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Latest Surface Book Solution Will Solve Some Hinge Problems

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In yet another surprising move, Microsoft has another patent describing radical new technology enter the public realm. In yet another surprising move, it’s all about the hinges of a Surface Book styled device. Yet again the imagination and ideas flooding out of Redmond show that innovation is alive and well.

Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple on the latest patent that builds on Microsoft’s current hinge in the Surface Book to support a flexible display and protect the components in a wide range of form factors:

The device is shown in a manner to emphasize the flexible display and the hinge assembly. However, the device may include other components. For instance, in one case, the first and second portions can be manifest as housings. Electronic components, such as processors and/or storage, may be positioned on and/or in the housing and may be interconnected by conductors extending between the two portions and/or to the flexible display.

A myriad of device implementations is contemplated. For instance, the device can be manifest as an e-reader, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a smartphone computer, a wearable smart device, a display device, a home appliance, a component of an airline seat, and/or a component of a vehicle, among other implementations.

A previous hinge design, seen here on Microsoft's Surface Book 2 15-inch model (Ewan Spence)

Ewan Spence

As noted, this is not the first patent to reveal Microsoft’s work on its computing hardware - primarily the Surface family of devices. In recent weeks Forbes has covered technology that could improve the stability of the hinge in the Surface Book, add a secondary display to the Surface Pen, and improved support for a display in an expanding hinge.

This patent clearly shows the next generation of Surface Book hinge. The look is clearly that of the existing ‘dynamic fulcrum hinge’, but instead of being a hinge that allows the touchscreen display to be removed from a base and act as a Windows 10 powered tablet, it protects a foldable screen as it closes  in the classic clamshell style of a laptop. The expanding elements of the outer surface of the hinge would protect the assembly from some of the issues that appear to have caused issues with the Samsung Galaxy Fold.

Given the ‘split’ form factor of the Surface Book it’s unlikely that the next Surface Book will radically change functionality, but there is an argument for a ‘Surface Fold’ where a continuous screen will take the place of the traditional screen and fill in the curved hinge and replace the physical keyboard with a touch-enabled display.

Microsoft has been trialling a Surface device with two screens, but these are two screens with a ‘normal’ hinge between them that are being tested internally - if there was a radical single curved element I’m sure that would have leaked by now.

I would expect the former to be announced alongside the Surface Book 3 in October this year, and if it sees commercial and critical success then it could be a stepping stone to a single screened foldable device in the future.

Of course patents do not guarantee the public will see the technology, but they do show a company hard at work innovating around the public’s expectations of mobile hardware.

Now read more about the extra power the Surface Book 3 could offer gamers…

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