Microsoft Trying To Patent a 'Magic Wand' 157
theodp writes "Newly-disclosed USPTO documents show that Microsoft is seeking patent protection for a 'Magic Wand,' a device with various gizmos and sensors that can manipulate and interact with its environment, including video and holographic images, while using biometrics to connect with the user. 'Even the most pragmatic individual,' explains Microsoft, 'would have trouble arguing against the merits or utility of, say, a magic wand that actually worked to control or communicate with objects or components in an associated nearby environment.' No doubt. The inventors include CXO/CTO J Allard, and Sr. Researcher Andy Wilson."
It's called a Wii-mote! (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:It's called a Wii-mote! (Score:5, Insightful)
And all other remote controls that already exists and has existed since "deity-knows-when".
Even the director's wand at an orchestra is a form of remote. But not very advanced in itself.
Re:It's called a Wii-mote! (Score:1)
Re:It's called a Wii-mote! (Score:2)
Re:It's called a Wii-mote! (Score:2)
More likely it's ripping off these people. http://hackaday.com/2009/05/17/magic-wands-for-disney/ [hackaday.com] They released open source code for their project here. http://gitorious.org/fantasia [gitorious.org]
that would make it "prior art", and even I do not think MS could be such a noob.
Re:It's called a Wii-mote! (Score:2, Informative)
Even the director's wand at an orchestra is a form of remote. But not very advanced in itself.
The word you're looking for is "baton".
Re:It's called a Wii-mote! (Score:2)
Makes me think of police action...
Re:It's called a Wii-mote! (Score:3, Interesting)
Even the director's wand at an orchestra is a form of remote. But not very advanced in itself.
Ah, Music, A magic beyond all we do here at Hogwarts!
Seriously though, I've long considered the idea of a so called "magic wand" as being the penultimate input device for a holographic mobile computer. second only to simple gestures in air.
although in the meantime I'd be happy with embedded high definition video screens in normal looking glasses attached to the cell phone in my pocket perhaps with 3G/wifi.
Re:It's called a Wii-mote! (Score:3, Funny)
I think Disney should get involved in this. After all, they released a 9 minute demonstration of it in 1940.
Re:Clippy, again? (Score:1, Interesting)
Seriously, we have to stop this before someone gets harmed.
Re:It's called a Wii-mote! (Score:1)
Or Hitachi (google Hitachi Magic Wand...)
Re:It's called a Wii-mote! (Score:3, Insightful)
Well, it's more than a wii-mote. The question is how much more than the sum of the additions? I think that's a critical question.
I'm wary of any kind of kitchen-sink approach to inventing. An invention should somehow be more than the sum of its parts, otherwise where's the originality? If you said, take a wii-mote and add this one specific element and now something qualitatively new becomes possible, then you'd have a good argument that you invented something. If you say, take a wii-mote and add everything you can think onto it, and gee, it does more than the original wii-mote, that's not very creative.
Re:It's called a Wii-mote! (Score:2)
Or Cornell?
In 1998 I was given a demonstration of a virtual reality system at Cornell University, consisting of 3D glasses with head tracking support, two walls lit by projectors using polarized light, and what might be loosely described as a "magic wand" for interacting with the environment. I recall manipulating 3D windows by pointing with this wand.
Re:Not new (Score:5, Funny)
"It's not the size of the wand...but, the MAGIC behind it!!
Vas Flam! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Vas Flam! (Score:5, Funny)
Yes?
And do you put on your robe and wizard hat before you use it?
Re:Vas Flam! (Score:2)
Re:Vas Flam! (Score:2)
I have prior art, I was born with a magic wand!
Yes?
And do you put on your robe and wizard hat before you use it?
In Harry Potter, if you replace "Wand" with "Wang", the results are hilarious.
Bash [bash.org].
First result on search for "Magic Wand" (Score:3, Funny)
This is the first search result for "magic wand":
http://www.amazon.com/Vibratex-HV-250R-Hitachi-Magic-Massager/dp/B00005M1WE [amazon.com]
I think MS needs to rethink their naming. I doubt this is what they have in mind. Besides, the Wii beat them to it in designing a controller that looks like a sex toy.
