Topic: New Patent

[kirby_killer_dedede]

http://v3.espacenet.com/origdoc?DB=EPODOC&IDX=US6917356&F=0&QPN=US6917356

Chya.  Filed July 12 of this year.  As in 9 days ago.  Just looking at the date I think this one's believable...it makes sense Nintendo wouldn't want to make it public until they had to, and they knew that filing a patent would make it public.  It describes a controller.  And ooh, there are images.  Except they're generic SNES/NES-ish images.

It cites a some sort of drawing tool. o_O

EDIT: So that wasn't it, I misread the source.

This is the real link:

http://v3.espacenet.com/textdes?DB=EPODOC&IDX=USD505424S&F=0&QPN=USD505424S

And a very Nintendo-ish thing to do...no original document provided, though that would show the final controller design.

[Bill Aurion]

Well, the original document was filed back in 2000, so it could mean anything...

And uh, the second link doesn't help with anything... ^_^

[MrMojoRising]

The second one is the interesting one...of course there isn't anything there yet, which is disappointing.  Luckily we get a good description of the angle each picture we can't see is from!

[King of Twitch]

Very interesting. One of the drawings in the first link looks like an NES controller with 4 buttons, two analogues and a GBA slot... connected to a SNES type of box. Like something out of a weird dream

[MrMojoRising]

Hate to burst everyone's bubble, but I found the full document for the first one and it's for the DK bongos.
US Patent

I noticed that the link you gave was to European patents, so I thought I might be able to find the US version, and the patent numbers match so there it is.

Looking through all of the patents it seems like they don't get published for a while, or even submitted perhaps.  I found one for the DS that was just put up a week ago or so.  It was interesting though to see the early drawings of it...one even had the screens side by side and it looked like a PSP.

I did notice that all of the patents for the tilt sensor seen in wario ware twisted and yoshi topsy turvy say something fairly generic like "patent for using tilt sensor to control video game" so maybe they are trying to cover their asses with the gyros that are rumored to be in the Rev controller as well.

Edit:  I even just found a patent specifically for using a tilt sensor to controll a character in 3 dimensions. They showed it as connecting your GBA to your Gamecube while the GBA has the tilt sensor in it.Tilt patent

[nickmitch]

New Wario Ware perhapps?

That would ROCK with Super Monkey Ball.

[KnowsNothing]

Quote
Edit: I even just found a patent specifically for using a tilt sensor to controll a character in 3 dimensions. They showed it as connecting your GBA to your Gamecube while the GBA has the tilt sensor in it.

That was for some groovy GC game shown at an early E3- 2002 perhaps?  You tilted the GBA to control some marbles or something.  That game died along with Stage Debut.  Revolution material?  The world may never know....(until later)

[kirby_killer_dedede]

"I guess this is the official "Rev controller" thread.

"Teddman", a reporter on the Gaming-Age Forums, was proportedly visiting an undisclosed third party developer, when he saw what appeared to be a Wavebird. But something was odd about it, and caught his eye. It didn't have the "kidney" button layout. It had four regular buttons, in the standard SNES style. The buttons also had the Super Famicom coloring scheme. Upon a closer look, he noticed that it didn't say "Nintendo GameCube" on the controller. It said "Nintendo Revolution".

When his hosts saw what he was looking at, they apparently grabbed it and quickly hid it away, telling him that he saw nothing. After some pressing, they later admitted that what he saw was in fact a beta Revolution controller (the most current version), and said that there was nothing "revolutionary" in it, beyond what's present in a Wavebird.

The "revolution" might lie elsewhere." - Ruby

o_o

Weeeell.  What does the picture in the first link look like to you?

I do believe we have found a picture of the Rev controller.  

[KDR_11k]

So they're shipping dev kits without the "secret" feature? Great idea Nintendo, you'll love the innovation in the launch games...

[BlackNMild2k1]

Quote
Originally posted by: KDR_11k
So they're shipping dev kits without the "secret" feature? Great idea Nintendo, you'll love the innovation in the launch games...

Well maybe not so much innovation in 3rd party launch games, but hopefully we will get all the same 3rd party games as everyone else.  

Don't want the revolution to be copied before Nintendo gets to show what it is, how its work, how its used and claim it as thier own.

[nickmitch]

At least the 1st party games will have the innovative controller. Besides it's more inviting to 3rd parties to not have to use an outlandish controller.

[IceCold]

But, the revolutionary feature could be a great selling point to attract a wider audience, because even 3rd party games would be different than the other consoles

[DrGAKMANx]

No pics, but it has a description of the figures. Figures 9 & 10 talk of a cord coming out of the bottom of the controller. Doesn't say what it attaches to, nor does it point out wether the cord is actually a part of the controller or not. I assume the cord would be for recharging of course, but could also be for a headset maybe? It says the cord is: "accommodated within grooves on a bottom surface" which I also assume means that it plugs into the bottom and is maybe held in place by grooves?

