Apple has applied for a variety of patents regarding the current and future iterations of the Apple Pencil. Four patents (numbers 20170068342, 20170068341, 20170068340, and 20170068339) for a “stylus for electronic devices” involve the design and functionality of the current model. Another shows the Apple Pencil being used with a touchscreen Mac.
Though patent 20170068342 concerns the design and functions of the Pencil, it also shows a model that would connect to the Smart Connector of an iPad Pro for charging.
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Patent number 20170068330 involves “preprocessing for nonlinear stylus profiles.” The goal is for Apple Pencils to have an increased ability to accurately calculate the position of the stylus on a touch-sensitive device. The interesting thing about this patent is that it shows a laptop with a touch screen.
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Patent number 20170068344 is for an “active stylus precision tip.” In the patent filing, Apple notes that styli have become popular input devices for touch-sensitive devices. In particular, use of an active stylus capable of generating stylus stimulation signals that can be sensed by the touch-sensitive device can improve the precision and control of the stylus. However, detecting the location of an active stylus at a touch-sensitive device with precision can be difficult when the active stylus is used at different orientation angles. Apple wants to change this.
Of course, Apple files for — and is granted — lots of patents by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Many are for inventions that never see the light of day. However, you never can tell which ones will materialize in a real product.