Apple has been finally given approval for developing hidden input domains based on micro-perforations as released by US Patent & Trademark Office today under the heading of ‘Apple Invents Close to Invisible Micro Notification Areas and Interactive Buttons for iDevices, Macs & Apple Pencil’.
Since 2008, Apple had been working on this to develop an interactive system of concealed input buttons unlike the traditional ones, whose purpose was restricted merely for input functions. On this the patent states:
An array of micro-perforations may be arranged over a portion of the input region. When illuminated or in an activated state, the micro-perforations may display virtual keys, buttons, notification graphics, or other indicia or symbols at the external surface, and thereby reveal the input region.
By enabling the micro-perforations, which when arranged in an array or pattern of similar openings may be visually imperceptible when not illuminated and vice-versa, Apple wants to control the functionality of its future iPhone, Apple Pencil and other devices as well
Provided with numerous illustrations the patent puts a major focus on two of the major components:
- Micro-perforations
- Translucent surface
Originally filed in the year 2018, the patent has finally approved of it, however, it might be deduced that for Apple to hit the market with such a modern technology might quite take some time to implement and further hit the market.