Re:First result on search for "Magic Wand" (Score:3, Funny)
I think MS needs to rethink their naming. I doubt this is what they have in mind.
Then again we're talking about the company whose CEO wants to squirt you pictures of his kids [softpedia.com]...
Re:First result on search for "Magic Wand" (Score:5, Funny)
Wandows?
Do not insert mouse . . . (Score:2)
I swear I read in the instructions for an SGI mouse back in the 90s "do not insert the mouse in your mouth or any other body orifice."
So there is a need here...
Prior Art (Score:1)
The Magic Wand [libida.com] has been around for years.
I can't believe that Microsoft is abusing the patent system.
Re:Prior Art (Score:2)
The Magic Wand [libida.com] has been around for years.
I can't believe that Microsoft is abusing the patent system.
You are right I can't believe that Microsoft would try to patent, copyright or even register words that have been around for a very long time, like "Office", "Word" or Windows" ... ?
:)
Err! never mind.
Away, varlet! (Score:2)
Don't forget the ORIGINAL Magic Wand! (Score:4, Interesting)
Surely someone is going to point out the comparison to the original magic wand? I think this might prevent Micro$oft's patent as it came out in the 1970s??
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16896630001 [newegg.com]
Re:Don't forget the ORIGINAL Magic Wand! (Score:3, Funny)
Mods are crazy, how is parent off topic? (Score:2)
Are you mods crazy? How is parent off-topic?
Re:Mods are crazy, how is parent off topic? (Score:2)
Are you mods crazy? How is parent off-topic?
Because the Hitachi Magic Wand is a "personal massage device" [wink wink, nudge nudge], and this is a video game controller. If Microsoft was trying to get a trademark on "magic wand", GP might have a point. As is, he has none.
Re:Don't forget the ORIGINAL Magic Wand! (Score:2)
Re:Don't forget the ORIGINAL Magic Wand! (Score:2)
Ok, why the heck is that on newegg?
And why the HECK did I click it at work!?
Re:Don't forget the ORIGINAL Magic Wand! (Score:2)
Re:Don't forget the ORIGINAL Magic Wand! (Score:2)
Surely someone is going to point out the comparison to the original magic wand?
You mean the one behind the fig leaf?
Re:Don't forget the ORIGINAL Magic Wand! (Score:2)
* trying to remove mental picture of naked man with arbre magique from mind *
The Doctor called... (Score:5, Funny)
The Doctor called... He wants to have a word with them about his sonic screwdriver.
It's called a universal remote (Score:3, Insightful)
Sure, they can patent a magic wand, (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Sure, they can patent a magic wand, (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe.
But their magical marketing team has managed to transmogrify a thinly veiled facelift of it into the widely hyped Windows 7.
Re:Sure, they can patent a magic wand, (Score:1)
and the drivers for it will be included in every Windows 7 install along with another Control Panel gadget, no doubt.
Re:Sure, they can patent a magic wand, (Score:2)
I thought they already did that trick. I believe the incantation was "Presto Requirio Systemaximo!"
let me be the first to say (Score:2, Funny)
RECTUMSEMPRA...
which is either a spell from Harry Potter or Latin for Timely Assholes.
Magic Wang Err wand.
Re:let me be the first to say (Score:2, Funny)
"Levitatus Chairus!"
"Developamus! Developamus! Developamus!"
Prior art (Score:2)
What about Wand of Levitation, Wand of Cold, Wand of Teleportation and Wand of Wonder?
Once again, Microsoft is late to the game.
That could actually be fun (Score:4, Interesting)
Having something that operates a bit like a wii controller combined with a universal remote.
Imagine pointing the wand at your receiver and giving an upward flitting motion and the receiver bumps up the volume. or flick to the right and it changes stations or goes to the next track. Twirl it in a circle clockwise to turn on or counterclockwise to turn off etc.
And would only react to the device you point at. (might have to establish separate gestures for nearby components etc)
I'd buy that.
