Apple Patent: Screens with "Display" and "Touch" Modes

**Paul Daniel Ash** · 10-07-2010, 09:04 AM

If Apple is not working on a touchscreen computer, they're putting an awful lot of effort into taking out patents for nothing.

The latest patent application to be discovered deals with very specific issues: preventing changes in voltage supply on an LCD display from affecting the touchscreen, and for saving power when touch is not needed. The idea of a touchscreen that changes from being a monitor to something like an iPad only really makes sense if the device in question is a hybrid like the rumored iMac touch that's been hinted at before.

The patent application, called "Integrated Touch Sensitive Display Gate Driver," describes a technology that would switch the power supplies depending on whether the screen was being used for display only or as a touchscreen. An LCD screen needs a power supply that can provide current to turn different elements on to display an image. A touchscreen, on the other hand, needs to detect the change in capacitance when something with dielectric properties - a finger, for example - comes into contact with the screen. In addition, the technology would work "to reduce or eliminate interference from the display circuitry that could affect touch sensing" as a result of poor grounding and limit excess power usage from running the touchscreen when not needed.

This technology obviously lends itself to the kind of convertible computer/tablet that was previously described in a patent application that showed an iMac morphing into an iPad when it was rotated to the horizontal. The current patent, however, goes even beyond that, talking about a device that would switch from "display mode" into other modes than "touch mode," including "scan mode, audio mode, text mode, etc."

Source: AppleInsider

**Turb02** · 10-07-2010, 09:05 AM

uncomfortable to poke at a screen thats 18 inches in front of you...I think so. The technology concept is interesting though not practical for a desktop or even a laptop for that matter

**mallenass** · 10-07-2010, 09:13 AM

IF I LIVED IN A PERFECT WORLD, i would get to work every morning at 8 a.m and find fresh apple news on modmyi. BUT since i do not live in a perfect apple fairitale, i find myself refreshing the modmyi page frantically every 10 minutes waiting for a new story.

me loves apple news

**Carter454** · 10-07-2010, 09:24 AM

Same! But latly all we get is a bunch of rumors!

**NeO2** · 10-07-2010, 09:27 AM

Rumors give us hope:P

**Poseidon79** · 10-07-2010, 09:38 AM

How is a patent application a rumor? Patent applications are key to future products and features. What is wrong with y'all?

**wrcsti** · 10-07-2010, 09:38 AM

At this rate apple is going to pattenet breathing one of these days.

**Teoyaomqui** · 10-07-2010, 10:03 AM

I don't think I imaging seeing this before, but I believe touch screen computers/desktops have been out for some time now.

**Poseidon79** · 10-07-2010, 10:25 AM

Read! OMGGGGGG! It has to do with power consumption and multiple power supplies with variable voltage on touch LCD screens vs display only LCD screens... not the invention of touch screen computers. Why do we even bother. Geez.

**da_petcu21** · 10-07-2010, 10:31 AM

Originally Posted by wrcsti

At this rate apple is going to pattenet breathing one of these days.

I tend to agree with you...

**Carter454** · 10-07-2010, 10:36 AM

Bring on Greenpois0n!

**madczech** · 10-07-2010, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by Carter454

Bring on Greenpois0n!

dude.... stay on topic

Originally Posted by Poseidon79

Read! OMGGGGGG! It has to do with power consumption and multiple power supplies with variable voltage on touch LCD screens vs display only LCD screens... not the invention of touch screen computers. Why do we even bother. Geez.

80% of the people just read the title... and give a stupid comment about it, just to get more posts on the forum!

You bother, because of the other 20% (ok maybe less) are interested in news like this, including me!

Originally Posted by mallenass

IF I LIVED IN A PERFECT WORLD, i would get to work every morning at 8 a.m and find fresh apple news on modmyi. BUT since i do not live in a perfect apple fairitale, i find myself refreshing the modmyi page frantically every 10 minutes waiting for a new story.

me loves apple news

yeah yeah...

It takes time for things to happen! Are you expecting fresh news every 10 minutes???
Then you would probably argue: "I only want the important news, please stop bringing everyday c*ap"!

Or are you really interested in where and when steve jobs wiped his *****?

**Rob2G** · 10-07-2010, 11:31 AM

Yay!! Soon I can smudge up my macs screen just like my iPhones.

**Evilsaint** · 10-07-2010, 11:33 AM

I'd love to have a portable iMac what better way to do this than fuse it with an ipadesque style I really hope one of these device come out

**Teoyaomqui** · 10-07-2010, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by Poseidon79

Read! OMGGGGGG! It has to do with power consumption and multiple power supplies with variable voltage on touch LCD screens vs display only LCD screens... not the invention of touch screen computers. Why do we even bother. Geez.

Yes, I "Read!". I still have the same opinion. Same out come. Different implementation.

Originally Posted by madczech

80% of the people just read the title... and give a stupid comment about it, just to get more posts on the forum!

And I don't just read the Title... I just give stupid comments. There that should make you feel better.

Don't care about how many post I have.

**Zokunei** · 10-07-2010, 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by madczech

dude.... stay on topic

80% of the people just read the title... and give a stupid comment about it, just to get more posts on the forum!

You bother, because of the other 20% (ok maybe less) are interested in news like this, including me!

yeah yeah...

It takes time for things to happen! Are you expecting fresh news every 10 minutes???
Then you would probably argue: "I only want the important news, please stop bringing everyday c*ap"!

Or are you really interested in where and when steve jobs wiped his *****?

Dude, what's your problem?

**EskimoRuler** · 10-07-2010, 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by Poseidon79

How is a patent application a rumor? Patent applications are key to future products and features. What is wrong with y'all?

Exactly, and how could things not be rumors, it has to start that way, there no way in knowing if its not a rumor unless jobs comes out and says its not

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Thread: Apple Patent: Screens with "Display" and "Touch" Modes

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If Apple is not working on a touchscreen computer, they're putting an awful lot of effort into taking out patents for nothing. The latest patent application to be discovered deals

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