Thanks to the backlighting of the keyboard of our Macs and iPads, we can type comfortably even in the dark. A way to see exactly which keys to press without having to have an external light source. But the keyboard backlight can do so much more than that.
Apple recently patented a way to use key backlighting on a Mac to be able to dynamically change which symbols we see on which keys. A mix between a classic keyboard and the TouchBar that we have seen on some Macs that can make this part of our computer much more adaptable to each use and circumstance.
A possible evolution for a material that would seem irremovable
The patent, collected by Patently Apple, was filed this week and relates to MacBook keyboards. In this document, the Cupertino company describes different systems to be able to display different symbols on the keys instead of using the pre-printed labels we see today today on our computers.
According to the patent, the keys would have microperforations that would allow the passage of light and it would be a system under each key that intelligently illuminates the different symbols and letters. The system would also ensure that all the light emitted by each individual key is focused on the symbol itself, instead of filtering through the sides of the key, as can happen on some keyboards today.
Going further, the patent also imagines a matrix of pixels, perhaps micro-LED or OLED, which would allow the keys to act as a small screen. The the implementation would be the same, but the accuracy would be higher
The idea, however, is not to mount a small screen on each key, but rather that the different the micro-perforations on the keys correspond to a specific LED which can be switched on or off to display either image on the key. Thanks to this system, in addition, Apple could use new materials for the keys of our Mac, in the patent it is indicated that it could use aluminum, which would allow the keyboard area to have the same feel and appearance as the rest of the Mac unibody.
Although patents, as we have repeatedly said, do not necessarily have to appear on finished products, it is clear that Apple does research and wants to improve keyboards. A part of our Mac that would be easy to take for granted, but which, as we can see, can still evolve, and a lot. A keyboard which, although it would continue to be physical strictly speaking, would be much closer to what we can have on the iPad or iPhone and which would be able to adapt quickly to different situations.
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