PlayStation Camera

Sony has filed a series of patent applications straight out of its office in California. All six of the patents – submitted by Sony Network Entertainment – refer to the topic of using “movements sensed with a motion sensor or camera, pointer movements and clicks, and touches that involve movements and multiple touches” to control various household devices. The platform holder also named voice commands as something that could be employed to navigate other gadgets.

What hardware could this apply to? Sony specifically listed products such as “IPTV, a disc player, a home theatre system, a phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a GPS receiver, [and] a games console”. Perhaps most interesting is that this all sounds eerily similar to the Xbox One’s voice controlled television technology. Could the Japanese giant be attempting to match Microsoft in the entertainment arena?

It’s too early to say. There are many patents published by manufacturers that never go anywhere, so this may just be a case of Sony registering an idea that isn’t planned for development at all. Still, the parallels to the Xbox One are interesting – especially with the platform holder pledging to improve the voice control functionality in its next generation console. Would you like the PS4 to manage your entertainment centre, or are you perfectly happy using different remotes? Turn us on in the comments section below.

[source freepatentsonline.com]