Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a follow-up patent from Apple relating to their possible future iMac encased in an all-glass housing. The design is shown to be one of Apple's most excitingly creative concepts for a future iMac to date.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
This future iMac\/desktop PC may include a display coupled to the glass housing member and configured to provide a visual output at the display area. The electronic device may include a keyboard coupled to the glass housing member and configured to detect an input at the input area. Alternative designs show the keyboard being separable.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Apple clarifies that the glass housing could be made with materials that are transparent, coated, painted, or otherwise treated to produce a non-transparent (e.g., opaque) component; in such cases the material may still be referred to as transparent, even though the material may be part of an opaque component. Translucent components may be formed by producing a textured or frosted surface on an otherwise transparent material (e.g., clear glass). Translucent materials may also be used, such as translucent polymers, translucent ceramics, or the like.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The housing member may have properties that enable the diverse input and output functions. For example, the housing member (e.g., the optically transmissive member) may be strong and may have a high resistance to scratching, and may provide a surface finish having a superior appearance and\/or tactile feel as compared with other materials or components.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Apple's patent FIG. 3 below we see a continuous glass iMac\/Desktop PC design that includes an OLED display,an integrated keyboard and left and right touch input zones like a seamless dual trackpad construction; FIG. 11E illustrates the back of the new device with ports and speaker. The device could double as a home automation system.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Apple's patent FIG. 4B below notes that the housing member #450, and in particular the portion of the input area #455 in the lower portion #454, may be shaped to define physically distinctive key regions.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
There's more to Apple's patent that we covered back in January 2020 here. In today's published patent, Apple has added 20 new patent claims. Below are 14 of the key additions:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Added Claim #1: An electronic device comprising: a glass housing member comprising: an upper portion defining a display area; a lower portion defining an input area; and a transition portion extending between the upper portion and the lower portion and defining part of a continuous surface defined by the upper portion, the lower portion, and the transition portion; a display coupled to the glass housing member and configured to provide a graphical output at the display area; an input device coupled to the glass housing member and configured to detect an input at the input area; and a support structure coupled to the glass housing member and configured to support the glass housing member.<\/p>\n
Added Claim #2: The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the upper portion defines a first planar region of the continuous surface; the lower portion defines a second planar region of the continuous surface; and the transition portion defines a concave, curved region of the continuous surface.<\/p>\n
Added Claim #3: The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the glass housing member is a single piece of glass.<\/p>\n
Added Claim #4: The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the glass housing member defines a rear surface opposite the continuous surface; and the display is coupled to the rear surface.<\/p>\n
Added Claim #5: The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the display area extends along the upper portion, the transition portion, and the lower portion; and the display has a curvature that corresponds to a curvature of the glass housing member.<\/p>\n
Added Claim #6: The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the display area extends to an edge of the glass housing member.<\/p>\n
Added Claim #7: The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the glass housing member is movable, relative to the support structure, from a first configuration resulting in a first display angle to a second configuration resulting in a second display angle different from the first display angle.<\/p>\n
Added Claim #8: A desktop computer comprising: a display; an input device operably coupled to the display; a glass sheet comprising: a first portion defining a planar display area; a second portion defining a planar input area; and a curved portion between the planar display area and the planar input area; and a support structure coupled to the glass sheet and configured to support the glass sheet.<\/p>\n
Added Claim #9: The desktop computer of claim 8, wherein: the glass sheet is configured to move relative to the support structure; in a first configuration, the first portion has a first display angle; and in a second configuration, the first portion has a second display angle different from the first display angle.<\/p>\n
Added Claim #14: The desktop computer of claim 8, wherein the input device extends along at least a portion of the planar display area to form a touchscreen-style display.<\/p>\n
Added Claim #15: An electronic device comprising: a slumped glass housing member defining: a continuous exterior surface of the electronic device; and an opening extending through the slumped glass housing member; a support structure coupled to the slumped glass housing member and configured to support the slumped glass housing member; a display coupled to an upper portion of the slumped glass housing member; and a keyboard having: a storage configuration in which the keyboard is positioned at least partially within the opening; and a use configuration in which the keyboard is extended from the opening.<\/p>\n
Added Claim #16: The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the keyboard is: releasably coupled to the slumped glass housing member; and configured to detach from the slumped glass housing member in the use configuration.<\/p>\n
Added Claim #17: The electronic device of claim 15, wherein: the slumped glass housing member further defines an input area; the electronic device further comprises an input device configured to detect inputs at the input area; and in the use configuration, an actuation of a key of the keyboard causes an input to be detected by the input device.<\/p>\n
Added Claim #18: The electronic device of claim 15, wherein: the opening is a first opening; a second opening is defined in the upper portion of the slumped glass housing member; the electronic device further comprises: a camera positioned at least partially in the opening; and a processing unit positioned in the support structure; and the camera is operably coupled to the processing unit by a camera trace coupled to the slumped glass housing member.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
To review the full patent and the rest of the new patent claims, see patent application 20210397220.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Renderings<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The excitement for this new iMac concept had a number of renderers post images of what the design could translate to. Our cover graphic and those presented below are fromYanko Design. You could view a variety of additional rendering on their sitehere.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Originally posted here: Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a follow-up patent from Apple relating to their possible future iMac encased in an all-glass housing. The design is shown to be one of Apple's most excitingly creative concepts for a future iMac to date. This future iMac\/desktop PC may include a display coupled to the glass housing member and configured to provide a visual output at the display area Continue reading
\nApple continues to Work on their Exciting Futuristic All-Glass iMac - Patently Apple<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"