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Microsoft awarded patents for Metro UI and soft-keyboards

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By Michael Heller

Updated: Aug 19, 2011, 10:17 PM

Windows

Microsoft awarded patents for Metro UI and soft-keyboards

Microsoft has been awarded two new patents in the mobile sphere, one we can get behind, and one that seems suspect enough as to get filed under our "patently ridiculous" section. Microsoft's patents are in regards to the Metro UI for phones, and for user specific predictive soft-keyboards. Which one would you pick as the ridiculous patent?

The first patent is in regards to the Metro UI, or more specifically the panoramic UI used on phones. The patent filing images show the Metro UI and how is extends past the boundaries of the screen on phone devices, including the three layers and various interactive elements. This doesn't seem like such a bad patent, as the Metro UI is pretty innovative overall.

The trouble comes with the second patent covering "user specific predictive soft-keyboards", which seems incredibly vague and not at all innovative. The patent essentially covers the process of keeping a user history of input in order to generate better auto-correct and predictive suggestions on a soft-keyboard. The process of keeping a user-specific dictionary is certainly nothing new, and neither are systems learning from user's frequent typos, and this patent seems to just be an extension of that, so we're not sure exactly why it was awarded.

source: USPTO via WMPU

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Michael Heller is known for his clear and informative articles on mobile technology. He explores important topics such as the rollouts of 5G networks and the advancements in mobile payments, offering readers insights into the evolving tech landscape.