Apple Considers Building Keyboards With A Removable Key That Works As A Mouse
Image via Apple / USPTO
It’s not uncommon to carry your laptop out and realize that you forgot to pack your mouse in your bag, though it’s not the end of the world, since you can still use your trackpad. However, a new Apple patent published by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) looks to find an option with greater touch precision all while remaining portable.
The filing details a “Deployable Key Mouse,” which imagines the MacBook Pro with a special key in the keyboard that can be removed and used as a tiny mouse. That could be a challenge, because to be detachable and usable, it’d need to have its own separate wiring and battery.
“A mouse typically incorporates an ergonomic shape to fit comfortably into the hand, which is one factor that has kept its size relatively stable,” Apple notes.
When fixed within the keyboard, the “Key Mouse” should function like a regular key. Detached, it would rely on a position sensor that makes it “operable as a computer pointing device” and a “comfortable, portable, and precise pointer input for a computer input system.”
Apple acknowledges that a computer mouse would be especially useful with laptops and tablet computers in some instances, but “the user is then burdened with carrying the separate mouse with the computer.” In addition, with touchscreens and trackpads, carrying an additional gadget would be troublesome.
The key-shaped mouse could therefore work alongside built-in pointing features to bring additional control when need be, such as when you’re creating art.
As always, patent filings aren’t confirmed blueprints, and they’re typically created for legal protection. So while a mini built-in mouse might sound great to those who like to pack light and breezy, it’s still several clicks away from becoming a reality.
[via AppleInsider, cover image via Apple / USPTO]
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