According to a new report from PatentlyApple, the US Patent and Trademark Office granted and published two advanced multi-touch display patents filed by Apple in 2007.
The first patent mentions different combinations as to where the touch sensing elements can be integrated into the liquid-crystal displays (LCD) relative to both the color filter and array plates.
While it doesn’t seem like much, the patent could pave the way for more precise, sturdy and thinner future touchscreens to be used in next-generation devices. The newly granted patent, entitled “Touch screen liquid crystal display”, lists over 85 various patent claims, which could cause issues for other companies looking to advance their own techniques for manufacturing displays.
Interestingly enough, mentioned by other reports is the possibility of In-Cell touchscreen technology. While not widely known, the adoption of the next-generation “In-Cell” process allows for the integration of touch sensors directly into the display as opposed to using an additional layer for detecting touch input – similar to the method mentioned above. However, as highlighted by PatentlyApple, the complexity of the process mentioned in Apple’s patent simply doesn’t match that of In-Cell technology.
Could Apple be working on their own solution that’s similar to In-Cell technology to create a drastically thinner touchscreen? Stay tuned for more on the subject and complete coverage on Apple.
