Reports claim that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) received a patent for a new form of touch screen LCD display technology. This new tech product was designed to combine touch-sensing elements with display circuitry, in order to make a thinner, lighter panel for the upcoming iPhone 5.
The last Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) smartphone model features a glass-on-glass design, which means that the touch-sensitive element is located in between the top glass layer and Gorilla Glass layer. The patent filing stated the following, “By integrating the layered structure of an LCD and a touch sensor, a variety of benefits can be achieved. This integration can include combining or interweaving the layered structures described above. Integration can further include eliminating redundant structures and/or finding dual purposes (e.g., one purpose for the touch function and another for the display function) for particular layers or structures. This can permit some layers to be eliminated, which can reduce cost and thickness of the touch screen LCD, as well as simplify manufacturing.”
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will probably use this design change for future iPad models, and the rumored Apple television set.
Like many of Apple’s design patents, the in-cell technology patents could prove to be a huge success. Unfortunately, this may be another patent that competitor tech companies will want to steal.
Right now Apple and Samsung are currently duking out patent copyright infringment litigation in court. Apple claims that Samsung stole their patents, and naturally, Samsung counterclaims that. This fight has been going on for quite some time now, but this isn’t the first time that Apple has filed a lawsuit over patent rights. Back in 2006, they fought Creative Technology over menu design, and two years later they took Typhoon Touch Technologies to court over the touch screen. In 2009, Apple filed a lawsuit against HTC over twenty different patent infringements.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is one of the most innovative technology companies out there, and it’s really no surprise that a lot of tech makers want to be them. Since they can’t, they like to take an idea or two from them, in hopes that they can adapt it into their own.
It should be interesting to see if this rumor is true, and if it is, how companies will try to take the patent.
