Apple Patent Shows a Functional Bezel That Could Be Used in Future iPads

Ordinarily the bezel of a phone or other device doesn’t serve much of a purpose past framing the screen in a neat, pretty package. But in an Apple patent released by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today, we see a new type of functional bezel that could potentially make its way into future iPads.

The patent application shows an intelligent bezel capable of touch-sensitive input. The bezel could be used to control basic functions like volume, page up/page down or zooming. The design is also capable of distinguishing meaningful touches from inadvertent ones, so if you are simply holding the iPad, it won’t cause any accidental switching. It is also capable of adjusting the controls to either landscape or portrait orientation.

The intelligent bezel shown in the patent drawings includes both a visible version, in which controls are clearly marked, and an invisible version, in which there are no markings and the user can distinguish them based upon a logical, pre-determined placement. [via Patently Apple]