Apple Won Three Patents 3D Laser Mapping, Touch Sensing and Optical Interconnection

The United States Patent and Trademark Office recently awarded three new patents in one breath, respectively, laser mapping to build three-dimensional map, mechanical switch keyboard and capacitive touch sensor buttons and optical interconnection technology.

First of all, the first patent No. No.9456907 patent, called "electronic devices and circuit mapping", this patent describes an application on iDevice high power laser pointer beam mapping technology, application of iPhone map of the future or will use the laser sensor and the laser beam to collect measurement data in the given space, including the shape, volume, distance and attribute information of an object in space environment.

The laser surveying and mapping technology is mainly based on a laser distance measuring device, which contains a laser and a sensor. When the laser beam is reflected from the surface of the space, such as the room wall, the laser beam is reflected back, by measuring the reflected light, the device can measure the distance data. Laser distance measuring device of this type in addition to support distance measurement, also has the ability of measuring the space area or volume, as in volume measurement mode, indicating that the user equipment can be ordered in the measuring space width, length and height, and then the device can calculate the volume of space.

In general, the conventional laser measuring device can only measure equipment to a given surface distance, these devices are difficult to effectively measure by the specific distance barrier, and the needs of users through mobile devices or other means of multi-point sampling measurement. For example, in a room with furniture, it is difficult to measure the data accurately and efficiently. In contrast, Apple has provided many new and effective solutions in this patent document. This new laser mapping technology may will be applied to cellular phones, media players and other portable devices, and some small devices such as watches, accessories or other wearable miniature equipment, electronic equipment and game equipment, tablet computer, notebook computer also can be used. This patent application in May 2013, the invention of the patent Katiyar Vivek, T.Baranski Andrzej, N.Shah Dhaval and Brian Lynch Stephen.

Second apple patents named "mechanical keyboard touch on touch operation", patent No. 9454239, will be able to see from the name of the patent, this patent describes a special mechanical keyboard design, not only can the same on like the ordinary mechanical keyboard, but also can touch operation of the key cap by capacitance way. The keyboard is also able to detect touch, suspension and sliding and other operations, so the user can not press the button when the keyboard can also be operated. At the same time, the patent will also use the software to distinguish between different operating intentions, such as some will rely on time threshold to determine the user's intention, and some will rely on the size of the intensity. And there are some operations, you need to time, intensity and tactile feedback integrated analysis.

Despite some differences with the description of this patent, but this year there are rumors that apple is going to release a new version of the Pro OLED on the MacBook touch control panel. This panel will instead of the traditional feature button area, and the same can be custom operations, and this means that the developer can use the hardware to display different operations and applications. This patent Apple application in September 2011, the invention of the patent Greer Elias John.

And the last one is the patent number No.9453976 for the optical connector patent, seems to be a kind of Pro iPad with the current use of intelligent connectors in some similar way. For now, Apple's iPhone and iPad can be connected through this smart connector with a variety of hardware. With Pro iPad as an example, the user can connect with the external keyboard through the smart connector, but this way of contact points are exposed outside, it does not seem pretty beautiful. This patent apple is hidden connections, using an invisible optical connector, optical connector through the new IC converts the electrical signal into optical signal, optical signal transmission through the micro perforation technology. Apple said, compared with the use of LED, infrared laser 5000mw transmitter is an ideal solution. Except for the view, the energy consumption of laser solution is much lower than that of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. However, although apple is likely to use this new link on the product, but want to replace the current intelligent connection way there is a considerable difficulty. In addition to the limitations of the data bandwidth, the optical connector is temporarily unable to replace the existing smart connectors in power transmission characteristics. These third patents Apple application in January 2015, the patent for the invention of Qian Amy, W.Wright John and Raff Derek.