Skip to main content

Microsoft applies for patent outlining “inconspicuous mode”

Tablet glowing in the darkJust because a company applies for or even receives a patent, it doesn’t necessarily mean the feature will end up in a future product. As Microsoft does from time to time, the company applied for a new patent recently. This one is called “inconspicuous mode” and if it ever makes it to Windows Phone, the world will be a slightly happier place.

“Inconspicuous mode” works by not only turning down the brightness but also minimizing the user interface on screen. It’s best to describe this patent with an example. Smartphone brightness in general is at an optimal level, offering enough light to make our screens visible in direct sunlight. However, in certain environments that brightness can cause some bothersome issues.

Microsoft's "Inconspicuous Mode"Take the theater for instance. Like illustrated in the photo, most users take out their smartphone during a movie to check the time or perform a similar, quick action. But in a darkened room, even the lockscreen can be an annoying distraction to fellow audience members. Microsoft proposes then that the interface be stripped to the bare minimum and show only the current time, removing the notifications and bright background image. The patent is a really neat idea and the software’s ability to detect certain conditions automatically, like a darkened room, make it even more promising. Since it has such an obvious real-world use and doesn’t seem too difficult to implement, we could definitely see “inconspicuous mode” making its way to a future iteration of Windows Phone.

Unfortunately, Microsoft has no official plans to roll out the feature. A spokesperson for the company responded to an inquiry from Engadget with the type of canned response expected in this situation, stating Microsoft “regularly applies for and receives patents” and “not all” of them show up in shipped products. Fortunately for Windows Phone fans, a typical response like that proves nothing. Microsoft could very well be working on the feature but unwilling to talk about it at this time.

With any luck, Windows Phone could usher in a new era of smartphones that know when it’s polite to be discreet. It could also help minimize the shock of an incredibly bright screen assaulting your vision in the morning. Like the concept Surface Phone, we’d like to officially add this to our wish list.

Editors' Recommendations

Andrew Kalinchuk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andrew covers news and opinions pertaining to smartphones, tablets, and all else mobile for Digital Trends. He recently…
Microsoft to soon roll out mouse, trackpad support for Office apps on iPad
A person holding the iPad Pro 2020.

Microsoft will soon add mouse and trackpad support for its Office apps for the iPad, after Apple introduced cursor support for the tablet in March through the iPadOS 13.4 update.

Microsoft is reportedly working on iPad cursor support for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Office apps, with the rollout to happen this fall, according to TechCrunch.

Read more
Patent suggests Apple is seriously considering an iPhone with no ports
iPhone 11 Pro cameras on table

If you were angry when Apple removed the headphone jack in the iPhone 7, well, you might want to look away for a little while. A newly surfaced patent from the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office shows an iPhone with a completely glass body, complete with a seamless wraparound display -- but absolutely no ports or buttons.

The patent describes the device as an electronic device with a "six-sided glass enclosure" which includes "a touchscreen display within the interior volume" and "at least a portion of each of the six sides" -- meaning Apple is considering having the touchscreen extend down the sides of the display. Images included with the patent suggest this could be used to show elements like the battery level and notifications, but could also be used to replace the traditional power and volume keys. It's possible Apple could end up using tech similar to HTC's Edge Sense and Google's Active Edge, which allow you to issue commands by squeezing your phone. It's not currently known how glass would react to such squeezes.

Read more
Microsoft’s new Office app hints at the Surface Duo’s potential
new microsoft office app productivity surface duo splashvideothumbnail

This holiday season, Microsoft will release a dual-screen smartphone known as the Surface Duo. As a dual-screen device, you can stack your favorite apps side by side, span apps across the screen for a better view of your work, and generally do more while on the go.

That demands software and hardware work hand-in-hand, however, so the new Office app for iOS and Android is paving the way forward. It'll make your phone a bit more useful for work -- in Office apps, at least.
One hub for all things Office
You can already use the dedicated Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps on your phone. With the new Office app, however, Microsoft is creating a one-stop hub for all things related to work. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are all part of the Office app. Yet it's lightweight, coming in at less than 100MB.

Read more