Latest news with #PatentlyApple
Mint
12-07-2025
- Mint
Apple Pencil may soon let you draw in the air, new patent suggests
Apple appears to be working on a next-generation Apple Pencil that could redefine how we interact with digital devices, not just by touching screens, but by writing or sketching in the air or on any surface. According to a newly published patent filing spotted by Patently Apple, Apple is developing a stylus that may function independently of a screen, potentially allowing users to write, draw, and gesture in mid-air. The patent outlines the use of advanced motion-sensing technologies that could turn the Apple Pencil into a freeform input device. The document describes the use of optical flow sensors or laser speckle flow sensors, similar to those found in optical mice, to track the movement of the Pencil across a wide range of surfaces. These sensors are capable of detecting small shifts in light and shadow as the device moves, allowing for accurate motion capture. To achieve this, the Pencil would measure spatial and temporal changes in image brightness. This data would then be translated into real-time input on a connected screen such as an iPad, Mac, or iPhone. What makes this development particularly noteworthy is its potential beyond simple sketching. According to the patent, the Pencil could support air gestures for handwriting, drawing, or even manipulating 3D objects. This opens up possibilities for spatial computing and AR applications, especially in combination with devices like the Vision Pro headset. The Apple Pencil could also act as a universal spatial controller, enabling users to navigate files, control audio playback, or perform other system-level actions with mid-air gestures. The illustrations in the patent show the stylus being used alongside various Apple products, including the iPad, MacBook Pro, iPhone, and the Vision Pro. This indicates a broader ambition to make the next Apple Pencil a central part of Apple's hardware ecosystem. As always with patents, there's no guarantee that the product will be commercialised. However, the technology described could significantly expand how users interact with Apple devices, especially in AR environments or creative workflows that benefit from untethered input. If Apple brings this idea to life, the Apple Pencil could soon become more than just a stylus, it could be a controller for the spatial era.
India Today
09-07-2025
- India Today
Apple patent reveals stylus that draws in air, no screen needed
Apple might be rethinking how we use the Apple Pencil, and the future looks like it could involve drawing in thin air. A newly granted patent suggests that Apple is working on a stylus that doesn't need a screen or even a surface to function. Yes, you read that right. According to a report by Patently Apple, this next-gen Apple Pencil could let you write or sketch in the air or on pretty much any surface — like a wooden table or even your wall — and still track your input with idea is to use optical sensors inside the stylus that can track movement, tilt, and position in 3D space. These sensors include things like optical flow detectors — similar to what's used in your computer mouse — and more advanced laser-based tracking. That means even if the Pencil isn't touching a screen, it could still record your strokes by scanning how the light around it shifts as you move it. The patent even says this could work from a short distance, such as 10 centimetres above a quote from the patent sums it up well: 'The optical sensor(s) can be configured to measure displacement of internal components of a stylus,' allowing it to work even when not in direct contact with a surface. There's more. One version of the Apple Pencil described in the patent uses a trackball at the tip — think old-school computer mice — but instead of mechanical tracking, Apple is suggesting using internal optical sensors to detect the ball's motion. This setup could help avoid common issues like scratching or dirt build-up while still offering accurate input tracking. According to Apple, this design also improves signal-to-noise ratios and works across more types of surfaces, regardless of their texture or just drawing or writing, Apple's patent hints at combining this motion-sensing tech with other sensors, like force detectors, inertial measurement units, and even machine vision. In simple terms, that means the Apple Pencil could eventually support air gestures, better handwriting recognition, or even 3D object creation. These additions would make the Pencil a useful tool not just for iPads, but also for Apple's spatial computing devices like the Vision course, this is just a patent for now, so there's no guarantee it'll launch soon — or at all. But it does show that Apple is still experimenting with what more a stylus can do.- Ends
India Today
27-05-2025
- India Today
iPhone 19 may finally bring under-display selfie camera
Apple might finally be on track to deliver a true all-screen iPhone — and it could happen as early as the iPhone 19. According to a report by The Information, Apple is working towards placing both Face ID and the front-facing camera under the display in future iPhones. The tech could debut in the iPhone 18 Pro series next year, while the 2027 iPhone — likely the iPhone 19 — may be the first to feature a completely edge-to-edge screen, marking the 20th anniversary of the ID uses infrared light to scan your face, and placing it behind the screen presents a major challenge. Most display panels aren't very good at letting infrared light pass through, which can impact accuracy. However, Apple seems to be tackling this with a patent it was recently granted, as spotted by Patently Apple. The method involves removing certain subpixels — the tiny red, green, and blue elements that make up a display — to create transparent zones. These gaps allow infrared light to pass through more easily, without affecting visual quality. Apple's design also clears up wiring and touch components in those areas to let the system work rumours suggested that under-display Face ID might arrive with the iPhone 15 or 16, but those predictions didn't pan out. That said, the iPhone 17 might show the first visible change. As per analyst Jeff Pu, at least one iPhone 17 model — possibly the iPhone 17 Pro Max — could feature a smaller Dynamic Island, hinting at internal shifts ahead of the full Under-display selfie cameras aren't new in the Android world. Brands like Samsung have been using them in foldables for the last few years, including on the inner display of Galaxy Z Fold models. But image quality has often been underwhelming, especially for video calls and selfies. Apple's challenge is to overcome that while maintaining its usual high-quality standards, especially now that front cameras are widely used for selfies and video now, we are fast approaching September, when Apple is expected to launch its next-generation iPhone 17 models, including the standard iPhone 17, 17 Air, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. Unless you have been living under a rock, the iPhone 17 Air is said to replace the Plus models, and is touted to be the slimmest flagship phone Apple has ever worked on. If the rumours are to be believed, the iPhone 17 Air will be just 5.5mm thick and weigh only 145 grams.
