Microsoft would have a project of connected speakerphone compatible with Skype

Published on January 3, 2020

The market for connected loudspeakers is currently buoyant and companies are no longer hesitating to supplement them with voice assistants or with services that allow people to talk to their loved ones. We no longer present the Google Home, HomePod or Amazon Echo. More recently, Facebook got into the dance with Portal. A new player could well arrive very soon: Microsoft.

Indeed, a new Microsoft patent would introduce a device resembling a smart speakerphone that could be used to make audio or video calls via Skype. Aesthetically, the speaker could look like a HomePod and would also have a camera that could follow the speaker. In addition, a projector would allow images to be projected and could be used in conferences. The projector and the camera would be completely independent which means that the camera could follow the person speaking while the projection of an image would be fixed.

The patent also states that two devices can work together, for example to follow a person moving around a house: the conversation would then pass from one speaker to another in a completely transparent manner.

For the moment, everything is simply patented and it is not said that the Redmond firm is producing a product that would have all the characteristics mentioned above. This is certainly interesting information that indicates that Microsoft is looking into the subject, probably after seeing the enthusiasm of users for this type of device.

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