When UMPC Origami was first released by Microsoft in March there were a lot of discussions and speculations about what this device is good for. Now the patent filed by Microsoft in December and made public last week reveals some Microsoft ideas about what it’s portable devices can be used for.

The patent, called “Portable Computing Device-Integrated Appliance” talks mainly about how PDA’s and Windows Mobile devices that can be used as a control panels for various home appliances. However this concept can be easily expanded for the UMPCs.

In order to use portable device as a control panel, home appliances should have a special docking station or interface port to which the device is connected. Portable device then determines the type of appliance to which it is connected and changes the user interface accordingly. Home appliance can be operated through the touch screen or input buttons on the UMPC. The user interface settings can also be stored on the home appliance themselves and transmitted to UMPC when connected.

As an examples of such integrated appliances cited in the patent are: home entertainment system, an automation and/or security system, an environment control system (e.g., for controlling a furnace, air conditioner, humidifier, etc.), a clock radio, a refrigeration appliance (e.g., refrigerator, freezer, refrigerator/freezer combination, etc.), an oven or range, and so forth. It can also be used in the vehicle (e.g., car, truck, van, recreational vehicle, boat, etc.) environment and may be, for example, a vehicle stereo or entertainment system.

Various preprogrammed instructions for different home appliances can be downloaded to the portable device and then used to operate the home appliance. That’s an interesting possibility. Maybe someone will write a program to cook me a dinner on my Origami Oven, using the products from my Origami Fridge ?