Apple Patent Application Reveals Much About Upcoming iPhone’s Form Factor

Published Thursday, an Applie patent application discloses much about an upcoming iPhone “form factor” (controls, shape, and related functionalities) than other critics seem to have realized until now.

The patent application is entitled Back-Side Interface For Hand-Held Devices and can be viewed at the US Patent & Trademark Office website here.

This patent abtract is a doorway to insight:

An electronic device uses separate surfaces for input and output. One of the surfaces (e.g., the bottom) includes a force-sensitive touch-surface through which a user provides input (e.g., cursor manipulation and control element selection).

On a second surface (e.g., the top), a display element is used to present information appropriate to the device’s function (e.g., video information), one or more control elements and a cursor. The cursor is controlled through manipulation of the back-side touch-surface.

The cursor identifies where on the back-side touch-surface the user’s finger has made contact. When the cursor is positioned over the desired control element, the user selects or activates the function associated with the control element by applying pressure to the force-sensitive touch-surface with their finger.

Accordingly, the electronic device may be operated with a single hand, wherein cursor movement and control element selection may be accomplished without lifting one’s finger.

For a very detailed look at this patent application and how it stands to affect the iPhone can be found at ZDNet.com.