At present, almost all traditional computer manufacturers are trying new laptops that combine touch screens and traditional keyboards, and Apple is no exception. According to the latest list published by the United States Trademark and Patent Office (USPTO), Apple has applied for a MacBook with touch. From the description of the patent, this Laptop uses a touch screen, and supports tactile feedback in the palm rest area and the position of the touchpad.
This means that users can operate by touching the screen, such as scrolling, sliding and dragging, etc., can be easily realized, which greatly improves the user experience, and the operation method is more intuitive and convenient. Of course, another highlight of this Laptop is the tactile feedback in the palm rest area and the position of the touchpad. When the user touches the device, it will give some more realistic physical feedback, so that the user can feel his own operation, thereby improving the fluency of the overall operation.
This patent has undoubtedly attracted widespread attention, because this is a major new attempt by Apple in the field of Laptop. Apple has been officially opposed to the integration of touch elements in the MacBook, but this does not prevent the company from applying for related technical patents. It is not clear whether Apple will launch a touch MacBook in the future.
Apple believes that current electronic devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones usually use different methods to notify users of different events that occur. This includes playing sounds, providing haptic output such as vibration, showing visual notifications, and more. Haptic output can be provided by actuators using vibration motors or oscillating motors. Moreover, the traditional vibrating motor has a large volume and occupies a large space.
In order to solve this problem, Apple hopes to install small-scale touch modules in areas such as the screen substrate, touchpad, and palm rest to achieve flexible touch.