Technology giants Apple and Microsoft are locked in a new patent race over touchless gesture-controls, wireless communication device users will be interested to know.
New ways to control devices that do not involve physical contact have been revealed in recently-released patent filings.
Microsoft described waving one's hands to "draw" three-dimensional objects on a device.
Apple, on the other hand, has created a design that allows users to "throw" content from one device to another.
Reflecting on the desire of technology firms to secure touchless patent rights, Chris Green, a technology analyst at Davies Murphy Group, said: "It's interesting that so many companies are actually investing some very serious time and money into it."
He added: "But the jury is still out on whether this whole waving-your-hands-in-the-air will have a long term future outside computer games, and it's still very much a work in progress."
The US Patent and Trademark Office has made the patent applications public.
Posted by Simon Jones
New ways to control devices that do not involve physical contact have been revealed in recently-released patent filings.
Microsoft described waving one's hands to "draw" three-dimensional objects on a device.
Apple, on the other hand, has created a design that allows users to "throw" content from one device to another.
Reflecting on the desire of technology firms to secure touchless patent rights, Chris Green, a technology analyst at Davies Murphy Group, said: "It's interesting that so many companies are actually investing some very serious time and money into it."
He added: "But the jury is still out on whether this whole waving-your-hands-in-the-air will have a long term future outside computer games, and it's still very much a work in progress."
The US Patent and Trademark Office has made the patent applications public.
Posted by Simon Jones