Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,706,718) that hints at a revamped remote control for the Apple TV set-top box.
Apple’s Siri remote control (pictured below showing its evolution in an image from ArsTechica) has been dissed for being too tiny, too flat, and too slippery. And some folks find its touchpad bad for navigating onscreen functions
In the patent filing, Apple notes that the typical remote control device includes multiple buttons that can be pressed by a user to interact with the electronic device, or to interact with a program or application displayed on the electronic device itself or on a second electronic device connected to the electronic device. Many of these buttons provide a binary input for user interaction in that the buttons either register an input or they don’t.
Apple says that some applications and remote control devices may benefit from additional inputs beyond that provided strictly by binary input devices. For example, it may be advantageous for a user to be able to indicate an amount of force applied to a touch input surface of a remote control device. For instance, a user could manipulate a screen element or other object in a first way with a relatively light touch or in a second way with a relatively more forceful touch.
Here’s the summary of the patent: “A remote control device includes a housing and an upper element. The top surface of the upper element can be partitioned to include different frictionally engaging surfaces. At least one frictionally engaging surface can be used as an input surface that receives user inputs such as touch or force inputs.
“An input device, such as a force sensing switch, can be positioned in the housing and used in determining an amount of force applied to the input surface. The bottom surface of the upper element below the second surface can be affixed to the housing in a manner that permits the input surface to bend based on the applied force.”