Peculiar that the full patent isn't there and the description is of 10 figures (pictures) that aren't even shown. This patent is probably JUST for the aesthetics (appearance, layout, shape, etc.) of the controller and won't neccessarily tell what all the features of said controller may have.

Applying this to what Teddman said he saw (just days ago, as in soon after this patent was filed) then it can be assumed that Nintendo has patented merely the preliminary controller being shipped with early dev. kits. It should be mentioned that what Teddman saw was an image (not the actual physical controller itself), just a pic of it...which was covered up soon after discovery. Going along with what King Dea said, he also didn't get to see much of the actual physical controller, but mainly just a video of it. If I remember correctly, King Dea started his blog probably within the same week this patent was filed.

[KDR_11k]

No revolutionary features in third party games => disadvantage for third parties => lower third party sales <=> lower third party support => complaining gamers.

Shapes and designs are not patentable, if they try to enforce it the patent will be struck down.

[MrMojoRising]

Quote
Originally posted by: DrGAKMANx
No pics, but it has a description of the figures. Figures 9 & 10 talk of a cord coming out of the bottom of the controller. Doesn't say what it attaches to, nor does it point out wether the cord is actually a part of the controller or not. I assume the cord would be for recharging of course, but could also be for a headset maybe? It says the cord is: "accommodated within grooves on a bottom surface" which I also assume means that it plugs into the bottom and is maybe held in place by grooves?

Peculiar that the full patent isn't there and the description is of 10 figures (pictures) that aren't even shown. This patent is probably JUST for the aesthetics (appearance, layout, shape, etc.) of the controller and won't neccessarily tell what all the features of said controller may have.

Applying this to what Teddman said he saw (just days ago, as in soon after this patent was filed) then it can be assumed that Nintendo has patented merely the preliminary controller being shipped with early dev. kits. It should be mentioned that what Teddman saw was an image (not the actual physical controller itself), just a pic of it...which was covered up soon after discovery. Going along with what King Dea said, he also didn't get to see much of the actual physical controller, but mainly just a video of it. If I remember correctly, King Dea started his blog probably within the same week this patent was filed.

I think you missed when I mentioned this "Hate to burst everyone's bubble, but I found the full document for the first one and it's for the DK bongos." and then I even provided a link. (Scroll up for OG post and link)

[DrGAKMANx]

Quote
Originally posted by: MrMojoRising

Quote
Originally posted by: DrGAKMANx
No pics, but it has a description of the figures. Figures 9 & 10 talk of a cord coming out of the bottom of the controller. Doesn't say what it attaches to, nor does it point out wether the cord is actually a part of the controller or not. I assume the cord would be for recharging of course, but could also be for a headset maybe? It says the cord is: "accommodated within grooves on a bottom surface" which I also assume means that it plugs into the bottom and is maybe held in place by grooves?

Peculiar that the full patent isn't there and the description is of 10 figures (pictures) that aren't even shown. This patent is probably JUST for the aesthetics (appearance, layout, shape, etc.) of the controller and won't neccessarily tell what all the features of said controller may have.

Applying this to what Teddman said he saw (just days ago, as in soon after this patent was filed) then it can be assumed that Nintendo has patented merely the preliminary controller being shipped with early dev. kits. It should be mentioned that what Teddman saw was an image (not the actual physical controller itself), just a pic of it...which was covered up soon after discovery. Going along with what King Dea said, he also didn't get to see much of the actual physical controller, but mainly just a video of it. If I remember correctly, King Dea started his blog probably within the same week this patent was filed.

I think you missed when I mentioned this "Hate to burst everyone's bubble, but I found the full document for the first one and it's for the DK bongos." and then I even provided a link. (Scroll up for OG post and link)

Just not used to the Eurpean Patent search...so by the time I looked up the USD # in the USPTO site...it was too late and I had already posted my "analysis" like a moron.

[Ian Sane]

"So they're shipping dev kits without the 'secret' feature? Great idea Nintendo, you'll love the innovation in the launch games..."

On the bright side at least the controller is normal enough that third parties can make games using a regular controller and have it work.  I was afraid it was going to be something really weird that would make multiplatform games impossible.

[KDR_11k]

Having the Rev lack innovation will defeat the whole point of the system and leave N open for more critique about "overhyping" the Revolution. The name alone raises certain expectations. That coupled with the unshakable mainstream belief that "the Rev is the weakest system OMG" will hurt the sales because noone sees a reason to buy the system.