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Microsoft hit with lawsuit in Kinect tech spat

Legal process in motion

Microsoft is facing legal action over its gaming hardware after an intellectual property owner claimed to own all rights to tech that tracks players' movement and enables gaming without a controller.

Ohio-based outfit Impulse Technologies reckons Microsoft's Xbox Kinect goes against seven of its patents, Patent Arcade reports, and has filed a lawsuit alleging intellectual property theft.

The patent describes a "system and method for tracking and assessing movement skills in multidimensional space" as well as an "education system challenging a subject’s physiologic and kinesthetic systems to synergistically enhance cognitive function".

The company says it contacted Microsoft before filing the lawsuit - booked into the US District Court of Delaware - claiming its patents cover a "wide variety of games where the movement of a player is tracked in three dimensions... and certain exercise games where the motion of the player is tracked to effect movement of a virtual avatar, and the exertion of the user is monitored, including where the tracking of the player is done by use of a camera".

Kinect

Impulse hasn't targeted Microsoft exclusively. Eight developers from EA to Konami are also accused of infringing the patents, by making various games that feature movement-based controls.

Impulse is seeking a permanent injunction, damages, treble damages, interest, attorneys’ fees and costs.

Earlier this month, Nintendo was accused of infringing on patents for glasses-free stereoscopic images. ®

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