Would You Attach That To Your Apple Inc. (AAPL) Device?

When it comes to the screen of your Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) device, you are probably like most people. What we mean is this: you do your best to keep your screen in good condition, as the last thing you want to deal with is a scratch or other deformity.

For this reason, you are very unlikely to attach anything to the screen of your Apple device. That being said, if Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has anything to say about it you may be changing your way of thinking at some point in the future.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published an Apple patent describing button-like objects that can be attached to your display as a means of offering a physical form of feedback.

This may be one of the crazier patents filed by Apple, but it appears to have some potential.

For a better idea of what the patent is all about, let’s check out the abstract from the official patent page:

“Methods and apparatus for provide physical buttons for use on a touch surface are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus includes a display arrangement and a first button attachment structure. The display arrangement includes a first surface which has a first touch-sensitive area. The first touch-sensitive area is capable of sensing touch. The first button attachment structure includes a first attachment area and a first button actuation area. The first attachment area is mounted on the first surface such that the first button actuation is aligned at least partially over the first touch-sensitive area. The first button actuation area is arranged to deform when a force is applied to the first button actuation area to engage the first touch-sensitive area.”

The abstract gives a better idea of what Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is hoping to accomplish with this patent. It may not be something you have considered in the past, but now that Cupertino is on board with the idea you may begin to change your way of thinking.

This is one of those patents that doesn’t appear to have much potential of making its way to market anytime soon. However, you never know what Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will do next.

The patent was first filed for on September 29, 2008. The inventors are listed as Stephen Brian Lynch, John Benjamin Filson, and Fletcher R. Rothkopf.

Visit the following page for an image of the patent.