Interlink Electronics

Last updated
Interlink Electronics Inc.
Industry Computer hardware
FoundedApril 30, 1984;39 years ago (1984-04-30)
Headquarters Camarillo, California, United States
Key people
Steven Bronson (CEO)
ProductsForce sensing, position sensing, mouse, pointing and touchpad
Website interlinkelectronics.com

Interlink Electronics, Inc. [1] is a technology company that specializes in manufacturing sensors that are used in electronic portable devices, such as smartphones, GPS systems, and in industrial computers and systems controls.

Contents

History

Interlink was founded on April 30, 1996, [1] and released the first force-sensing resistor for commercial use in 1977. [2] [3]

In 2001, Interlink helped Microsoft design the controller for the Xbox. [4]

Interlink Electronics filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Nintendo in December 2006 over the pointing functionality of the Wii Remote, claiming "loss of reasonable royalties, reduced sales and/or lost profits as a result of the infringing activities" of Nintendo. [5] [6] The lawsuit was dismissed by Interlink in March 2007. [6] [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joystick</span> Control lever used in aircraft and video games

A joystick, sometimes called a flight stick, is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. A joystick, also known as the control column, is the principal control device in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a centre stick. It has various switches to control the movements of the aircraft controlled by the Pilot and First Officer of the flight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haptic technology</span> Any form of interaction involving touch

Haptic technology is technology that can create an experience of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user. These technologies can be used to create virtual objects in a computer simulation, to control virtual objects, and to enhance remote control of machines and devices (telerobotics). Haptic devices may incorporate tactile sensors that measure forces exerted by the user on the interface. The word haptic, from the Greek: ἁπτικός (haptikos), means "tactile, pertaining to the sense of touch". Simple haptic devices are common in the form of game controllers, joysticks, and steering wheels.

Rambus Incorporated, founded in 1990, is an American technology company that designs, develops and licenses chip interface technologies and architectures that are used in digital electronics products. The company is well known for inventing RDRAM and for its intellectual property-based litigation following the introduction of DDR-SDRAM memory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Touchscreen</span> Input and output device

A touchscreen or touch screen is the assembly of both an input and output ('display') device. The touch panel is normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an electronic device.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lik Sang</span> Asian electronics distributor

Lik Sang was a popular distributor of Asian electronics. The company sold import games, toys, figures, anime-related items, and obscure adapters and controllers for various video game platforms. Lik Sang closed as of October 24, 2006, as a result of multiple lawsuits filed against them by Sony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WaveBird Wireless Controller</span> Radio frequency-based wireless controller for the GameCube

The WaveBird Wireless Controller is a radio frequency-based wireless controller manufactured by Nintendo for use with the GameCube home video game console. Its name is a reference to Dolphin, the GameCube's codename during development. The WaveBird was available for purchase separately as well as in bundles with either Metroid Prime or Mario Party 4, which were exclusive to Kmart in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wired glove</span> Input device for human–computer interaction

A wired glove is an input device for human–computer interaction worn like a glove.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wii Remote</span> Primary game controller for the Nintendo Wii

The Wii Remote, also known colloquially as the Wiimote, is the primary game controller for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. An essential capability of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via motion sensing, gesture recognition, and pointing which is used for the console, using accelerometer and optical sensor technology. It is expandable by adding attachments. The attachment bundled with the Wii console is the Nunchuk, which complements the Wii Remote by providing functions similar to those in gamepad controllers. Some other attachments include the Classic Controller, Wii Zapper, and the Wii Wheel, which has originally been used for the racing game, Mario Kart Wii.

<i>Immersion v. Sony</i> US legal case

In 2002, Sony and Microsoft were sued by Immersion for patent infringement for the use of vibration functions in their gaming controllers. Specifically, they were accused of infringing on claims in US Patent 6,424,333 and US Patent 6,275,213. Both patents were continuation applications of a patent application originally filed in November 1995. Nintendo was not involved in the case, as the technology used in the Rumble Pak and GameCube controller is based on a different design, for which Nintendo holds the patents US Patent 6,200,253 and US Patent 6,676,520 based on a Japan patent application filed on October 9, 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sixaxis</span> Wireless gamepad by Sony

The Sixaxis is a wireless gamepad produced by Sony for their PlayStation 3 video game console. It was introduced alongside the PlayStation 3 in 2006 and remained the console's official controller until 2008. The Sixaxis was succeeded by the DualShock 3, an updated version of the controller that, like the DualShock and DualShock 2 controllers, incorporates haptic technology – also known as force feedback. A Sixaxis controller can also be used with PSP Go via Bluetooth after registering the controller on a PlayStation 3 console.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motion controller</span> Video game controller that tracks motions

In video games and entertainment systems, a motion controller is a type of game controller that uses accelerometers or other sensors to track motion and provide input.

