Touch Bar is complete? Apple's new MacBook patent exposure: a variety of interaction methods such as a force-sensitive keyboard that can provide tactile feedback

CTOnews.com, January 20 (Xinhua) Apple is pushing ahead with the transformation of solid-state buttons, and the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air will also use tactile feedback force-sensitive / touch-sensitive keyboards in the future after the trackpad. Compared with the traditional keyboard, the force-sensitive / touch-sensitive keyboard with tactile feedback can provide a more flexible input experience.

According to Apple's latest technology patent, the future keyboard on the MacBook will use a force-sensitive / tactile design with tactile feedback. When the user hits the "keyboard", there will be touch / power feedback, and will distinguish between mistouch and regular tapping.

CTOnews.com learned that the keyboard area can display a variety of interactive elements according to display needs, and you can think of it as a keyboard area-sized touch bar (Touch Bar). The location, size, spacing, and / or layout of the keyboard may vary according to the needs of the user, and a variety of interactive elements such as multimedia can be set.

The force sensing system is covered with a layer of glass. The force sensing system is coupled to the lower part of the case of the notebook computer and is configured as the keyboard of the laptop computer. In the force sensing system, the elastic modulus of the glass is in the range of about 60 to about 80 GPa, the thickness of the glass is in the range of about 0.1 to about 0.5mm, and the thickness of the compliance material (compliant material) is in the range of about 0.5mm to about 2.0mm.