Subject: Re: Nintendo glove and VPL

From: Gregory B. Newby <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 24 Jan 92 09:31:27 -0600

George, you posted an article from Newsbytes about VPL trying to 
prevent the PowerGlove from being used as a VR input device (on 1/21/92).

I just re-read the article, and was surprised there was no discussion
about it on this list (yes, even though we're busy trying to get
68HC11 EVBs hooked up etc.!).

Briefly, the article said that VPL was ready to sue anyone who used
a PowerGlove for using it for VR.  This sounds absurd, since there
are many other gesture-oriented input devices.  It might not be absurd,
because of the suit that AGE and VPL were already in when the glove
first came out -- perhaps they had some sort of agreement (but I 
doubt this).

The funny thing about the article was how ill-informed it was.  The
article said the PowerGlove was made and marketed by Nintendo, which
as we know is wrong.  

The article was dated 11/25/91, so perhaps there have been
other developments.  Has anyone heard anything else about this?
Perhaps it's just National Enquirer-level investigative reporting,
based on the lawsuit between AGE and VPL from years ago...

-- Greg
[email-masked]

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From: James Helman <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 24 Jan 92 09:08:44 -0800

The patent (4,988,981 which issued last January) is NOT on glove
devices, but on VR *systems* using input devices to measure body part
flexure.  Basically, it patents the use of such an input device (e.g.
a glove) driving a cursor which emulates flexure (e.g. a virtual hand)
capable of interacting with a virtual object.  It covers a lot of VR.

One of the principal claims:

13. An apparatus for controlling a computer display of the type having
    a virtual object depicted thereon that is used for communicating
    and interfacing with a computer program comprising:

    flex sensing means disposed in close proximity to a part of the
    body of the user, for sensing flexure of the associated part of
    the body of the user; and

    cursor display means, coupled to the flex sensing means and to the
    computer display, for displaying a cursor emulating the flexure of
    the part of the body, the cursor being capable of interactivity
    acting upon the virtual object to allow communication and
    interaction between the user and the computer program.

-jim

Jim Helman					Lab:  (415) 723-9127
Stanford University				FAX:  (415) 591-8165
([email-masked]) 			Home: (415) 593-1233

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