Microsoft has been involved in numerous high-profile legal matters that involved litigation over the history of the company, including cases against the United States, the European Union, and competitors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinect</span> Motion-sensing input device for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One

Kinect is a line of motion sensing input devices produced by Microsoft and first released in 2010. The devices generally contain RGB cameras, and infrared projectors and detectors that map depth through either structured light or time of flight calculations, which can in turn be used to perform real-time gesture recognition and body skeletal detection, among other capabilities. They also contain microphones that can be used for speech recognition and voice control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PrimeSense</span> Former Israeli company

PrimeSense was an Israeli 3D sensing company based in Tel Aviv. PrimeSense had offices in Israel, North America, Japan, Singapore, Korea, China and Taiwan. PrimeSense was bought by Apple Inc. for $360 million on November 24, 2013.

Hillcrest Labs was a sensor processing technology company that developed free space motion-control technology and the first motion-controlled remote for television. Hillcrest also invented the first graphical zoomable interface for television and Kylo, the first Web browser optimized for television. The company, based in Rockville, Maryland, was acquired by CEVA in July 2019.

The smartphone wars or smartphone patents licensing and litigation refers to commercial struggles among smartphone manufacturers including Sony Mobile, Google, Apple Inc., Samsung, Microsoft, Nokia, Motorola, Huawei, LG Electronics, ZTE and HTC, by patent litigation and other means. The conflict is part of the wider "patent wars" between technology and software corporations.

Gamevice, Inc. is a Simi Valley, California based tablet and tablet peripherals manufacturer specializing in gaming products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">InvenSense</span> American microelectronics company

InvenSense Inc. is an American consumer electronics company, founded in 2003 in San Jose, California by Steve Nasiri. They are the provider of the MotionTracking sensor system on chip (SoC) which functions as a gyroscope for consumer electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, wearables, gaming devices, optical image stabilization, and remote controls for Smart TVs. InvenSense provides the motion controller in the Nintendo Wii game controller and the Oculus Rift DK1. Its motion controllers are found in the Samsung Galaxy smartphones and most recently in the Apple iPhone 6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Force Touch</span> Force-sensing touch technology developed by Apple Inc.

Force Touch is a haptic technology developed by Apple Inc. that enables trackpads and touchscreens to distinguish between various levels of force being applied to their surfaces. It uses pressure sensors to add another method of input to Apple's devices. The technology was first unveiled on September 9, 2014, during the introduction of Apple Watch. Starting with the Apple Watch, Force Touch has been incorporated into many products within Apple's lineup. This notably includes MacBooks and the Magic Trackpad 2. The technology is known as 3D Touch on the iPhone models. The technology brings usability enhancements to the software by offering a third dimension to accept input. Accessing shortcuts, previewing details, drawing art and system wide features enable users to additionally interact with the displayed content by applying force on the input surface.

References

  1. 1 2 "INTERLINK ELECTRONICS, INC. :: OpenCorporates". opencorporates.com. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  2. Inc., Interlink Electronics. "Resistive Sensor Technology". www.interlinkelectronics.com. Retrieved 2018-07-01.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  3. "Force Sensing Resistor - How it Works and its Applications". ElProCus - Electronic Projects for Engineering Students. 2016-01-05. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
  4. Matthew Barker (2001-01-16). "Microsoft Teams with Interlink Electronics for Xbox Controllers". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2006-12-27.
  5. "IGN: Nintendo Sued for Patent Infringement". 2006-12-13. Archived from the original on 2006-12-13. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  6. 1 2 gov.uscourts.ded.37438. RECAP Project.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. "Case docket: Interlink Electronics Inc. v. Nintendo of America". ia800200.us.archive.org. Retrieved 2018-08-12.