Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a patent application from Apple that relates to a new kind of button structure, primarily designed for an iPad, that accepts gesture inputs like a swipe and more. The patent also hints of a button on an iPad to put phone calls on mute. Our report also touches on a patent titled "Portal View for Content Items."

New iPad Buttons can Respond to Gesture inputs like a Swipe & More

Today, in a new patent application from Apple we learn that Apple may be considering a new kind of button for the iPad. Apple notes that "Because the device can determine the location of an input applied to the input member #211, the device may detect and respond to gesture inputs applied to the input member #211.

According to Apple, a gesture input may include a directional component, such as a swipe along length of the input member #211 (e.g., along the horizontal axis in FIG. 2A).

As a user applies a gesture along the input surface of the input member #211 (e.g., the exterior surface that is contactable by a user), the device may determine one or more parameters of the gesture. Such parameters may include a direction of the gesture (e.g., a swipe direction), speed of the gesture, start/stop locations of the gesture, or the like.

Such parameters may be determined based on the signals from the sensing elements #214, and may correspond to deflections of the beam structure #216. In this way, such gesture inputs may be detectable to the extent that they produce detectable deflections in the beam structure.  

While a swipe gesture is described, other types of gesture inputs or inputs that include directions and/or motions are also contemplated. For example, a user may apply a “rocking” gesture to the input member, where the entire input member receives a force, but a primary force location (e.g., a centroid of the force input) changes with time.

Example operations that may be performed in response to gesture inputs include, without limitation, scrolling displayed objects, changing audio output volume, changing display brightness (or any other device parameters), locking and/or unlocking the device, sending an information item (e.g., sending an email or text message), refreshing content (e.g., refreshing a webpage), and the like. 

Where it got a little exciting, though confusing, is when Apple pointed to one of the buttons being added turns a phone ringer on or off on an iPad as presented below.

Apple notes: For example, the inputs to the switch #508 may affect other modes and inputs to the button. For example, an input to the switch #508 may cause the device to transition to a haptic-alert mode in which the phone produces haptic outputs in response to incoming calls or notifications."

Technically, Apple notes earlier on that the patent application could apply to devices other than an iPad - even though the patent focuses on an iPad in text and graphics. Still, illustrating the #508 button in context with an iPad is very interesting and noteworthy, even if it never comes to pass.

For more details review patent application 20240256003.  

Considering that the patent was only filed for in September 2023, the patent isn't about known buttons.

Portal View for Content Items

Apple's patent covers devices, systems, and methods that provide an XR environment that depicts an environment with a viewing portal for viewing an added content item that is positioned behind the viewing portal. Some implementations determine a first position for a viewing portal within a 3D coordinate system corresponding to an environment, determine a second position for a content item within the 3D coordinate system, where the second position is opposite a front surface of the viewing portal, and determine a viewpoint of an electronic device within the 3D coordinate system.

Apple's patent FIG. 2 below illustrates virtual content displaced behind and viewed through an example viewing portal. As shown in FIG. 2, the display #110 of the electronic device #180 is displaying the virtual content #140 textured onto a surface #260 that is vertically flat and horizontally curved to be 10 meters (e.g., a preset distance) behind a viewing portal #250.

In some examples, the surface #260 may include a full or partial cylindrical shell centered around viewing portal. In FIG. 2, the virtual content #140 displayed behind the viewing portal has a focal distance that is different and larger than the distance to the viewing portal.

In some implementations, the virtual content is positioned behind the viewing portal to give the appearance of depth when viewed through the viewing portal in the physical environment #105.

As shown in FIG. 2, as the electronic device (HMD #180) moves in the physical environment, the portion of the virtual content that is visible through the viewing portal changes according to the changing viewpoint of the HMD. For more details, view Apple's patent application 20240257478 in Safari or Chrome/Edge/Firefox.