Apple began to work on backside iPad controls before the iPad ever came to market. Patently Apple covered it in a report titled "Apple: The Tablet Prophecies." Another Apple patent covering future backside touch controls for the iPad surfaced again in 2014 and 2017. Today Apple reveals a new processing unit that will support future backside iPad and iPhone force touch controls that will add a new level of functionality to these iDevices for users. For instance, a user reading a long document may decide to go back a page and touch the back-button on the UI. In the future, a user will only have to tap the left backside of an iPad to perform that function or tap on the right backside of the iPad to move a page forward.

Each Apple app that will support this function, like Apple Music, Maps or Pages will support this function to perform different functions be it move through a playlist or to tilt a map a certain way.

Apple notes in their patent filing that many electronic devices detect input on the front side of the device using a touch screen display to perform operations on objects in user interfaces and to change displayed graphical user interfaces. As portable devices grow larger in format, a user is increasingly likely to often support the device in two hands while operating the device. Various operations may be inconvenient for the user to perform while supporting the device in two hands, particularly if the operations are frequently used.

Some applications are particularly likely to be used while the user is holding the device in two hands, such as a web browser application, a media player application, a document reading application, a map application, and a multitasking interface for switching between active applications. While a user is primarily observing the display and/or using an application that requires relatively little input, the user may find it more efficient and less fatiguing to provide input while continuing to support the device with two hands.

A device that detects input on the back side of the device to perform operations that change a displayed user interface is beneficial to a user who desires to operate the device without needing to provide input on the front side of the device (e.g., while supporting the device with two hands).

The processing and power requirements of sensing input on the back of a device are low compared with sensing input with detailed input location information using a touch screen on the front of a device. For object-specific functionality in applications, the touch screen provides the input location information needed to identify the object at which input is received. This method provides the efficiency of detecting input at the back side of a device for operations that do not require interaction with a single object among multiple objects displayed in a graphical user interface, combined with the utility of detecting input that corresponds to a particular object using a touch screen on the front of the device.

The device typically supports a variety of applications, such as one or more of the following: a note taking application, a drawing application, a presentation application, a word processing application, a website creation application, a disk authoring application, a spreadsheet application, a gaming application, a telephone application, a video conferencing application, an e-mail application, an instant messaging application, a workout support application, a photo management application, a digital camera application, a digital video camera application, a web browsing application, a document reader application, a map application, a multitasking application, a digital music player application, and/or a digital video player application.

The new backside force touch control system will work with all of the application noted above and perform different functions depending on the specific application. Although the functions may be simple at the start to get Apple customers used to the new functionality, Apple could easily increase the feature set over time.

The idea at the beginning is to allow the user to hold their iPad and allow for backside force touches to perform basic functions like using the back button or to advance a webpage without requiring the user to move one of their hands to perform this task by touching the face side display. It's convenience functionality.

Apple's patent FIG. 8C-1 above shows a typical action of pressing the back-page button #814. In patent FIG. 8C-2 we're able to see the backside of an iPad with a touch sensitive sensor picking up the intensity force that the user is placing on the back surface. If the touch reaches a certain intensity level measured by an intensity meter, the iPad will understand that the touch isn't simply a standard touch for holding the iPad but rather an instruction to perform a particular action, be it to mimic the back-page function or to move a webpage, book page, document page backward or forward depending on which hand is performing the backside function. The touch may be in the form of a single tap.

Apple's patent filing has an endless supply of patent figure examples covering different apps this could apply to like Maps and Pages, iTunes/Apple Music and more.

Apple's patent FIG 10 below presents an overview of a new Processing supporting the new force touch controls for the backside of future iDevices like an iPad and iPhone.

Apple's Laundry List of what the new Backside Force Touch Functions Could Perform

In some embodiments, performing the third operation includes changing the user interface dynamically as the intensity of the input increases.

In some embodiments, performing the second operation includes activating a media control; and performing the third operation includes hiding a set of one or more media controls.

In some embodiments, the processing unit is further configured to: in response to detecting a second input while the set of one or more media controls are hidden: in accordance with a determination that the second input is on the back side of the device and the second input meets the third response criteria, redisplay the set of one or more media controls.

In some embodiments, performing the first operation includes performing (e.g., with the performing unit) a first map application operation; performing the second operation includes performing a second map application operation that is different from the first map application operation; and performing the third operation includes performing (e.g., with the performing unit) a third map application operation that is different from the first map application operation and the second map operation.

In some embodiments, the first object corresponds to a point of interest in a map; the first map application operation includes displaying a menu for the map; the second map application operation includes displaying information about the point of interest; and the third map application operation includes tilting the map.

