14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is believed to be working on a new mobile device, and while some call it Andromeda, others hope this could be the Surface Phone, though all signs seem to be pointing to a more complex approach with several form factors and foldable screens.
A new patent discovered during the weekend and called “Gesture Language for a Device with Multiple Touch Surfaces” provides with a quick glimpse into a new technology that Microsoft might be exploring for this new mobile device.
Basically, what Microsoft plans to do is to create a mobile device whose back would support touch input, which essentially means that it could be used for specific gestures, such as navigation. This idea wouldn’t be entirely new, as the fingerprint sensors on some Android phones do support gestures, but Microsoft would go one step further and use a touch-capable display on the back for more advanced input.
Foldable screens doing the whole work
Microsoft explains in the abstract section of the patent that such an implementation would allow gestures on both sides of the device, again allowing for more complex interactions and advanced functionality.
“A gesture language for a device with multiple touch surfaces is described. Generally, a series of new touch input models is described that includes touch input interactions on two disjoint touch-sensitive surfaces. For example, a mobile device can include a primary display on a ‘front’ side of the device, and a secondary display or touch-sensitive surface on the ‘back’ side of the device, such as a surface that is opposite the primary display,” the patent reads.
“Accordingly, the gesture language can include a series of ‘back touch’ interactions with the touch-sensitive surface on the backside of the device. Example interactions include direct and indirect touch input on the back side, as well as simultaneous touch input on both sides of the device.”
As usual, a patent isn’t necessarily confirmation that certain technology is being pushed to mass production, but as it turns out, Microsoft is exploring quite a plethora of options that would be powered by a device with foldable screens.