Microsoft Patent Suggests Surface Pen OLED Touch Bar Hardware

According to a newly published application, Microsoft has patented an OLED touch bar panel for integration with its Surface Pen accessory for the Surface and Surface Pro 2-in-1 devices. The specification, which was originally filed in 2017 and released for public consumption by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office late last week, includes a mock-up rendering depicting a Surface Pen with a long, thin touch panel displaying three different “screen” layouts. This is meant to showcase the accessory’s ability to adaptively cycle through settings options depending on the context of the open app or software.

While this new patent rendering bears obvious similarities to the Touch Bar on Apple’s newer line of MacBook Pros, its inclusion as part of a creative accessory such as the Surface Pen makes for a logical next step, and fertile ground for innovative applications. The biggest possible game-changer would likely stem from avid Adobe Photoshop users being able to change brushes…