As you know, the Smart Cover comes with magnets inside that when aligned with the magnets inside the iPad, will either turn the tablet’s screen on or off. However the patent suggests that Apple could use keyed magnetic structures in the chassis of the iPad itself, which would then allow the tablet to “hold” onto devices like gaming controllers, credit card readers, detachable keyboards, and even the possibility of attaching to another iPad which could then be used as a dual-display setup! The patent also talks about smart magnets which will require a ring to be used to activate it. The ring, worn on the finger of the user, can be used to perform gesture based commands without having to actually touch the iPad itself. Of course there’s no telling if Apple will ever turn this patent into a reality, but it sure does sound like a nifty idea.