Amazon Patent: Will Future Kindles Feature Double-Sided Touchscreens?

By Karla Robinson
August 31, 2012

A new patent suggests Amazon’s future Kindles could feature both an e-ink and an LCD display — one on either side of the tablet, both touch-enabled.
“The e-commerce giant has been awarded a patent where e-ink and LCD would work together — one display would be static for reading, while the LCD would be optimized for video watching,” reports Mashable. “The patent filing states that it would make use of the device’s front and rear-facing cameras to determine which side to display content.”
“A device might alternatively utilize at least one camera to determine which side of the device is facing the user, and might activate the display on that side of the device to convey content,” notes the patent. “A device might display notifications on an edge of the device, such that a current orientation of the device might be less important.”
According to the filing, the dual-screen concept may actually lengthen battery life by deferring to e-ink when slow- to non-moving content is displayed.
Amazon is planning a press event in Los Angeles for September 6, and is expected to launch its next-gen Kindle e-reader and Kindle Fire.

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