Apple Investigating Multi-Touch Display for Magic Mouse, Haptic Feedback for Virtual Keyboards?
A pair of reports today from Patently Apple reveal newly-published patent applications from Apple describing the company's work on advancing input systems for its Macs, showing off concepts for a multi-touch display embedded on the Magic Mouse and virtual keyboards with tactile feedback.
According to the first report, Apple's patent application entitled "Computer Input Device Including a Display Device" demonstrates how Apple could embed a multi-touch display on top of the company's existing multi-touch Magic Mouse, bringing new functionality to the input device.
Mighty Mouse with virtual number keypad
In one prominent example of the technology, Apple shows a virtual number keypad displayed on an Apple mouse very close in appearance to the company's Mighty Mouse that was shipping at the time of the patent application filing, allowing for easy data entry without the user needing to remove his or her hand from the mouse.
Apple discusses several options for how the display technology could be employed, but focuses primarily on using "collimated glass" fibers extending through the entire body of the mouse. Images to be displayed could be stored within the mouse itself, transmitted from a computer, or even simply be a magnified version of text or images located underneath the mouse.
In its second report, Patently Apple points to an Apple patent application entitled "Method and Apparatus for Localization of Haptic Feedback", which describes the use of a virtual keyboard with mechanical actuators to allow the device to provide tactile feedback when keys are activated.
iMac with virtual keyboard (left); Layout of actuators for haptic feedback (right)
In particular, Apple discusses means of improving the localization of such haptic response to key activation, seeking to create a better user experience than that available through current haptic feedback input devices that typically vibrate the entire input surface upon key activation, a mechanism that is particularly troubling for multi-touch based systems. Apple's proposed system includes a significant number of actuators embedded under the display in locations where users are expected to engage key presses, combining those actuators with methods for suppressing the propagation of vibrations to keep them localized to the region of the key activation.
Such systems could lead to new virtual keyboards offering the flexibility of key layouts easily customized to the task at hand and yet retaining many of the benefits of current mechanical keyboards when it comes to tactile registration of keystrokes.
According to the first report, Apple's patent application entitled "Computer Input Device Including a Display Device" demonstrates how Apple could embed a multi-touch display on top of the company's existing multi-touch Magic Mouse, bringing new functionality to the input device.
Mighty Mouse with virtual number keypad
In one prominent example of the technology, Apple shows a virtual number keypad displayed on an Apple mouse very close in appearance to the company's Mighty Mouse that was shipping at the time of the patent application filing, allowing for easy data entry without the user needing to remove his or her hand from the mouse.
Apple discusses several options for how the display technology could be employed, but focuses primarily on using "collimated glass" fibers extending through the entire body of the mouse. Images to be displayed could be stored within the mouse itself, transmitted from a computer, or even simply be a magnified version of text or images located underneath the mouse.
In its second report, Patently Apple points to an Apple patent application entitled "Method and Apparatus for Localization of Haptic Feedback", which describes the use of a virtual keyboard with mechanical actuators to allow the device to provide tactile feedback when keys are activated.
iMac with virtual keyboard (left); Layout of actuators for haptic feedback (right)
In particular, Apple discusses means of improving the localization of such haptic response to key activation, seeking to create a better user experience than that available through current haptic feedback input devices that typically vibrate the entire input surface upon key activation, a mechanism that is particularly troubling for multi-touch based systems. Apple's proposed system includes a significant number of actuators embedded under the display in locations where users are expected to engage key presses, combining those actuators with methods for suppressing the propagation of vibrations to keep them localized to the region of the key activation.
Such systems could lead to new virtual keyboards offering the flexibility of key layouts easily customized to the task at hand and yet retaining many of the benefits of current mechanical keyboards when it comes to tactile registration of keystrokes.
Top Rated Comments
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14 months ago
It's hard to imagine using this technology... but I'm sure, long ago, that's what some said about the mouse.
14 months ago
i'd love to use my iphone as a magic mouse :) it's usable as a trackpad atm, but what about a mouse using the accelerometer or whatever?
14 months ago
This might not be to bad on the magic trackpad. Mouse is a little to small in my opinion.
14 months ago
True numbers wonks need real numbers keys for quick accounting work. The touch screen numbers pad would be a disaster.
Why can't Apple just make a 5 button mouse? Seriously. Once you have 5 buttons, you'll never go back.
Why can't Apple just make a 5 button mouse? Seriously. Once you have 5 buttons, you'll never go back.
14 months ago
That'd be great! For any engineers or designers or I suppose accountants too, where half or more of your typing is on the number keypad, being able to mouse and clack away simultaneously would be a big plus.
Even beyond that, being able to feel the center of virtual keys to keep your fingers located could finally allow touch typing to progress from having to type while looking at your keyboard to being able to type looking at your screen or source material, & ultimately the elimination of physical keyboards.
That'll be huge if they can get it to work.
Even beyond that, being able to feel the center of virtual keys to keep your fingers located could finally allow touch typing to progress from having to type while looking at your keyboard to being able to type looking at your screen or source material, & ultimately the elimination of physical keyboards.
That'll be huge if they can get it to work.
14 months ago
I recently inherited an HTC G1 phone and it has haptic feedback on the virtual keyboard. Love it. Although I'm going to be going to Verizon now that my contract with T-mobile is up. Nothing against t-mobile but i want the iphone at $200. (Com'on Apple...)
14 months ago
I like to use the iPad as my all-in-one solution for a mouse/keyboard. My comp. is connected to my tv and I can do anything I have to remotely in comfort. I like everything to be unified into one, that's how it's set up and that's how it shall remain.
14 months ago
I like to use the iPad as my all-in-one solution for a mouse/keyboard. My comp. is connected to my tv and I can do anything I have to remotely in comfort. I like everything to be unified into one, that's how it's set up and that's how it shall remain.
wow true, the iPad with the app t use it as a touchpad, you have an even bigger "magic trackpad". sounds pretty awsome!
14 months ago
There's nothing like the good old tactile feedback one gets from a numeric keypad with moving buttons.
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