USPTO, that is the U.S. patent office, revealed information about Apple's patent application for a new kind of cover for the tablet. Casing filed for a patent is a development of the well-known Smart Cover, this time enhanced with the ability to display information on the outer surface.
The new cover would resemble the current one, with a hinged front cover, which after proper positioning would convert into a stand. This time, the exterior sheathing of the cover would be adorned with LED or electroluminescent panels, which could display notifications and status information about the device – for example the battery status. This solution would also provide the use of the cover’s elements as a keypad and also placing the displaying elements on the inner side of the case.
In another variant the cover would have transparent "windows" through which we would see the image displayed on the tablet. While the first option would require the usage of a mechanical connection between the tablet and the cover (for the power supply), whereas in the second case it would be enough to activate a special display mode after connecting the cover through the magnetic connector, just like it is done now.
Unfortunately, we do not know whether and when Apple will implement any of the described solutions into production. The patent application was submitted to the USPTO back in 2012, which means that the idea went apparently on hold. I would not expect that these active cases will appear along with the next generation of iPad.
Source: Appleinsider
