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The United States Patent and Trademark Office recently published details on a Microsoft patent relating to a two-sided smart device display system for phones and tablets, PatentBolt reported on Friday. The invention features an integrated second low-power, possibly E Ink, display on the back side of a smartphone or tablet that would contain certain types of information. The secondary display could provide vendors with an opportunity to move standard items like a clock off of the main display to free up space, or it could display a variety of other information that might otherwise not be shown. The second display would use its own low-powered processor and may reduce the power load from a device's primary display. The patent appears to be similar in intent to Samsung's “smart-device-skins” invention - a technology that may allow users to change the appearance of a handset using chameleon-like technology - and it could be used to display images or animations on the back side of a device.
