Apple patents iPod touch and iPhone friendly gloves

Addressing the complaints of nearly every iPhone owner in a northern climate, Apple has filed for a patent that would cover a means of using a multi-touch device with gloves.

As cold-weather users of the iPhone or iPod touch may already know, the devices’ capacitive touch screens don’t work with most insulated gloves, as they block the electrical response needed to operate the screen.

Apple’s patent filing describes a pair of gloves with a second inner layer that would simulate the electrical feedback of human fingers, and matching openings on each fingertip to allow the inner layer to be exposed when in use. As with all Apple patents, this filing does not necessarily represent any future product release from Apple, but offers evidence of the company’s research in this area.

Posted in: Apple-iPod-Touch-News