Apple has just walked home with six new patents, one of which details an iPod shuffle-like remote control. The image may not tell us much, but a reverse side clip is clearly visible, as is some form of circular control, which could be a scroll wheel or four way control pad. The iPhone comes with a basic in-line remote; could this be a more sophisticated offering? The other four patents described the following.
A lanyard design, two iPod shuffle variations and a technology that allows production of smooth motion compensated frames by combining multiple interpolation results. Information is scant beyond that, but we do know the remote control patent was filed back in March 2007, and has just now been cleared. Bearing that in mind, the idea may have made it to the scrap heap, but we shall watch this space nonetheless. [ipodnn via Mactropolis]
