Image Credits: Beebom
Over the years, Apple has filed a number of innovative patents in an attempt to improve the functionality of its gadgets in some way. Now, a recent Apple patent reveals that the Cupertino company is working on building invisible input regions for the Apple Watch, iPhones, Apple Pencil, and MacBooks in order to eliminate physical buttons, which also we hear is Apple’s motivation after all.
Apple Patents “Invisible” Device Input Areas
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has published an Apple patent titled “Concealable input region for an electronic device,” which proposes a micro-perforation method for generating input regions on different Apple products. According to the patent, these input zones will be undetectable to the human eye and will blend in with the design of the related gadget. When necessary, these sections might be transformed into virtual buttons or notification visuals.
According to the patent, Apple could create the concealable input zones by using an array of touch-supported micro-perforations on the device’s outside.
The business demonstrated how it could utilize the technology to replace actual buttons on its gadgets with such “invisible” interactive zones in its concept drawings. You may see several examples below:
Image Credits: Beebom
Thus according to Apple, this technology will operate with glass, ceramic, and plastic. It might do away with the requirement for “big buttons, keys, or other mechanically-actuated components,” such as the crown on the Apple Watch or the power button on iPhone models. The technique may be utilized on the Apple Pencil to place a flat input area in a readily accessible location without the requirement for a protruding hardware button.
Nevertheless, the technology appears intriguing and appears to be comparable to that employed by Apple in its HomePod and HomePod small. For those who are unaware, the HomePod has an interactive input area on top that lights up when Siri is enabled.
This appears to be another Apple plan to eliminate tactile buttons. It is already speculated that Apple would release a portless iPhone, and the 2023 versions may possibly lack a SIM card.
This patent expands Apple’s ambition to include additional items. It is currently difficult to predict when this technology will be available. As of now, it is only a patent, and we may or may not see this become a product.
