Microsoft is probably looking at a thinner Surface Pro Type Cover for next year’s Surface device. The Redmond company has filed a design patent which describes a method by which the keyboard cover for Microsoft Surface Pro could get thinner.
According to the patent, Microsoft might be cutting or etching the trackpad directly into the circuit board, first spotted by WindowsUnited.
“Techniques for a circuit board for an input device are described. In at least some embodiments, an input device is integrated with a circuit board of a device. For example, a touch interaction area of the input device is formed by cutting and / or etching a portion of the circuit board such that the touch interaction area is movable with respect to adjacent portions of the circuit board. In one or more embodiments, an input device includes a switch such that movement of the touch interaction region actuates the switch to generate a click-enter event,” noted Microsoft’s patent description.
Microsoft’s next version of Surface Pro is said to be “heavily redesigned.” The company is reportedly working on three new Surface devices codenamed Carmel, Libra and Andromeda. The device codenamed Carmel is believed to the next-generation Surface Pro that is not expected to arrive until mid-2019.
Watch Video: Microsoft Surface Book 2 First Look
A recent report from ZDNet had tipped that the next Surface Pro (which could be called Surface Pro 6) will bring major design changes compared to its predecessor. While it is not clear what that design change will mean, it could mean a thinner design than existing models.