In some embodiments, performing the first operation includes performing a first keyboard operation; and performing the third operation includes performing a second keyboard operation.

In some embodiments, the first object corresponds to a key in an un-split keyboard; the first keyboard operation includes selecting the key in the un-split keyboard; and the second keyboard operation includes displaying a split keyboard.

In some embodiments, the first object corresponds to a key in a displayed keyboard; the first keyboard operation includes selecting the key in the displayed keyboard; and the second keyboard operation includes ceasing to display the keyboard.

In some embodiments, performing the second operation includes changing an appearance of the keyboard to indicate that the electronic device is operating in a text selection mode of operation, wherein changing the appearance of the keyboard includes obscuring an appearance of characters on keys of the keyboard.

In some embodiments, the first object corresponds to first content in a view of an application; the first operation includes displaying a preview of second content; the second operation includes navigating from the first content to the second content in the view of the application; and the third operation includes displaying multiple views.

In some embodiments, the multiple views include views of multiple applications.

In some embodiments, the multiple views include views of representations of webpages in a single application.

In some embodiments, the processing unit is further configured to: in response to detecting a second input while displaying the multiple views: in accordance with a determination that the second input is on the back side of the electronic device and the second input meets fourth response criteria, navigate through the multiple views.

In some embodiments, a speed of navigating through the multiple views varies in accordance with a characteristic intensity of a contact in the second input.

In some embodiments, navigating through the multiple views includes changing from primarily displaying a first view of the multiple views to primarily displaying a second view of the multiple views; and the processing unit is further configured to: determine; in accordance with a determination that the location corresponds to a first location on the back side of the device, the second view of the multiple views is a next view relative to the first view; and in accordance with a determination that the location corresponds to a second location on the back side of the device, the second view of the multiple views is a previous view relative to the first view.

In some embodiments, the processing unit is further configured to: in response to detecting a second input while displaying the multiple views: in accordance with a determination that the second input is on the back side of the electronic device and the second input meets fifth response criteria, navigate from a first view to an adjacent view in the multiple views.

In some embodiments, the processing unit is further configured to: in response to detecting a second input while displaying the multiple views: in accordance with a determination that the second input includes a first contact on a first half of the back side of the electronic device and a second contact on a second half of the back side of the electronic device, and the second input meets sixth response criteria, replace display of the multiple views with a currently selected view of the multiple views.

In some embodiments, the first object corresponds to a portion of text on a first page of a document; performing the first operation includes displaying a preview that corresponds to the portion of the text; performing the second operation includes selecting the portion of the text; and performing the third operation includes navigating (e.g., with the navigating unit 1026) from the first page of the document to a second page of the document.

In some embodiments, navigating from the first page of the document to the second page of the document includes: determining; in accordance with a determination that the location corresponds to a first location on the back side of the electronic device, the second page of the document is a page of the document that precedes the first page of the document; and in accordance with a determination that the location corresponds to a second location on the back side of the electronic device, the second page of the document is a page of the document that follows the first page of the document.

In some embodiments, a speed of navigating from the first page of the document to the second page of the document varies in accordance with the characteristic intensity of a contact in the input.

In some embodiments, the processing unit is further configured to: in response to detecting a second input while displaying the second page of the document: in accordance with a determination that the second input is on the back side of the electronic device and the second input meets sixth response criteria, navigate from the second page of the document to an adjacent page.

In some embodiments, the back side of the electronic device does not have a touch-sensitive display unit, and the electronic device is not configured to detect a location of an input on the back side of the electronic device.

In some embodiments, at least one sensor unit that is configured to detect intensities of inputs on the front side of the device is also configured to detect

In some embodiments, the processing unit is further configured to: in accordance with a determination that the input is detected on the back side of the electronic device and meets fourth response criteria, perform a fourth operation, wherein: the fourth operation is different from the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation; the fourth operation changes the displayed user interface; the change in the displayed user interface does not correspond to interaction with just a single object in the plurality of objects; and the fourth response criteria include a criterion that is met when a characteristic intensity of the input is above a fourth intensity threshold.

Apple's patent application was filed back in Q3 2017. The inventors listed on this patent application include heavy weight Wayne Westerman noted as "Distinguished Engineer and Multitouch Architect." Westerman came to Apple in 2005 after Apple acquired his company FingerWorks Inc." The second inventor is listed as Golnaz Abdollahians, Lead Prototype Engineer / Technology Investigation.

Considering that this is a patent application, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.

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