Now that we've begun discussing the actual construction of patents in class, rather than the litigation and monetary aspects of them, I think my blog posts should reflect that as well. After all, I took this class because I am excited by the technological innovation that patents provide, not how much money I can make from suing other people over them.
That said, here's a cool patent that Microsoft just filed: http://www.mobilemag.com/2013/02/22/microsoft-germ-patent/
It's essentially an aspect of a touch-screen (such as on a smartphone or table) that would automatically kill germs on the surface by radiating them with UV light over certain intervals. It is designed to be minimally invasive to the user of the tablet, blocking the UV radiation outside the screen.
I think that this is a great example of innovation and forward thinking, and using patents to protect those ideas. Especially coming from Microsoft, a company that has come under recent criticism for lack of innovation. But with ideas like this, they may be ready to jump back into the game.
If Microsoft implements this I think it could be a good selling point for all those germ freaks out there, and may act as a tie-breaker feature among people choosing among mobile or tablet devices. Perhaps Purell should start worrying...
This sounds like a really good idea, since phones are probably one of the dirtiest things out there. I mean, people use their phones all the time, no matter if their hands are clean or dirty. The screen probably accumulates germs pretty quickly so this would be awesome. However, the obstacle that Microsoft may run into is convincing people that the UV light doesn't harm the skin, since there's always the specter of radiation sickness lurking in the back of people's minds.
ReplyDeleteYeah I saw this patent filed earlier this week - and it's definitely a step in the right direction. I don't know if it could be a huge selling point for devices, but adding this feature in could definitely sway some people to buying Microsoft devices.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's going to be a major factor in marketing this device to consumers, at least for smartphones. Might be useful for LeapFrog tablets for kids though and other small kid cell phones (Firefly cell phone).
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