Apple patent reveals touch improvements
The patent application from Apple reveals some interesting new technologies for touch devices.
As spotted by Apple-watcher Patently Apple, the patent - published by the United States Patents & Trademarks Office yesterday and originally applied for in Q3 2008 - introduces some novel new technologies that may change the way touch devices work in the future.
First up is what the company describes as "Dual-Function Capacitive Elements." While traditional touchscreens have elements which function as the display and separate elements which function as touch sensors, Apple's latest patent suggest a method of integrating both display and sensor into single elements - potentially reducing the weight and power draw of a device based around the technology.
The second new feature is designed to introduce touch capabilities to the edges of the screen, rather than just directly on the display. By surrounding the display - and in the case of the MacBook, the touchpad as well - with metal strips, Apple plans to extend the touch area outside the main surface. How usable such a system would be is questionable, but the idea is certainly sound - a way of scrolling through a webpage or list without covering the content with your fingers is the next-best thing to transparent fingertips for touchscreen use.
Finally, the patent reveals plans to use in-plane switching - developed by Hitachi in 1996 to improve the viewing angle and colour reproduction of twisted nematic displays - with low-temperature polycrystalline silicon, with the promise that it could improve TFT mobility by up to a hundred times compared to traditional amorphous silicon-based displays.
While there is no official news from Apple on when - or even if - the technologies described in the patent will find their way into the company's products, the fact that the patent has been hanging around since 2008 would indicate that the company has had plenty of time to develop and test its inventions.
Could Apple be on to a winner with its extension of the touchscreen to include the bezel, or is it a gimmick that will never catch on? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
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Discuss in the forums Replyif you look at the right of your screen there is allways a border of material usually a plastic
this is the part that they will stick it not the actual side that would be pointless
Didn't some phones (landline) have that to "scroll" through the names on the display about ten years ago? A touch-sensitive area right next to the display?
I'm prety sure to have seen and used that in a friends housse in the late nineties
The combined screen/touch surface sounds like the best bit due to the power save. Anything that extends battery life is a win in my book.
Do you mean the magic mouse? That is just multitouch all over? While I admire the idea behind it, I am sure it is not only me who has "fiddly fingers" on their mouse, I am tapping away on the buttons, but not actually the buttons, and slipping and sliding all over the place. That mouse would be hilarious for me.
I had one of those, thought it was marvellous for a while. Then it stopped working :(
Yes, admired from a far for it's design over practicality, and certainly not a mouse for me. Correct me if I'm wrong but Apple invented mice (?) - remember the puck shaped one? Ugh. They really need to bring their research and development into mice that comfortably fit the hand in a natural fit ... like the rest of the mice manufacturers have been doing for years!!
Thieving *******s!
I stand corrected! :)
Hear hear.. that's why I'll take a digitizer+pen over touch alone any day.
However from all the comments the scroll bars/touch outside the edges of the screen has been done by many other people (like so much that Apple 'invents' and tries to patent). hopefully that'll be rejected due to the blatant prior art out there.