Apple Patents NFC Tech for iOS Game Controller Use

Apple has been investigating the use of near-field communication chips in iOS devices - and has registered for a patent that could allow iPhones and iPads to become something of a wireless games controller.

Reports last night suggested that Apple had patented a full-blown game controller, but this is actually not the case. A game controller is just one example noted in the patent, called "System and Method for Simplified Control of Electronic Devices". It also states that iPhones and iPads could be used as controllers for other things too, like an app on Apple TV.

"A person may use a wide variety of electronic devices each day [but] initiating and establishing control of each device may involve a series of complicated unintuitive procedures using separate remote controls," the patent filing reads. Future handsets will include NFC chips that could allow them to communicate directly with other devices using a wireless radio-frequency connection.

NFC is also included within the Wii U GamePad, and is the technology that makes Skylanders toys and play bases work together.