The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has recently issued patent 9,400,570, which suggests that Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) has finally received an approval for its patent filing in 2014 that allows the Apple Pencil to be integrated with force sensors and an inertial sensor.
Ambitious Apple Pencil
According to the model of the patent published, the Apple Pencil can be used on MacBook trackpads— and possibly on the Magic Trackpads as well, functioning as a gaming joystick or music instrument. It can also serve as a motion-sensitive mouse. With the hypothetical Apple Pencil built with force sensors and an inertial sensor, users can modify gestures for better and more convenient experience. Consequently, sketching, note-taking, and other similar activities on Apple devices are made far easier than ever. The possibilities for its application are imaginatively hopeful and extensive.
Last month, Apple was also granted a patent for developing a stylus that can determine the position and rotation of the fingers as well as the force it receives from them. Accordingly, such technology can improve the user’s experience with the Apple Pencil as its functionality may depend on how the user’s fingers are positioned.
Apple Trackpads
Presently, the MacBook trackpads and Magic Trackpads already allow users to write their signatures electronically and even non-Roman characters and texts. Its trackpads have already been integrated with force sensors that enable Force Touch. The feature can recognize how much pressure is placed on the trackpads.
Important Reminder on Patents
Being granted patents does not necessarily indicate that a company will push through developing what it has applied for. Basically— particularly when it comes to technology companies, filing patents is a key measure in protecting a company’s intellectual property (IP) relating to future products and concepts it might want to work on anytime soon.
Nonetheless, should the technology giant bring these Apple Pencil concepts into reality, it would really be a major overhaul on the current item worth $99 available in the market today.
