Is Apple finally traveling down the stylus road? That could be the case according to new published reports this week. Of course, if you're expecting something of a traditional variety, then you don't know Apple very well.
Our friends at Apple Insider have discovered a patent application straight out of Cupertino that suggests
Apple is tinkering with technology related to styluses that could be used with the iPhone and iPad. The explorations by Apple even include an optical stylus and a handheld pointer with haptic feedback.
"One embodiment of a haptic input device may include a receiver configured to receive a signal from a touch-based user interface device," the patent application reads. "The signal may include a control signal or a look-up value. The haptic input device may also include a decoder coupled to the receiver and configured to decode the signal from the touch-based user interface device, at least one sensor configured to determine at least one characteristic of the haptic input device, a controller coupled to the one or more sensors and configured to transmit a control signal, a haptic actuator coupled to the controller, and a transmitter coupled to the at least one sensor."
In recent years, Apple has been bombarded with a hefty mixture of praise and criticism for not releasing styluses to go with the company's leading iDevices. Although these patents don't confirm that Apple will use any of these technologies, one thing is for certain: don't count on Apple releasing any old fashioned plastic stylus. If Apple moves forward, you can expect a high-end stylus like nothing you've ever seen before.
Source: Apple Insider
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