How Touchscreens Predict Where Your Finger Will Land Before You Touch
Apple's patent describes a touch controller that tracks an object's path through the air to predict where it will land on a screen before it actually makes physical contact.
Original patent title: “Predictive touch detection”
Apple's patent describes a touch controller that tracks an object's path through the air to predict where it will land on a screen before it actually makes physical contact. Granted to Apple Inc in 2020 with 24 claims and 8 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This technology uses proximity sensors to detect a finger or stylus while it is still approaching the screen, rather than waiting for physical contact. By calculating the trajectory of the object at a first distance, the processor generates a predicted touch location. As the object gets closer to a second distance, the system refines this prediction to determine the final identified touch location. This allows the device to pre-calculate which button or interface element the user intends to select, potentially speeding up responsiveness or improving accuracy in complex user interfaces.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover touch detection that only triggers upon physical contact with the screen surface.
- Does not cover systems that rely solely on the centroid of the object at the moment of contact without considering the approach trajectory.
- Does not cover touchscreens that lack proximity-sensing capabilities to track objects before they land.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The system treats the 'approach' phase as data rather than noise, using the trajectory through space to disambiguate the final touch point before the physical event occurs.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Apple Pencil hover features on iPad Pro
High-end smartphone touch controllers with proximity sensing
Advanced stylus input systems for digital art tablets
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent addresses the latency gap between human movement and digital response. By shifting from reactive sensing to predictive sensing, devices can feel more fluid and responsive. It is a key component in the ongoing effort to make touch interfaces feel like a natural extension of the user's hand.
Filed
June 9, 2016
Granted
February 18, 2020
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Apple remains the primary developer of this technology, integrating it into the iPad Pro's Pencil hover functionality. Other major mobile display manufacturers and touch-controller IC designers are also exploring similar predictive algorithms to reduce perceived input latency.
Market impact
This patent reinforces the trend of 'hover' interactions in mobile computing, moving beyond simple tap-and-drag. It enables a more sophisticated UI layer where the device anticipates user intent, which is a significant differentiator for premium tablet and stylus-enabled hardware.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This technology uses proximity sensors to detect a finger or stylus while it is still approaching the screen, rather than waiting for physical contact. By calculating the trajectory of the object at a first distance, the processor generates a predicted touch location. As the object gets closer to a second distance, the system refines this prediction to determine the final identified touch location. This allows the device to pre-calculate which button or interface element the user intends to select, potentially speeding up responsiveness or improving accuracy in complex user interfaces.
The clever bit
The system treats the 'approach' phase as data rather than noise, using the trajectory through space to disambiguate the final touch point before the physical event occurs.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover touch detection that only triggers upon physical contact with the screen surface.
- Does not cover systems that rely solely on the centroid of the object at the moment of contact without considering the approach trajectory.
- Does not cover touchscreens that lack proximity-sensing capabilities to track objects before they land.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Strong
Citation count
19/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
16/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$125K – $399K
Midpoint $250K · 10.0 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
24 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Keeler, K. M., Marsden, R., Menzel, B. C., & Hilario, A. J. (2020). How Touchscreens Predict Where Your Finger Will Land Before You Touch (U.S. Patent No. 10,564,770). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10564770/airpods-wireless-earbuds
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Touchscreens Predict Where Your Finger Will Land Before You Touch cover?
Apple's patent describes a touch controller that tracks an object's path through the air to predict where it will land on a screen before it actually makes physical contact.
Who owns patent US 10564770?
Apple Inc owns this patent, granted in 2020.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on February 18, 2040, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 10564770 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 8 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent addresses the latency gap between human movement and digital response. By shifting from reactive sensing to predictive sensing, devices can feel more fluid and responsive. It is a key component in the ongoing effort to make touch interfaces feel like a natural extension of the user's hand.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover touch detection that only triggers upon physical contact with the screen surface.
Same assignee
More from Apple Inc
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