Samsung patents a touch system to get rid of physical buttons

Lately, Samsung patents have revealed the potential path the company could take in future devices. The most recent ones revealed some of the technologies the company could implement in a tri-fold smartphone or even a rollable device. A new patent from Samsung describes a system where the phone vibrates only at the point where you touch it. However, the system is designed to replace physical buttons.

The USPTO received the patent application in February 2023, but it didn’t publish it until this month. It describes a system of sensors and small vibration motors located on the edges of a curved screen.

Samsung’s patent describes phones that vibrate only where you touch to replace physical buttons

Interestingly, the patent (via MSPoweruser) seems to go against the current trend in the smartphone industry. Companies are ditching curves for flatter screens and sides. Anyway, Samsung’s patent allows the implementation of “virtual buttons” to replace physical buttons while offering haptic feedback that simulates them.

Basically, the patent’s technology would allow you to tap the edges of the screen to turn the volume up/down, turn the phone on/off, and even launch apps. The system functions by utilizing a combination of touch sensors and multiple small vibration units strategically placed throughout the designated “pressed” area. A touch sensor triggers the small haptic unit specific to that area when it detects your finger. Of course, you would need to implement a certain level of pressure to avoid accidental touches.

A description in the patent makes it pretty clear that Samsung considered removing physical buttons on Galaxy smartphones. “By virtue of its convenience, a touch panel increasingly replaces existing physical input means, such as a keypad. Further, interest in a touch panel to receive a variety of inputs by employing a force sensor on a display device is growing,” the filing says.

Of course, a system like this needs security measures to maintain its integrity. The patent describes a shield surrounding the small haptic motors. Not only does this protect them, but it also isolates the touch response to a specific point. A frame and multiple layers of adhesive would secure everything in place. Plus, there’s a layer of waterproofing against dust and liquids.

The implementation of the patent seems unlikely today

As with any patent, we may never see the system described in a commercial device. This particular one seems especially complicated to implement in today’s tech industry. Currently, Galaxy devices are all about flat screens and flat edges. Anyway, if Samsung ever reconsiders doing away with physical buttons, at least we know they have the technology for it.