Over the weekend , Bloomberg reportedthat Apple was working on enhanced sensors capable of detect different storey of pressure level . Now , an Apple patentfor pressure - sensitive touchscreens could lend that rumor some credence .
https://gizmodo.com/report-apple-working-on-two-big-iphones-for-whatever-1461762060
The patent , unearthedby Apple Insider , describes a piece of computer hardware that can trigger dissimilar UI functions reckon on how laborious the user presses the glass of the screen . US Patent figure 8,581,870 — or “ touch sensation - sensitive clit with two levels ” to its protagonist — appears to suggest that it ’s actually about physical buttons , but dig out a little deeper and it transpire that Apple is in reality talk about applied science that could be applied to a touchscreen coupled to an actuator . A “ tinge - sore depressible button , ” as they put it .
The image above kinda shows that in action : A touch - sensitive button with “ multiple depression threshold . ” As the button ’s depressed , two or more thresholds can be touch , the twist doing something different depend on which threshold is broken .
What ’s that safe for ? Well , it could be an energy save tactic . Imagine the first threshold as a hair’s-breadth trigger , where the merest touch activate feeling - sensing . That would think trace - sensing systems would only need power up when the screen was touched , and not all the time , which would be super - bully .
reach an ( only somewhat high ) second insistence threshold might mean that a user ’s finger is tracked and used as an input , while a third ( higher ) one might put to death some variety of system of rules bid — like opening apps or change volume . Really , the world ’s Jony I ve ’s oyster with this thing . But Apple Insider propose one specially cool melodic theme :
[ W]ith livelihood for more than two threshold level , the letters patent would be able to contain a host of gimmick functions . It can be imagined that a user would be able to turn on a machine , settle and open a postal service app , voyage to a substance , reply and back out to the home sieve , all controlled by minute changes in press . This “ exercise down ” into an app is not mentioned in the patent linguistic process , but is demonstrative of the possibilities afforded by the design .
Of course , it ’s deserving remembering that one report byBloombergand a patent do n’t mean that you ’re fail to have an iPhone sway this sort of technology any fourth dimension soon . Indeed , even Bloomberg acknowledged that this might not become a marquee feature article until 2015 at the earliest . A lot can happen between now and then , and like all patents and R&D , it ’ll only to make it to commercialize with Apple if , y’know , it ’s actually skilful . But for the sake of some of that functionality , let ’s hope it does . [ USPTOviaApple Insider ]
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