More evidence of rumble in DS

By Oli Welsh Published 12 April, 2010

Patent application for "coin-sized" motor.

A US patent application by Nintendo - spotted by GoNintendo, via Broke My Controller and Kotaku - shows more evidence that the company is considering putting force feedback in a future version of the DS handheld.

The patent concerns a "coin-sized" motor to be inserted in a handheld device that, in diagrams, looks an awful lot like a DSi or DS Lite.

This patent follows an earlier filing by Nintendo for rumble in a handheld, unearthed in February this year.

If Nintendo is planning to implement the feature, it could well be part of its plans for the Nintendo 3DS, due some time between now and March 2011. Nikkei claimed the 3DS would feature force feedback shortly after its announcement.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (10) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • linksdad #1 2 years ago

    How can you patent the size of something?
    Here is some prior art for a 'sub-coin sized motor' I just invented! The diagram features a picture of a coin and a really small motor next to it for size comparison.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #2 2 years ago

    Every mobile phone I've ever had, going back 10 years has has vibration in it - how come some newly patented technology is needed to put it in a DS?

  • dalleck #3 2 years ago

    meh.

    However I can't think of any handhelds that have used built-in rumble in the past.

    FIRST FOR NINTENDOz AGAIN!!!!

    re: mentalist: Yes one could argue that iPhone is a 'portable' and features rumble, but I use the term 'handheld' to denote a dedicated games device, which even PSP falls into that category, regardless if it plays media or not. It's a blurry line though I suppose.

    Oh and Pokemon Pinball (and other rumble enabled games) are not built into the console.

    p.s. I was being sarcastic. That's why I threw the 'z' on the end there for you slow types.
    Edited by 1 at 12/04/10 @ 14:27

  • abigsmurf #4 2 years ago

    @link'sdad

    Miniaturisation is rarely simple. May require some clever design changes or manufacturing processes. Given rumble relies on an uneven mass being spun to create a rumble, shrinking it down whilst keeping the intensity is pretty difficult.

    Of course the US patent system is horribly broken and filled with overbroad, obvious patents. Just look at most of the patents Apple are using to sue HTC (animated window transitions? That have been in Operating systems for decades? Really?).

  • Dolly #5 2 years ago

    You would think that rumble might screw with the 3D effect, and that it might have to be quite restricted for this reason?

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #6 2 years ago

    However I can't think of any handhelds that have used built-in rumble in the past

    Every mobile phone I've ever had, going back 10 years has has games on it, too, and a fair few of them, including what is now the world's second most popular handheld games platform by market share, has rumble in games.

    Also: pokemon pinball.
    Edited by 1 at 12/04/10 @ 13:20

  • zedzee #7 2 years ago

    "it could well be part of its plans for the Nintendo 3DS, "

    No, really? You think?

    You've got some REAL geniuses working for you, EG!

    @ Mentalist(air):
    You would do that, so that you don't pay someone else, who invented it for phones, a licensing fee on every 3DS you sell.
    Sony and Microsoft got sued by Immersion Corp - for using vibration in their respective controllers that was pretty much a copy of Immersion's - and both had to pay 'fines' of one kind or another a while back, hence the SixAxis controller for the PS3 has no vibrate feature, until Sony went back to Immersion, with their hand out, begging.
    Edited by 1 at 12/04/10 @ 14:06

  • alcides #8 2 years ago

    @zedzee

    Well you can never be 100% sure, and as journalists they are right not to pass assumptions for facts. Didn't you see the wink wink nudge nudge?

    I think you are right about the use of patents as protection, and so is Mentalist(air), there's got to be a special way to make it so small to justify the patent, not just it being small.

  • msephton #9 2 years ago

    You can patent anything that is innovative. If the innovation is reducing the size of a certain item then that's fair game. (As long as the item itself doesn't tread on any other patents)

  • peteersimmons #10 2 years ago

    The diagram features a picture of a coin and a really small motor next to it for size comparison given rumble relies on an uneven mass being spun to create a rumble, shrinking it down whilst keeping the intensity is pretty difficult.
    sd card