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MicrosoftPatent applicationNetworks & wirelessInterest 6/10

Microsoft patents hand gestures to control devices without menus

Microsoft describes a system that uses ultra-wideband (UWB) sensors to track the 3D movement of a device within a specific area. It maps these physical movements to specific actions, allowing users to trigger commands on nearby computers or IoT devices without using a screen or menu.

Why it mattersIt offers a hands-free way to interact with smart home or office equipment by moving a phone or tag in the air, potentially reducing the need for buttons or touchscreens.

In the filing’s own words

The disclosure herein describes enabling menuless operations using spatially aware tags with virtual geo-fenced boundaries. A tag manager implemented on a processor obtains movement data associated with an ultrawide band (UWB) enabled initiator device within a selected geo-fenced zone. The movement data is generated by one or more UWB enabled responder(s) within the selected geo-fenced zone. The movement data includes data describing 3D movements of the initiator device within the selected geo-fenced zone. A tag manager identifies a sequence of 3D movements of the initiator device using the movement data. The tag manager maps the sequence of 3D movements to zone-specific and/or user-specific action(s) using a menuless operations mapping table. The tag manager triggers a target computing device within the selected geo-fenced zone to perform the matched action(s). The target computing device can include an internet of things (IOT) device, a computing device, or the initiator device itself.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. (canceled)

Facts

Company
Microsoft (Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC)
Official title
MENULESS OPERATIONS USING SPATIALLY AWARE TAGS WITH 3D VIRTUAL GEO-FENCING
Publication number
US20260292445A1
Application number
19686507
Filed
May 22, 2026
Published
Sep 24, 2026
Inventors
1
Claims
21

Classified under

H04W 4/027 Electricity & electronicsH04W 4/021 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.