Microsoft Sued for Kinect Patent Infringement

Impulse Technology Says Motion-Sensing Technology Belongs to Them; When Will the Patent Wars End?

Microsoft has allegedly infringed on several patents owned by an Ohio company called Impulse Technology, particularly those involving motion-sensing relative to a multi-dimensional space.

Impulse Technology has filed a patent infringement lawsuit with the state of Delaware, claiming that Microsoft has violated seven of its patents, issued from 2000 through 2010. The company has also included game developers and publishers as respondents, including EA, Ubisoft and THQ. According to the lawsuit, the respondents have infringed on patents that the company owns, particularly those involving tracking and assessing motion through a multi-dimensional space.

Microsoft has not responded directly, although it claims it has protected the technologies in the Kinect with patents themselves, and that the company tries its best not to infringe on others’ patents. No other details have been shared, although this will be an interesting piece of news to watch, because other companies have also invested in motion- and position-detecting technologies in gaming and other applications.

Related Stories on TFTS:
  • Star Wars Xbox 360 Bundle Coming This April

    Microsoft's Major Nelson Details Release Of R2-D2 & C-3PO Themed Xbox 360, Coming In Bundle With Star Wars Kinect & Kinect Adventure For $449

  • Microsoft Patent Shows Off Possible New Gaming Peripheral

    Microsoft Patent Shows Two Versions Of A New Kind Of Display, One Connecting To Smartphones, The Other A Standalone Device

  • Microsoft Rolls Out $99 Xbox 360 & Kinect Bundles

    Microsoft Now Offering $99 Contract-Subsidized Xbox 360 & Kinect Bundles At Microsoft Stores Across The US

  • Kinect for Windows Is Now Available for $249, $149 Academic Prices Coming Later This Year

    Microsoft Launches Kinect for Windows; Spoiler Alert: It’s a Different Product than Kinect for Xbox 360

  • Microsoft Navigation Patent Helps Users Avoid Walking Along Dangerous Paths

    Microsoft Granted Pedestrian Route Patent That Avoids Dangerous Routes Based on Violent Crime & Hazardous Weather Data



  • Comments are closed.

    We think you may also like: