According to a list recently announced by the United States Trademark and Patent Office (USPTO), Apple has obtained a patent for the iPhone/iPad, which mainly adds a touch display screen to the side, and its functions are close to those of Apple. The previous Touch Bar on MacBook Pro was mainly used to enhance user interaction.
Apple’s new patent would use the display on the side of the device to display control buttons and user interface, in addition to displaying status information such as power and weather, and providing additional control functions.
For example, users can display the name and lyrics of the currently playing surface on the touch screen on the side of the iPhone, and support volume adjustment and song switching control. The patent sketch as follows:
In Apple’s patent illustration, a volume control icon appears on the side of the device, suggesting that Apple plans to further eliminate volume and other buttons from the hardware. The illustration shows how Apple integrates control and display elements into a curved design.
Rather than simply replacing the physical buttons on the metal sides of current iPhones with virtual ones, the new technology will allow the sides to become screens that can be reconfigured based on context.
