Apple's new patent shows a "auxiliary screen" on the touch screen border

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published a new Apple patent this week, indicating that virtual indicators and touch-sensitive buttons may be added to the screen borders of future iPhones and iPads. These areas are described in Apple's patent as "auxiliary screens" to display information that can help users use the device.

Traditional touch-screen devices usually display the buttons that users need to click on the screen, and these buttons take up a lot of space on the screen of devices such as the iPhone. Apple's patent displays virtual buttons on the border of the screen to guide users on which button they should click, and it can even serve as a virtual input touch screen itself.

The icons displayed on the "auxiliary screen" are not fixed, depending on the program the user is running and the direction in which the device is held. With these virtual buttons, users do not need to reach out and click on the main screen, obstructing their sight. Users can control the game or software on the screen simply by touching the border of the device.