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Apple won a Patent today that provides us with a few clues regarding the 2026 Magic Mouse redesign

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It's been rumored that Apple is redesigning the Magic Mouse for sometime in 2026. Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a patent that relates to a possible future Magic Mouse that describes new features. Whether some or all of the new design features will make it into the final design is unknown at this time.

In short, Apple notes that a processor electrically coupled to the sensor assembly causes the processor to determine an orientation of the mouse relative to a hand based on a touch input from the hand detected by the sensor assembly. The mouse can also have a circular array of touch sensors or lights that detect hand position and provide orientation information to the user. Of course, always keep in mind that this isn't a design patent, so the patent figures are only presented to support an overview of the underlying technology. 

Input Device With Adaptive Grip Orientation

A new input device in the form of a computer mouse can detect a touch input from a user via the sensor array. The sensor array can be configured to detect touch inputs that are interpreted, by a processing or computing device, to determine a hand position of the user relative to the input device's outer surface.

The orientation of the hand can infer or imply an intended action by the user while the input device is being used. For example, the hand position of the user can indicate the user's intended orientation of the input device.

If the user grips the device with certain fingers or their palm resting in a first arrangement on the outer surface, the computing device can expect that movement of the input device in a first direction (e.g., the direction in which their index finger is likely pointing) will cause an action via a user interface (e.g., a mouse cursor will move upward on the display).

If the user releases their initial grip and grasps the device with the input device rotated from its initial position relative to the support surface (e.g., after lifting and turning the device), the fingers or palm may then be detected as resting in a second arrangement relative to the outer surface of the input device. In that arrangement, movement of the input device in a second direction (e.g., the direction in which their index finger is now pointing after reorientation of the input device) can cause the same action via the user interface (e.g., the cursor will still move upward) despite the change in position of the input device. Thus, in some embodiments, the device can detect the user grip and use that grip to infer user intent when then user moves or otherwise interacts with the input device.

In some embodiments, this inferred intent can include assigning a movement direction of the input device as a “forward” direction or “user facing” direction relative to the user. This “forward” or “user facing” direction can be the direction assumed to be facing away from the front of the user (i.e., the direction the user is facing), such as the direction that the user's arm or hand moves when reaching forward to grasp or move the input device away from their torso. Thus, movement of the input device in that direction can be associated with a predetermined action (e.g., a cursor moving upward across a display screen), regardless of the physical orientation of internal (or external) components of the input device relative to the earth (e.g., relative to a gravitational direction or a geographical location).

In this way, a circular input device can be used and its orientation can be newly determined each time the user grips or touches the surface of the input device with their hand. This way, the user does not have to physically reorient the input device each time they want to use the input device. The user can grip the input device as they see fit for comfort and convenience and the controller or computing device for the input device will determine orientation automatically based on how the user contacts the device.

In addition, the input devices described can include feedback to the user, for example in the form of visual feedback, via the light array projecting through the housing of the device, to indicate the detected forward or user-facing direction for the input device once the device is gripped.

Apple's patent FIG. 5 below shows a perspective view of a mouse and indicator(s); FIG. 6 shows a side cutaway view of a mouse.

2 new Apple mouse patent

Apple's patent FIG. 7C above shows a top view of the mouse #700 and the housing #712 including the grip portion #714. Contact regions #758a-f representing detected contact areas between the user's hand and fingers and the mouse are shown with dotted line boundaries. In the illustrated example, the detected touch regions #758a-f can include a first finger sensor contact region #758a, a second finger sensor contact region #758b, a third finger sensor contact region #758c, a fourth finger contact region #758d, a fifth finger contact region #758e, and a palm sensor contact region #758f; FIGS. 8 and 9 are other examples of gripping the mouse and orientation.

To review the full details of this invention, check out granted patent 12197654.

10.52FX - Granted Patent Bar