apple ****'s about to get real. Apple patents game controller

[soniqstylz]

http://www.gamerevol...ontroller-14241

With a revenue of over a 100 billion, legions of adoring fans and an iOS empire that dominates the mobile market, Apple isn't a company anyone wants to go up against. That's why Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo might be eyeing a recently published patent with worry.

Filed in March and

published today, the patent GR has discovered lists various inputs and interactions between iPhones, iPods and Apple TVs, including FIG. 6, which "is a schematic of a video game controller for the standalone media player of FIG. 4 or a video game system".

FIG. 4 is an Apple TV, which could easily become a video games console with an upgrade, and technically already can play iOS games over airplay. Currently, core gamers don't take the platform too seriously due to the lack of buttons that severely limits gameplay.

The controller is also shown to be able to connect to an iPhone/iPod Touch and presumably will be able to connect to an iPad if it ever becomes real. Connection is shown to be wireless, using Radio-frequency identification (RFID) and NFC tags, rather than the cable depicted.

If the controller does become a reality, it'll likely have a few design tweaks to stop it looking identical to the DualShock, but any type of physical controller from the industry behemoth would send ripples through the gaming world.

[tsupersonic]

Oh boy, **** just got real

[dead.cell]

Interesting. Also seems they really do take after Sony in terms of ideas they like. Of course, as stated, it'd likely not look like that, but most game controllers look the same anyway these days.

Inb4 LOL NOW DEY GONNA B SUIN U SONY HURRR

[Arceles]

Thats quite the nice model of sony's controller, I hope sony sues them, that would be an interesting battle.

[nvllsvm]

Wait a second, isn't that very similar to WanderPlayer or DroidPad?

[Nerd Rage]

I'm sure if they get the patent, they will sue Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony for also having video game controllers.

[Red-Fox]

Skimming through the PDF file, around page 50 or so, there is an image of the Xbox 360, too. Hmm...

[Rudy]

I've seen the virtual controller patent application before (I think it was on macrumors), nothing really special, no physical buttons sucks

[ShareShiz]

I'm sure if they get the patent, they will sue Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony for also having video game controllers.

It looks EXACTLY like the Playstation controller. :/

[BajiRav]

I'm sure if they get the patent, they will sue Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony for also having video game controllers.

Microsoft and Apple are best buddies when it comes to patent licensing ;)

[techbeck]

It looks EXACTLY like the Playstation controller. :/

Impossible. Apple doesnt steal/copy ideas from others. Others steal ideas from them.

[Ryoken]

I'm sure if they get the patent, they will sue Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony for also having video game controllers.

Microsoft and Apple have a patent sharing agreement.. basically, they both get to use eachothers patent portfolios without worry..

Also, you can't patent something now, then sue those that came before.. [ you can argue about the current cases, but those that people say came before, haven't stepped up to the plate to sue themselves.. so meh..]

Anyway, it looks more like they are patenting an interaction, not a design.. so they probably did use the Playstation Controller as just a generic design..

[Stetson]

1) Read through large Apple patent filings

2) Pull out figures/diagrams with very little context

3) Headline: Apple patents X!

4) Profit!

Anyway, it looks more like they are patenting an interaction, not a design.. so they probably did use the Playstation Controller as just a generic design..

But that would be boring and not sensational at all :D

[Ryoken]

I'm gonna patent the process of filing a patent, then sue everyone.

Oh and also the process of granting, and denying a patent.. Pay up Gov'ts!

[redvamp128]

It looks EXACTLY like the Playstation controller. :/

- just reverse the angle-

[BrandanLB]

Great post, very interesting

[still1]

Apple invented controllers!! Sony , Nintendo and MS stole it from them /s

[(Spork)]

this is going to get REAL interesting

[xendrome]

This doesn't look like a patent to do with controllers, if anyone actually looks at it and reads it, I think it is more to do with enabling NFC controls from any device that has NFC built into it, for the Apple TV..... They aren't making a controller, they are just enabling a way to use ANY NFC device to control the Apple TV and what Media/Games you can run/play on it.... The picture of the controller is an example, there are quite a few other examples of devices in there also... at least read the thing before you post FUD..

Update:

Another guy on the source commented:

Actually on page 31, there is a part called "What is claimed" which seems to imply that what Apple is trying to patent is the method and implementation by which a device could discover controllable devices, allow those devices to be selected, and then controlled by this device. So, as far as I can tell, they want to patent a "universal" remote control, but clearly they are not limiting themselves in the physical implementation of such a remote. So I think that the appearance of the video game controller is just an example of an individual controller among an myriad of individual controllers that could be replace by a single device.

So, nothing to see here folks...

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

this thread is too real for me....

[MDboyz]

They need to change this B.S. patent law. People need to have at least a working prototype, before applying for patents. You cannot just sit down and patent any ideas. Then wait for others to develop products having similar idea, and sue them. It's just freaking stupid.

[einsteinbqat]

Did ANY of you actually read what it is really about? Geez. It has NOTHING to do with Apple making a game controller. Honestly, people!

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

Yeah the reason the PS3 controller is shown and also the 360 is mentioned is because Apple was looking into how an iOS device could mimic either controller by "learning" it so to speak. Pretty interesting idea but not sure how it would work from a practical standpoint.

[The King of GnG]

Touch is the ********* form of controller for gaming, and it has no future at all. We (the gamers) won, and I won't touch another Apple Inc. product for the rest of my life even if it was the new messiah of video gaming (which I'm highly doubtful about). We won, nothing new to see here.

[me.me.me]

You cannot just sit down and patent any ideas.

Of course u can. thx to ur big Uncle Sam.