This is how future MacBook keyboards will look

A keyboard that could potentially change how we type has been patented by Apple. The latest patent application, which was made public this week by the US Patent and Trademark Office, demonstrates that Apple is developing a method that would enable keyboards in the future to display various symbols based on the context.

This is how future MacBook keyboards will look

Apple has shared this information regarding the keyboard: 

“When the keyboard is activated, however, glyphs for each of the keycaps can appear on the keys due to light emitted through the keycaps from beneath the top surfaces of the keycaps. The glyphs can appear to float due to individual light sources or displays that are positioned on or under each of the keycaps. Thus, all of the light output by the light sources or displays can be directed through the top of the keycaps to generate the glyphs, as compared to conventional keyboards where light typically bleeds between adjacent keycaps or is visible between or below the keycaps.“

“In some embodiments, the light sources or displays can include an array of LEDs such as a display using micro-LED or OLED pixels. The perforations in the keycaps can correspond in number to the pixels of the display so that, for example, each single pixel of the display can provide light to one single perforation. In this manner, the displays/light sources can be controlled to generate glyphs that are changeable or adjustable between different shapes, letters, colors, symbols, animations, languages, and other features.”