Apple’s New Patent is going to revolutionize the keyboard. Apple is working on a system that would add a tiny screen to every single key on a device’s keyboard.
The patent states, “Each key may have a movable key member and an associated key display. Control circuitry in the keyboard may direct the key displays to display dynamically adjustable key labels for the keys. Each key movable key member may be formed from a fiber optic plate,”
This implies that each key will be able to be reconfigured to show anything. For those who frequently have to change the language from English to other languages, it could prove to be very helpful. It could also let you comfortably alternate between QWERTY and Dvorak.
According to the patent, the keyboards could be reconfigured “for different languages, to temporarily convert a standard keyboard into a gaming keyboard in which keys correspond to particular in-game actions, or to otherwise modify the behavior associated with pressing the keys in the keyboard.”
So each key will have a small display to provide the label. The technology put forward by Apple is OLED. The keys of the keyboard could be made from materials like glass, ceramic, metal, or polymer, or even crystalline materials such as sapphire.