Re:That could actually be fun (Score:1)
Re:That could actually be fun (Score:1)
Re:That could actually be fun (Score:2)
I'm imaging something else . . . (Score:1, Offtopic)
Imagine pointing the wand at your receiver and giving an upward flitting motion and the receiver bumps up the volume. or flick to the right and it changes stations or goes to the next track. Twirl it in a circle clockwise to turn on or counterclockwise to turn off etc.
. . . I'm imagining hurling the thing at my television, which is showing politicians making lame excuses about why they used taxpayer money to clean the moats of their private residences (and other wacky stuff). And that the politician can actually feel the pain when the wand hits the screen.
Now that is what I call political accountability.
Re:That could actually be fun (Score:3, Funny)
Combining the accuracy of the Wiimote with a gestural interface seems like a very bad idea.
Re:That could actually be fun (Score:2)
Having something that operates a bit like a wii controller combined with a universal remote.
Imagine pointing the wand at your receiver and giving an upward flitting motion and the receiver bumps up the volume. or flick to the right and it changes stations or goes to the next track. Twirl it in a circle clockwise to turn on or counterclockwise to turn off etc.
And would only react to the device you point at. (might have to establish separate gestures for nearby components etc)
I'd buy that.
Sounds nifty... But I fail to see how it would be an improvement over the universal remote that I have.
I don't see how physical gestures would be any easier or more intuitive than just hitting a button labeled "on" or "volume." And I'm really not sure how it would tell whether I want to turn on the TV, the VCR, the DVD player, or the cable box... They're all piled within about a foot of eachother. Unless you had a different gesture for each device... Or a selector switch/button to tell the wand what to talk to... But, in either case, I don't see it being any easier than my current remote.
Re:That could actually be fun (Score:2)
I would have thought the initial pointing at the device you want to control would be enough to indicate which device is being controlled, then you can just use the same motions to mean different things to different device.
Re:That could actually be fun (Score:2)
Imagine pointing the wand at your receiver and giving an upward flitting motion and the receiver bumps up the volume.
Do I have to say "wingardium leviosa"?
For what its worth... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:For what its worth... (Score:2)
But if it's sufficiently advanced, how would you distinguish the two?
the USPTO should (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:the USPTO should (Score:2)
only actual products manufactured should be patentable...
Because the Patent system was clearly created to product giant corporations with large prototyping labs.
Re:the USPTO should (Score:2)
So, um.... Did you bother to read the claims?
I see your shwartz is a big as mine... (Score:3, Funny)
OT: Paid by word? (Score:5, Interesting)
Somewhat off-topic, but the wording in patent applications always amuses me. For instance, the abstract says:
They say "one or more sensor from a collection of sensors", which is redundant. They could just say "sensors". And why say "can further issue an instruction to update a state of an environmental component" when it is simpler to just say "can update another component"?
I understand the need for precision. And I guess if they don't claim "one or more sensors" then someone can try to circumvent the patent by doing the same thing with only one single sensor (or whatever). But it still sounds ridiculous, and is no excuse for making confusing sentences. So many sentences are needlessly complicated or outright superfluous. Is there really no better way to word patents?
Can anyone comment? Is that kind of wording truly necessary for the patent to be robust, or is the wording intentionally obtuse and confusing, so that they can later use the ambiguity to argue for broader applicability?
Re:OT: Paid by word? (Score:1)
"one or more sensor from a collection of sensors" is not equal to the word "sensors."
In mathematical terms, the former means >= 1 and the latter means > 1
unless I'm missing something, and that's always possible.
Re:OT: Paid by word? (Score:2)
Sure, but what does the "from a collection of sensors" add to the meaning? And why can't they just write "sensor(s)" if they absolutely need the "one or more" part?
And moreover my question is whether or not they really do need the precision of "one or more" (especially in the abstract). The same logic applies to all the other potentially superfluous words. Yes there is a different between "issue an instruction to update" and simply "update", but is that differentiation actually crucially necessary from a legal or technical point of view?
