Apple has been awarded a number of new patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that week. Two of the patents give Apple a firmer hold on its multitouch and touchpad surface technologies and the iPhone’s case design.

An urgent patent for a touchpad surface titled Force imaging input device and system covers the multitouch trackpad in Apple’s more recent notebook computers and–to some degree–the iPhone touch screen.

The abstract from

the patent describes a system with multiple layers comprised of two sets of drive traces, one layer of sensing traces, and a spring membrane. The layers are arranged by a base and have an outer layer such as plastic or glass that gives the entire assembly a pleasing outward appearance and provides an interactive surface with the outside world.

The invention […]

Orginal post by David Martin