Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a patent that relates to a possible future redesigned Magic Mouse that could provide users with the ability to feel textures like moving through sand or sliding on ice which would be handy in games. Creating tactile feedback and mimicking on-screen features can provide a more immersive, realistic sensory feedback environment to the user for any number of applications. The applications can include three-dimensional (3D) design, gaming, web-browsing, or any other visual display software application. 

Apple's patent generally relates to electronic input device feedback modes and variations thereof. User feedback provided by typical computing systems and software is often limited to audio and visual feedback. Even portions of computing devices and systems that user's physically interact with, such as game controllers, keyboards, mice, and other physical input devices, are limited to elementary tactile user feedback, for example from haptic engine vibrations.

Desktop and laptop computers, commonly used at home and office settings, utilize input devices such as pens, styluses, and mice to enable user input. However, a typical computer mouse or stylus is likewise limited in user feedback capabilities.

User input devices and systems described in today's granted patent provide enhanced feedback to users controlling or manipulating images presented on a display screen beyond user input devices of the prior art.

In one example, the friction between the input device and a support surface on which the input device is moved, such as a desktop surface, can be automatically altered to mimic a surface texture or environment, or change thereof, over which the cursor controlled by the input device is moved on a display screen.

One scenario could include one portion of a display screen visually representing ice and another portion of the display screen visually representing sand. As a visual object (e.g., cursor) controlled by the input device is moved over the ice portion, the input device can maintain a first friction between the input device and the desktop. Then, as the visual object (e.g., cursor) controlled by the input device is moved over the sand portion of the screen, the input device can increase the friction between the input device and the desktop surface, via selective actuation of the feet, to mimic the increased forces it would take in reality to move such an input device over sand compared to ice. 

Other examples could include moving a game character through water and air, in which the input device could impart different tactile feedback to the user via variable friction.

One will appreciate that the mimicking of surface features such as those found on diamond plate sheet metals can be applied to any other surface features shown on a display screen or in a virtual/augmented reality system. These can include various surface textures, shapes, bumps, protrusions, objects, and so forth. Creating this tactile feedback mimicking on-screen features can provide a more immersive, realistic sensory feedback environment to the user for any number of applications. The applications can include three-dimensional (3D) design, gaming, web-browsing, or any other visual display software application.

 Some scenarios can include adjusting the horizontal movement of the mouse to be easier or more difficult for the user depending on a game condition (e.g., the virtual status or virtual position of a game character, such as being more difficult when the character is injured, wading through water, or wearing heavy equipment as compared to when the character is healthy or unburdened).

Other Magic Mouse Patents/Projects at Apple:

01: 2020 - Apple Wins Patent for a Future Magic Mouse with a Shape Changing Body

02: 2025 - Apple won a Patent today that provides us with a few clues regarding the 2026 Magic Mouse redesign