By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Nintendo sued over 3DS screen Technology

dany612 on 06 July 2011

                                   

Tomita Technologies recently brought suit against Nintendo for allegedly infringing on a patent filed in 2003 and issued in 2008. Patent 7417664--"Stereoscopic image picking up and display system based upon optical axes cross-point information"--does have some similarities to the recently-released 3DS. Primarily, the patent is for a "pick-up and display system" that can offer stereoscopic 3D imagery by displaying different images to each eye. The end result is 3D without glasses, a key feature of Nintendo's handheld.

"Nintendo's America's infringement of the '664 patent has been, and continues to be, willful," the complaint alleges, without detailing the exact nature of the infringement. Tomita claims to be damaged "in an amount not yet determined." The company is seeking a trial by jury, and awaits a decision by the court.

Nintendo is no stranger to litigation, with each platform launch eventually meeting a lawsuit. The Wii's motion controls and DS' touch controls have been the topic of previous suits.

We've reached out to Nintendo of America for comment.

 

 

 

 

http://www.shacknews.com/article/69180/nintendo-sued-over-3ds-screen



 

        

Around the Network
superchunk on 06 July 2011

Considering that the screen is not something Nintendo created, but was created by another company, I don't see how Nintendo can be sued. To me it seems like the maker gets sued and Nintendo is protected by its license and purchase of the screen.



HappySqurriel on 06 July 2011

I don't have a problem with legitimate patent disputes, but this just seems like another patent troll ...

When you have a technology that is based off of a well known and understood concept (parallax barrier stereoscopic images) then patents describing how this concept is used to create a system should not exist.



dany612 on 06 July 2011
superchunk said:
Considering that the screen is not something Nintendo created, but was created by another company, I don't see how Nintendo can be sued. To me it seems like the maker gets sued and Nintendo is protected by its license and purchase of the screen.


That was my initial thought also.



 

        

mjk45 on 06 July 2011
superchunk said:
Considering that the screen is not something Nintendo created, but was created by another company, I don't see how Nintendo can be sued. To me it seems like the maker gets sued and Nintendo is protected by its license and purchase of the screen.

Exactly Nintendo is just a customer , The only way they should be involved is if they contributed toward the Tech in some way and by that i don't

 mean them showing  the world that the Tech is viable  by using it in their hand held.



Research shows Video games  help make you smarter, so why am I an idiot

Around the Network
teigaga on 06 July 2011

how can they get sued when they dont even produce the screens????



BoneArk on 06 July 2011

It looks like Nintendo gets sued every year. Next year they'll get sued for the Wii U. lol



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Roma on 06 July 2011

are you competing for longest sig Bone? :)

yeah like superchunk said the creator should be sued not Nintendo



    R.I.P Mr Iwata :'(

archbrix on 07 July 2011

Well, often times lawsuits like this are rationalized not by the creation or even production of the tech, but the distribution of it to the consumer market, and it's Nintendo's product that does this in this case.

Although these screens do exist in other products on the market, the 3DS is likely the most publicized and successful device that uses it, making it the easiest target for the patent trolls to start crawling out of the woodwork.



WiseOwl on 07 July 2011

Nintendo is forever getting sued and they hardly lose.