The Cupertino tech titan Apple first introduced the Apple Pencil to the public in Sept. 2015 alongside the iPad Pro. It is a wireless stylus pen accessory developed by the Cupertino company for use with supported iPad tablet computers. Along with the existing double-tap feature, Apple Pencil may soon feature the ability to determine gestures lick swiping through a more extensive touch-sensitive control.
Apple Pencil 2 introduced the feature, which allows users to choose items and change modes by just double-tapping on the panel on the body of the stylus. With the new Apple patent, the Cupertino company wants to have a flexible sensor placed at the fingertips of the user. The flexible sensor would be able to receive tactile inputs.
In the Apple patent No 20200012358 titled Touch-based input for stylus," it states that tactile input can be received at the natural grip location of the user. Additionally, the Apple pencil can effectively differentiate between tactile inputs from a user and ignore sustained tactile inputs provided with the user simply holding the stylus at the user's natural location. The patent underlines that when the user is utilizing the Apple Pencil or any stylus, it is unlikely that it is simultaneously touching the display of the iPad or similar tablet device.
The Apple patent says that while the user is holding the Apple Pencil or any other touch-based input device, the user is restricted to the input options provided by the stylus. "Accordingly, additional input capabilities that are integrated into the input device would provide the user with expanded input capabilities without the need to simultaneously operate additional input devices," the patent continues.
To be able to achieve this, the Apple Pencil would have a low profile sensor like a capacitative sensing device. Apple believes that tactile input should be received at the location of the user's natural grip. The stylus could effectively distinguish between tactile inputs and ignore the inputs that are provided while the user is just holding the stylus at its natural grip location.
This Apple patent application further explains other details of the tip and the base of the stylus like the Apple Pencil, several of which even use the same illustrations. In Dec. 2019, another patent was filed, which concerns how the stylus of the Apple pencil could better simulate the feel of drawing or writing on paper using the haptic feedback. An almost similar patent in 2015 revealed a system concerning the entire stylus.
It is worth noting that these are just Apple patents, and there is no guarantee that they will end up available to consumers in the future. But, it is nice to know that Apple is looking into this kind of technology for Apple pencil to provide users with the ultimate experience.
