Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a continuation patent from Apple that relating to finger mounted devices that is designed to work with a future MacBook or dual display iPad Pro's virtual keyboards to provide users with similar sensations of typing on a physical keyboard.

One of the key new attributes now being protected in Apple's new patent claims relates to providing the user wearing the finger-mounted devices with the adding ability to feel a sensation of texture.  

Apple begins to explain their invention by noting that the surfaces of touch sensitive displays, especially for typing on a virtual keyboard, are generally rigid. As a result, a user's finger motion will be abruptly halted upon contact with a display surface. If care is not taken, finger impact events may be jarring and fatiguing. Below is an example of a Lenovo notebook that provides users with a virtual keyboard.

Apple's solution is to provide components in a finger-mounted device and/or in a device with a touch sensitive input surface may be used to help soften the impact between a user's finger and the input surface.

A user may be provided with softer finger-to-input-surface interactions, with finger sensations that mimic the action of clicking on a physical button, and/or other finger sensations.

The advantage of a secondary display area is that beyond using it for a virtual keyboard, the secondary display area could transform into other interfaces such as a drawing pad or gaming navigation pad or provide use's with a book-like experience with dual pages and more.

A sensor such as an optical proximity sensor or capacitive proximity sensor may be used in monitoring when the finger-mounted device and a user's finger in the device approach the input surface of the electronic device. In response to detection of motion of the finger towards the input surface, actuators in the finger-mounted device may squeeze the finger inwardly. This causes a finger pad portion of the finger to protrude outwardly towards the input surface, thereby softening impact between the finger and the input surface.

The electronic device may also have an array of components that repel the finger-mounted device and/or the finger in response to detection of the motion of the finger towards the input surface. These components may produce repulsive force using electrostatics, magnetic repulsion or attraction, ultrasonic output, and mechanical output. The components may, as an example, include an array of electromagnetics overlapping the input surface that magnetically repel a component such as a permanent magnet in the finger-mounted device.

Apple's patent FIG. 13 presented below shows how the housing of finger-mounted device 26A may wrap under the tip of finger (#10) while leaving fingernail (#18) exposed. The finger mounted devices could be individually worn or a gloves-accessory could be used with the finger-mounted devices built-in.

Apple's patent FIG. 14 above is a diagram of a user's finger with an optional finger-mounted device and an associated electronic device in a system.

Today's patent is not a new invention application but rather a continuation patent wherein Apple is updating and/or adding specific technology, features and/or methods that they want to legally extend into their current granted patent.  Any change and/or addition to this invention is restricted to Apple's patent claims.

So, What's new with this Invention?

Apple has updated this invention with 20 new patent claims that add new dimensions to their previously granted patent that Apple Legal believes will better protect their invention. All highlights using bold type or highlighter are from Patently Apple to simply point out certain key points or features.

Apple's patent Claims are broken into three distinct groups as follows: (1) there are 9 patent claims covering "The electronic device," followed by, (2) 5 patent claims covering "A finger-mounted device," and (3) a secondary segment that extends "the electronic device."  

The Electronic Device: Part One

1. An electronic device configured to be worn on a finger of a user as the finger is moved towards a surface, the finger having a fingertip with a fingernail, a finger pad, and side portions that extend from the fingernail toward the finger pad, the electronic device comprising: a body configured to be coupled to the finger; control circuitry; and a component coupled to the body that is configured to apply feedback to the side portions of the finger in response to control signals from the control circuitry.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the component is an actuator that is configured to apply the feedback to the side portions of the finger.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the actuator is selected from the group consisting of: an electromagnetic actuator, a motor, a piezoelectric actuator, an electroactive polymer actuator, a vibrator, a linear actuator, a rotational actuator, and an actuator that bends a bendable member.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the actuator is configured to move toward the finger to apply a force to the side portion of the finger.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the component is one of a plurality of components that are configured to be selectively activated by the control circuitry to apply feedback to selected portions of the finger.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising: a proximity sensor on the body configured to detect proximity of the finger to the surface, wherein the component is configured to apply the feedback in response to the detected proximity. 

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the proximity sensor is selected from the group consisting of: an optical proximity sensor and a capacitive proximity sensor.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the body has a portion that is movable and wherein the component is configured to apply the feedback to the finger by moving the portion toward the finger.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the body is configured to be coupled to the fingertip, covering the fingernail and the side portions of that fingertip and leaving the finger pad of that fingertip exposed.

A Finger-Mounted Device

10. A finger-mounted device configured to cover a fingernail and edge portions of a finger while leaving a finger pad of the finger exposed, the finger-mounted device comprising: a body coupled to the finger, wherein the body has a top portion that covers the fingernail and side portions that extend from the top portion; actuators in the side portions of the body; and control circuitry that is configured to apply feedback to an edge portion of the finger with one of the actuators.

11. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 10 wherein the actuators are configured to move the side portions of the body toward the finger to apply the feedback to the edge portion of the finger.

12. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 11 wherein the actuators in the side portions of the body comprise a plurality of actuators in each of the side portions and wherein the control circuitry is configured to selectively apply feedback to selected portions of the finger using different actuators of the plurality of actuators.

13. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 10 wherein the actuators are configured to squeeze the finger with the side portions of the body to move the finger pad away from the fingernail.

14. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 13 wherein the actuators are configured to squeeze the finger varying amounts as the finger is moved over a surface to create a sensation of texture.

The Electronic Device: Part Two

15. An electronic device configured to be worn on a finger of a user, the finger having a fingertip with a fingernail, a finger pad, and edge portions that extend between the fingernail and the finger pad, the electronic device comprising: a body having a top portion and a side portion that extends from the top portion; and an actuator in the side portion of the body that is configured to apply feedback to an edge portion of the finger.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the actuator is a vibrator that is configured to vibrate to apply the feedback to the edge portion of the finger.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the electronic device has at least one additional actuator in the side portion of the body and wherein the actuator and the at least one additional actuator are configured to selectively apply feedback along a length of the edge portion of the finger.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the actuator and the at least one additional actuator are adjustable flap actuators that selectively apply force along the edge portion of the finger.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the side portion of the body is a first side portion, wherein the actuator is a first actuator, wherein the body further comprises a second side portion that extends from the top portion, and wherein the electronic device further comprises: a second actuator in the second side portion of the body.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 19 wherein the first and second actuators are configured to move the first and second side portions of the body toward the finger to move the finger pad away from the fingernail.

Apple's continuation patent 20200285365 was published today by the U.S. Patent Office. The history dates back to 2017 with its first granted patent issued in July 2018. Considering that this is a continuation patent, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.