I'm no patent expert, so maybe there is a good reason why all those extra words are in there... but I'm at a loss to see what they add. It's almost as if they want the application to sound precise, without actually specifying anything particularly useful.
Re:OT: Paid by word? (Score:1)
Re:OT: Paid by word? (Score:2, Insightful)
I was a co-inventor on a recent patent application and I can attest that pretty much all patents are written this way to make them as precise and robust as possible. Sometimes these phrases like "a collection of sensors" might refer specifically to a prior description or figure. Anyway, this is totally typical, and no the lawyers are not paid by word.
Re:OT: Paid by word? (Score:2)
Can anyone comment? Is that kind of wording truly necessary for the patent to be robust, or is the wording intentionally obtuse and confusing, so that they can later use the ambiguity to argue for broader applicability?
Uh, yes? Both necessary to robust and to later use ambiguity. For example:
The architecture can utilize one or more sensor from a collection of sensors
can apply to a single sensor. However:
They could just say "sensors".
could be read during litigation as applying only to two or more sensors, so a device that only effects a change via one sensor wouldn't infringe.
But it still sounds ridiculous, and is no excuse for making confusing sentences. So many sentences are needlessly complicated or outright superfluous. Is there really no better way to word patents?
Agreed, but unfortunately, no... Consider how confusing contracts tend to be - same exact reason. It's not a case of "why say in two words what you can say in twenty", it's more that those twenty words define a much more exact and specific definition than the two. Yes, it's less readable, but it's also much more precise - think of the wording as the language equivalent of using more significant digits in your calculations.
In a word? (Score:2)
First, get some pointy-ass shoes, a gnome outfit (Score:1)
and set of blingy neck chains, a runes book, and do jigs and circus moves. That'll impress me. Games makers already are on this, ms, so back off. Your acts further justify massive patent reform's need, clowns.
(Yeh, shills/acolytes, go ahead, marke me inflammatory/troll...)
Re:First, get some pointy-ass shoes, a gnome outfi (Score:1)
Get out your robe and wizard hat. That'll impress Britney.
No dirty jokes about this??!? (Score:1)
Come on people, get with the program!
J Allard Parts the Red Sea? (Score:2)
1. They totally missed on the Tablet PC concept and burned OEM's on it. Don't worry J's going to fix it!
2. They *totally* screwed device developers by dropping their OEM DRM scheme and release one of their own. Don't worry J's going fix the Zune.
3.They totally missed integrating new HID in xbox. Don't worry J's going to fix that too!
4. J's going to be working on an operating system GUI in about a decade. He'll fix that too!
What are the chances just one of those things will work out well for Microsoft?
No thanks.. .. (Score:4, Funny)
[quote]device that can manipulate and interact with its environment[/quote]
I will stick with the katana .. it manupulates and interacts with the phyical enviroment very well.
Does a good job on people with pesky magic wands too!
No sensors or gizmos needed, and only effects what you point it.
YMMV
Prior art from 1997 (Score:2)
From our garden simulator help file:
http://www.kurtz-fernhout.com/help100/00000136.htm [kurtz-fernhout.com]
"The magic wand is used to grow plants, to pull all plants in a soil patch, to duplicate plants and soil patches, to rename plants, to reseed plants, and to place plants in stasis (or remove them from stasis). The tool actions associated with any tool can be changed in the tool editor."
You could also map action from other tools, like the "growcorder" onto the magic wand to use it for that functionality:
http://www.kurtz-fernhout.com/help100/00000134.htm [kurtz-fernhout.com]
"The growcorder is used to scan, magnify, or scan and magnify garden objects to find out more information about them."
I guess the way our patent system works, we can expect a cease and desist order from Microsoft any day now for using the ideas we developed over a decade before them. :-)
And the product will be named... (Score:3, Funny)
Micosoft Wang.
Re:And the product will be named... (Score:2)
But I suspect that "soft" and "wang" together are not good for marketing.
and neither would "micro wang"
just sayin'
Goldilocks Gold Rush (Score:2)
Will Apple compete with iPixie Dust? Java already has magic beans covered.
