Apple has filed a patent for an all-new touch sensor panel designed for larger displays, meaning a touch-screen iMac or MacBook Pro could be on the way soon.
The US Patent and Trademark Office has published an Apple patent for large display touch sensor panels that allows iPhone and iPad display technology to be translated to larger screen sizes.
The patent states that Apple is looking to increase the size and/or spacing of the touch sensing pixels in large display panels so that the user’s finger still hit the sensors quickly and easily.
The touch sensitivity would still be the same as an iPad or iPhone screen in the larger display due to the increased size of the pixels, without Apple having to introduce more drivers and sense lines, which can cause reduced responsiveness.
Going into great technical detail, the patent is one for the touch display experts, but suggests Apple is looking to introduce a touchscreen version of the iMac, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air.
In the patent, Apple says the technology applies to a “computer system.”
“[A] computing system can also include host processor for receiving outputs from processor subsystems and performing actions based on the outputs that can include, but are not limited to, moving an object such as a cursor or pointer, scrolling or panning, adjusting control settings, opening a file or document, viewing a menu, making a selection, executing instructions, operating a peripheral device connected to the host device.”
Touchscreen laptops have made a huge appearance on the market in the past six months, boosted by the tablet-like Windows 8 OS. Laptops like the Samsung Series 7 Chronos or Acer Aspire V5 Touch have had great success on the market, so Apple could be looking to cash in on some of that revenue.
Apple could even combine its iPad 4 or iPad mini with the classic MacBook Pro, as suggested by an Apple hybrid patent discovered last month.
Next, read our roundup of the best Windows 8 laptops, tablets, convertibles and PCs.
Via: Patently Apple
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
