Nikon passcode patent

[Gear Head]

Of course I found this at the Rumors site, man I hate that site. Anyhoo This kind of crapoola really gets under my skin. Can you just see the threads full of story's of that system failing in the field?
Gary
In order to prevent the use and resale of stolen gear, Nikon filed patent 2013-61508 in Japan that will require the photographer to enter a passcode in order to make a certain lens-camera combination usable.

 

[web52]

One of the outcomes of the law change. Not the first person to invent something, it's now the first person to FILE an IDEA owning the patent.

Not to discount that it can be a total fabrication from somebody's caffeine-crazed mind.

 

[rpracing]

Well in a couple years start watching car forums for the cars that DONT have ignition switches/key locks anymore but rely on transponder keyfobs to "activate" the ignition unlock/door unlock when those items start failing. Its gonna be fun to watch those threads. Another case of too much tech where its not needed.

 

[Thorsten]

Well in a couple years start watching car forums for the cars that DONT have ignition switches/key locks anymore but rely on transponder keyfobs to "activate" the ignition unlock/door unlock when those items start failing. Its gonna be fun to watch those threads. Another case of too much tech where its not needed.

Why do you think this is limited to cars without ignition switches? Many cars with such switch will not start unless the car detects the transponder in the key. The car can't be started with a mechanically duplicated key. And those systems have been around for many years and are just as reliable as the rest of the cars computers. Why would that particular system start to fail, and why in a couple of years? And why isn't it needed? I believe it's to help prevent car theft. If Nikon would execute such system (tailored to photo gear) well, it would be a competitive advantage, at least until Canon follows along.

 

[Mad Hatter]

Why do you think this is limited to cars without ignition switches? Many cars with such switch will not start unless the car detects the transponder in the key. The car can't be started with a mechanically duplicated key. And those systems have been around for many years and are just as reliable as the rest of the cars computers. Why would that particular system start to fail, and why in a couple of years? And why isn't it needed? I believe it's to help prevent car theft. If Nikon would execute such system (tailored to photo gear) well, it would be a competitive advantage, at least until Canon follows along.

Some cars skip the key in general and just have a push button start that only goes if you have the transponder.

There was a story on cbc radio 1 about someone who's dog ate the key transponder and then could only start the car by taking the dog with him for two days until the dog passed the transponder key. Heh.

As for this idea in regards to nikon, yeah I suppose it's not a terrible idea. It needs to be carefully done however, the last thing I need when I'm doing a shoot is to enter in a pin number every time I swap lenses. Lens swaps are done frantically in order to capture an important moment typically. I don't want to potentially miss shots because I have to enter my pin.

 

[daveg]

If it is true and it is implemented I'm pretty sure that it will still be up to the user to either turn the feature ON or OFF.

It's like most other features - you are in charge.

There's a feature on TVs which allows you to dictate what your children can watch and when they can watch it. Most of us don't know how to implement it but others will use it to protect their children.

DG

 

[wizzard0003]

If it is true and it is implemented I'm pretty sure that it will still be up to the user to either turn the feature ON or OFF.

It's like most other features - you are in charge.

There's a feature on TVs which allows you to dictate what your children can watch and when they can watch it. Most of us don't know how to implement it but others will use it to protect their children.

DG

Exactly...

Default mode would be unlocked... You would have to DECIDE to lock it down,
it wouldn't lock down automatically on it's own...

 

[Mike66]

There's a feature on TVs which allows you to dictate what your children can watch and when they can watch it. Most of us don't know how to implement it but others will use it to protect their children.

Unfortunately, Sky does not allow its satellite subscription users to disable the parental control of movies shown outside the watershed times. The enabling PIN must be manually entered to watch these programs, which is a pain when I want to record them during the day while I'm out and watch them later.

 

[Counter]

I'm not sure how this would deter a thief. With a car obviously it becomes an immovable object unless you can hoist it onto the back of a truck but with a camera, a thief would steal it and just throw it in the river as soon as they realized it was 'locked'. The fact that it might be locked would not put them off stealing it in the first place. Most mobile phones are locked and yet they are the most stolen item in the UK.

If Nikon could file a patent for a remote exploding device so you could trigger it while the thief was running away with your gear hence making the thief immobile by removing his limbs, then they might be on to something.

 

[wizzard0003]

If Nikon could file a patent for a remote exploding device so you could trigger it while the thief was running away with your gear hence making the thief immobile by removing his limbs, then they might be on to something.

I'll vote for that...! :tongue:

Either that or if the camera is locked down and you pick it up you have 30 seconds to enter the pass code
or you get zapped with 50,000 volts...! :biggrin:

 

[ImageReflex]

One of the outcomes of the law change. Not the first person to invent something, it's now the first person to FILE an IDEA owning the patent.

Not to discount that it can be a total fabrication from somebody's caffeine-crazed mind.

For better or worse, first to fie prevents some of the nonsense where inventors come out of the woodwork and claim to have invented something much earlier than the people who applied for patents timely. It also puts the US on the same sort of system as the rest of the world.

