The iPhone's home button could get a Liquidmetal makeover, new Apple patent shows
A recently granted Apple patent points to a new use for Liquidmetal -- a simplified home button design that would cut down on complexity and last longer than conventional components.
A cross-section of the simplified design.
The patent, aptly titled "bulk amorphous alloy pressure sensor," discusses ways of replacing materials currently used in dome switches with new Liquidmetal-like options. The latter is a better choice, Apple argues, because of its enhanced elasticity.
In short, that means that Liquidmetal is better at repeatedly deforming and bouncing back to its initial state than titanium or stainless steel, which are often used now.
Apple would take advantage of this by making the home button -- which is currently backed by a relatively standard dome switch -- pressure sensitive.
When you press down on a regular dome switch, the top of the dome makes contact with a small piece of metal below, completing an electrical circuit. Apple would instead treat it more like a strain gauge than a button.
An exploded view of the simplified design.
The patent describes a method of determining the deflection of a Liquidmetal dome by measuring the change in resistance as it deflects, rather than when it makes contact. This approach that would both make the mechanism simpler and allow for more flexibility.
This marks the second time in as many months that Apple has hinted at adding something like Force Touch to the home button. In February, a separate patent detailed a method of using capacitance to detect pressure in the fingerprint sensor.
Apple credits Christopher D. Prest, Matthew S. Scott, Stephen P. Zadesky, Dermot J. Stratton, Joseph C. Poole, and Theodore A. Waniuk with the invention of U.S. Patent No. 9,279,733.
A cross-section of the simplified design.
The patent, aptly titled "bulk amorphous alloy pressure sensor," discusses ways of replacing materials currently used in dome switches with new Liquidmetal-like options. The latter is a better choice, Apple argues, because of its enhanced elasticity.
In short, that means that Liquidmetal is better at repeatedly deforming and bouncing back to its initial state than titanium or stainless steel, which are often used now.
Apple would take advantage of this by making the home button -- which is currently backed by a relatively standard dome switch -- pressure sensitive.
When you press down on a regular dome switch, the top of the dome makes contact with a small piece of metal below, completing an electrical circuit. Apple would instead treat it more like a strain gauge than a button.
An exploded view of the simplified design.
The patent describes a method of determining the deflection of a Liquidmetal dome by measuring the change in resistance as it deflects, rather than when it makes contact. This approach that would both make the mechanism simpler and allow for more flexibility.
This marks the second time in as many months that Apple has hinted at adding something like Force Touch to the home button. In February, a separate patent detailed a method of using capacitance to detect pressure in the fingerprint sensor.
Apple credits Christopher D. Prest, Matthew S. Scott, Stephen P. Zadesky, Dermot J. Stratton, Joseph C. Poole, and Theodore A. Waniuk with the invention of U.S. Patent No. 9,279,733.
Comments
While I don't believe we'll see Liquidmetal for a phone chassis, because of the cost, I would have expected to see a watch case, which is far smaller. The case material could push the price up, but that's fine. Making a bracelet for the watch out of this would be expensive as well, but that's fine too. A watch is a fashion statement, after all, and Apple already has the far more expensive gold watch models. I'm very interested in buying the black SS watch and bracelet when the new version comes out later this year, and I might be willing to pop extra for a Liquidmetal version, depending on how much more that would be.
But remember, a few years ago, when the inventor of Liquidmetal stated that it would be several years before the product could be used commercially by Apple, and people here jumped all over him, saying that he was full of it? Some of us stood up for his statement, and he was right. I just don't understand why Apple just doesn't buy the company already. They could have bought it for less than they keep renewing their exclusive contract for. Even though it doesn't cover other uses for the product, it doesn't matter.
Bjt I'd like to see something more than the possibility of a tiny part that we won't be able to actually see.
Solidbummer is what I call it. :-/
Do new iPhones still have a liquid metal sim card tray?
Apple ponders:
What the hell do we do to capture the huge potential of cord cutting / streaming video?
Are Healthkit and Homekit and Apple Watch really going to drive meaningful margin to us?
How do we leverage our "ecosystem" to rapidly boost revenue growth & margin?
Where are the innovations?
Don't worry - we may have a lead on Liquid Metal as a better "spring" for the home button. That coupled with our limited distribution of the SIMM ejector tool will calm the markets.
Siri: "I have detailed files."
In March 2009, we entered into a license agreement with Swatch Group, Ltd. ("Swatch") under which Swatch was granted a non-exclusive license to our technology to produce and market watches and certain other luxury products. In March 2011, this license agreement was amended to grant Swatch exclusive rights as to watches and all third parties (including us), but non-exclusive as to Apple, and our license agreement with LLPG was simultaneously amended to exclude watches from LLPG's rights. We will receive royalty payments over the life of the contract on all Liquidmetal products produced and sold by Swatch. The license agreement with Swatch will expire on the expiration date of the last licensed patent.
Looks like some sort of "co-exclusivity" for the life of the underlying patents,
perhaps relating to separate fields-of-use for watches, and "consumer electronic products".
(An Apple watch is both.)
I wonder how a 3rd-party Apple-compatible watch band, say a Liquidmetal link bracelet, treads upon these patents.
At any rate, It looks the new near-majority owner of LQMT has big plans in China...