The company is trying to protect the tablet design with a new patent

Mar 27, 2013 08:46 GMT  ·  By

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has recently issued a new Microsoft patent regarding the Touch Cover of the Surface tablet available for both the RT and the Pro models.

While this is clearly an attempt of the Redmond-based giant to make sure that nobody every copies the design of its device, the patent also protects the magnetic system used to connect the cover to the keyboard from being copied by other companies.

The Touch Cover is one of the aggressively advertised features of the Surface tablet, as both the Pro and the RT versions can be equipped with the device that acts not only as a protective cover, but also as a keyboard.

The newly issued patent could also be an indication that some of the upcoming Surface tablets could use a similar Touch Cover and a magnetic bonding system, as Microsoft seems fully prepared to continue its efforts in the hardware industry.