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We've seen a lot of interesting patents from Apple in the last few days, but Microsoft loves patent stuff too — and they were given only a bunch of nice little designs for mobile phones in a special format and some Kinect slider and mouse tech for download.
They are patenting a simple slider, of course. They are patenting several specific designs of the sliding mechanism, which, after you finish sliding action, keyboard and screen are mostly similar to the plane. "i.e., mainly the flush. Check this:
Potentially, the advantage is more comfortable typing experience. Many complained to recruit around G1's "Chin", and other phones with sunken keyboards have similar problems. My problem with the design as it is that additional loops and such may increase weight and sturdiness. The second design looks more interesting, however, reduce the display, rather than increasing the keyboard. That actually could work.
I'd like to see is some patents on the slider keyboard with keys that are actually fun to type on. Or maybe a slide-out keyboard for tablets that do not increase the weight of the thing at 500%.
Microsoft also received a patent that explicitly refers to Kinect is the definition of the potential of space to gestures and track user's movement within a cone. I wouldn't say this is particularly interesting, but if you are interested in Kinect and Microsoft for its implementation, it could make for some fun reading this weekend.
More up my alley, Microsoft has patented a method of interaction with games through multi-touch mice. I'm very surprised this patent came because the games just a form of software, and must be hundreds of patents in the game on the interaction of the software and multi-touch surface. Mostly I liked looking at patent because they use illustrations that times back in the days of yore when multi-touch mice were a novel proposal.
[via WMPoweruser]
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