Skip to main content

Microsoft patent hints at new ways to interact with dual-screen Surface tablet

It’s no secret that Microsoft is working on a folding Surface for 2020, and plenty of patents have already hinted at the would-be design plans for the device. In the latest development, a recent patent suggests that a foldable Microsoft Surface device could feature multifunction buttons and new ways for users to interact with its dual-screen layout.

Recommended Videos

It was originally filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in January 2018 and made public on July 18, 2019. The patent for “Orientation Specific Control” describes a specific way for users to control a foldable device in various orientations. Microsoft explicitly mentions the use of an “orientation-specific actuator,” as well as “second functionality in response to engagement of the orientation-specific actuator” in the patent, first discovered by the blog Windows Latest.

While this technology makes more sense for a foldable Microsoft phone like the now-shelved Project Andromeda, the patent still suggests that Microsoft could be thinking of including a multifunction button somewhere on the rumored dual-screen Surface Centarus. Not only would the orientation-specific actuator control landscape and portrait mode, but it also could serve as a button to control other activities while the foldable tablet or Surface is held open in other positions. For instance, the button could also activate a sleep mode, and might have various other purposes based on how long it is pressed.

“An example device can be a foldable computing device. Engaging an orientation-specific actuator (e.g., a button) of the device while the device is in a closed orientation can affect the first range of functionality.  However, when an orientation of the device changes, the functionality accessible via the same orientation-specific actuator can also change,” Microsoft explains.

As always, not all patents evolve into a final product, but Microsoft has actively been considering new technologies for Surface devices. Previous Microsoft patents have detailed the folding mechanism in a computing device, as well as folding -related technologies for the screen. Microsoft has also played with the idea of a thinner Type Cover keyboard for its Surface Pro devices, as well as support for wireless charging and a rear screen on the Surface Pro.

Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
Microsoft ends support for this four-year-old Surface device
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 rear view showing lid and logo.

Microsoft has officially ended support for the cheapest device in the Surface lineup, the Surface Laptop Go, after just four years. It can still be upgraded to Windows 11 24H2 and the laptop will still receive security updates, but it won't get any new firmware or driver updates.

The first-generation Surface Laptop Go isn't just an inexpensive laptop -- it's an extremely inexpensive laptop. In 2020, it launched for just $550, a price tag made possible by its limited RAM and storage, alongside a pretty low-resolution screen.

Read more
Microsoft Surface Pro vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop: mainstream battle
The edge of the Surface Pro 11.

Since releasing the original Surface tablet in 2012, Microsoft has grown its PC business into a multibillion-dollar enterprise. The mobile Surface line has expanded to include 2-in-1 and traditional clamshell laptops in various form factors. There's the Surface Pro 11, Surface Laptop 7, Surface Laptop Go 3, and Surface Laptop Studio 2. That's quite the lineup, and you'll find a Surface on a number of our best-of lists such as best tablets and best laptops.

The two most mainstream lines, though, are the Surface Pro 11 and the Surface Laptop 7. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, and you'll want to keep them in mind if you're looking for a Surface and choosing between the two.
Specs and configurations

Read more
The new Surface Laptop whips the MacBook in this important test
The keyboard and trackpad on the new Surface Laptop.

With the release of the new Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7, iFixit has begun its usual investigation into just how easy it is for customers to repair the devices. And, in an unexpected, but welcome turn of events, the two Copilot+ PCs both scored a repairability rating of 8 out of 10, which represents a huge win over the 5/10 score given to the M3 MacBook Air.

Microsoft has long been a thorn in iFixit's side, with the original Surface Laptop receiving a rock-bottom rating of 0 out of 10 in 2017.

Read more