While Google starts selling smart watches Microsoft gathers the underlying patents

Microsoft may be gearing up once again to make more money from IP licensing than actual device sales, as they gather more patents relevant to smart watches while not shipping any, while their main opponent Google gets ready to churn out a whole flotilla of smart arm bands.

Their latest two patents is for Discreetly Displaying Contextually Relevant Information on a display device, with a smart watch being used on most occasions, with information being transmitted wirelessly from a smartphone.

As can be seen from the illustrations, the information can include simple notifications, but also more interactive and information-rich information such as GPS Navigation directions.

Another new patent is for a Dynamic User Interfaces Adapted to Inferred User Contexts.

The feature would see interfaces use sensors like accelerometers, GPS and Microphones to automatically identify when users are sitting quietly, driving or jogging for example, and adapt the information presented in the user interface accordingly.

Hopefully we will see all these patents actually instantiate into actual Microsoft devices, rather than in the smart watches from other companies.

See the patents here and here.