Like most aging celebs, the iPod looks like it's also thinking of getting some work done. A series of designs registered by Apple Computer with a European trademark and design office early this year suggests the company may soon abandon its Click-Wheel interface in future iPod versions.

In one of the design sketches for the iPod nano (see image above), the Click-Wheel has been replaced by a keypad layout that resembles a traditional cell phone handset. Below the nano's screen is a circular navigation pad, flanked by two input buttons. Right below these controls is a keypad layout consisting of what could be 12 numeric keys in the traditional cellphone keypad layout. The second iPod nano design sketch includes a display and what appears to be a 4-way directional pad similar to the Nintendo Entertainment Systems game controllers.

Apple's filings also include four additional designs (see image below) based on the iPod nano. It includes a navigational interface unlike anything seen on current iPods today. One sports a square Apple TrackPad, another has an elongated scroll strip with a rounded top and base. The third and fourth designs include some form of elliptical controller .

The last two designs show an iPod nano and a fifth-generation video iPod with a display screen and nothing more. It could be related to another iPod audio interface patent Apple described as a voice-activated menu navigation system.

What do you think of these new designs? Let us know via the comments.