Chicago (IL) - Microsoft recently has been granted a patent for a "method and system for auxiliary display of information for a computing device," which is commonly referred to as a "Sideshow" device in some notebooks.

If you were wondering yesterday whether Microsoft is trying to increase its footprint in hardware, here is another example. The company has received a patent for Sideshow, which has been introduced over the past months in notebooks as a secondary display that is integrated on the outside of the notebook lid. The device is typically used to display information such as appointments and emails without requiring the user to open and boot up the notebook.

The patent, issued on May 22 of this year, secures Microsoft’s rights to an "auxiliary display is integrated with a computing system to provide an area where notifications can be peripherally presented off-screen" and includes the Sideshow interface, which potentially could extend the technology to any device with a display. "Any computing or communication device with a display can also be used as the auxiliary display. This includes general purpose computers, cell phones, and handheld devices such as a personal digital assistant (PDA)," the patent states.