Earlier this month the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Microsoft that covers designing mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops to have multiple live displays. One example of such a device is illustrated above relating to a smartphone that would have a smaller display at the top to convey certain types of information. The display's top layer will give consumers the impression that it's one seamless display. The reality however is that beneath the display Microsoft uses a unique method of stitching the multiple displays together. In 2013 Apple filed a patent application for mini displays that could be incorporated into the sides of a smart device. In 2011 Nokia put out a concept video about a smartphone called the Nokia Gem which illustrated a plurality of displays seamlessly stitched together. Whether Microsoft inherited this particular technology from Nokia is unknown at this time.
Microsoft's Patent Background
As reliance of information accessed through mobile computing devices (laptops, tablets and smartphones) has grown, the desire for information "snacking" has increased. Snacking is the behavior where a user uses their mobile device frequently and for short durations to look at small pieces of information.Frequently snacked-upon information can include the time of day, stock tickers, sports scores, social media feeds, e-mail inbox status, calendar, text messages, incoming call information, etc.
Microsoft Seeks Patent for Mobile Devices with Multiple Displays
Microsoft's invention generally relates to mobile computing devices having plural displays. In some embodiments, the mobile computing device comprises a non-hinged or bar-type body comprising a front side, a rear side, and four lateral sides extending between the front side and the rear side, with a main display on the front side and at least one secondary display the front side or one of the lateral sides.
The main display and the secondary display can comprise two discrete electronic display devices, and in some embodiments can comprise touch-sensitive input devices as well as visual display devices.
The main display and the secondary display can be turned on and off independently of each other, and otherwise independently controlled to display desired information based on preset display logic. For example, a smaller secondary display can be left on when a larger main display is off in order to display snacking information while conserving energy.
In some embodiments, the main display and the secondary display are coupled together along a common edge, such as with matching beveled edges, with an adhesive, and/or with a compliant gasket (see FIG. 6 below).
The main display can be disposed in a plane that is non-parallel with a plane in which the secondary display is disposed, such as at right angles or obtuse angles. In some embodiments, the secondary display can be located on a lateral side of the device that is canted out at an obtuse angle to the front side such that the secondary device is visible from the front of the device.
The device can comprise a one-piece, at least partially transparent cover layer that covers both the main display and the secondary display. When the secondary display is disposed on a lateral side of the device, the cover layer can extend around the edge of the mobile device to cover both displays. In some embodiments the device can include at least a third display on another lateral side and the cover layer can extend around at least two edges of the device to cover all the displays. The portions of the cover layer that covers the secondary display can comprise a convex outer surface to magnify the information displayed there.
The mobile device can include at least one display controller configured to determine when the main display is on or off and when the secondary display is on or off, and what information is displayed when either screen is on, based on input data received from one or more sensors, a battery charge level, and/or characteristics of data received that is to be displayed. The device can use various factors to determine when to use the secondary display. These factors can include the orientation of the device, whether the main display is being used or is facing another surface, the battery charge level, the current function of the device (e.g., in a phone call, etc.), the type and size of the information to be displayed, etc.
Microsoft filed their patent application back in Q1 2013. Considering that this is a patent application, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.
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