It seems as if Apple has been churning out a lot of patents lately. Just when you thought the Cupertino-based company's ideas ended with the new text messaging interface for the iPhone, a new filing was recently sighted on the US Patent & Trademark Office website.

It looks like Apple has taken a page off most of today's next gen console controller systems and will be implementing an idea based on it in an unrevealed future project. A new patent was recently filed which makes use of a 3D remote control system similar to Nintendo's Wii Remote for its Apple TV set-top box.

In theory, it makes uses of three different relative and absolute positioning axes to pick up motions based by the user to induce several pre-programmed onscreen responses (you know, just like the Wiimote). To give a more concrete example of the patent, here's a statement taken directly from it:

[...] The absolute x- and y-positions of [the] remote control can be used, for example, in video games to position a user's character or to otherwise track the movement of the remote control in a user's environment.

In addition to this 3D remote control concept, it will also employ the use of a system similar to multi-touch application available on the iPhone, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro. This utilizes the absolute position of the remote control on its third axis to "zoom in and out of an image or a portion thereof".

Couple this with the fact that the system will come with "an optional console" with its own set of accessories, it makes one think if Apple has any ideas of stepping onto the video game console ring with other heavy hitters like Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony.

It definitely looks like everyone is hoping onto the motion sensitive controller bandwagon nowadays. There's been no official announcement what practical applications we will be seeing this new system on, but we'll be sure to keep an eye out for any news regarding this patent in the near future.