Apple Exploring Pressure-Sensitive Touchscreens, Touchpads

[malware]

Seeking to improve its portable devices, Apple has applied for a patent that could lead to touch-sensitive Macs or handhelds which react to the level of force, rather than just contact. Originally submitted in March of last year but only published on Thursday, the patent for a "Force Imaging Input and Device System" describes today's touchscreens and touchpads as limited by their relatively simple input, which tracks just the location of the finger or stylus on the surface. A method of detecting the strength of the user's input would add a new element of control, according to Apple. The patent's inventors Brian Huppi and Steven Hotelling have suggested lining touchpads with a set of traces joined together by a sandwich-like spring membrane layer underneath the surface. Touching the pad would deform the traces and create a capacitive image in circuitry, indicating where contact has been made. But unlike traditional capacitive or resistive touch surfaces, the membrane would help create a second image that recognizes just how much pressure has been applied at a given point; the harder the user pushes, the closer the membrane reaches conductive elements inside the layer and the more force would be registered with each press. Computers, phones, PDAs, and control panels are listed as candidates for the technique, although Apple is not obliged to manufacture any products using its invention.



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[Ravenas]

Simply a great invention. I would love to see this implemented into Apple's products!

 

[Wile E]

Simply a great invention. I would love to see this implemented into Apple's products!

I wouldn't mind seeing this implemented in anyone's products.

 

[Frick]

Doesn't this exist already in those pencil/boards-sets you can connect to a computer?

EDIT: Or is that the pen that is pressure-sensetive?

 

[Wile E]

Doesn't this exist already in those pencil/boards-sets you can connect to a computer?

Yeah, to a degree, but those don't do double duty as a display.

 

[Ravenas]

I wouldn't mind seeing this implemented in anyone's products.

Heh, true, but it's Apple's invention and Apple normally doesn't share

 

[Helvetica]

This could be cool. When typing a message, instead of pressing shift for capital letters, you chould just press the button with force.

 

[jocksteeluk]

Apple will develop it and charge silly money for it (like firewire) and another company will reverse engineer it and release their own non patent infringing version of it (like USB)

 

[Ravenas]

Apple will develop it and charge silly money for it (like firewire) and another company will reverse engineer it and release their own non patent infringing version of it (like USB)

Firewire is better than USB, it's like you except more for nothing.

The same as a 8800 ultra costs more than a 8800 gtx...

 

[jocksteeluk]

Firewire is better than USB, it's like you except more for nothing.

until USB3,

 

[Ravenas]

until USB3,

Firewire will keep up with USB 3's standards...

As far as another company coming out with pressure sensitive devices, that may be true. However, I think we all see that Apple's invention will still be the best of the crop.

 

[panchoman]

i dont mind apple not sharing, cause they need the money, they're still behind ms but rising slowly but steadily.

 

[Ravenas]

i dont mind apple not sharing, cause they need the money, they're still behind ms but rising slowly but steadily.

I'm not so sure about slowly (take a look at their stocks), but yes steadily.

 

[panchoman]

I'm not so sure about slowly (take a look at their stocks), but yes steadily.

lol stocks. my dad's made a shit load of money cause he invested a lot in apple before the ipods came out and then the stock like quintupled lmao.

 

[Nemesis881]

This might just make ipods, iphones, etc. cost more..
I'm sure A LOT more people would buy their products if they were a little cheaper and not stuck to Itunes .

 

[panchoman]

This might just make ipods, iphones, etc. cost more..
I'm sure A LOT more people would buy their products if they were a little cheaper and not stuck to Itunes .

nope, if they unlocked the iphone and ipod, theres plenty of free ways to get music on there. an ipos is a one time buy, and after that, apple has your continous money cause you buy songs from itunes. apple makes more from itunes then from ipods lol.

 

[Ravenas]

lol stocks. my dad's made a shit load of money cause he invested a lot in apple before the ipods came out and then the stock like quintupled lmao.

APPL is more than 2x Dell's market cap. I think that says alot

 

[Ravenas]

nope, if they unlocked the iphone and ipod, theres plenty of free ways to get music on there. an ipos is a one time buy, and after that, apple has your continous money cause you buy songs from itunes. apple makes more from itunes then from ipods lol.

