Google patent reveals a dual e-ink device, reminiscent of Microsoft Courier

A new Google patent has surfaced showing off a dual-screened e-ink device that has the capability to fold like an actual book. As you can see, the design not only has two displays, it also is equipped with a camera.

If the design seems somewhat familiar, that’s because it is not the first electronic device we’ve seen to try such an approach. Microsoft’s eventually-cancelled Courier tablet also had a two-screen design, though Courier was said to utilize LCD display technology.

Microsoft’s Courier device never fully got off the ground, but such a design does have potential. Not only does it have a feel that’s more book-like, the camera in Google’s patent could potentially be used to track your eye movement and automatically flip the pages to the next set.

Sure, such a product might not be necessary, but it’s still a pretty cool re-imagining of the typical e-reader device. So any chance that Google will actually build such a device? While there’s always the possibility, Google constantly files new patents that never actually end up in use, so we wouldn’t read too much into this just yet.

Still, if such a design did come to be, we imagine there would be more to it than just acting as a typical e-reader. More than likely the device would not only have Google Play Books integration, but we wouldn’t put it past Google to create some kind of instant ‘casting’ feature as well.

Of course, for now, such a device remains nothing more than a pipe dream. What do you think, if the price were right, would you be interested in a dual-screen e-ink reader or do you feel that the design is largely unnecessary? Let us know what you think in the comments below.