Sony's PS Eye creator patents Kinect-like tech

By Robert Purchese Published 21 February, 2012

Hirai to change his mind?

Sony's been spotted patenting a "User-Driven Three-Dimensional Interactive Gaming Environment" - technology that works like Kinect.

The patent was filed on 26th October 2011, by PlayStation Eye creator Dr Richard Marks. The patent was published on 16th February 2012.

The patent waffles on about a "depth sensing device"; "a three-dimensional camera" that uses "controlled infrared lighting" to scan an area.

"With the increased processing capabilities of today's computer technology, new creative methods for interacting with computer systems have become available," the background to the patent reads.

brokenwood

The Broken Planks of Wood picture adds nice detail here.

"There is a need for enhanced systems and methods that allow interaction in a three-dimensional environment. The methods should allow user interaction without requiring additional equipment, such as arm coverings or gloves. In addition, the method should not require overly burdensome processing ability and should have the ability to function in real-time, thus providing the user with a natural computer interaction experience."

The patent doesn't specifically describe a device, more what such a device could achieve.

There's only one reference to gaming beyond the title, and one reference to PlayStation.

Gaming:

"Cost down, 60Hz, fewer issues, higher res. And those are all very achievable, just not at this moment."

Sony R&D man Anton Mikhailov, in November 2010, on the obstacles Sony needed to clear before revisiting Kinect-like tech

  • "Embodiments of the present invention provide real-time interactive gaming experiences for users. For example, users can interact with various computer-generated objects in real-time. Furthermore, video scenes can be altered in real-time to enhance the user's game experience. For example, computer generated costumes can be inserted over the user's clothing, and computer generated light sources can be utilised to project virtual shadows within a video scene. Hence, using the embodiments of the present invention and a depth camera, user's can experience an interactive game environment within their own living room. "
thumbs

Here, a man with four thumbs and six fingers. Trustworthy?

PlayStation:

  • "The processing system 174 can be implemented by an entertainment system, such as a Sony.RTM. Playstation.TM. II or Sony.RTM. Playstation.TM. I type of processing and computer entertainment system. It should be noted, however, that processing system 174 can be implemented in other types of computer systems, such as personal computers, workstations, laptop computers, wireless computing devices, or any other type of computing device that is capable of receiving and processing graphical image data."

Picture FIG. 1D below illustrates this.

The timing of the patent, October 2011, suggests Sony developed this idea after Kinect launched, in November 2010. Back then, Sony said it had turned down Kinect-like tech for PlayStation.

Sony research engineer Anton Mikhailov explained to Eurogamer, however, that Sony would look again at Kinect-like technology if a few things changed. "Cost down, 60Hz, fewer issues, higher res," he summarised. "And those are all very achievable, just not at this moment."

"I feel it's a case of early tech," he added. "The same thing happened to the Wii. The Wii started out with accelerometers. They hit that point right where accelerometers started to become cheap, but still at that point they weren't very good. When Sony looked at that idea it said, 'We're not so sure about it.'"

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (39) Latest comment 3 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • maximusfarticus #1 3 months ago

    Oh God no!

  • anthonypappa #2 3 months ago

    this best not be implemented into the next playstation.

  • Triggerhappytel #3 3 months ago

    If just re-launched the PS Eye with a new name (PS Vision perhaps) and much better tech inside then at least it wouldn't be such shameful plagiarism.

    But this doesn't bode particularly well; they're not even supporting Move well enough, let alone launching more new hardware.

  • Cjail #4 3 months ago

    @Triggerhappytel
    Before jumping to the "controller free" train Sony should really tell her developers to use Move a bit more: so far few games implemented it creatively or efficiently, and I believe it has potential.

  • TURBOKILLFACE53 #5 3 months ago

    So PlayStation move was short lived... why did i waste my money?

  • Okamiwolf #6 3 months ago

    Why are patent illustrations ALWAYS so amateurish? Is it like a requirement that the lawyer who submits a patent on behalf of a company do the drawings for it too?

