It’s a well-known fact that Apple files a lot of patents. But while not all of Apple’s patents actually come to fruition, some of the tech described in them is incredibly innovative — and perhaps a bit crazy. More than anything else, Apple’s far-fetched patents might hint at the company’s commitment to the future.
Sure, some of these patents may not ever be used in a mass-market device, but despite that, it’s certainly cool to take a look at Apple’s ideas and imagine them being used in upcoming products. Here are five such patents that we hope Apple uses sometime in the near future.
5. Offline Phone Tracking
Anyone who has lost their phone knows how miserable and nerve-wracking it can be, particularly since Find My iPhone can only located devices that are on. If a device’s battery is dead, or someone intentionally turns it off, then all hope is lost. That’s why a little-known patent granted in 2016 is so revolutionary. The patent describes a system that would allow an iPhone to “periodically exit an unpowered state and transmit location data” even if the iPhone is powered off or the SIM card is removed. It could even work if Find My iPhone has yet to be configured, or was if the tracking feature has been turned off. Suffice to say, if Apple does use this patent, then lost or stolen iPhones might be a thing of the past.
4. Virtual Keyboards
Last month, Apple applied for a patent titled “Housing as a I/O device” that describes a method of creating a surface that be changed into a virtual keyboard, trackpad or other input / output device depending on context. While we hope Apple doesn’t switch all of its keyboards to virtual ones, the possibilities of this patent are certainly intriguing. One can imagine a external iPad Pro cover that be shift from a virtual keyboard to an extra drawing surface on the fly. In a Mac context, it could be used to create an external I/O device that can be anything from a context-based “smart keyboard” to a drawing tablet for artists — a mix between the Touch Bar and a Wacom tablet.
3. Innovative Phone Charging
This year’s flagship iPhone X is largely expected to feature wireless charging — a first for any Apple handset. But Cupertino is looking beyond simple wireless charging, as seen in one fairly recent patent that would be nothing short of revolutionary if actually applied. In April, Apple was granted a patent for a way to charge a smartphone or other device over a standard Wi-Fi network, using the same frequencies used for wireless communications to transfer power. If that wasn’t innovative enough, an older patent granted to Cupertino in 2015 describes a method of using solar cells embedded underneath a touchscreen to charge an iPhone via ambient light.
2. Dedicated AR/VR device
Apple certainly has its sights on the augmented and virtual reality realm, and the next logical step would be a dedicated VR/AR headset or similar wearable device. Apple knows this, if the wealth of patents describing similar tech is any indication. In addition to a pair of patents describing a wearable AR device (perhaps a pair of glasses) and a method for displaying information through such a device, the company was also granted a patent for an iPhone-powered headset akin to Google’s Cardboard. Taken with the recent announcement of ARKit, the patents suggest that such a device might not be so far in the future.
1. Bendable, Stretchable Displays
Rumors surrounding bendable and foldable phones certainly have had their heyday in recent years, and Apple managed to file a handful of patents that describe similar methods and technology. One of those quirky patents, however, stands out among the rest. The patent in question describes a method of creating “stretchable displays” by way of affixing OLED or LCD panels onto a mesh substrate. Of course, this technology could be used in applications far beyond bendable phone displays — it could lead to display and I/O tech being integrated into furniture, windows or building elements, or even onto clothing, bags and other fabrics and wearables.
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