New Apple patent reveals MacBook may be equipped with adaptive display keyboard

Recently, the United States Patent and Trademark Office approved a new patent application from Apple. Apple may be testing a keyboard with small adaptive display keys on MacBooks. The keys can be dynamically changed according to the content displayed on the screen or the language selected by the user. Like the Touch Bar on the Mac. This patent is the patent granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on the final patent day of this year.

According to the patent explanation, each key on the keyboard can have “an associated key display” connected to “control circuitry in the keyboard” via a “coherent fiber bundle.” Each button will be “formed from a fiber optic plate” with “opposing first and second surfaces.” The screen is an OLED display.

The system can be changed according to needs and will allow each key to be “reconfigurable” to suit different languages. In addition to displaying different language keys, the keyboard can also turn a standard keyboard into a gaming keyboard. In the gaming keyboard, the keyboard will only display certain keys used in the game or display custom characters. Each key can provide “visual feedback” to show the current state of each key, such as whether it corresponds to uppercase or lowercase letters.

Different from other Apple keyboard patents, such as static glass keyboard or full-size touch screen panel, this design clearly outlines a system with movable keys, so Apple can theoretically retain the current keyboard design style.

Although the patent application does not mean that the product will be able to go to the market. But it also gives us a glimpse of Apple’s possible future design ideas. Apple has already demonstrated its interest in adaptive keys on the keyboard through the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar, and it is not impossible for Apple to extend similar technologies to individual keys in the future.

Via: Patently Apple