PSP Phone Patent Surfaces
Sony has been rumored to have a PSP Phone (PlayStation Portable Phone) in the works and a patent has surfaced to confirm that a new touch-screen, gaming device with haptic feedback from the Japanese concern may on the way.
Sony’s idea is to have the interface change from gaming device to phone just by turning it.
The describes “a system and method of reconfiguring the graphical user interface (GUI) of a mechanically vibrated touchscreen display associated with a portable mobile communications device that is operable in a variety of modes. An orientation sensing mechanism senses whether the portable mobile communications device is currently in a portrait or landscape orientation and accesses an orientation profile that associates each mode of operation with either a portrait or landscape orientation. A list of modes of operation associated with the sensed orientation of the portable mobile communications device is presented to the user. The user is prompted to select a mode of operation from the list.”
The Future: The problem for Sony is once again they find themselves at the back of the pack, choking on Apple’s dust. With Apple releasing the iPhone SDK yesterday, and opening up the device for gaming and enterprise, Sony is not going to be able to puff out their chest and hope the masses rush to adopt due to their gaming pedigree. They are going to need to reinvent the portable gaming device, integrate it seamlessly into the PS3 console, and choose a carrier who has superior connectivity and speed. Easy, right?
