Nikon patents lens that can zoom manually or electronically

The folks at Nikon have filed for a patent over in Japan for a new lens that is able to zoom manually or electronically, depending on the needs of the user. The benefit of such a system would be for folks who use movie mode and want a smoother and more controlled transition, solving the issue of recording video footage and trying to zoom manually at the same time. The function would be controlled by a zoom button on the camera body, keeping everything simple and functional.