Apple Virtual Input Device on Touch Screen - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Virtual Input Device on Touch Screen

Details on yet another Apple Touch Screen interface patent application was revealed last week under the title "Virtual input device placement on a touch screen user interface".

The display includes an application display, associated with an application executing on the computer, and a virtual input device display for a user to provide input to the application executing on the computer via the touch screen.

What is shown in the application are images of Mac OS X with a pop-up virtual keyboard interface. Apple appears to be experimenting with multiple methods of displaying a virtual keyboard on top of an existing Mac OS X screen. Options include a simple overlay, compressing the Mac screen evenly or compressing the edges more than the center/area of interest or simply a movable pop-up window.

A flurry of Apple Tablet related patent applications have appeared in the US Patent and Trademark office, indicating that Apple is pursing active research into the topic. This most recent application was submitted relatively recently on September 16, 2005.

Popular Stories

WWDC26 MR Live Coverage Article

WWDC 2026 Apple Event Live Keynote Coverage: iOS 27, Revamped Siri, and More

Monday June 8, 2026 9:15 am PDT by
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) starts today with the traditional keynote kicking things off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. MacRumors is on hand for the event and we'll be sharing details and our thoughts throughout the day. We're expecting to see a number of software-related announcements today, headlined by a reset on Apple's push into AI that should see a significant overhaul...
iCloud iPhone 17 Pro

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Get Two New Perks on iOS 27

Tuesday June 9, 2026 11:29 am PDT by
If you pay for extra iCloud storage on your iPhone, beyond the 5GB included for free, you might receive two more perks on iOS 27 at no additional cost. First, Apple said there will be daily usage limits for some of the new and enhanced Apple Intelligence features on iOS 27, including image generation. However, the company noted that "increased access" is available with "most" iCloud+ storage ...
macOS Golden Gate Mac

Apple Announces macOS 27 Golden Gate With New Siri and 'Tons' of Refinements

Monday June 8, 2026 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today announced that macOS 27 is named macOS Golden Gate. Much like Mac OS X Snow Leopard in 2009, Apple said it focused on improving macOS's performance and dozens of underlying technologies this year. Apple says macOS Golden Gate offers quicker AirDrop transfers, faster network file browsing, improved syncing in the Messages app, better Spotlight search suggestions, and other...