Microsoft Patents the Holodeck

[Some_weirdGuy]

How can you possibly patent something as vague as that? American patents are crazy.

My thoughts exactly. Have they seriously just stopped everyone from being able to make surround projection screens? Haven't those actually been around for ages anyway? (certain art installations come to mind in particular)

Imagine if something similar was done for sound... do you think a company/person could actually have gotten away with it I wonder? (serious question)

'this patent protects our concept for a form of sound technology emanating from either sophisticated headphones or multiple speakers positioned around a room to emulate the directionality of a 3d sound environment'.

?

 

[RobDaBank]

Looks like I'm bricking up the window to my spare room and painting it all black to get the best effect

Because honestly, without total darkness, projectors are crap.

 

[viranimus]

My problem with this is that its yet another diversion getting in the way of tri monitor & surround view systems that will eliminate the need for 3rd person perspective... if it could only become standardized.

Now the idea... Yeah, I like it. Sounds exhorbitantly expensive with low return on investment. But it could potentially be cool. However one thing I didnt see that would need to be key or the whole thing is pointless is omnidirectional treadmill system. It Seriously will not make a difference how motion controlled it is, or how the view scope is.. Until you can walk without running into a wall, its going to be limited and still hold something that pulls you out of potential immersion.

A bigger version of this would work too
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cybercarpet_walk.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnidirectional_treadmill

 

[Doom972]

Sounds like another useless, kinect-style gimmick. Not a holodeck.

 

[AlexWinter]

I can't fucking wait to play Slender on this.

 

[Lord Doomhammer]

I seem to recall they did something very similar to this in Fahrenheit 451... something about society being doomed, and ignorance running rampant... *looks outside* oh, never-mind... carry on.

 

[DonTsetsi]

So you have to dedicate a whole room just to this? A room with as little furniture as possible. Unless every game can incorporate your bookcases, wall decoration, windows....

 

[The Great JT]

Microsoft, it is logical that you shut up and take my money. Right now.

Now if only you can get on the spaceship that can get us into the next solar system...

 

[Mortuorum]

...which is why you should not be able to file a patent for something unless you can provide a prototype.

Anyways, my TV, the fireplace and a big clock are against the only wall in my living room where putting a TV makes sense. The wall to the right is dominated by a huge picture window. The "wall" to the left is mostly a huge open doorway to the kitchen (open concept floor layout). The "wall" behind is mostly staircase and is pretty useless as far as peripheral vision goes. This layout isn't really all that uncommon. I'm not sure how much value a system like Microsoft describes in their patent would be in my setup.

 

[ssgt splatter]

Jet packs: check
Holodeck: check
Now where are the hover cars and space colonies?

And lightsabers, don't forget those. Holodeck sounds like star wars technology.

This is a little extreme but if Microsoft can pull something like this off then more power to them.

 

[jbm1986]

So you have to dedicate a whole room just to this? A room with as little furniture as possible. Unless every game can incorporate your bookcases, wall decoration, windows....

Don't worry brah, I hear Microsoft makes those too. /badjoke

 

[Carrots_macduff]

my guess is that all of you who are actually excited about this read the word holodeck and were instantly inflicted with nerd-tunnel vision, its a 360 degree projector for your living room. so unless you are going to move your couch and tv stand and all the other crap out of your room, it is going to be projecting onto those things, and as such look really fucking dumb. they cant make your couch invisible by projecting an image onto it.

 

[remnant_phoenix]

Anyone else reminded of the Parlor Walls from Fahrenheit 451?

It was inevitable I suppose.

Ray Bradbury, you were surely the prophet of our modern age.

 

[McMarbles]

Microsoft patents something that breaks down every other episode? Why am I not surprised at all?

 

[waj9876]

How can you possibly patent something as vague as that? American patents are crazy.

I think they're just patenting the name "Holodeck". Aren't they? Other companies/people can still make them, they just have to be changed slightly and not called a holodeck. Like the Wii controller and the PS Move.

 

[mew4ever23]

Microsoft patented the holodeck. No wonder it malfunctioned so much on Star Trek!

Yes, I'm well aware that was a very cheap shot. Seriously though, I hope they find a way to make it safer than it was on the show.

 

[Spartan448]

In order to be a proper holodeck, it needs to create a near-infinite environment by placing a forcefield under your feet to create a near-infinite enviornment which prevents death and can create any object for you to use at will.

 

[Guffe]

This is going to be so awesome!!!
here's a video from youtube with two annoying nerds discussing about it.

 

[Rastien]

Really... fucking really -_-

Time to get my patent in for the time machine and teleporter pad.

 

[Jack Rascal]

This sounds like you need a spare room just for playing games. While that sounds nice, I don't see myself buying a bigger flat just to be able to use this. No matter how well this thing scans your room and adjusts for furniture, you will still have that furniture. The image will be distorted or bent over them. I don't find that particularly immersive...

I also feel like this should be mounted on your ceiling, not set on a shelf in front of you... And if this thing can project an image on four walls why would I want to have a TV (like in that fantastically drawn picture)? Why can't I simply use this "projector" without a TV, you know, in my empty spare room dedicated for games?