Patent: Virtual Input Device For OS X In The Future?

An Apple patent has surfaced showing some new possible input methods for OS X. The patent describes a virtual input device that works in both 2D and 3D, allowing the monitor to display a virtual input device that can be used instead of an actual physical device. This system would have the virtual coordinates of the virtual input device correlate to the real coordinates on the physical input device (possibly a trackpad), and the dimensions of the physical input device are proportional to the dimensions of the virtual input device, and interactive objects are presented in the virtual input device. The advantage of this system is that it will apparently allow a user to navigate objects more efficiently, improving the ease of interaction with the objects and improving a user’s experience.