Microsoft is working on a unique type of device that promises to revolutionize the way people use their keyboards and touchscreens.

The people behind the company's Applied Sciences Group has been focusing for several decades on how input devices can be used to extend the desktop experience to peripherals. The group managed to come up with the so-called Microsoft Adaptive Keyboard in 2009 which featured a huge, touch-sensitive screen display that is located at the top part of the keyboard.

Now, the group created DisplayCover, a peripheral cover that works perfectly well with compact touchscreen laptops. It features a thinfilm e-ink display that has a pixel resolution of 1280 by 305. When used with the adaptive keyboard, the user instantly gains an extended availability of the screen real estate by up to 8 percent. However, this is only true when the DisplayCover is paired with the 10.6-inch Surface Pro 2 with 1080p and 208ppi.

"We chose this display due to the bistable nature of electrophoretic ink," said Microsoft. "DisplayCover supports dynamic UI manipulation, concurrent access to multiple applications, stylus annotation, gestures and trackpad interactions on the horizontal plane."

In other words, the "DisplayCover" is basically a keyboard cover that is designed with a small built-in e-ink display. Since it is touch-sensitive, users can easily interact with it. It's a perfect solution to those who are looking for ways on how they can de-clutter their desktop or taskbar.

Some of the tasks that users can accomplish easily include signing documents, navigating websites, AutoCAD, video editing, music creating and accessing tools such as those that are found in Photoshop. While the "DisplayCover" is attached to the adaptive keyboard, users can do their signatures on a flat surface and see their input on the e-ink display. The apps are also accessed on the same flat surface provided by the adaptive keyboard and then loaded afterwards on the same e-ink display.

As a result, users get a type of display that's free from icons and apps but still gain access to them using the adaptive keyboard with the display extension.

"DisplayCover extends the available screen real estate of tablet computers while mitigating occlusion issues associated with direct pen and touch input."

There's no information yet on whether Microsoft will mass-produce the prototype in the future. It all depends perhaps on how the company would design it to match with its upcoming Surface devices.