed to see the SCREEN???
Said above: remember Kirby Tilt N Tumble for GBA?

Originally posted by Jlhfit:
Will this effect the PS3 controller? I imagine not b/c they define the patent "three axis". PS3 is six axis...
Ummmm, I think "Six-Axis" is fancy marketing, unless someone can explain to me how you get beyond the 3-D axis' of x, y and z...

67.8.2007 18:10

six axis.. you can use your feet.

77.8.2007 18:18

lol "sixaxis"

87.8.2007 19:06
Adzagam
Inactive

If it's going to be like the wiimote, it's going to be a lil hard to see the screen... hopefully it will be much more like Kirby tilt and tumble

98.8.2007 00:59

stopa dn think abotu it instead of a DS when you open up their new handheled you get a split screen thats 2 halves of the same screen the size of it is roughly 5X5 inches or so or a wide screen variant,they could drop the bottom half being touch sensitive or keep it,then they can add a motion setup,where you can aim,tilt and do other things with it like you can on WII.

109.8.2007 11:13

Originally posted by SProdigy:

Ummmm, I think "Six-Axis" is fancy marketing, unless someone can explain to me how you get beyond the 3-D axis' of x, y and z...
The "6 axis" refers to the 6 degrees of freedom when moving in 3D space. You are correct in saying that there are only 3 axis (x, y and x). However, there are 2 kinds of movement in each axis, roations about and along the axis. To differentiate between translational and rotational movement, 3 axis were used to identify roation. You use the "right-hand rule" to determine the axis. Exact same thing with identifing torque. These axis are concurrent with x, y and z but are different from them.

119.8.2007 11:28

Hopefully it'll be groundbreaking like the ds and gameboy instead of the virtual boy

1214.8.2007 22:00

Nintendo has always been able to push the boundaries of innovation before. Some with more success than others. Anybody want to compare the Wii to the Virtu Boy?

1314.8.2007 22:20

Originally posted by Unfocused:
Nintendo has always been able to push the boundaries of innovation before. Some with more success than others. Anybody want to compare the Wii to the Virtu Boy?
I think price V performance is what killed the VB,since it was a red/blue shaded GB it was foolish to think it would have done well,if it was more like the GBA or even a fancy NES(look at the later games on the NES) it have survived at the near 200$ price tag,altho another issues was its not very portable which is prehaps the end all in the portable market.

The GBA however was launched at around 100,was very portable and was a handicapped SNES (missing 2 buttons) and lack of backlighting (the Nomad which played genesis games,and the gamegear seemed far more advanced...thus why I skipped the GBA,least emulation kept up with it :P)
My gripes aside portability,price and battery life all added up to a solid handheld system,then add on the games it had and BOOM there is a reason the GBA ruled with a iron fist!

1415.8.2007 11:45

Yah i owned a gameboy color but never stepped up to get a gba i just emulated it, but i'll probably get a ds lite, seeing how it's awesome and nintendo is the king of portable gaming. Anyways, has anyone ever owned a gameboy micro?

1517.8.2007 16:41

Quote:
The functionality seems very similar to that of a Wii-mote, but Nintendo refused to comment.
It will probably be what the Nintendo Wii has but upgraded for this hand held device.

1617.8.2007 18:31

Kind of like the gba is a portable snes, but i doubt this handheld will be as advanced as the wii.

1718.8.2007 09:16

More like half the power of a GC LOL

1818.8.2007 11:12

Yah lol, but i'm just saying motion-wise, not like graphics or anything.

1921.8.2007 18:14

@ZIppyDSM

I only mention the Virtua Boy as far as the principle of innovation goes. Yes, it did have several shortcomings, chief among them being the whole portability thing.

But you have to admit, the first time you saw one of those, you had to be thinking

(1)What the hell is that?
(2)Hey this is kind of cool!

It is these two things that Nintendo has excelled at over the years.

2021.8.2007 19:21

Yah i have to agree the first time you see the virtua boy you want to play, but once you play it, you say this sucks!

2121.8.2007 19:31

Originally posted by albino92:
Yah i have to agree the first time you see the virtua boy you want to play, but once you play it, you say this sucks!

headache aside it was neat :P

2222.8.2007 17:08

Originally posted by ZIppyDSM:

headache aside it was neat :P
It is this innovation that will carry Nintendo through to the next generation of consoles. They have been around the block, on the throne, and nowhere near the castle. If nothing else, they have experience under their belt. They seem to know what they are doing, and I can only guess that their next offering will kick some serious ass.

I hope that they still hold a grudge with Sony about the whole SNES CD-ROM drive when they hit the drawing boards...

2322.8.2007 17:23

Originally posted by Unfocused:
Originally posted by ZIppyDSM:

headache aside it was neat :P
It is this innovation that will carry Nintendo through to the next generation of consoles. They have been around the block, on the throne, and nowhere near the castle. If nothing else, they have experience under their belt. They seem to know what they are doing, and I can only guess that their next offering will kick some serious ass.

I hope that they still hold a grudge with Sony about the whole SNES CD-ROM drive when they hit the drawing boards...
I just hope they don't drop the innovation that they made in the GBA/potable player adapter for their console,I hate portables but they are to small and uncomfortable to play for long ammoutns of it,I have a TV kit or something ,anything to get it on the TV other than 5-10 a pop threw the VC...hell I'll even take that if I can download the games :P

Comments have been disabled for this article.

News archive