Google granted patent for smart, motorised laptop lid

Google has been granted a patent for a smart, motorised lid for a Pixelbook-type device, which will detect when a user is nearby and open up to the right orientation and unlock the device when required.

The lid will also keep track of a user's face and keep itself aligned to the face.

The original patent application was filed by Google in 2013, PatentlyMobile reported. The smart lid is described in much detail in the application.

The patent application outlines a number of interesting features that could potentially make it into a future laptop lid.

For instance, the lid might be able to detect when users are near the device or when they leave the vicinity of the device. This could be achieved with a wide-angle rear camera, a proximity sensor, Bluetooth sensor, etc. It might also be possible to tap a special area on the lid to authenticate and open the lid.

Once it is opened, the patent describes a process which will allow the front camera on the device lid to track a user's face and position the lid at the perfect angle. Rather than hunting for a user's face, the device could also use object-detection to determine what it is looking at and adjust the orientation of the panel accordingly.

It might also determine that it is looking at a user's torso and then determine that it had to open further to capture the face. Also, the lid might track a user's face in real-time, adjusting orientation as needed.

According to experts, the tech involved is quite simple; the lid has a touch-sensitive section and tapping on it will activate ambient light sensors and other cameras and lift the lid up. Different sensors will identify and track the user's face to lift the hinge up to the best viewing angle based on the position of the user.

However, they point out that there is not enough information other than the basic mechanics, for instance, what will happen if a user moves their head when the lid is open or when they move the laptop around is not clear. Also there is no solid confirmation from Google if this patent will actually be used in any future devices.