Apple Patents: Apple Haptic Feedback Patent

Apple Patents: Like many, you may spend time staying current with all the patent filings by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). And just the same as others, you may also have a difficult time understanding some of these. After all, the Cupertino-based company dives into some pretty specific technical terms in many of its patents.

Most recently, the company was awarded a patent entitled: Method and apparatus for localization of haptic feedback

Not sure of what this means? Don’t worry, you are not alone. Fortunately, you can read the abstract to better understand what this means to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) as well as many of its devices.

“In an embodiment, a haptic feedback system includes a plurality of actuators to provide tactile feedback associated with an input surface. Each actuator is adapted to be activated independently of the other actuators. The system further includes a controller to activate a first actuator of the plurality of actuators to induce a first vibration at a selected input location of the input surface and to activate one or more additional actuators to induce at least a second vibration to localize the first vibration at the selected input location.”

While that probably gives you a better idea of what the patent is all about, you may still have a difficult time understanding how it pertains to the company’s many devices.

Fortunately, the background portion of the patent adds the following information:

“The problem of propagating tactile sensations from the selected input location to other locations across the input surface (sometimes referred to as “vibratory crosstalk” or “tactile crosstalk”) can be especially pronounced in multi-touch systems, such as a virtual keyboard or keypad, a multi-touch track pad, or a touch screen interface, having multiple contact locations. In such systems, the number of actuators can be increased to improve the granularity of the tactile sensation; however, such systems typically still suffer from undesired vibratory crosstalk.”

This patent was first filed on July 17, 2009. Aleksandar Pance, Paul Alioshin, Brett Bilbrey and David T. Amm are listed as the inventors.

What are your thoughts on this patent awarded to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)?

Check back here for more updates on Apple Patents.

DISCLOSURE: I have no positions in any stock mentioned.

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