Thanks to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s rule that patents are made public 18 months after filing, we can now see Palm’s September 16, 2008 application for a patent for “Orientation Based Control of Mobile Device,” which shows some interesting near-future possibilities for both features and lawsuits.
While admittedly written in somewhat difficult-to-follow language (as patents generally are), the application describes ways to control non-navigation features of a smartphone or other mobile device based on its orientation, but also potentially on the context (location, date and time, nearby devices, etc.). Some of the examples given in the application include a universal remote control program which figures out the nearest device and controls it when pointed at it; a theme park program that displays a map when the smartphone is placed face up on a flat surface; downloading a file automatically when the phone is pointed at a sign at a conference, and so on.
For those who may be interested in what else Palm could have brewing on the patent front, Palm’s current U.S. patent applications can be viewed here and its issued patents here.
via gorumors, Thanks Arnad!