New Apple patent would allow touch-sensing surfaces made using Liquidmetal tech

Posted:
in General Discussion
An Apple patent published on Tuesday could potentially be applied to building touch-sensing surfaces, including screens, using material concepts first developed by Liquidmetal Technology.




Originally filed in 2012, the patent describes a way of using "bulk-solidifying amorphous alloys" in substrates and arrays. "Discrete areas of crystalline alloy" could be used to form sense, drive, and/or multi-function circuit elements.

The patent is credited to five people, at least two of whom -- Christopher Prest and Joseph Poole -- were formerly with Liquidmetal before joining Apple. Years ago a licensing agreement gave Apple access to Liquidmetal's patents, presumably including today's. Another credited inventor though is Steve Zadesky, formerly an iPhone and iPod designer and briefly the head of the "Apple Car" project.

It's not clear how or even if Apple might make use of the patent, at least in any noticeable manner. In fact the company has made very little use of Liquidmetal's technology so far, the only known one being pins for iPhone SIM card trays. In 2013 Apple won a patent on a mass-manufacturing technique, but building larger parts out of Liquidmetal material is likely still difficult in terms of scale and cost, even if it could result in tougher devices.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    Tom Steipp of Liquid Metal Technologies indicated that "The Apple capture period has not been extended to this point." This was in response to an investor question at the earnings conference call on August 16th.
    loquitur
  • Reply 2 of 10
    singularitysingularity Posts: 1,328member
    fascinating, just need to get something that utilises it.
  • Reply 3 of 10
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    flexible sim ejector tool!
    patchythepirate
  • Reply 4 of 10
    vl-tonevl-tone Posts: 337member
    Rayz2016 said:
    flexible sim ejector tool!
    Maybe you were joking, but the sim ejector tool is already made of LiquidMetal, and it's not flexible.

    In fact if you try to bend it with your fingers you will fail and hurt yourself, as LiquidMetal is 2-3x stronger than titanium.
  • Reply 5 of 10
    Probably like everyone, since I heard of Apple partnering with Liquidmetal, I'm hoping they skip the long-delayed sexbots and go right to producing T-1000s.
  • Reply 6 of 10
    The possibilities of this material are so expansive, but it's time to deply or stop dumping money into it.  I think they are very close. iPhone 8 close.  I sure hope so.
  • Reply 7 of 10
    thrangthrang Posts: 1,007member
    Tom Steipp of Liquid Metal Technologies indicated that "The Apple capture period has not been extended to this point." This was in response to an investor question at the earnings conference call on August 16th.
    Which, if I'm reading this correctly, is through February 2018 http://ir.liquidmetal.com/mobile.view?c=130649&v=202&d=3&id=aHR0cDovL2FwaS50ZW5rd2l6YXJkLmNvbS9maWxpbmcueG1sP2lwYWdlPTEwNDIwMjU0JkRTRVE9MiZTRVE9JlNRREVTQz1TRUNUSU9OX0VYSElCSVQmZXhwPSZzdWJzaWQ9NTc=
    edited August 2016 loquitur
  • Reply 8 of 10
    loquiturloquitur Posts: 137member
    Referencing that August 2015 10Q (amendment #3 to the master agreement), it sure looks like Apple has section 9(A) "First Notice and First Right of Refusal" thru much of 2018, at least for "consumer electronics" applications/patents as previously specified in prior docs.

    But why didn't their CEO just say that?

    Can any contract lawyers in the house say how a "Capture Period", originally defined to be 18-months after a date certain
    (modified in Amendment #2 to be "Date of Closing" = Feb. 26, 2015 + 18 months" [which would be about now]) plays with section 9(A) rights?
    I suppose we can global replace all the verbiage from MTA to MTA Amendments 1, 2, and 3, plus "attachments" and then re-interpret, egads.

    Apple should just buy LM already.



  • Reply 9 of 10
    loquiturloquitur Posts: 137member
    fascinating, just need to get something that utilises it.
    Perhaps they already have.  E.g. the teardown of the 6s from:

        http://www.idownloadblog.com/2015/09/25/fixit-iphone-6s-teardown/

    describes 96 "capacitive pressure sensors" buried in the iPhone LCD display.
    Unless someone "de-bonds" that how might we know whether the 6s
    matrix is plain vanilla non-BMG alloy (always "incorporated by reference"
    from prior Apple patents), or the new & improved stuff?

    There's also an X-ray pic in that link of the linear actuator "Taptic Engine"
    coil (or is it a spring?).   Could be LM, but then if so, why wouldn't some leak
    from China (say from an metal-injection molder) or basic engineering pride, reveal such?

    As for iPhone 7, the mechanical dome-switch made of LM in another cited
    patent may be a no-go in favor of the "force touch" way, of whatever provenance.
    Further, it would be useful to teardown the speaker grilles from the
    forthcoming 7, also potentially made of LM as teased from yet another patent
    from Apple/Liquid Metal/Crucible collaboration.


  • Reply 10 of 10
    OMG, I just realized what Apple is planning. A Liquid Metal automobile... Or a Liquid Metal Battery for an electric automobile...
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