If you don't want to use iTunes, you can buy CDs from stores and import them to your iTunes playlist. Furthermore, any torrent of anytime (flac, ect) can be converted to the proper file type (mp3) and put in your playlist. A problem only arises when you try to put your songs from something like URGE or Real into your iTunes playlist. Lol, I don't know why anyone would except that you could.

 

[WarEagleAU]

It be nice for some applications and systems aside from apple. Where I work, we log in with a touch screen monitor. Sometimes, to click ok to log in and out, you have to hit it a couple of times with your finger, weird sounding I know.

However, with this new dimension added, it would make it hassle free. type in yer number, push a little sterner for ok, push a little sterner for what code you are working under and also for hitting ok to clock in and out. I love this.

 

[Lame]

Silly little Apple/s,

Have I gone to bed and woken up in an alternative reality or something. LCD touch displays that can sense the pressure supplied have been available for many years, who knows maybe decades, it is one of the main features for signature recognition. I can calibrate my Tungsten W touch screen with light touches, so that I can scroll down menus with an light slide of my finger, just like you can on the Iphone.

Something is amiss here, maybe it applies to an particular type of screen technology.

I tend to independently come up with the same ideas as Apple years ahead of time, despite of how many engineers they have, and they have come out with just the sort of phone I envisioned in the 90's, Apple is nothing extra special.

On this other thread, it is claimed that gateway is releasing the first quad HD 30 inch LCD, funny thing is, that Dell and Apple have had these things for quiet some time. So maybe the alternative reality thing happened the night before. But then again, the previouse night there was an game show on, called the Mint, that couldn't add up, even after they gave an ridiculously wrong answer to an simple puzzle (after having raked in heaps of cash from people over an hour or so) they corrected themselves and gave an even more ridiculously wrong answer. So, maybe the alternative reality thing started the day before. Reminds me of an episode of "Myth Busters": I reject your reality and substitute my own.

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=41296

 

[Wile E]

Silly little Apple/s,

Have I gone to bed and woken up in an alternative reality or something. LCD touch displays that can sense the pressure supplied have been available for many years, who knows maybe decades, it is one of the main features for signature recognition. I can calibrate my Tungsten W touch screen with light touches, so that I can scroll down menus with an light slide of my finger, just like you can on the Iphone.

Except that what you are reffering to is a calibration, what Apple wants to do is have different pressures do different things. Kinda like the pressure sensitive buttons on a PS2/3 controller. Varying amounts of force being used, produces varying results.

 

[Lame]

Except you are not understanding what I was saying, the technology for varying input has been around for many years, irrespective of the the Tungsten (which probably has it). I know because I looked into these technologies when I was considering doing an PDA design. Where ever the Tungsten has it or not, the interesting thing was, that I can do the Iphone tricks already, another nail in Apple's innovative hat. Reminds me of the time they claimed copyright on ICONs that looked like an trash can (why Windows converted to recycling ICON) because they already had an icon that looked like an different trash can. Using their innovative logic, the trash can producing companies should have been able to sue them.

 

[ex_reven]

reminds me of the time they claimed copyright on ICONs that looked like an trash can (why Windows converted to recycling ICON) because they already had an icon that looked like an different trash can. Using their innovative logic, the trash can producing companies should have been able to sue them.

How could you be sued for that...its like trying to patent chairs, beds and floors. Everyone uses them and noone invented them.

On the pressure sensitive note, I think this would only confuse users further and alienate less-technologically saavy individuals. And I can see it being very expensive, because it has to be fairly sturdy to standup to the pressure some individuals will use on it.

 

[Ravenas]

How could you be sued for that...its like trying to patent chairs, beds and floors. Everyone uses them and noone invented them.

On the pressure sensitive note, I think this would only confuse users further and alienate less-technologically saavy individuals. And I can see it being very expensive, because it has to be fairly sturdy to standup to the pressure some individuals will use on it.

Apple is very good at making user friendly technology, I think this will be no exception.

 

[kakazza]

If you don't want to use iTunes, you can buy CDs from stores and import them to your iTunes playlist. Furthermore, any torrent of anytime (flac, ect) can be converted to the proper file type (mp3) and put in your playlist. A problem only arises when you try to put your songs from something like URGE or Real into your iTunes playlist. Lol, I don't know why anyone would except that you could.

How is mp3 the proper format if you can have .flac?
iPods support all kinda formats out of which only mp3 is useful. I wish they had .ogg and .flac support at least.