Apple Wins Patent for Future Flexible iPhones and Other iOS Devices

The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has today granted Apple a patent for not only flexible displays, but also for possible future flexible iPhones and other iOS Devices, PatentlyApple is reporting. Furthermore, the patent filing hints that bending a future flexible centric iPhone, iPod or iPad device may also allow users to open a specific application, control a game function and so much more.

Apple details that flexible housing members may include housing members with rigid and flexible portions, or housing members that are completely flexible, which may include hinges or elastomeric portions that allow them to flex. Furthermore, flexible housing members may have portions that provide flexibility in one dimension and other portions that provide rigidity in another dimension. Also, flexible internal components may include flexible batteries such as batteries having rigid and flexible portions.

Flexible housing members may have one or more multi-stable flex regions such as bi-stable flex regions for providing two or more stable configurations for the flexible electronic device. Flexible housing members may include fluid filled or air filled pockets for alternately stiffening and flexing the device.

Apple’s patent had several key segments covering the following:

• Flex Sensing Components Can Translate into Commands for Features, Apps & Games 
• Future Flexible iDevices will be more Resistant to Impacts 
• Materials that Could be used in the Casing of a Flexible Display iDevice

You can read more about the patent at this link.