11630 SW 97 Street, Miami, Florida 33176, US
Another Surface-related patent has emerged – following the potential Surface Dial and Pen innovations we saw last week – and this time it appears Microsoft is hoping to improve the keyboard of its hybrid laptop.
As the patent (spotted by Windows Latest) outlines, the idea is to use keys with haptic feedback rather than traditional mechanical means (i.e. “rubber or metal dome switches along with scissor mechanisms” as Microsoft puts it).
The idea is that haptic feedback could still give the user a pleasant typing experience in terms of key travel and overall feel, while not requiring any actual physical travel for the key, therefore meaning the keyboard base can be made thinner (as the key mechanism is slimmer).