Microsoft is trying to patent a technology that could reduce the brightness and the sound of smartphones, with an eye toward reducing the nuisance in public places.Released yesterday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the patent application called "Silent Mode for Mobile Devices" defines a method to switch a smartphone into a "quiet" mode, either manually or automatically.
In this mode, the brightness and contrast is blurred while the audio is disabled. The information appearing on the home screen can also be minimized to slow down the display.
The user should be able to manually switch the phone in the silent mode. The phone could also stop automatically according to certain environmental conditions, such as light or sound.
This technology could be useful in a variety of scenarios. An example cited in the patent application is a dark, crowded theater where brightness and noise even a single smartphone is often inconvenient for others in the room. Another common example is when a person in bed trying to sleep while the other fiddles with a smartphone that illuminates practically the entire room.
Mobile communication devices are sometimes used as a substitute for a watch, and these people can use the device to check the time while in the theater. Even the use of the device may be distracting to other theatergoers because of the light emanating from the screen when the user looks at the screen to display the time. Many of these same problems and similar arise not only in theaters, but in other environments and locations as in a meeting room, car, and even bedrooms.
As smartphones become more ubiquitous, they are also more discreet. Microsoft is not the first company to try to find a way to make smartphones more acceptable in public places. Apple recently filed a patent for iPhones deaden the sound vibrate mode. Whichever happens first, hope that technology eventually find its way to all smartphones.
