Patently Apple reports on two new patents, intelligent bezel and line controls.

Essentially Apple applied for patents regarding a device such as a tablet with a bezel that has touch sensitive controls which change according to orientation.

“The bezel is touch sensitive and is used to obtain touch data from the user in response to touch events made by the user on the bezel 120. The tablet uses the touch data obtained with the bezel to perform various operations and functions related to user interface and user control of the tablet.

For example, the touch data obtained with the bezel can control what is displayed on the tablet such as what files are played, what the volume level is, what the settings for the display are, etc.”

Also

“In Apple’s patent FIG. 10 we are told that bezel could be configured to discriminate or ignore certain forms of touch data. Simply holding the bezel wouldn’t activate bezel designated controls which would require a specific touch so that the bezel could distinguish between a users generally holding the bezel versus instruction. It could be a tap or it could be determined on a timer setting. ”

Assuming they can get that last part working reliably, I can see this being rather useful and could potentially eliminate some of the mechanical buttons currently being used on the iPad. I wonder if they would even go as far as making the power button touch sensitive like the earlier versions of Sony’s PS3 had.

Let’s just hope that Apple actually implements these patents in future revisions.

Apple, edge to edge, iSlate, patents, screen, Sony PS3, Tablet, touch screen, touchscreen