Pair of patent applications from Microsoft deals with its rumored foldable device

Back in December, Microsoft filed some patents related to a foldable tablet that seemed to have the ability to be manipulated into a phone-sized mobile product. Many considered this to be the long-awaited Surface Phone, and renders of the device showed a dual-screen foldable unit that could be converted to tablet mode, tent mode, laptop mode, and folded mode. Users will reportedly get to take notes using the side-by-side screens as though he/she was using a regular paper notebook. The whole concept is rumored to be called Project Andromeda, and a pair of fresh patent applications pertaining to the foldable device have been released.

One patent tries to solve the problems created when a device with two displays is connected by a hinge in the middle. In this case, Microsoft says that conventional gestures will not work. "This can detract from user enjoyment and lead to user frustration when using these types of devices," says the patent application for US 2018/0113520 A1. According to Microsoft, the answer is to use different types of inputs that take into account the orientation of the device, the position of the hinge, and how the user is holding the product. "Accordingly, a variety of different input signals can be combined with the hinge interaction to modify the operation associated with the hinge interaction." Microsoft says that this would make the OS "radically smarter."

The second patent application, US 2018/0113241 A1, deals with a method to keep the two screens used on the foldable device looking flat, even if they are curved. To solve this issue, Microsoft proposes using an "image-correcting layer" that creates the illusion that the screen is not curving.

Check out images from both patents by clicking on the slideshow below.


source: FPO (1), (2) via WindowsCentral