Microsoft has patented yet another device featuring two screens and a hinge with the focus entirely on detecting the movement of the display.
The patent is for a hinged mobile device and it is supposed to improve the user experience when the user interacts with the device, such as to change the orientation of the device.
First discovered by us, the patent is titled ‘Inference of an Intended Primary Display of a Hinged Mobile Device’ and it was
published by the USPTO on December 13. The patent was filed by Redmond-based Microsoft in June 2017.
In the background section, Microsoft writes that the physical contact between the two displays of the device allows it to take form factor of various postures “some of which include one display facing the user and the other display facing away from the user”.
“In some instances, the user may wish to interact primarily with one display as opposed to the other. By displaying content on both displays and/or on a secondary display, however, processing bandwidth is consumed as well as valuable battery life. This can detract from user enjoyment and lead to user frustration when using these types of devices,” Microsoft explains.
The patented method aims to address the problem where some dual-screen devices may fail to detect the physical movement of a first and/or second display portion of the device. The company has explained the method below:
“Techniques for inference of an intended primary display of a hinged mobile device are described. Generally, the techniques described herein adapt a user experience when the user interacts with the device, such as to change the posture (e.g., position and orientation in space) of the device.
For example, the techniques described herein detect physical movement of a first and/or a second display portion of the device. In implementations, the physical movement is recognized as a device gesture to indicate which of the display portions is intended to be used as the primary display. Further, a determination is made that the first display portion is intended to be used as the primary display based on the device gesture. Based on the determination, the primary display is initiated via the first display portion,” Microsoft notes.
It’s worth noting the patent is just an idea and not a guarantee that this is what Microsoft has in mind for Andromeda but there is always a chance that the long-rumored device could use similar technologies.
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