Welcome to Patent Bolt, a dedicated Intellectual Property news site that specializes in dissecting patent applications from leading industry players such as Microsoft, Google, Samsung and others. If you love to explore future inventions, you'll love our site.
Patent Bolt discovered and reported on Toshiba having invented a future eBook-like device just last week. We noted at that time that the dual display eBook design is one that both Microsoft and Samsung are currently working on as well. It's a next-wave trend that is likely to come to market in the not-too-distant future. Now a second patent application from Toshiba has surfaced and this time around we learn that one of their research teams have invented a future Ultrabook-like design that could double as an eBook with just a few hardware twists. While the idea behind the hybrid design is fascinating, Toshiba may first introduce the practical side of this invention which is the built-in notebook stand. Then again, only time will tell.
Some electronic devices that are on the market today are called and are used as eBooks even though they're really just tiny tablets like Amazon's Kindle. In the not-too-distant future we're going to see true eBook-like devices emerge on the market en mass that will offer a foldable frame supporting dual displays. These next generation eBooks are now beginning to surface in Microsoft patents (one and two) in great detail. They're also emerging in Samsung patents (one and two) with some pretty cool ideas associated with them. This current trend suggests that that Microsoft has spoken with their partners about supporting dual display devices in the foreseeable future, as Toshiba has now shown their hand in a patent application that surfaced this month. Dual display designs are bound to delight both eBook fans and multitaskers alike.
In yesterday's Toshiba patent report we covered their intention of updating their notebook line-up with built-in cellular connectivity and stylus holder in the not-too-distant future. In today's report, we cover Toshiba's intention of jumping into the tablet craze full tilt. A few of Toshiba's latest patents reveal that they have a new tablet and communication system on the drawing table that involves a dual docking station that will charge both a wireless phone and tablet at the same time while syncing apps, calendars and messages.
As Windows 8 is set launch this fall, Toshiba is hard at work on a number of new products that will take advantage of this new OS. In our first of two reports, we cover two of Toshiba's patents that reveal a cellular notebook with a built-in stylus holder. Windows 8 will support digital pen input when a notebook is in tablet mode and that would suggest that Toshiba's notebook display will be able to switch to this mode even though the patent is unclear on this point. In June, Lenovo launched their new cloud-based cellular notebook – and this is likely to be one of the next-wave features coming to notebooks in 2012-2013. Toshiba clearly doesn't want to miss out on this always-on notebook trend and we're likely to see their patent leap to life in the not-too-distant future. Updated October 30, 2012