With regard to the "fabrication from somebody's caffeine-crazed mind," recognize that most reduction to practice in the US (under the old system as well as the new) is constructive, meaning that the idea has only been out down on paper, and not necessarily tested (or, as in might have been the case 100 years ago or so, actually constructed to prove that it works).

 

[Gear Head]

And those systems have been around for many years and are just as reliable as the rest of the cars computers.

Uhh no there not :frown: And this has nothing to do with anti theft. Its data mining to keep a record of who has what body's and lenses. Its one thing to buy the names and addresses of people who send in a 1 dollar rebate on a oil filter.
But to buy a list of names who are guaranteed to have spent 5,000..10,000+ dollars..now that will bring Nikon millions of dollars.
And to say this wont fail..that's like saying Nikon wont bring out a camera that wont left focus..without a fix..and deny there was ever a problem.
I mean that would never happen. :smile:
Gary

 

[Growltiger]

How about a patent for a system that adds fingerprint detection to the release button.

Seems at least as good an idea as theirs.

Advantages.
1. Anti-theft. If you are not authorised it won't take a photo.
2. It allows several authorised photographers to be registered, and the EXIF data shows who took each photo.

 

[rpracing]

Some cars skip the key in general and just have a push button start that only goes if you have the transponder.

Bingo.

There was a story on cbc radio 1 about someone who's dog ate the key transponder and then could only start the car by taking the dog with him for two days until the dog passed the transponder key. Heh.

That was a funny news story.:biggrin:

 

[Aleksey]

Uhh no there not :frown: And this has nothing to do with anti theft. Its data mining to keep a record of who has what body's and lenses. Its one thing to buy the names and addresses of people who send in a 1 dollar rebate on a oil filter.
But to buy a list of names who are guaranteed to have spent 5,000..10,000+ dollars..now that will bring Nikon millions of dollars.
And to say this wont fail..that's like saying Nikon wont bring out a camera that wont left focus..without a fix..and deny there was ever a problem.
I mean that would never happen. :smile:
Gary

If body and each new lens require an activation code, then there will be no Gray Import and no Third Party lenses except for those who paid Nikon a tribute (literally).:smile:
The way it works now, Lenses are produced in China or Thailand or Bangladesh factories and for every 1000 lenses a 100 get stolen and 200 more produced as "extra" from spare parts and are going to be sold without any money going to Nikon. Nobody can stop that. It is a 'specifics' of those countries. Cheap labor, screwy laws, corruption and theft.
Now imagine that for a body or a new lens to work customer needs to get a code directly from Nikon or from an authorized dealer at the place of sale. Kaboom! No more money going in someone's pockets around Nikon. No more unauthorized shops and private dudes selling any main gear on the internet.. No more ways around the warranty rules. And, yes, they will keep all your data and sell it too, and yes, it will make life hard for a thiefs.
Then again, firmware will be hacked, codes will be sold, "works with everything" numbers will be discovered. Life will go on. :smile:

 

[Joseph]

I had to move a coworker's car one day (a newer BMW) and I couldn't start the damn thing. I miss the good ole days of using a regular key to start a car and shifting with real stick. None of these transponder/triptronic/hyper shifter star trek stuff we have today. Also, what happened to the days when we as kids got spanked if we watched too much TV :smile: Nowadays you set the parental control and kids just go to youtube and find a way to hack it anyway

 

[Gear Head]

The way it works now, Lenses are produced in China or Thailand or Bangladesh factories and for every 1000 lenses a 100 get stolen and 200 more produced as "extra" from spare parts and are going to be sold without any money going to Nikon.

How accurate do you think these numbers are? Its not that I doubt them just woudering.
There used to be a aerospace company in the same town as me. I was always hiring their castoff employees. They had super tight security, metal detectors, the works.
One day a guy came to the shop that had just been laid off from there. Said he had a few extra endmills that he had "accidentally" taken home over the years and needed some money... I said yea ok lets see what you got, expecting 5 or 6.
He had a one ton long bed level full..bumper dragging the ground I told him to take a hike and I wouldn't call the cops.
Gary

 

[GonzoBernelli]

Nikon may be good at optics and may be good at hardware, but totally fail at software. CNX proves my point. This will not be one of their strong points to be bragged about...

 

[Counter]

Nikon may be good at optics and may be good at hardware, but totally fail at software. CNX proves my point. This will not be one of their strong points to be bragged about...

a. What is wrong with NX2?
b. What do you think runs all the Nikon hardware in your Nikon camera?

 

[Carole]

Some cars skip the key in general and just have a push button start that only goes if you have the transponder.

There was a story on cbc radio 1 about someone who's dog ate the key transponder and then could only start the car by taking the dog with him for two days until the dog passed the transponder key. Heh.

As for this idea in regards to nikon, yeah I suppose it's not a terrible idea. It needs to be carefully done however, the last thing I need when I'm doing a shoot is to enter in a pin number every time I swap lenses. Lens swaps are done frantically in order to capture an important moment typically. I don't want to potentially miss shots because I have to enter my pin.

My MINI is like that. But I was given two fobs when I bought my car. I can unlock the door with a key (contained in the fob), but I can't start the car without it.

I think having to have a passcode to use a camera would stop a lot of the theft.

Carole