Disney Patented 3D Portable Games Console

The folk behind Mickey Mouse and company, Disney, filed a patent back in 2011 that may indicate potential future plans to enter the games console business with a portable AR unit.

The application describes a portable, like Nintendo's own DS console, that would use forms of Augmented Reality (AR) to provide a "visual scene for display using one or more camera devices". The user would then be able to output a 3D image on the screen using a parallax barrier, in combination with motion sensors, to detect a viewing angle - the same approach used by Nintendo in the 3DS

The result would form a 3DS-esque console with the AR functionality in mind, with the patent describing a real-world coffee cup that could be replaced with pre-rendered footage. This cup would be blended into the scene in a dynamic way based on the lighting in the room and could end up morphing into Chip from Beauty and the Beast as an example.

Disney has yet to embark on any hardware related to the patent, but time will tell if the House of Mouse has plans to go down this route given a current focus towards mobile and social.

What do you think of the idea? Perhaps a basic hand-held interactive toy for younger ones instead of a true 3DS/Vita competitor?