Microsoft's research into a "foot-based user interface" seemed somewhat novel in 2006, when I first wrote about the project. Now that the company has released its Kinect full-body motion control system for the Xbox 360, the idea of controlling a machine with your feet seems like only part of the picture.

      But the wheels of the intellectual property system grind slowly, and the Redmond company won a patent on the concept just this week -- under the title of "Foot-based interface for interacting with a computer."

      The basic idea is for users to move their feet and step on the floor to execute various commands, such as deleting email or scrolling down the screen.

      "In addition to causing health problems, the traditional keyboard and mouse interface can be simply inconvenient in certain situations as well," the patent reads. "In one instance, a mother with a baby in her arms is unable to easily perform simple tasks, such as checking email, on a computer. In another instance, interactive advertisement from businesses lack an effective interface that enables easy interaction with shoppers that carry bags in their hands."

      Despite the fact that it seems outdated, or at least partial, the patent actually could be a notable win as the Redmond company expands the concept of motion-based interfaces beyond its video-game console into more general-purpose computing.

      The original interface demonstrated by the company used a "Dance, Dance Revolution"-style floor pad for input, but the patent February 2006 patent application also talks about using electromagnetic waves to detect the motion of the feet, previewing how the Kinect's infrared sensor now works to detect the motion of gamers.

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