Meh (Score:5, Funny)
My GOD! I could use it to CONTROL MY TV!!! (Score:2)
FROM ACROSS THE ROOM!!!!!!!!
As a method of projecting power, there's a lot to be said for the patent system, as opposed to billy clubs, but beyond that it usually seems really lame.
Did they need to wait for Clarke to die first? (Score:5, Funny)
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
And apparently, in their filing, Microsoft thinks that any sufficiently obvious idea is indistinguishable from innovation.
--
Toro
The Gates-Ballmer Paradigm? (Score:2)
I think we're ready for a new meme ... I vote for "The Gates-Ballmer Paradigm"
Re:The Gates-Ballmer Paradigm? (Score:2)
other laws:
Microsoft is patenting the remote control? (Score:2)
Isn't there prior art?
Re:Microsoft is patenting the remote control? (Score:2)
Yeah, 1980 called, they want their invention back.
Re:Microsoft is patenting the remote control? (Score:2)
More like 1939.
Alright, Balmer .... (Score:2)
...[Zap!] You're a toad!
-- Merlin
How is this not a Wii controller? (Score:4, Interesting)
It's already in the shape of a wand. And it can do everything described with simple software updates. Do you get a patent just for using someone else's design now? And that's not considering how innovative the Wii controller is itself.
Voldemort called.... (Score:4, Funny)
He claims prior Dark Art.
Prior art? (Score:2)
This calls for a Rush quote ..... (Score:2)
If I could wave my magic wand...
I am made from the dust of the stars
And the oceans flow in my veins
Here I hide in the heart of the city
Like a stranger coming out of the rain
The evening plane rises up from the runway
Over constellations of light
I look down into a million houses
And wonder what you're doing tonight
Don't ask me
I'm just improvising
My illusion of careless flight
Can't you see
My temperature's rising
I radiate more heat than light
Disney's already developed it (Score:2)
According to this item at Hackday.com [hackaday.com] anyway.
I think these guys were there first... (Score:2)
http://www.creativekingdoms.com/CK1.html [creativekingdoms.com] Creative Kingdoms
Their MagiQuest game uses a motion-sensitive "magic wand" with an IR transmitter to interact with objects in real space. The game is geared for kids, but it's rather fun to walk through the hotel and trigger animated objects by flicking the wand at them.
Old news? (Score:2)
Anyone else know what I'm talking about?
Gene Roddenberry.. (Score:2)
Already invented it, he named it the tricorder!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricorder [wikipedia.org]
Remember... (Score:2)
..."swish and flick!"
The problem is... (Score:2)
...that Microsoft will never understand that it's not the *size* of the wand...
Prior art. (Score:2)
Seriously though. Wand broadcasts audio to Mac, Mac recognizes text, executes scripts, controls X10 network, controls stuff inside and outside house, including lights and other computers. Also have X10 keychain built into handle if speech borks.
kulakovich
Skeptical. (Score:2)
If it's made by Microsoft, it will probably just cause all my appliances to magically BSOD. I can't wait to wave my wand at my fridge and have it quit cooling, or begin cooling intermittently, or stop cooling and light up with a red sign saying "THIS COPY OF YOUR REFRIGERATOR DOES NOT PASS WAND GENUINE ADVANTAGE"
Seriously, besides an obvious rip off of the wii-mote, I have NO faith in MS ability to put out a decent product. I can't think of ONE MS product I've liked, ever!
I Imagine the process like this: (Score:2)
Re:Sounds like a pickup line... (Score:2)
Oh, come on, there are so many better jokes for that.
"Rod of Lordly Might" comes to mind...
Re:Sounds like a pickup line... (Score:2)
"Magic wand" is now a synonym for "etchings."
Re:Sounds like a pickup line... (Score:2)
Hitachi already makes one [amazon.com] and my girlfriend loves hers...
Re:Sounds like a pickup line... (Score:1)
...and my girlfriend loves hers...
I stopped believing you somewhere around here ;-)