  • Beano #7 3 months ago

    Make it stop. Please.

  • FireMonkey #8 3 months ago

    Those hands are scary as fuck!

    Even my 3 year old draws hands better than that. No adult can be 'that' bad at drawing and I don't see how they could do them like that by mistake?

    All I can guess is this patent was done by a non-human.

  • aphex187 #9 3 months ago

    It's ok making these devices but it needs games! I found that the Move just didn't seem to get the attention it needed and i felt that Sony just seemed to want it out there and then not bother with it! Just look at how horrible the camera worked at night and the only decent game was Sport's champions!

    So much potential gone to waste IMO.

  • seeafish #10 3 months ago

    Pic #5... retro :)

  • JodSUMO #11 3 months ago

    But ... but ... Sony said they'd already invented Kinect before MS released it, and canned it because it was rubbish.

  • altitude2k #12 3 months ago

    Patented by the guy who developed Move? The very same guy who chose to shoot down Kinect and the use of gesture control at every available opportunity?

    I guess he's not giving up humble pie for lent.

  • Widge #13 3 months ago

    @JodSUMO so basically the end passages of the article then.

  • Skooch #14 3 months ago

    This is quite funny, first Sony diss the tech and then now it appears they are copying it. What is even funnier is that I like Kinect, but it's not the new coming of Jesus, Sony would be better putting their efforts elsewhere.

  • JodSUMO #15 3 months ago

    @Widge Very much so. That'll teach me not to scan read. :)

  • freethinker101 #16 3 months ago

    If they want to develop it, why not.....

  • AnthonyDaniels #17 3 months ago

    The Kinect is just a PS2 era Eye Toy for the man with too much money and free time

  • Dizzy #18 3 months ago

    How can you try to patent something that already exists?

  • JodSUMO #19 3 months ago

    @Dizzy Ask Apple. They did it with 'Slide to Unlock'.

  • FladgeMangle #20 3 months ago

    This looks very old to me. Certainly doesn't look like "Sony developed this idea after Kinect launched" because the illustration in fig 1D shows a PS2 (with the controller plugged into the back for some reason) and the patent only mentions Playstation 2 and Playstation 1. That's not a modern telly either.

    Funny that they didn't patent it at the time it was apparently developed. Or perhaps they did and it expired, hence the recent date.

  • Hamhock #21 3 months ago

    @AnthonyDaniels Agree. But it works and is fun. I wish I had more time to use it.

  • Sonic_D #22 3 months ago

    Move is good tech, but where the fuck are the games?

  • weedar #23 3 months ago

    Plagiarism, by Sony? Who the hell invented the Eyetoy years before the Kinect?! Microsoft plagiarized Sony's original idea (with added depth perception), not the other way around!

  • Ace-Reject #24 3 months ago

    @TURBOKILLFACE53 I'm thinking the same, sony had a similar thing to kinnect in 2003 i think it was with the eye toy but they got rid of it too soon.

  • Widge #25 3 months ago

    @JodSUMO I'm patenting "mouse wheel to scroll"

  • ShiftyGeezer #26 3 months ago

    I have the same picture of broken wood hanging on my wall. Go figure!

  • ShiftyGeezer #27 3 months ago

    Please update story:

    [0001] This application claims priority as a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/448,614, filed May 29, 2003, and entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A REAL-TIME THREE-DIMENSIONAL INTERACTIVE ENVIRONMENT," which is incorporated herein by reference.

    edit: I'll add that both patents are utter bunk, as you cannot patent a method or idea; only an actual technology. But Sony weren't copying Kinect. They filed for a patent on a depth-based system in 2003.
    Edited by ShiftyGeezer at 21/02/12 @ 14:15

  • jefranklin18 #28 3 months ago

    if they release it, I just hope it has a longer damn USB cable than the PS Eye. I find it too short for I want to keep my PS3 and where my screen is - and yes I should move the PS3, but there's the ambiance to consider ;)

  • FireMonkey #29 3 months ago

    @weedar - "Plagiarism, by Sony? Who the hell invented the Eyetoy years before the Kinect?! Microsoft plagiarized Sony's original idea (with added depth perception), not the other way around!"

