Apple Is Working On A Motion Touch Device For iMacs
July 11, 2013
Future iMacs, and Mac Pros could come with a motion touch device, which combines the speed of a mouse with the control of a trackpad. This “Hybrid Inertial and Touch Sensing Input Device” is described in an Apple patent application recently published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
According to Apple, the product relies on two sensors to perform:
The method includes receiving inputs from an inertial sensor and a touch sensor, and dynamically adjusting a velocity estimate of the electronic input device based on weighting or predetermined thresholds of the inputs to maximize a tracking range of the input device.Not all of Apple's patents come to market as a new technology and/or device. Therefore, this motion touch device may never actually see the light of day. Apple last refreshed its iMac lineup in November. In June, it announced a new Mac Pro, which should arrive later this year. Apple initially filed for this patent in 2012. It lists Farshid Hashimi as its inventor. See also: Apple May Have Bigger Plans For Its New iTunes Radio Service, Future Apple Earbuds Might Contain Noise-Cancelling Technology, and Could This Be The iWatch Battery?
