Microsoft Surface Laptop Competes with MacBook Featuring Trackpad That Functions as a Speaker

During my recent exploration of the USPTO’s directory, I came across a couple of noteworthy patents filed by Microsoft. One particularly caught my attention—a patent for a Surface Laptop featuring a groundbreaking dual-function trackpad that not only serves as a touch-sensitive surface but also functions as a speaker, enhancing your audio experience.

First brought to light by Windows Latest, this innovative trackpad sets itself apart from the existing technology available in the market. For instance, while Apple’s MacBook incorporates a Taptic Engine for providing haptic feedback, it does not serve the dual purpose of emitting sound. Similarly, ASUS’s ScreenPad allows users to adjust audio levels, but it lacks actual sound playback capabilities.

A Game-Changing Audio Experience

The core concept behind Microsoft’s patent is to transform a conventional trackpad into an audio sensation, enabling users to enjoy superior sound quality while using a Surface Laptop powered by Windows 11.

Surface Laptop touchpad with speaker patent — Image Courtesy: USPTO / Microsoft | Screenshot: WindowsLatest.com

The patent, titled “HAPTIC TRACKPAD LOUDSPEAKER” , outlines a Surface Laptop equipped with a haptic trackpad that also serves as a loudspeaker. This patent was officially published on November 14, 2024, following its application on May 12, 2023.

Dual Functionality of the Trackpad

According to my analysis, the trackpad in this innovative laptop acts both as a conventional touch-sensitive interface for navigating Windows 11 and as a loudspeaker capable of producing haptic feedback. Haptic feedback, for the uninitiated, provides tactile sensations—like vibrations or clicks—simulating the feel of pressing actual buttons on a touch panel.

Surface Laptop patent — Image Courtesy: USPTO / Microsoft | Screenshot: WindowsLatest.com

How It All Works

The patent specifies that the trackpad is constructed from glass and contains an integrated haptic touch motor. Beneath the printed circuit board (PCB) are resilient spacers that function as spring elements, allowing the trackpad to vibrate vertically along the z-axis.

You might question the novelty of this technology since many haptic trackpads already incorporate a vibrating component for feedback. What’s unique about Microsoft’s design is its haptic motor, engineered to manage both low-frequency vibrations for feedback (below 400 Hz) and higher frequencies for sound reproduction (400 Hz to 10,000 Hz).

The trackpad effectively serves as a speaker diaphragm, the part of a speaker that vibrates to generate sound. This design allows it to produce audio comparable to small to medium speakers, playing music, notifications, and other audio alerts—which covers a frequency range ideal for music, speech, and system sounds in Windows 11.

Modes for Enhanced Audio Performance

Within the patent, Microsoft outlines two distinct operational modes for the trackpad-based speaker:

Piston Mode: Optimized for lower frequency sounds, making it perfect for vocal and bass tones.
Distributed Mode: Targets sounds above 3 kHz to handle more complex audio frequencies effectively.

These modes utilize a spring-mass system, precisely tuned spacers, and a flexible surround, all enabling the trackpad to transition seamlessly between different sound outputs. Furthermore, the design is optimized for resonance beneath 400 Hz for haptic feedback and capable of audio performance spanning 400 Hz to 10 kHz.

Importantly, the Surface Laptop is not abandoning traditional speaker systems for a purely trackpad-based audio solution. Instead, expect a multi-channel audio arrangement where sound from the trackpad augments the overall music experience.

The Future of Audio-Enhanced Laptops

As it stands, this innovative patent application is still under review, which means there’s no guarantee that it will come to fruition like many of Microsoft’s other visionary proposals.

Zac Bowden notes that Microsoft is currently focused on launching Surface devices powered by Intel’s Lunar Lake chipset. Consequently, breakthrough technologies such as this may not arrive immediately.

For further insights, you can explore the original source of this innovative technology through

Additional Insights

1. What advantages does the haptic trackpad speaker provide?

The haptic trackpad speaker offers a unique combination of tactile feedback and audio output, enhancing user interaction with the device while eliminating the need for additional speakers for casual listening.

2. Will the Surface Laptop still have traditional speakers?

Yes, the Surface Laptop is expected to maintain a traditional speaker system, allowing for a multi-channel audio experience that enriches overall sound quality.

3. When can we expect to see this technology in a real product?

Currently, this technology remains a patent application, and while it shows great promise, the timeline for its implementation into a commercial product is still uncertain.

Windows Latest