Apple to Introduce a Smart Bezel with Additional Indicators!
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April 7, 2011 • 
Apple is desirous to introduce a new secondary smart bezel to its popular iPhone device which has the ability to display some additional indicators in it. It has been just revealed by a latest Apple patent application as reported by PatentlyApple today.
Apple intends to introduce a method that employs a very cool secondary display scheme that utilizes a printed segmented electroluminescence display. Apple intends to use the secondary display to introduce a set of new illuminated indicators that are able morph into various controls for work and play. Illuminated gaming and productivity controls could be built into the face-side of the bezel and/or selected back-side areas of iOS devices like the iPad.
It seems that by adding a smart bezel to iPhone with additional buttons, Apple wants to provide the user visual instruction or guidance without grabbing the screen area of iPhone.
Apple’s patent covers systems and methods for selectively illuminating a secondary display. An electronic device could include a primary display (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen) and a secondary display (e.g., a printed segmented electroluminescence display). The primary display could be used to convey visual content to a user, and the secondary display could be used to guide a user providing inputs to the device. For example, the secondary display could be selectively illuminated to provide one or more indicators that represent where or how a user can provide inputs to the device.
The side buttons would be composed of a number of elements to let the developers for “drawing” different icons. Figure 3A shows all elements in an “off” position. Figure 3B shows a + or cross, 3C a gamepad icon and 3D an up arrow.
Via: macrumors
