What you need to know
- A Microsoft patent shows a design for a laptop featuring an additional drawing space.
- The patent includes designs with an inking space next to the trackpad and on the back of the detachable keyboard.
- As with all patents, these designs may never be used in a device.
A new patent by Microsoft shows off a potential Surface Book featuring additional inking spaces (via WindowsUnited). The patent includes designs with a digital inking space next to the trackpad and on the back of the detachable keyboard. The device illustrated in the patent appears similar to a Surface Book.
Patent number WO 2019/231647 A1 was filed on May 13, 2019 but was only published today. Its summary describes how the additional inking spaces could work,
A computing device is described herein for capturing handwritten marks. It includes a main computing unit and a detachable writing input device joined by a connecting mechanism. The main computing unit includes a main display device, while the writing input device hosts a keyboard and a writing surface.
The patent includes two different ways to incorporate an inking space. First, as shown in the image above, a laptop could have a dedicated inking space next to the trackpad. Second, as shown in the image below, the inking space could be housed on the back of a detachable keyboard. This second option would provide more space to use for inking but could affect a laptop's durability.
As with all patents, these designs might never be used in a product. They do illustrate that Microsoft is trying to think of new ways to maximize the utility of devices.
