Here's an innovative step to make your devices smarter - Microsoft Technology Licensing has recently obtained a patent (US11726801B2) that aims to make computing systems recall and adapt to user preferences for a more seamless transition between different setups - such as when you move from a home office to a work office setup. The patent titled '' aims to address the pitfalls of current systems that don't maintain a historical record of your window arrangements on your screen.
You've likely experienced the inconvenience and disruption of workflow caused when you plug in your laptop to an external monitor only to find your windows all over the place. Microsoft believes they may have the solution. Traditionally, each time you connect your computing device to a different display, you are tasked with rearranging your windows all over again. This disruption can hinder workflow and decrease usability significantly.
Microsoft's patent aims to make use of historical data to maintain consistent user interface layouts, such as window positions, icons, menus, and even webpage elements, as you move between different setups. Simple tasks such as moving from a home docking station to a temporary docking station or to a work docking station can now be hassle-free. Your computer will remember your preferences, and arrange things just the way you like them.
The new method promises to enhance user experience significantly by reducing the time wasted in repositioning interface elements, and it also raises productivity in numerous ways. By keeping track of how a user configures user interface elements, the interface can quickly adapt when reconnected to previously used hardware. This data could be stored locally on your device, or even in remote locations, such as a cloud-based storage service.
Remember the frustration when your laptop didn’t properly adapt to a docking station at work? This patented tool aims to diminish that irritation by remembering how you like your applications on the screen, thus allowing you to continue work, uninterrupted.
The proposed technology is a part of the anticipated Windows 11 rollout and hopes to improve upon current issues faced by users when transition between different monitor topologies. However, like any patent, it is not a guarantee that this technology will be seen on the marketplace. A patent reflects an idea that a company may utilize, so while it presents an exciting prospect for the future of computing, it may or may not see commercial implementation. Time will tell if Microsoft brings this intelligent feature with their next Windows update.