Apple files patent stylus that can capture writing on any surface

WACOM INTUOS CREATIVE STYLUS

Apple has been granted a patent by the USPTO on Tuesday that describes a stylus that will allow a user to write on any surface, and translate it onto their iPhone or iPad. The feature set is similar to the Livescribe 3 Smartpen, that works on Livescribe Dot Paper by using an onboard camera.

However, the technology Apple has applied for sounds more advanced and more seamless. Instead of using a camera and specialized paper, Apple’s stylus uses accelerometers and motion-sensing to activate only when picked up, its nib is pressed to paper, withdrawn from a dock or manually turned on by the user. 

Of course, just because Apple files for a patent, doesn’t mean we will actually see the feature be released. It would be rather interesting, as Apple has never chosen to release a stylus with its iPad product – leaving the stylus market to third-party players. Users enjoy the benefits of styluses for drawing and writing on their iPad screens.

In Apple’s patent, it describes being able to change out the pen head to write on different surfaces. The imaginative product could write on notebooks, tables, walls, or even in the air.

Apple filed its first patent for a stylus in 2010, so it’s not exactly a new concept for the engineers in Cupertino. However with rumors Apple could launch a 12-inch “Pro” version of its iPad, an official Apple stylus could make sense.

[Apple Insider via TechCrunch]