Apple has filed a patent with the US Patent Office for capacitive touchscreen-compatible winter gloves, AppleInsider reports. The patent, originally filed June 28, 2007, is credited to inventors Steven Hotelling and Ashwin Sunder. Because touchscreens typically respond to electrical impulses from a users fingertips, gloves impede the ability to use an iPhone or iPod Touch if worn.
Before I get into how the patented gloves work, I’ve got to say this is a much-needed solution for iPod Touch and iPhone users living in a cold, northern climate. As a Winnipegger it’s always frustrating to have to take my gloves off in -30 degree weather in order to navigate around my iPod Touch. If Apple’s patented gloves ever come to fruition, frozen fingers may no longer be a problem.
The patent application describes a glove made of two layers. The inner layer would share several properties with human skin, the most important of which would be electrical conduction similar to that responsible for a touchscreen’s response to your fingertips. The outer layer would be some sort of waterproof and warm material similar to a typical winter glove. Certain points on the glove such as the end of the fingertips would feature an aperture that could open and close exposing the inner layer used to interact with the touchscreen. Exactly how the apertures would open and close isn’t set in stone, but the patent throws out a few examples such as an elastic ring, zipper fly, or protective cap.
Whether Apple intends to use this patent in the near future-or just plain future-is an unknown, but for my reasoning outlined above if it does I’d certainly be appreciative. And so would millions of other cold weather-livin’ Apple fans I’m sure.
