Surface Laptops audio could get even better in the future thanks to a clever twist a speaker built into the touchpad

Date:
Mon, 06 Jan 2025 11:07:48 +0000

Description:
A patent filed for a touchpad with haptic feedback and an integrated speaker is a potential spark of ingenuity from Microsoft.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Microsof t has filed a patent for a haptic trackpad loudspeaker It describes a
touchpad using haptic feedback that doubles as a speaker It could potentially augment a laptops existing speakers, or replace one to create more space for other components

A future Surface Laptop could sport a fresh innovation in the form of a trackpad that also acts as a speaker.

The potential move was noticed by Windows Latest as a patent filed by Microsoft (with the US Patent and Trademark Office) for a haptic trackpad loudspeaker .

As the name indicates, the idea is a laptop touchpad featuring haptic (tactile) feedback and an integrated speaker.

The proposed implementation of the trackpad involves a touch sensor that functions as a haptic surface so it simulates a physical click when the pad is pressed, to avoid having a mechanical switch for the pad to register a click and that sensor also acts as a diaphragm for the touchpad speaker.

The patent notes that the speaker can produce audio over a frequency range of 400Hz to 10KHz. (Image credit: Future) Analysis: A touch of genius?

The idea, then, is to either provide an extra speaker built into the touchpad to enhance the laptops other speakers, or to replace a speaker in the
notebook chassis, giving more room for other components a bigger battery,
say or to allow for a slimmer device perhaps.

The Surface Laptop already offers a good level of sound quality , and this could improve its audio chops further (the device currently tops our ranking of the best laptops , incidentally).

The dual-use trackpad which can provide haptic feedback via low frequency vibrations under 400Hz, and audio using frequencies above that is a clever twist on the traditional formula, and as such, we can imagine Microsoft might want to use it in a future Surface device.

As ever, though, the thing with patents is that theyre often never realized they are just concepts, after all, which may not pan out when it comes to the physical design and implementation, or cost. Or indeed they may not work as well as planned. Patents are often filed speculatively, too, so whether we will ever get a Surface Laptop with a speaker integrated into a haptic trackpad remains to be seen.

My worry, if this idea does come to fruition, is whether employing the trackpads touch sensor in this dual-use way could lead to an increased chance of it going wrong, as when you complicate designs, thats the obvious danger. But ensuring that this isnt the case should be part of the R&D process in developing the trackpad, and part of the judgement about whether to proceed with the invention, or not. You might also like Windows 11 24H2 is in danger of becoming hated by gamers Microsoft lays out reasons Windows 10 gamers should upgrade to Windows 11, but I can pick a few holes in these arguments Ode to the Pixelbook: why Google should revive this awesome laptop



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/laptops/surface-laptops-audio-could-get-ev en-better-in-the-future-thanks-to-a-clever-twist-a-speaker-built-into-the-touc hpad


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