[Philip Lelyveld comment: This patent (below and linked) could impact many 3D camera mftrs and metadata discussions]
[By: Blake Ellison]
Japanese firm Tomita Technologies has filed a patent infringement suit against Nintendo in the United States over glasses-free 3D as used in the Nintendo 3DS handheld.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court, alleges that the 3DS infringes on U.S. Patent No. 7,417,664(also known as the ‘664 patent) titled “Stereoscopic Image Picking Up and Display System Based Upon Optical Axes Cross-Point Information.” This patent deals with “technology relating to displaying stereoscopic images on-screen for viewing with the naked eye” which is exactly what the 3DS hardware achieves. The patent was applied for in 2003 and granted in 2008, whereas the 3DS launched in March of this year.
Based on the figure below from the ’664 patent, the claim seems plausible:
However, all the details of the suit have not yet been made clear. The patent appears to cover a complete system of acquiring 3D images using a pair of cameras, a device to determine the proper offset between the two images, and a stereoscopic screen that can display the two images side-by-side. According to Patent Arcade, which spotted the suit, the complaint cites the Sony website to establish that the 3DS achieves its glasses-free 3D by use of two cameras on the device used to take 3D photos. The website adds that the complaint does not establish how the 3DS infringes upon the patent.
Tomita Technologies belongs to Seijiro Tomita, a long-time Sony engineer who retired to found his own R&D firm. If he wins this patent case it could be quite a lucrative licensing deal Nintendo will be forced to create with him.
Nintendo is not one to shy away from a patent lawsuit. Last year, the company won an appeal to overturn a verdict against the Gamecube, Wavebird, and Classic controllers in the notorious Eastern Texas District Court.
Read more at Patent Arcade
Read the original story here: http://www.geek.com/articles/games/nintendo-hit-with-3ds-patent-suit-over-glasses-free-3d-2011079/
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Find the original patent document below and at this link: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7417664.PN.&OS=PN/7417664&RS=PN/7417664
| United States Patent | 7,417,664 |
| Tomita | August 26, 2008 |
Stereoscopic image picking up and display system based upon optical axes cross-point information
Abstract
A stereoscopic video image pick-up and display system having a stereoscopic video image pick-up device including two video image pick-ups for outputting video information from the pick-ups; a stereoscopic video image display device for displaying different video images; and a medium for transmitting the video image information from the stereoscopic video image pick-up device to the stereoscopic video image display device. The stereoscopic video image pick-up device includes a cross-point measuring devi