India Today
24-04-2025
- Business
- India Today
Apple thinking of making iPhone with wrap-around display
Apple files numerous patents every year, many of which never make it to final products. However, these patents often give us insight into the company's thinking around futuristic technologies. One such idea that Apple has been working on for years is a device with a wrap-around display. The company has filed many patents related to this technology, and recently, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted yet another one. The latest granted patent, titled "Electronic device with wrap-around display," reveals how Apple remains keen about exploring the idea of a more flexible newly granted patent (US 12,282,361) was originally filed in 2019, as per insights by Patently Apple. The recent patent describes a device featuring a flexible, touch-sensitive display that extends around the front, sides, and potentially even the back of the device. Currently, smartphones—including iPhones—utilise only the front surface as the display, leaving the sides and back for the frame. Apple's idea of a wrap-around display is to maximise screen space without increasing the physical footprint of the device. Photo credits: Patently Apple The technology of a flexible display also opens up new possibilities for how such a display could be useful in a device like the iPhone. For instance, users could see glanceable notifications on the side bezels, benefit from touch-sensitive controls that run along the edges, or even view rear-facing content like a camera viewfinder or customisable widgets. advertisement Interestingly, this patent also hints at a foldable-like mechanism, where portions of the display could shift or retract, potentially allowing for adjustable screen areas. This concept also seems to be aligned with Apple's ongoing exploration of foldable this is the tenth time Apple has received approval for a wrap-around display concept. The current patent builds upon earlier versions first seen in 2011 and subsequently updated in 2013, 2020, and now in 2025. This repetition is not unusual for Apple, as the company frequently submits revised versions of patents to fine-tune ideas or include new use cases. The fact that the patent has again received approval suggests the Cupertino-based giant is actively addressing the technical and practical challenges of the concept and is seriously looking for bringing this tech on table in another patent granted to Apple this week reveals radar-based object detection for iPhones and iPads. This technology as explained in the patent could enhance how these devices interact with their surroundings. Traditional sensors like LiDAR and infrared often struggle to detect certain surfaces—such as transparent glass or uniformly coloured walls. Apple's radar-based solution, as described in the patent, aims to overcome this limitation by extracting detailed surface features from radar signals, including motion characteristics, radar cross-sections, and Doppler shifts. Photo: Patently Apple This will allow the devices to initiate accurate detection, tracking, and classification of objects—particularly in environments where visual sensors fall short. It could alert users to nearby obstacles or people, even in complex or low-visibility settings. Additionally, Apple also hints at potential health and fitness applications, where radar data could be used to track stride length, steps, or calorie burn with higher precision—especially beneficial for wearables and portable devices.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Yahoo
Apple wants to put a Dynamic Island on your wrist – but not how you'd expect
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Hot on the heels of that foldable Apple Watch patent, Apple's latest smartwatch concept suggests it's not just thinking about bigger screens – it's thinking smarter ones, too. A recently surfaced patent reveals the tech giant has come up with a way to turn the side of the Apple Watch into a dynamic, touch-sensitive control surface – essentially creating a mini Dynamic Island, but wrapped around your wrist. As spotted by Patently Apple, the patent details a clever design that replaces the traditional metal watch case with a glass shell. The key twist? That glass would be interactive. Depending on what app or function is running on the watch, the side panel could morph into different controls, from volume sliders to fitness buttons or even scrollable lists. This kind of contextual interface is very on-brand for Apple. Think about the iPhone's Dynamic Island – a space that shapeshifts to show you what's most relevant: music playing, timers, FaceTime calls. Now imagine a similarly adaptable approach to the Apple Watch, but applied to the edges of the device instead of the face. According to the patent, the side could display iconography, text, or controls that change in real-time, based on the app in use. So if you're scrolling through workouts, it might give you swipe-based navigation. If you're listening to music, it might show track and volume controls. All while keeping the main watch display uncluttered. This new patent confirms that Apple is still thinking differently – not just about the watch face, but about what a watch can be. As always, patents don't guarantee a product, but they do offer a peek into the future Apple's designing for. And if even a slice of this makes it into a future Apple Watch, it could change how we interact with wearables all over again.
