Apple Patent Details Home Button Joystick

Interesting Apple patent applications seem to pop up every other day. Today is no exception. A new application seen by Patently Apple shows a rather clever way of transforming the humble home button into a gaming joystick.

Using a simple pressure click of the home button, the joystick pops up out of the iPhone’s body. As Apple points out in the application, this would allow greater control over iOS games, allowing players access to a physical input rather than touch buttons on the screen. While there are indeed controllers and other gaming accessories for iOS devices, this would be the most convenient and portable solution.

This is one of many unique patent applications by Apple. Recently we’ve seen weight-shifting mechanisms to protect falling devices, smoke detectors and just yesterday a patent for a GoPro-like camera that got investors into a panic.

While this is a very interesting and perhaps lucrative idea, many of the company’s patents rarely get their way into future products. For this one however, there’s no doubt many people wouldn’t mind seeing this on their future iPhone.

Source: Patently Apple Via: MacRumors