Apple’s patent play. Something big this way comes?

MacNN today posted a fairly in-depth summary of a new patent application filed by Apple computer with the US Patent and Trademark Office in March 2006 for a “Multi-functional hand-held device”. This patent makes reference to technologies first identified in previous patent applications for “Proximity detector in handheld device”, a “Virtual Scroll-Wheel Interface” and “Display actuators for electronic devices”. While no doubt most of the patents Apple applies for never see the light of day, the fact that the same technologies from earlier patent applications are being mentioned in this new filing indicates at the very least that someone at Apple is running with these concepts.

Is it a wide-screen video iPod, an iPhone, Apple Newton resurrected or a combination of the three? There’s no way to know for sure, but all this information certainly does make the wait for Tuesday, Sept. 12 that much harder. While I doubt we’ll see any out of this world mobile chameleon device being announced, it’s still nice to hope for what fantastic Star Trek-ish device Apple has up it’s sleeves.

Adding fuel to the speculation is the fact that Apple released updated iMac and Mac mini computers this week with little fanfare. Products that most tech pundits were expecting Apple to unveil at their special event next week. Sure, faster processors don’t warrant any special event these days, but the new 24″ high-end HD capable iMac certainly would tie in nicely with the movie download service everyone is expecting Apple to unveil. I mean they only had to hold off on the announcement for an extra week. So what gives? Not announcing the new iMacs at the “It’s Showtime” event can mean only one thing: That there are more exciting things to announce and they don’t want to eat up precious time talking about a new iMac, as drool-worthy as it may be.

I don’t know about you, but I’m really hoping Apple announces an iPhone. But if I had to bet money on it, I’d guess we’ll see an event focused on movies, which means iTMS movie downloads (most likely for $14.99 and $9.99 a pop), new iPod nano’s in an aluminum scratch resistent enclosure, updated iPod video with a small chance of a bigger screen video model, and the piece to resistance: a new AirPort Express with Video, or similar set-top box for streaming your iTMS video downloads from your computer to your TV in the living room. This is where I’m setting my expectations, and I think that I’m setting relatively low. Anything above and beyond will be icing on the cake. Better keep some space on the ‘ol credit card just in case…

[3:58 pm Update: MacNN has posted an article about another related Apple patent application submitted in April 2006 for a “Hand held electronic device with multiple touch sensing devices”. Hopefully in time more pieces of the puzzle will come into place. Of course, the puzzle will be solved if and when Apple formally announces new products that are designed around any/all of this technology.]