Macbook with Displaypad
I love my Macbook Air and its glass trackpad. A while back it occurred to me that an iPhone like display could be put underneath the trackpad surface, to display useful information to the user or to allow customizable icons etc. (And two additional displays could be put to the side of the trackpad on that unused space, for additional displays–widgets, etc.) (See mockup image at right, created for me by Manuel Lora.)
I am not sure if the idea is new with me. It seems kind of obvious to me, but I couldn’t find anything in the patent database in a quick-and-dirty PTO patent database search (keywords: “laptop and trackpad and display and touch and aclm/display and aclm/touch and (aclm/trackpad or aclm/pad)”).
I briefly considered filing a patent application on this–I am a patent attorney so I could do it myself for little cost. And if one day Apple comes out with this, bang, I get a $50M licensing “deal.” But, no. Don’t want to. Don’t feel like feeling scummy today.
I thought instead I would publish it here in the hopes that if Apple or someone tries to patent this, this posting can help invalidate the patent. (On “defensive patent publishing,” see Google’s Defensive Patent Acquisition; Jefferson on Anonymous Defensive Patent Publishing; Defensive Patent Publishing.)
Looks like Gizmodo discussed this exact idea back in 2008: http://gizmodo.com/5030735/glass-multi+touch-trackpads-only-make-sense-with-displays-under-em
The Apple patent machine has been heading in the same direction also, as seen here: http://www.cultofmac.com/future-magic-mouse-and-trackpad-could-boast-built-in-displays-run-ios/77991
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Ah, thanks Alex! Let’s hope no one patents it!
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Actually the latter link references a current Apple patent application (see: application 20110012838 at http://appft.uspto.gov), filed in July 0f 2009, which although mostly concerned with adding a multitouch display to a magic mouse does explicitly extend the possibility to a display behind a transparent trackpad (see paragraph [0036] of the same application).
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Interesting, I thought of this concept as well using my trackpad with a background display that maybe could dynamically change per application. It is an interesting thought. and probably worthy of a patent but I believe Apple has had some patents leading up to this type of technology.
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