Earlier this week, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a new patent to Microsoft, which was filed during the first quarter of 2016, for a new contactless entry system for tablets.
According to Patently Apple, Microsoft could shake up the mobile device market if they decide to be the first to release devices in the market. This would place Microsoft at the forefront of other companies in terms of technological development, thus avoiding the image of lagging behind other companies’ innovations, especially Apple.
The publication states that the new contactless input system is similar to the technology available on Apple’s TrueDepth camera, but enables touch-free interactions, all through gestures close to the device.
To do this, he will use a depth camera to receive and understand “one or more depth maps depicting a scene that includes one or more human subjects”.
This system would also allow the movement of cursors on the screen, using pointy elements such as a fingertip or pencil, and even the use of multi-touch gestures.
This is an innovation that we still don’t know when it will reach the general public, perhaps in a new Surface device from the company? There are still some questions to be answered.