    Does the Eyetoy have a 3d camera? No.
    Does the Eyetoy work with infared so can work in low light conditions? No.
    Does the Eyetoy have an array of microphones to detect where sounds come from in a 3D space? No.
    Does the Eyetoy have voice recognition? No.

    Kinect is much more than 'just an Eyetoy'. Yes, some of the basic features were there on the Eyetoy, but then they were there on PC with web cams before that.

  • ShiftyGeezer #30 3 months ago

    @FireMonkey : PSEye had a mic array before Kinect. Voice recognition is done in software and featured in Endar; Sony just don't provde a common library like MS do. Furthermore neither MS nor Sony invented the 3D camera. They bought the tech. Sony were offered the tech and declined it.

    There's no plagiarism by anyone. There are common developments in technology that they are all a part of. Sony need credit for introducing camera-based gaming. MS need credit for investing in 3D camera tech.

  • FireMonkey #31 3 months ago

    @ShiftyGeezer - "PSEye had a mic array before Kinect"

    Sorry, I missed that the PSEye cam out before the Kinect and had that. Was looking at info from EyeToy.

    "Voice recognition is done in software"

    Hardware is just a pointless collection of silicon and plastic if it does not have the software.

    I'm not saying Sony didn't have an influence. They had a very heavy influence. I am just saying this isn't just blatant plagiarism as some make out.

    I for one am happy that people look at what has gone before and try to improve on it. Without that we'd still be driving around in steam powered cars.

  • dorkacle #32 3 months ago

    Please don't make this crap standard on next gen... Microsoft seem keen to push on with Kinect, Wii U is catering for 'those' people, hope Sony don't push some gimicky crap too, I just want a traditional console that is the shit!

  • juliankennedy23 #33 3 months ago

    So after blatantly coping the Wii controllers with the Move and then letting that particular piece of kit to twist in the wind. They may be coping the Kinect (Which in all fairness was a play on Sony's own Eye Toy.)

    Why...?

  • riseer #34 3 months ago

    Picture 4/5 looks like a ps2 devkit with a old crt tv with a security camera on top of it..

  • its-LegendOfGamer #35 3 months ago

    We have move and would probably like it if we had something to play with it. We also have kinect, and while it has its problems it has great potential with upgraded tech.
    I expect all next gen consoles to have touch screen, motion controls, apps and gimmicks..........gaming as we know it is being phased out. I know i wont be as quick to buy a console nex gen.

  • Machiavellian #36 3 months ago

    Good grief. Just because Sony patent a piece of tech does not mean they are coming out with it. Any good business will protect themselves just in case they want to use all or just some of the things they patent. This looks like Sony protecting themselves just in case they want to use the PS3Eye with Kinect like abilities.

    In other words, the best combination would be Kinect and the move/wiimote. You have your physical device and you have a device that can detect your entire body. The only thing really stopping Kinect from hitting it's stride is data throughput and a faster processor. Both probably will be fixed next gen.

  • Machiavellian #37 3 months ago

    Please don't make this crap standard on next gen... Microsoft seem keen to push on with Kinect, Wii U is catering for 'those' people, hope Sony don't push some gimicky crap too, I just want a traditional console that is the shit!

    Traditional consoles are pretty much dead after this gen and traditional controls are also going away. Personally I cannot wait because even though I like my gamepad and it definitely has it's place in a lot of games, new control setup like move and Kinect together will be the way forward. I believe both techs can live together and provide a much richer gaming experience in a lot of games I like than just the old gamepad.

  • ShiftyGeezer #38 3 months ago

    @juliankennedy23 : The original patent for a depth-camera system was in 2003.

  • TheBusterMan #39 3 months ago

    @aphex187 Agreed,but I actually thought Resi 5 was very good with the Move(not a great game,but the Move made it better).Sport's champions is very good,but there's not enough of it.