Imagine a world where it would be possible to pair all your devices with little more than a snap.
Microsoft appears to be working on exactly this, having submitted a patent for new technology where anyone with a camera-enabled device could take a photo of the item they wish to connect – a keyboard, stylus or headphones, for example – then their device will begin pairing.
Of course, Bluetooth or RF signals would still be required for the two devices to interact, but Microsoft is hoping this new development could make the sometimes frustrating and time-consuming job significantly easier.
Perhaps the most useful place for this would be in the office, where anyone pairing a connected device may well have a huge list of nearby gadgets to search through to find just what they’re looking for.
With this new feature, users would be presented with a shortlist of the items contained within the photograph, with everything else filtered out. It could also use augmented reality to overlay device names onto the image and let a user select which ones they were looking to pair.
In fact, Microsoft’s technology could go even further still – using AI technology to determine which items to prioritise. One example would be that if the picture includes a person’s hand holding a stylus, it would recognise this and understand it’s likely to be the stylus this individual would want to use straight away.
Of course, with this currently just being in the patent stage it’s a long way off full development. As Flavius Floare of Windows Report noted, a patent doesn’t guarantee that the tech will ever see the light of day. Though he did posit that it may be more likely than some others to reach the open market, because this technology “is clever because it’s simple and works well”.
He added: “For people who love technology or just like smart things, this patent could change how we use electronic accessories in a big way.”
