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Microsoft Develops Motion-Sensitive Pointing Device for PCs, Game Consoles – Patent.

Category: Multimedia

by Anton Shilov

[ 04/17/2008 | 04:01 PM ]

Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 video game console is the only new-generation game machine that does not have any motion-sensitive game controller and, as a consequence, no motion-dependent games. But that may change as Microsoft does have a patent on a gyroscope-based controller.

“Described is a technology by which a computer pointing device (generally a mouse but alternatively a game controller or remote control device) may be worn on the hand and operated without needing to contact a mousing surface,” an abstract description of the patent reads.

The Xbox 360 game console emerged a year ahead of its rivals – Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 – but has a lack of certain functions, namely Blu-ray disc playback and motion-sensitive casual-oriented game controller. Even though hardcore gamers like the Xbox 360, casual gamers still prefer Nintendo Wii, partly due to its motion-sensitive game controller as well as simplistic games, which Microsoft Xbox lacks at the moment.

However, several web-sites (IStartedSomething, Engadget) have discovered that the world’s largest maker has patented and is working onto a motion-sensitive video game-controller based on gyroscopes.

“Gyroscopic-based sensors convert the wearer’s hand and wrist movements to signals which are sent to a host computing device such as a conventional personal computer, a gaming console, an electronic appliance, and so forth. The data received from the pointing device may be used to move a cursor or the like, and other received data may correspond to left and right mouse clicks, scrolling operations, and so forth. A user-controlled enable switch/sensor selectively activates or deactivates the pointing device so that only intended movements result in data transmission. Gestures may also be sensed and used to trigger defined functions,” the description reads further.