Apple Applies for Patent on Thinner, Brighter Screens

A patent application submitted by Apple for technology allowing thinner, brighter screens was published earlier this month. The technology consists of dual-function capacitive elements integrated into a display screen. Current touchscreens on devices like iPhones and the Nexus One require a touch-sensitive capacitive surface to be overlaid on top of an LCD display. This increases weight and adds complexity because the touch-screen elements must be made transparent. This new invention allows the capacitors in the display system itself to act as individual pixels as well as collectively as a touch screen. “A display with integrated touch sensing capability may be manufactured using fewer parts and/or processing steps, and the display itself may be thinner and brighter.”

The application shows the technology potentially being used in iPods, iPhones, and Macs.

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