Microsoft Awarded Patent for Dual-Screen Tablet
Gone but not forgotten.
Microsoft killed off its fascinating dual screen tablet, the Courier, in April of this year and, while the company said in a statement that it would be evaluated for use in future offerings, Redmond also stated, "We have no plans to build such a device at this time."
Disappointed, we came to terms with the fact that Microsoft's 14-inch (2 x 7-inch touch screens) digital journal would never come to pass. However, a recent application to the U.S. Patent and Trademarks Office leads us to believe Microsoft was definitely serious about the Courier. Despite the fact that Robbie Bach told TechFlash in May that the Courier was never a device, rather it was a project and incubation leading to innovations that could find their way into other Microsoft products, this patent filed in January suggests Microsoft was, at one time, committed to a product that looked strikingly similar to the Courier.
Microsoft received the patent this week and TechFlash reports that this kind of patent is good for 14 years, so Microsoft has until 2024 to do something with this design.


"There are three types of patents
* Utility patents may be granted to anyone who invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof;
* Design patents may be granted to anyone who invents a new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture; and
* Plant patents may be granted to anyone who invents or discovers and asexually reproduces any distinct and new variety of plant."
I don't see how this really is "original" as it seems like a rather logical step in the eventual designs of portable electronics. Just look at the Nintendo DS that has been out since 2004. Either way I think a patent for dual screens is questionable.
Bill,
please come back!
Inappropriate image. Go read 1984.
"But we have plans to sue anybody else who builds such a device in the future."
Glad to see how patents "promote" innovations in real world.
maybe you should. doesn't matter whether you really build it or not...
Patents were never intended for Corps to get "dibs" on new ideas and then sit and wait for someone else to actually do something with it (are you listening NTP?)
While I agree about the Kin... you're addressing this to the wrong peron.