Patents Could Supply Clues to Next-Gen iPhone

JC Domingo — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:42:31 -0500

Less than a month and already Apple has something new up its sleeve. According to MacRumors, Apple has released a number of new patents that may lead to the next generation iPhone features, including haptic tactile feedback, fingerprint identification as an input method, and an RFID reader.

Haptic tactile feedback would help users 'feel' the difference while using the phone. One way Apple sees Haptic feedback benefiting iPhone owners is while driving. Apple stated in their patent filing:

Unless touch input components are improved, users that, for example, drive a motor vehicle, may avoid devices that have a touch input component and favor those that have a plurality of physical input components (e.g., buttons, wheels, etc.).

If you see Apple engineers cruising your neighborhoods with iPhones on the seat next to them, it's a good bet they're testing this out.

Fingerprint identification would detect the user’s individual fingerprints. The technology has been in use in laptops for a while. But what makes this patent more unique compared to others is distinct fingerprints may be used for commands. For example, the index finger can be used to play a song, whereas the middle finger can be used to pause the same song. Even though the 3.0 software introduced the shake feature for Apple iPhones and iPod to change the tracks, this new feature is helpful for manipulating the device without having to look at the device.

Apple also looks to be in the market to place RFID into its devices. The RFID placed in the display would allow users to read RFID tags placed in objects. The system is usually used by companies to track inventory. How Apple would utilize the technology is anyone's guess. Maybe the iPhone could be used as a cashless payment system. Swipe your iPhone on a RFID tag/sensor at the movies or gas station and the money gets deducted from your account.

Okay, that would be kind of cool.

Via PC World

2 More Patents: Haptic Feedback and RFID Antenna

Arvind Srinivasan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:43:50 -0500

And we thought Apple scoffed at the Blackberry Storm’s haptic feedback. Guess not, because Apple has filed a patent that not only recognizes the limitations of a purely smooth touchscreen (can’t see what you are pressing), but shows haptic display technology as the solution.

The patent describes a grid of *big word alert* piezoelectronic actuators that would be activated on command. Now, if you are like us and don’t spend excessive amounts of time on Wikipedia, you probably don’t know what this means. Essentially, the touchscreen would have different surfaces such that the user would be able to feel buttons, while maintaining the no-button approach that Steve Jobs adores.

This could take the form of playback buttons (next song, previous song, pause), and even a haptic keyboard, which could enable touch typing. The good thing about the haptic feedback is that it would be completely programmable, so it could take different forms in different applications.

In another patent described in the same MacRumors article, Apple details an RFID reader integrated in the touchscreen, with the RFID antenna placed in the touchscreen panel itself. RFID tags, if you aren’t familiar with them, are becoming increasingly prevalent as tracking devices for products, key entry for security systems, and several other mainstream products.

Would you be excited about haptic feedback on your phone, and would you ever use RFID scanning to keep track of your robot army? Let us know in the comments.

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Patents Could Supply Clues to Next-Gen iPhone

2 More Patents: Haptic Feedback and RFID Antenna