Following on Apple’s recently published patent application for a pressure-sensitive touchscreen display, the Cupertino electronics uber-designers have filed for yet another patent application that details yet another “input-output unit capable of both location sensing and force sensing operations is provided.”
The patent application, titled “Force and Location Sensitive Display,” outlines a method of detecting location and force with springy membranes – “a first transparent substrate (having first and second sets of conductive traces oriented in a first direction), a second transparent substrate (having a third set of conductive traces oriented in a second direction) and a plurality of deformable members (e.g., rubber beads) arranged between the first and second transparent substrates.”
It looks like Apple is seriously considering adding another input dimension to current touch-based input solutions. If they decide to augment multi-touch displays/trackpads with force-sensitive (pressure-sensitive) technology, Apple could have another industry-spurring innovation on their hands. Bring on the touch-sensitive multi-touch iPhones!
[Via: Apple Insider]