Microsoft Patents "Inconspicuous Mode" for Windows Phone

Microsoft may introduce a new "Inconspicuous Mode" to the Windows Phone platform, an ugrade designed to improve the moviegoing experience, among other things.

The Redmond company has reportedly patented a feature that takes geo-location data and ambient light information, analyzes it and then automatically turns your phone to silent so you remain unnoticed. According to the patent itself, Inconspicuous Mode would adjust both visual and audio levels based on where you are and how much light is present.

Smartphones are wonderfully convenient and amazing, but there's nothing worse than hearing a device ring in the middle of a crowded theater. Don't be that guy. Microsoft is looking to automatically avoid those situations so you don't have to remember to turn your phone on silent, even though PSAs remind us like ten times before a movie begins.

The feature definitely sounds compelling, but InfoWorld brings up a few good points. Inconspicuous Mode would certainly need to be smart and accurate enough to be useful, especially for notifications you don't want to miss. You wouldn't want the feature turning on when you're merely around a theater, or some other similar place, and miss an important call. 

Microsoft would need to decipher certain situations, sure, and see precisely when the mode is necessary. But if it means less interruptions in a movie, I'm all for it.