Zune To Get Cover Flow?

I'm not sure I can even decipher what they're trying to patent here, but I'm tossing it out anyway.  Microsoft has submitted a patent for some type of Cover Flow technology that is a way of displaying web pages in a portable format.  Here's a quote:

...the Redmond-based software and electronics giant has applied for a patent to Cover Flow-style OS interface. The patent states that the idea revolves around "stacking data wheels" and is primarily designed for mobile environments, potentially the Xbox 360, according to an analysis of the patent by MacNN

The concept is expected to appear in mobile phones, the Zune MP3 player, and Windows Mobile PDAs. It is designed to function with various common mobile applications such as mail, calendar, contact lists, and instant messaging, among others.

I doubt that we'd see this on Zune 3, or maybe not a Zune anyway as it seems more suited to mobile phones than a music platform.  Still, it just might be a glimpse into what's coming down the pipe from the Microsoft team.

Comments

[williamc]

Looks like an easy way to browse albums via a touch pad - I would love for this kind of interface to show up on a device-based Zune store.

[Caleb]

looks sorta like a different variation of that zumobi software in windows mobile