Apple granted patent for iPad cover with a second screen

Apple’s iPad Smart Cover could soon get even smarter.

Currently, the iPad Smart Cover has the ability to wake an iPad from a sleep state and fold nicely over the screen. In the midst of dwindling iPhone sales, Apple may currently be developing an iPad cover with its own screen.

Based on a patent granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple’s latest version of its Smart Cover could include a flexible display, solar panels for collecting energy, inductive charging, a smart keyboard and Apple’s smart connector.

Mashable reports that an iPad cover with its own display is Apple’s alternative to making the actual tablet bigger, and goes on to describe the several benefits that could come from having a second screen.

The new Smart Cover could potentially display the titles of songs or movies being played and other auxiliary information, as well as incorporate touchscreen controls. Furthermore, the design of the cover varies significantly, from a full fledged second display to a display that’s restricted to a section of the cover.

Although the patent was granted recently, it was actually filed in 2011, an some features from the original patent have already been realized while others remain a bit too far fetched.

Seeing as it’s only a patent, there’s no guarantee Apple will create a product that takes advantage of the features described within.

Related reading: Apple’s new tablet is a smaller iPad Pro

[source]U.S Patent and Trademark Office[/source]