Thanks to the USPTO, Sony has been granted a new patent that would help mobile devices detect though strength via microphone. Currently, captive touchscreens are unable to detect pressure on their own, requiring the use of a second film. While it is a solution, this adds additional cost and weight on the device, making it a path less used. If Sony’s latest patent were to be implemented in device, the microphone would be able to take the job of the second layer required and listen to for the sound of your finger or stylus tapping the touchscreen.

The patent allows Sony to take things one step further by also letting the camera join in on the fun. As shown above, the camera would be able to detect your fingers position and force and feed the information to the touchscreen device and await the appropriate reaction. While an interesting concept, it’s a safe bet to tuck this away in the future thinking department and not expect any products to actually ship with such a feature.

Discuss:

Do you think Sony will utilize this patent in future products or there already better solutions available?