Nope doesn't disprove anything as that just says the HDD can only be used for game data nothing else non gaming and has little bearing on the memory cards.

[0028] The card slot 19 of the game apparatus 1 may receive or discharge the memory card 7 such as an SD memory card. The card slot 19 can read or write data from/to the attached memory card 7. In the present example embodiment, the game apparatus 1 is able to read out the first basic program 24 or the second basic program stored in the memory card 7 through the card slot 19, and to store the read-out program in the first memory 11 or the internal HDD 13. This can realize, for example, version upgrade of the first basic program 24 and the second basic program 25. It is to be noted that the version upgrade of a program may be realized by downloading a program from the server apparatus 9 through the communication unit 15.

Explain why the program on the SD card here would need upgrading through the net, also it highlights what ever is being read on the memory card as being moved through the RAM or being stored on the HDD something a save file would not require and save files would certainly not require upgrades through online. What this means is that the memory card is also format for the games and the console gives players the choice of installing.

Basic program is essentially game data or apps meaning the memory cards will not be strictly limited to game data.

I don't understand this at all. Nintendo already uses carts for their handheld games, and said games retail for much less than console games (on disc.) The cost is miniscule with respect to the evaluation of the games by consumers, and consequently their prices. An extra dollar doesn't need to be part of the price of the product. Nintendo could make up for it by reducing costs elsewhere (such as repairs for disc-read errors.) As for third-parties, as long as they are not limited by storage space to a large degree, they will be fine with it. Again, the cost is something like an extra $.50 per game produced on a non-rewritable cart (they only need rewritable cards to protect against cheating like Nintendo does with Pokemon games.)

From Gaf:

"Thread is going a bit off the rails so I'm posting this shit again for people who honestly can't be bothered with reading the entire patent and I don't blame them

GAME CONSOLE NX

I simply "translated" the patent to the best of my ability, cutting out the fluff. There's a lot of fluff.

It's a game console! The example console has no disc drive. You connect it to a television and play video games.

The example is totally of a Digital-only console but this in no way restricts any other NX hardware to be exactly that, says patent. Digital-only can be made on the cheap tho, says patent.
Passage literally confirming NX device with disc drive (bolded is my notes):

The first basic program 24(NX kernel) and the second basic program 25(NX OS) also operate in, for example, a game apparatus including an optical disk drive or a game apparatus not including the internal HDD 13.

Other hardware configs need not neccessarily include an HDD. (Like, say a portable device? Hmm?)

Has HDD, Internet, CPU, GPU, RAM, like a home console would

OS Kernel has it's own memory, and it's fast so the console can boot faster

Can check if the main OS has been tampered with by checking additional storage and restore corrupted high-security data

OS has full multitasking support

You can download games to the console

Games installed to HDD

Games have code for more than one hardware configuration and the hardware determines what code is the right one to run (NX is a platform like iOS, duh it has this)

External hard drives can be connected and you can install games to them

Can emulate different HDD read/write speeds primarily for games that have special code for external HDDs, can seemingly pretend that the HDD is an optical disc as well. SPEED CONTROL

Controller with rechargeable battery (Pro Controller?)

Interesting passages:

The controller 3 is provided exclusively for the game apparatus 1. The controller 3 includes a processor 31, a wireless communication unit 32, an operation unit 33, a display unit 34, a battery 35, a connection unit 36 and the like.

The operation unit 33 is constituted by a push button, a cross key, an analog stick, a touch panel or the like.

Controller with screen. GamePad support? Could be new controller, too. Will probably have at LEAST the functionality of the GamePad.
Can charge the GamePad equivalent by plugging it into the console.

Save files are stored on the HDD O_O OMG WOW

It is to be noted that the internal HDD 13 can store various data such as, for example, stationary data, video data, sound data, text data, additional data of a game, or data obtained through communication.

Bolded could be interpreted as being the oft-touted "high texture download" option.

Can read/write SD cards. This allows for retail distribution or OS updates using SD cards. Really any data that you can think of putting on an SD card, can be used. No confirmation of anything."

These handheld games also have much less production budgets than the console games in the same years. Only a fraction of multiplatform games got released on GBA/DS/3DS and home consoles at the same time with the same content... not a very good comparison!

...So more than double? Shit, man.

But no. All digital would totally fail on consoles. Psh.

How do you patent that? A common device (games console) and a common information storage medium (SD card). So what's the patent for exactly? There's nothing particularly new about this that would warrant a patent.

If that were the case, it would specify game data on the patent. It's not, because it isn't.

There's a lot of conflicting info going around and ther's a posibility that everyone is right, more or less. This post is great at explaining some of the finer points and It's highly condensed for those who don't want to bother reading the entire patent before coming up with your crazy theories. 

Edit: Fixed Link.

Back to gamepad, no thanks, i'm out.

what if this is just the next Nintendo handheld device, despite how they said it. Like 3DS catridges.