Apple patent points toward new hybrid e-paper display

There was a US patent which showed up recently from Apple, where the fruity company from Cupertino could be working on a possible breakthrough in display technology that might just see action n future iPads and iPhones. Known as “Systems and Methods for Switching Between an Electronic Paper Display and a Video Display” it will place both e-paper and regular display technology on the same screen – now how about that? Of course, this also means using elements of both simultaneously – imagine reading webpages using e-paper, while flipping parts of the screen for color as well as video content. Depending on the choice of display material, the system will auto-tune the backlight to suit the occasion. Apart from that, it is smart enough to recognize fast-moving content so that it can switch oer to the regular. This patent was originally filed in October 2009, but its application was recently published. Don’t bet on this becoming a real product though, as there are clearly technical obstacles to overcome that might take quite some time more.