Sony Files Patent for PlayStation Glove Controller, See the Images Here

Sony has filed new patents for a gaming glove that would presumably be used in conjunction with its upcoming PlayStation VR headset. The patents were filed with the United States Patent & Trademark office in 2014, but were only just published publicly this week, which is when NeoGAF picked up on them.

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It's important to bear in mind that the existence of a patent is not confirmation that a product based on it when ever be released. Still, it's exciting to see what Sony might be at least exploring.

The patents in question are:

• 14/517733 | Thumb Controller
• 14/517741 | Glove Interface Object
• 14/503275 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING FEEDBACK TO A USER WHILE INTERACTING WITH CONTENT

The patent description for the glove mentions that it has a flex sensor to identify and track finger positions. Additionally, a "contact sensor" is used to determine if contact is being made. This is all apparently for a virtual simulation of a hand for one or multiple users at a time. The patent covers gaming, entertainment, sports-related activities, or even human-to-human contact such as a virtual simulation of a business handshake.

"In still other embodiments, virtual gloves may be worn by multiple users in a multi-user game. In such examples, each user may use one or two gloves," reads a line from the description. "The users may be co-located or interfacing in a shared space or shared game from remote locations using a cloud gaming system, networked device and/or social networked collaboration space."

"In some embodiments, a glove may be used by one or more remote users to interact in a collaborative way to examine documents, screens, applications, diagrams, business information, or the like. In such an implementation, users collaborating may use their gloves to touch objects, move objects, interface with surfaces, press on objects, squeeze objects, toss objects, make gesture actions or motions, or the like."

GameSpot has contacted Sony in an attempt to get more details and will update this post with anything we hear back. For now, you can click through the images in the gallery above to get a closer look at the glove.

Looking ahead to the Game Developers Conference in March, Sony will hold a PlayStation VR event where new details about the headset may be divulged. The company has yet to talk in concrete terms about controllers for the headset technology. The device is due to launch in the first half of 2016.

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