Patently Apple reported yesterday the good people of One Infinite Loop have filed a patent for iPad’s bezel, a new technology which would make the tablet’s border touch-sensitive.
The technology, dubbed a “smart bezel”, would have imbedded touch areas in the border of iPad’s screen. They could be visible or invisible. And they could control everything from volume to gaming controls, depending on usage and placement.
Other patent documentation illustrates a “touch wheel” very similar to the physical one integrated with iPods. Another shows how a user would activate the touch bezel with certain gestures, meaning that a casual swipe on the bezel would not activate its features:
These patents are clear examples of Apple thinking differently (sorry, had to go there!) The tablet computing industry is in its infancy, and the features and UI of iPad are only the beginning. With these kinds of ideas, Apple is set to revolutionize (again) the way in which people interact with their computers.
