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A trifecta of curious Apple patent applications filed through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this morning. One patent is for a haptic feedback system that makes a mockery of current tactile implementations. Another is for a battery design that would allow Apple to squeeze power cells in odd-shaped spaces. And the final patent describes a small, unibody desktop computer.
First up, the haptic feedback system. It differs from existing models because it's formed by a stack of haptic elements which would be used to change the actual surface of the touchscreen device. That's right: Your mobile device's screen would actually "push back" on your touch, as illustrated in the patent illustration.
This could be done by placing haptic elements inside an elastic sheet and then using sensors or actuators, or both, for tactile interactions. Large and small elements could provide different types of feedback.
For those who aren't familiar, haptic feedback provides the user with a physical response to touchscreen interactions. A number of smartphones already employ it in some fashion -- for example, you feel a small vibration when you tap a key on an onscreen keyboard. The phrase "haptic feedback" actually describes all sorts of tactile responses, ranging from vibrations to actual shape-shifting underneath one's fingertips.
Apple has explored haptic feedback in patent applications multiple times in the past.
Another patent Apple applied for is titled "Rechargeable Battery With a Jelly Roll Having Multiple Thicknesses." Basically, the battery would include a layered "jelly roll" inside a flexible pouch. The battery's conductive tabs would extend through the pouch to act as normal battery terminals, but the layered portion of the battery would let the package fit into spaces a battery normally wouldn't be able to.
This is similar to another battery design patent we saw in January, which showed how layered technology could be used to create batteries that are circular or triangular in shape.
In a third patent, Apple describes an "aesthetically pleasing small form factor desktop computer" with an aluminum unibody design -- the almost Apple TV-ish Mac Mini. The seamless, unibody design makes the computer less vulnerable to environmental damage while also providing superior electromagnetic shielding properties. The patent application also describes a removable base made of a transparent material.
